Thermostat wire detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11441804-B2
Application number	US-201916719363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A device for detecting a wire configuration connecting a thermostat and HVAC equipment includes fan controller circuitry, AC controller circuitry, switching circuitry, and processing circuitry. The fan controller circuitry is configured to operate a fan unit of the HVAC equipment using a G pin in a first wire configuration and using a K pin in a second wire configuration. The AC controller circuitry is configured to operate an AC unit of the HVAC equipment using a Y pin in the first wire configuration and the K pin in the second wire configuration. The switching circuitry is configured to refrain from electrically coupling the Y pin and the K pin in response to a deactivation signal. The processing circuitry is configured to determine the HVAC equipment is in the first wire configuration in response to determining the AC controller circuitry receives power while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for detecting a wire configuration connecting a thermostat and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the device comprising:
fan controller circuitry configured to operate a fan unit of the HVAC equipment, wherein the fan controller circuitry operates the fan unit using a G pin when the HVAC equipment is arranged in a first wire configuration and wherein the fan controller circuitry operates the fan unit using a K pin when the HVAC equipment is arranged in a second wire configuration;
Air Conditioning (AC) controller circuitry configured to operate an AC unit of the HVAC equipment, wherein the AC controller circuitry operates the AC unit using a Y pin when the HVAC equipment is arranged in the first wire configuration and wherein the AC controller circuitry operates the AC unit using the K pin when the HVAC equipment is arranged in the second wire configuration;
switching circuitry configured to electrically couple the Y pin and the K pin in response to an activation signal and to refrain from electrically coupling the Y pin and the K pin in response to a deactivation signal; and
processing circuitry configured to determine the HVAC equipment is arranged in the first wire configuration in response to determining the AC controller circuitry receives power from a power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine the HVAC equipment is arranged in the second wire configuration in response to determining the AC controller circuitry does not receive power from the power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry and determining the AC controller circuitry receives power from the power supply while outputting the activation signal to the switching circuitry.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine whether the AC controller circuitry receives power from the power supply while outputting the activation signal to the switching circuitry in response to determining that the AC controller circuitry does not receive power from the power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry; and
refrain from determining whether the AC controller circuitry receives power from the power supply while outputting the activation signal to the switching circuitry in response to determining that the AC controller circuitry receives power from the power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine the AC controller circuitry is missing a wire connection to the K pin or the Y pin in response to determining the AC controller circuitry does not receive power from the power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry and determining the AC controller circuitry does not receive power from the power supply while outputting the activation signal to the switching circuitry.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine the fan controller circuitry is missing a wire connection to the K pin or the G pin in response to determining the fan controller circuitry does not receive power from the power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry.

6. The device of claim 1 , comprising wire saver circuitry configured to:
in response to receiving current in at a first polarity from the K pin:
electrically couple the fan unit to the power supply; and
electrically couple the AC unit to the power supply; and

in response to receiving current at a second polarity from the K pin:
electrically couple the fan unit to the power supply; and
refrain from electrically coupling the AC unit to the power supply.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the wire saver circuitry comprises:
a first relay configured to electrically couple the AC unit in response to receiving current at the first polarity from the K pin and to refrain from electrically coupling the AC unit in response to receiving current at the second polarity from the K pin; and
a second relay configured to electrically couple the fan unit in response to receiving current at the first polarity from the K pin and to electrically couple the fan unit in response to receiving current at the second polarity from the K pin.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the switching module includes a system-on-chip comprising a relay and an oscillation circuit for activating the relay in response to the activation signal.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the switching module comprises an isolation transformer, and one or more switching elements.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the switching module comprises a system-on-chip comprising a timer configured to provide an output to the isolation transformer to selectively switch-in the one or more switching elements in response to the activation signal.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein processing circuitry is configured to provide the activation signal to the isolation transformer to cause the one or more switching elements to switch-in.

12. A method for detecting a wire configuration connecting a thermostat and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the method comprising:
outputting, by processing circuitry, a deactivation signal to switching circuitry, wherein the switching circuitry is configured to refrain from electrically coupling a Y pin and a K pin in response to the deactivation signal,
wherein fan controller circuitry operates a fan unit of the HVAC equipment using a G pin when the HVAC equipment is arranged in a first wire configuration and wherein the fan controller circuitry operates the fan unit using the K pin when arranged in a second wire configuration;
wherein Air Conditioning (AC) controller circuitry operates the AC unit using the Y pin when the HVAC equipment is arranged in the first wire configuration and wherein the AC controller circuitry operates the AC unit using the K pin when the HVAC equipment is arranged in the second wire configuration; and
determining, by processing circuitry, the HVAC equipment is arranged in the first wire configuration in response to determining the AC controller circuitry receives power from a power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
outputting, by the processing circuitry, an activation signal to the switching circuitry, wherein the switching circuitry is configured to electrically couple the Y pin and the K pin in response to the activation signal; and
determining, by the processing circuitry, the HVAC equipment is arranged in the second wire configuration in response to determining the AC controller circuitry does not receive power from the power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry and determining the AC controller circuitry receives power from the power supply while outputting the activation signal to the switching circuitry.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
determining, by the processing circuitry, whether the AC controller circuitry receives power from the power supply while outputting the activation signal to the switching circuitry in response to determining that the AC controller circuitry does not receive power from the power supply while outputting the deactivation signal to the switching circuitry; and
refraining from determining, by the processing circuitry, whether the

Assignees

• Ademco Inc

Inventors

• Kim Hyunki
• Juntunen Robert D
• Ponce Jesus Omar
• Reategui Liliana
• Kohli Anuj
• Mulhouse David

Classifications

• F24F11/49 Primary

  ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks · CPC title

• G01R31/55

  Testing for incorrect line connections · CPC title

• F24F11/88 Primary

  Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits · CPC title