System and method of configuring HVAC components in an HVAC system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9872126-B2
Application number	US-201414513993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A system and method of configuring HVAC components in an HVAC system including a main system controller in operable communication with at least one auxiliary controller, wherein the main system controller and each of the at least one auxiliary controllers include a near field communication interface. The HVAC system components are configured by placing each of the at least one auxiliary controllers in close proximity to the main system controller, and operating the main system controller to initiate a pairing event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of configuring and operating components within a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system including a main system controller in communication with one or more auxiliary controllers, wherein the main system controller and each of the one or more auxiliary controllers include a near field communication interface, the method comprising the steps of:
initiating, by the main system controller and in response to a determination that each of the or more auxiliary controllers is in proximate range to the main system controller, a pairing event with each of the one or more auxiliary controllers;
assigning, by the main system controller and subsequent to having successfully paired with the one or more auxiliary controllers, a unique identifier to each of the one or more auxiliary controllers;
receiving, by the main system controller, a signal from a paired auxiliary controller of the one or more auxiliary controllers, wherein the signal is indicative of a demand to heat or cool detected by the paired auxiliary controller, and wherein the signal includes a unique identifier of the paired auxiliary controller and an HVAC control command corresponding to the condition detected by the paired auxiliary controller; and
performing, by the main system controller, an action on the HVAC system based on the HVAC control command received with the signal from the paired auxiliary controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pairing event includes an exchange of data between the main system controller and each of the one or more auxiliary controllers using the near field communication interfaces.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the unique identifier to each of the one or more auxiliary controller includes transmitting the respective unique identifier to each of the one or more auxiliary controller to which the respective unique identifier has been assigned.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paired auxiliary controller is associated with a designated zone, and wherein performing the action on the HVAC system comprises performing the action on a portion of the HVAC system corresponding to the designated zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paired auxiliary controller includes at least one of a thermostat, a damper, an indoor unit control board, and an outdoor unit control board.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the signal from the paired auxiliary controller comprises receiving the signal via one of a wired electrical communication path or a wireless electrical communication path.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the pairing event with each of the one or more auxiliary controllers comprises initiating the paring event by a near field communication interface of the main system controller.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving signal from the paired auxiliary controller comprises receiving the signal via an electrical communication path that is not managed by the near field communication interface.

9. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
a main system controller; and
one or more auxiliary controllers in communication with the main system controller;
wherein the main system controller and each of the one or more auxiliary controllers includes a near field communication interface; and
wherein the main system controller:
initiates, by the near field communication interface of the main system controller and in response to a determination that each of the or more auxiliary controllers is in proximate range to the main system controller, a pairing event with each of the one or more auxiliary controllers;
assigns, subsequent to having successfully paired with the one or more auxiliary controllers, a unique identifier to each of the one or more auxiliary controllers;
receives a signal from a paired auxiliary controller of the one or more auxiliary controllers, wherein the signal is indicative of a demand to heat or cool detected by the paired auxiliary controller, and wherein the signal includes the unique identifier of the paired auxiliary controller and an HVAC control command corresponding to the condition detected by the paired auxiliary controller; and
performs an action on the HVAC system based on the HVAC control command received with the signal from the paired auxiliary controller.

10. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the pairing event includes an exchange of data between the main system controller and each of the one or more auxiliary controllers using the near field communication interfaces.

11. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more auxiliary controllers are configured to:
receive, by the near field communication interface of the respective one of the auxiliary controllers during the pairing event, the unique identifier assigned to the respective one of the auxiliary controllers by the main system controller;
receive a demand to one of heat or cool an area associated with the respective one of the auxiliary controllers; and
transmit, subsequent to having successfully paired with the main system controller, a signal to the main system controller, wherein the signal is indicative of the received demand, and wherein the signal includes the received unique identifier.

12. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein to assign the unique identifier to each of the at least one auxiliary controller includes to transmit the respective unique identifier to each of the at least one auxiliary controller to which the respective unique identifier has been assigned.

13. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the paired auxiliary controller is associated with a designated zone, and wherein to perform the action on the HVAC system comprises to perform the action on a portion of the HVAC system corresponding to the designated zone.

14. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the paired auxiliary controller includes at least one of a thermostat, a damper, an indoor unit control board, and an outdoor unit control board.

15. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein to receive the signal from the paired auxiliary controller comprises to receive the signal via one of a wired electrical communication path or a wireless electrical communication path.

16. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein to initiate the pairing event with each of the one or more auxiliary controllers comprises to initiate the paring event by a near field communication interface of the main system controller.

17. The HVAC system of claim 16 , wherein to receive signal from the paired auxiliary controller comprises to receive the signal via an electrical communication path that is not managed by the near field communication interface.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Yarde Bryan M
• Roher Michael A

Classifications

• F24F11/64

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F24F11/54

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

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• G05B2219/21079

  Allocate at start up also to each controlled device a code for the leader · CPC title