Resilient operation of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016209059-A1
Application number	US-201514712035-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 14, 2015
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, an HVAC system includes a first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units and a second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units. The first control unit may connect to the second control unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to create an HVAC control network. The first control unit and second control unit may each detect and connect to a Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point. The first and second control units may then communicate concurrently over both the HVAC control network and the Wi-Fi network. The first control unit may detect a user device over the Wi-Fi network, receive a first command from the user device over the Wi-Fi network, and communicate the first command to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network. The first control unit may detect a communication failure in the Wi-Fi network, communicate with the user device over the HVAC network using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, receive a second command from the user device over the HVAC control network, and transmit the second command to the first plurality of HVAC units.

First claim

1 . A resilient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units; a second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units, wherein the first control unit is operable to connect to the second control unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to create an HVAC control network; and the first control unit and second control unit are each operable to detect and join a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point, the first and second control units operable to communicate concurrently over both the HVAC control network and the Wi-Fi network; the first control unit is further operable to detect a user device over the Wi-Fi network, receive a first command from the user device over the Wi-Fi network, and communicate the first command to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network; and the first control unit is further operable to detect a communication failure in the Wi-Fi network, communicate with the user device over the HVAC control network using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, receive a second command from the user device over the HVAC control network, and transmit the second command to the first plurality of HVAC units.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second commands are temperature control commands.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication failure is an operational failure of the wireless access point.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication failure is due to a failed authentication attempt between the first control unit and the Wi-Fi network.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first control unit is further operable to notify the second control unit of the Wi-Fi network failure using the HVAC control network.

6 . A resilient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a control unit communicatively coupled to one or more HVAC units; the control unit being operable to detect and connect to a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point, wherein the control unit is operable to detect a user device over the Wi-Fi network, receive a first command from the user device over the Wi-Fi network, and communicate the first command to the one or more HVAC units; and the control unit further operable to detect a communication failure in the Wi-Fi network, connect to the user device over the HVAC control network using a Wi-Fi direct protocol, receive a second command from the user device over the HVAC control network using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, and transmit the second temperature control command to the one or more HVAC units.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second commands are temperature control demands.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the communication failure is an operational failure of the wireless access point.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the communication failure is due to a failed authentication attempt between the first control unit and the Wi-Fi network.

10 . A control unit for operating a resilient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
an interface operable to facilitate communications with a first plurality of HVAC units; a Wi-Fi module operable to connect to a sibling control unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to create an HVAC control network, the sibling control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units; a processor communicatively coupled to the interface and the Wi-Fi module, the processor operable to:
join, using the Wi-Fi module, a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point;
receive, using the Wi-Fi module, a first command from a user device over the Wi-Fi network; and
communicate, using the Wi-Fi module, the first command to the sibling control unit over the Wi-Fi network; and
the processor is further operable to:
detect, using the Wi-Fi module, a communication failure in the Wi-Fi network;
communicate, using the Wi-Fi module, with the user device over the HVAC control network using the Wi-Fi direct protocol;
receive, using the Wi-Fi module, a second command from the user device over the HVAC control network using the Wi-Fi direct protocol; and
communicate, using the Wi-Fi module, the second temperature control command to the sibling control unit over the HVAC control network.

11 . The control unit of claim 11 , wherein the first and second commands are temperature control commands.

12 . The control unit of claim 11 , wherein the communication failure is an operational failure of the wireless access point.

13 . The control unit of claim 11 , wherein the communication failure is due to failed authentication information between the control unit and the Wi-Fi network.

14 . The control unit of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further operable to notify the sibling control unit of the Wi-Fi network failure using the HVAC control network.

15 . The control unit of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further operable to:
detect, using the Wi-Fi module, an interactive display over the Wi-Fi network; receive, using the Wi-Fi module, a third temperature command from the interactive display over the Wi-Fi network; detect, using the Wi-Fi module, a communication failure in the Wi-Fi network; and receive, using the Wi-Fi module, a fourth temperature command from the interactive display using the Wi-Fi direct protocol.

16 . A method for operating a resilient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
establishing, between a first control unit and a second control unit, an HVAC control network, wherein the HVAC control network is established using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to facilitate communications between the first and second control units; connecting, using the first and second control units, to a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point, wherein the first and second control units are operable to communicate concurrently over the HVAC control network and the Wi-Fi network. receiving, using the first control unit, a first command from a user device over the Wi-Fi network; transmitting the first command, from the first control unit to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network, wherein the first command is operable to control one or more HVAC units communicatively coupled to the second control unit; detecting, using the first control unit, a communication failure in the Wi-Fi network; receiving, using the first control unit, a second command from the user device over the HVAC control network using a Wi-Fi direct protocol; transmitting the second command, from the first control unit to the second control unit over the HVAC control network, wherein the second command is operable to control the one or more HVAC units communicatively coupled to the second control unit.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first and second commands are a first and second temperature control command.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the communication failure is an operational failure of the wireless access point.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the communication failure is due to a failed authentication attempt between the first control unit and the Wi-Fi network.

20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
notifying the second control unit of the Wi-Fi network failure using the HVAC control network.

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Castillo Daniel A
• Charavda Jayprakash
• Ho Nguyen T
• Khiani Sunil K

Classifications

• G05B2219/25168

  Domotique, access through internet protocols · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L12/2825

  Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002) · CPC title