Systems and methods for configuring and communicating with HVAC devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11774121-B2
Application number	US-202117316407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2021
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, a processing circuit, a wireless transceiver, and a power circuit. The processing circuit includes a processor and memory and is configured to operate the mechanical transducer according to a control program stored in the memory. The wireless transceiver is configured to facilitate bidirectional wireless data communications between the processing circuit and an external device. The power circuit is configured to draw power from a wireless signal received via the wireless transceiver and power the processing circuit and the wireless transceiver using the drawn power. The processing circuit is configured to use the power drawn from the wireless signal to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the actuator to the external device via the wireless transceiver, wirelessly receive data from the external device via the wireless transceiver, and store the data received from the external device in the memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A building device comprising:
a processing circuit comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processing circuit is configured to operate a motor according to a control program stored in the memory, the motor coupled to a fluid control device of a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system to control movement of the fluid control device; and
a wireless transceiver configured to facilitate near field communication (NFC) between the building device and an external device;
wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to use power generated from NFC signals to:
transmit a configuration parameter usable by the control program to operate the motor to the external device via NFC; and
receive an update to the configuration parameter from the external device via NFC, wherein the configuration parameter comprises a user selectable operational parameter associated with operation of the fluid control device.

2. The building device of claim 1 , wherein the control program comprises logic for operating the motor based on a plurality of configuration parameters comprising the configuration parameter.

3. The building device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to update the control program based on the update to the configuration parameter.

4. The building device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameter comprises an actuation span.

5. The building device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameter comprises a speed parameter.

6. The building device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameter comprises a timing parameter.

7. The building device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform a diagnostic test of the building device.

8. The building device of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to communicate diagnostic results from the diagnostic test to the external device.

9. The building device of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to communicate the diagnostic results to the external device via NFC using the power drawn from the NFC signals.

10. A building device comprising:
a processing circuit comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processing circuit is configured to operate a motor according to a control program stored in the memory, the motor configured to control movement of a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) device; and
a wireless transceiver configured to facilitate near field communication (NFC) between the building device and an external device;
wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to use power generated from NFC signals to:
transmit a configuration parameter usable by the control program to operate the motor to the external device via NFC; and
receive an update to the configuration parameter from the external device via NFC;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to update the control program based on the update to the configuration parameter.

11. The building device of claim 10 , wherein the configuration parameter comprises a user selectable set point associated with operation of the motor.

12. The building device of claim 11 , wherein the configuration parameter comprises data regarding at least one of an actuation span and a speed.

13. The building device of claim 10 , wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to use the power generated from the NFC signals to wirelessly transmit diagnostic data generated as a result of operating the building device to the external device via NFC.

14. The building device of claim 13 , wherein the diagnostic data comprises data relating to at least one of a force and a torque.

15. The building device of claim 13 , wherein the diagnostic data comprises failure mode data.

16. A method of configuring a building device, the method comprising:
providing a configuration parameter from the building device to an external device via NFC using power drawn from NFC signals;
receiving an update to the configuration parameter from a user interface of the external device;
providing the update to the configuration parameter from the external device to the building device via the NFC signals using a wireless transceiver of the building device while powering the wireless transceiver using the power from the NFC signals;
updating a control program of the building device with the update to the configuration parameter; and
controlling operation of a motor using the control program and the update to the configuration parameter.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising performing a diagnostic test of the building device.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising communicating diagnostic results from the diagnostic test to the external device via NFC.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising communicating the diagnostic results to the external device via NFC using the power drawn from the NFC signals.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the motor is coupled to a fluid control device of a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Alexander Robert K
• Merkl Christopher
• Romanowich Gary A
• Clement Bernard
• Weiss Kevin

Classifications

• F24F11/00 Primary

  Control or safety arrangements · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F24F11/38

  Failure diagnosis · CPC title

• F24F11/49

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

• F24F11/54

  using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers · CPC title