US20160040900A1 - HVAC System with SMS Capability - Google Patents
HVAC System with SMS Capability Download PDFInfo
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- US20160040900A1 US20160040900A1 US14/811,369 US201514811369A US2016040900A1 US 20160040900 A1 US20160040900 A1 US 20160040900A1 US 201514811369 A US201514811369 A US 201514811369A US 2016040900 A1 US2016040900 A1 US 2016040900A1
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- sms
- hvac system
- hvac
- indoor
- sms message
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/62—Control or safety arrangements characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
-
- F24F11/006—
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- F24F11/0086—
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- F24F11/02—
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/30—Control or safety arrangements for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/50—Control or safety arrangements characterised by user interfaces or communication
- F24F11/52—Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
- F24F11/526—Indication arrangements, e.g. displays giving audible indications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/50—Control or safety arrangements characterised by user interfaces or communication
- F24F11/56—Remote control
- F24F11/57—Remote control using telephone networks
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/50—Control or safety arrangements characterised by user interfaces or communication
- F24F11/56—Remote control
- F24F11/58—Remote control using Internet communication
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/62—Control or safety arrangements characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
- F24F11/63—Electronic processing
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/70—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
- F24F11/72—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
- F24F11/74—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
- F24F11/77—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure for controlling air flow rate or air velocity by controlling the speed of ventilators
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/70—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
- F24F11/80—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
- F24F11/83—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
- F24F11/84—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers using valves
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/70—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
- F24F11/80—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
- F24F11/83—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
- F24F11/85—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers using variable-flow pumps
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/89—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/50—Control or safety arrangements characterised by user interfaces or communication
- F24F11/52—Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/50—Control or safety arrangements characterised by user interfaces or communication
- F24F11/56—Remote control
-
- F24F2011/0068—
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- F24F2011/0091—
Definitions
- HVAC heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning
- the wall mounted system controllers often have user interfaces that allow a user to selectively adjust, control, and/or monitor operating parameters of an HVAC system
- the wall mounted system controller may often be configured to communicate with other remotely located devices.
- HVAC heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning
- HVAC heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an HVAC system according to an embodiment of the disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the air circulation paths of the HVAC system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of operating an HVAC system according to an embodiment of the disclosure
- FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another method of operating an HVAC system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.
- FIG. 5 is a simplified representation of a general-purpose processor (e.g. electronic controller or computer) system suitable for implementing the embodiments of the disclosure.
- a general-purpose processor e.g. electronic controller or computer
- a system controller in a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system with a Short Message Service (SMS) module.
- HVAC heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning
- SMS Short Message Service
- a lost smartphone may be located in a residence
- initialization and/or actuation of an SMS initiator input may cause the SMS module to generate, transmit, and/or to allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of a predetermined SMS message to alter a setting and/or an operation of a smartphone (i.e. ringer volume) that allows the smartphone to produce an audible alert, even when the smartphone is configured in a so-called silent mode.
- a lost and/or misplaced smartphone in a residence may be located through the HVAC system controller and/or thermostat.
- HVAC system 100 comprises an indoor unit 102 , an outdoor unit 104 , and a system controller 106 .
- the system controller 106 may operate to control operation of the indoor unit 102 and/or the outdoor unit 104 .
- the HVAC system 100 is a so-called heat pump system that may be selectively operated to implement one or more substantially closed thermodynamic refrigeration cycles to provide a cooling functionality and/or a heating functionality.
- Indoor unit 102 comprises an indoor heat exchanger 108 , an indoor fan 110 , and an indoor metering device 112 .
- Indoor heat exchanger 108 is a plate fin heat exchanger configured to allow heat exchange between refrigerant carried within internal tubing of the indoor heat exchanger 108 and fluids that contact the indoor heat exchanger 108 but that are kept segregated from the refrigerant.
- indoor heat exchanger 108 may comprise a spine fin heat exchanger, a microchannel heat exchanger, or any other suitable type of heat exchanger.
- the indoor fan 110 is a centrifugal blower comprising a blower housing, a blower impeller at least partially disposed within the blower housing, and a blower motor configured to selectively rotate the blower impeller.
- the indoor fan 110 may comprise a mixed-flow fan and/or any other suitable type of fan.
- the indoor fan 110 is configured as a modulating and/or variable speed fan capable of being operated at many speeds over one or more ranges of speeds.
- the indoor fan 110 may be configured as a multiple speed fan capable of being operated at a plurality of operating speeds by selectively electrically powering different ones of multiple electromagnetic windings of a motor of the indoor fan 110 .
- the indoor fan 110 may be a single speed fan.
- the indoor metering device 112 is an electronically controlled motor driven electronic expansion valve (EEV).
- the indoor metering device 112 may comprise a thermostatic expansion valve, a capillary tube assembly, and/or any other suitable metering device.
- the indoor metering device 112 may comprise and/or be associated with a refrigerant check valve and/or refrigerant bypass for use when a direction of refrigerant flow through the indoor metering device 112 is such that the indoor metering device 112 is not intended to meter or otherwise substantially restrict flow of the refrigerant through the indoor metering device 112 .
- Outdoor unit 104 comprises an outdoor heat exchanger 114 , a compressor 116 , an outdoor fan 118 , an outdoor metering device 120 , and a reversing valve 122 .
- Outdoor heat exchanger 114 is a spine fin heat exchanger configured to allow heat exchange between refrigerant carried within internal passages of the outdoor heat exchanger 114 and fluids that contact the outdoor heat exchanger 114 but that are kept segregated from the refrigerant.
- outdoor heat exchanger 114 may comprise a plate fin heat exchanger, a microchannel heat exchanger, or any other suitable type of heat exchanger.
- the compressor 116 is a multiple speed scroll type compressor configured to selectively pump refrigerant at a plurality of mass flow rates.
- the compressor 116 may comprise a modulating compressor capable of operation over one or more speed ranges, the compressor 116 may comprise a reciprocating type compressor, the compressor 116 may be a single speed compressor, and/or the compressor 116 may comprise any other suitable refrigerant compressor and/or refrigerant pump.
- the outdoor fan 118 is an axial fan comprising a fan blade assembly and fan motor configured to selectively rotate the fan blade assembly.
- the outdoor fan 118 may comprise a mixed-flow fan, a centrifugal blower, and/or any other suitable type of fan and/or blower.
- the outdoor fan 118 is configured as a modulating and/or variable speed fan capable of being operated at many speeds over one or more ranges of speeds.
- the outdoor fan 118 may be configured as a multiple speed fan capable of being operated at a plurality of operating speeds by selectively electrically powering different ones of multiple electromagnetic windings of a motor of the outdoor fan 118 .
- the outdoor fan 118 may be a single speed fan.
- the outdoor metering device 120 is a thermostatic expansion valve.
- the outdoor metering device 120 may comprise an electronically controlled motor driven EEV, a capillary tube assembly, and/or any other suitable metering device.
- the outdoor metering device 120 may comprise and/or be associated with a refrigerant check valve and/or refrigerant bypass for use when a direction of refrigerant flow through the outdoor metering device 120 is such that the outdoor metering device 120 is not intended to meter or otherwise substantially restrict flow of the refrigerant through the outdoor metering device 120 .
- the reversing valve 122 is a so-called four-way reversing valve.
- the reversing valve 122 may be selectively controlled to alter a flow path of refrigerant in the HVAC system 100 as described in greater detail below.
- the reversing valve 122 may comprise an electrical solenoid or other device configured to selectively move a component of the reversing valve 122 between operational positions.
- the system controller 106 may comprise a touchscreen interface for displaying information and for receiving user inputs.
- the system controller 106 may display information related to the operation of the HVAC system 100 and may receive user inputs related to operation of the HVAC system 100 .
- the system controller 106 may further be operable to display information and receive user inputs tangentially and/or unrelated to operation of the HVAC system 100 .
- the system controller 106 may comprise a temperature sensor and may further be configured to control heating and/or cooling of zones associated with the HVAC system 100 .
- the system controller 106 may be configured as a thermostat for controlling supply of conditioned air to zones associated with the HVAC system 100 .
- the system controller 106 may selectively communicate with an indoor controller 124 of the indoor unit 102 , with an outdoor controller 126 of the outdoor unit 104 , and/or with other components of the HVAC system 100 .
- the system controller 106 may be configured for selective bidirectional communication over a communication bus 128 .
- portions of the communication bus 128 may comprise a three-wire connection suitable for communicating messages between the system controller 106 and one or more of the HVAC system 100 components configured for interfacing with the communication bus 128 .
- the system controller 106 may be configured to selectively communicate with HVAC system 100 components and/or other device 130 via a communication network 132 .
- the communication network 132 may comprise a telephone network and the other device 130 may comprise a telephone.
- the communication network 132 may comprise the Internet and the other device 130 may comprise a so-called smartphone and/or other Internet enabled mobile telecommunication device.
- the indoor controller 124 may be configured to receive information inputs, transmit information outputs, and otherwise communicate with the system controller 106 , the outdoor controller 126 , and/or any other device via the communication bus 128 and/or any other suitable medium of communication.
- the indoor controller 124 may be configured to communicate with an indoor personality module 134 , receive information related to a speed of the indoor fan 110 , transmit a control output to an electric heat relay, transmit information regarding an indoor fan 110 volumetric flow-rate, communicate with and/or otherwise affect control over an air cleaner 136 , and communicate with an indoor EEV controller 138 .
- the indoor controller 124 may be configured to communicate with an indoor fan controller 142 and/or otherwise affect control over operation of the indoor fan 110 .
- the indoor personality module 134 may comprise information related to the identification and/or operation of the indoor unit 102 and/or a position of the outdoor metering device 120 .
- the indoor EEV controller 138 may be configured to receive information regarding temperatures and pressures of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 102 . More specifically, the indoor EEV controller 138 may be configured to receive information regarding temperatures and pressures of refrigerant entering, exiting, and/or within the indoor heat exchanger 108 . Further, the indoor EEV controller 138 may be configured to communicate with the indoor metering device 112 and/or otherwise affect control over the indoor metering device 112 .
- the outdoor controller 126 may be configured to receive information inputs, transmit information outputs, and otherwise communicate with the system controller 106 , the indoor controller 124 , and/or any other device via the communication bus 128 and/or any other suitable medium of communication.
- the outdoor controller 126 may be configured to communicate with an outdoor personality module 140 that may comprise information related to the identification and/or operation of the outdoor unit 104 .
- the outdoor controller 126 may be configured to receive information related to an ambient temperature associated with the outdoor unit 104 , information related to a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 114 , and/or information related to refrigerant temperatures and/or pressures of refrigerant entering, exiting, and/or within the outdoor heat exchanger 114 and/or the compressor 116 .
- the outdoor controller 126 may be configured to transmit information related to monitoring, communicating with, and/or otherwise affecting control over the outdoor fan 118 , a compressor sump heater, a solenoid of the reversing valve 122 , a relay associated with adjusting and/or monitoring a refrigerant charge of the HVAC system 100 , a position of the indoor metering device 112 , and/or a position of the outdoor metering device 120 .
- the outdoor controller 126 may further be configured to communicate with a compressor drive controller 144 that is configured to electrically power and/or control the compressor 116 .
- the HVAC system 100 is shown configured for operating in a so-called cooling mode in which heat is absorbed by refrigerant at the indoor heat exchanger 108 and heat is rejected from the refrigerant at the outdoor heat exchanger 114 .
- the compressor 116 may be operated to compress refrigerant and pump the relatively high temperature and high pressure compressed refrigerant from the compressor 116 to the outdoor heat exchanger 114 through the reversing valve 122 and to the outdoor heat exchanger 114 .
- the outdoor fan 118 may be operated to move air into contact with the outdoor heat exchanger 114 , thereby transferring heat from the refrigerant to the air surrounding the outdoor heat exchanger 114 .
- the refrigerant may primarily comprise liquid phase refrigerant and the refrigerant may be pumped from the outdoor heat exchanger 114 to the indoor metering device 112 through and/or around the outdoor metering device 120 which does not substantially impede flow of the refrigerant in the cooling mode.
- the indoor metering device 112 may meter passage of the refrigerant through the indoor metering device 112 so that the refrigerant downstream of the indoor metering device 112 is at a lower pressure than the refrigerant upstream of the indoor metering device 112 .
- the pressure differential across the indoor metering device 112 allows the refrigerant downstream of the indoor metering device 112 to expand and/or at least partially convert to gaseous phase.
- the gaseous phase refrigerant may enter the indoor heat exchanger 108 .
- the indoor fan 110 may be operated to move air into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 108 , thereby transferring heat to the refrigerant from the air surrounding the indoor heat exchanger 108 .
- the refrigerant may thereafter reenter the compressor 116 after passing through the reversing valve 122 .
- the reversing valve 122 may be controlled to alter the flow path of the refrigerant, the indoor metering device 112 may be disabled and/or bypassed, and the outdoor metering device 120 may be enabled.
- refrigerant may flow from the compressor 116 to the indoor heat exchanger 108 through the reversing valve 122 , the refrigerant may be substantially unaffected by the indoor metering device 112 , the refrigerant may experience a pressure differential across the outdoor metering device 120 , the refrigerant may pass through the outdoor heat exchanger 114 , and the refrigerant may reenter the compressor 116 after passing through the reversing valve 122 .
- operation of the HVAC system 100 in the heating mode reverses the roles of the indoor heat exchanger 108 and the outdoor heat exchanger 114 as compared to their operation in the cooling mode.
- FIG. 2 a simplified schematic diagram of the air circulation paths for a structure 200 conditioned by two HVAC systems 100 is shown.
- the structure 200 is conceptualized as comprising a lower floor 202 and an upper floor 204 .
- the lower floor 202 comprises zones 206 , 208 , and 210 while the upper floor 204 comprises zones 212 , 214 , and 216 .
- the HVAC system 100 associated with the lower floor 202 is configured to circulate and/or condition air of lower zones 206 , 208 , and 210 while the HVAC system 100 associated with the upper floor 204 is configured to circulate and/or condition air of upper zones 212 , 214 , and 216 .
- each HVAC system 100 further comprises a ventilator 146 , a prefilter 148 , a humidifier 150 , and a bypass duct 152 .
- the ventilator 146 may be operated to selectively exhaust circulating air to the environment and/or introduce environmental air into the circulating air.
- the prefilter 148 may generally comprise a filter media selected to catch and/or retain relatively large particulate matter prior to air exiting the prefilter 148 and entering the air cleaner 136 .
- the humidifier 150 may be operated to adjust a humidity of the circulating air.
- the bypass duct 152 may be utilized to regulate air pressures within the ducts that form the circulating air flow paths.
- air flow through the bypass duct 152 may be regulated by a bypass damper 154 while air flow delivered to the zones 206 , 208 , 210 , 212 , 214 , and 216 may be regulated by zone dampers 156 .
- each HVAC system 100 may further comprise a zone thermostat 158 and a zone sensor 160 .
- a zone thermostat 158 may communicate with the system controller 106 and may allow a user to control a temperature, humidity, and/or other environmental setting for the zone in which the zone thermostat 158 is located. Further, the zone thermostat 158 may communicate with the system controller 106 to provide temperature, humidity, and/or other environmental feedback regarding the zone in which the zone thermostat 158 is located. In some embodiments, a zone sensor 160 may communicate with the system controller 106 to provide temperature, humidity, and/or other environmental feedback regarding the zone in which the zone sensor 160 is located.
- HVAC systems 100 are shown as a so-called split system comprising an indoor unit 102 located separately from the outdoor unit 104
- alternative embodiments of an HVAC system 100 may comprise a so-called package system in which one or more of the components of the indoor unit 102 and one or more of the components of the outdoor unit 104 are carried together in a common housing or package.
- the HVAC system 100 is shown as a so-called ducted system where the indoor unit 102 is located remote from the conditioned zones, thereby requiring air ducts to route the circulating air.
- an HVAC system 100 may be configured as a non-ducted system in which the indoor unit 102 and/or multiple indoor units 102 associated with an outdoor unit 104 is located substantially in the space and/or zone to be conditioned by the respective indoor units 102 , thereby not requiring air ducts to route the air conditioned by the indoor units 102 .
- the system controllers 106 may be configured for bidirectional communication with each other and may further be configured so that a user may, using any of the system controllers 106 , monitor and/or control any of the HVAC system 100 components regardless of which zones the components may be associated.
- each system controller 106 , each zone thermostat 158 , and each zone sensor 160 may comprise a humidity sensor.
- structure 200 is equipped with a plurality of humidity sensors in a plurality of different locations. In some embodiments, a user may effectively select which of the plurality of humidity sensors is used to control operation of one or more of the HVAC systems 100 .
- At least one of the HVAC systems 100 comprises a Short Message Service (SMS) module 162 and each of the system controllers 106 , zone thermostats 158 , and zone sensors 160 comprise an SMS initiator input 164 .
- SMS Short Message Service
- the SMS module 162 may comprise a computer, software, and/or hardware configured to allow generation, transmittal, and/or to allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of an SMS message.
- the SMS module 162 is configured to generate, transmit, and/or allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of an SMS message in response to initialization and/or actuation of the SMS initiator input 164 .
- One or more SMS initiator inputs 164 may be carried by at least one of the system controllers 106 , zone thermostats 158 , and zone sensors 160 .
- initialization and/or actuation of the SMS initiator input 164 may cause the SMS module to generate, transmit, and/or to allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of a predetermined SMS message.
- the HVAC systems 100 may communicate the predetermined SMS message and/or the request for the predetermined SMS message to other systems via the communication network 132 .
- the SMS module 162 may be configured to generate, transmit, and/or allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of a predetermined SMS message selected to alter a setting and/or an operation of another device 130 , such as, but not limited to, a smartphone.
- the HVAC system 100 may communicate with a security provider (SP) 133 which may take predetermined actions in response to receiving the predetermined SMS message and/or the request for the predetermined SMS message.
- the HVAC system 100 may communicate with a customized data provider (CDP) 131 , such as home automation service provider authorized by the manufacturer of system controller 106 , which may similarly take predetermined actions in response to receiving the predetermined SMS message and/or the request for the predetermined SMS message.
- CDP customized data provider
- the CDP 131 , the SP 133 , and/or the HVAC system 100 may also be configured to communicate with each other and/or other devices 130 , such as, telephones, smart phones, and/or personal computers.
- the CDP 131 may be controlled and operated by any entity authorized to communicate with system controller 106 .
- Authorization for access to system controller 106 may take the form of a password, encryption, and/or any other suitable authentication method.
- authorization may be disabled using system controller 106 .
- CDP 131 may be configured to allow for the setup of account login information to remotely configure system controller 106 .
- the CDP 131 may provide the user an opportunity to configure system controller 106 with a large general purpose computer screen and greater number of interface features than may be available on a user interface of system controller 106 , in some cases, allowing the interface of system controller 106 to be smaller and/or eliminated entirely.
- System controller 106 may also be configured to communicate with other Internet sites 129 .
- Such other Internet sites 129 may receive and/or distribute data regarding the information and/or signals regarding a received predetermined SMS message and/or request for the predetermined SMS message.
- other Internet sites 129 may provide a private and/or secured portal to information gathered as a function of and/or related to the SMS message and/or the request for the SMS message generated and/or transmitted by the HVAC system 100 .
- any of the HVAC systems 100 , CDP 131 , SP 133 , other Internet sites 129 , and/or other devices 130 may generate, transfer, receive, and/or present information and/or signals ultimately related to a predetermined SMS message and/or a request for a predetermined SMS message.
- the SMS initiator input 164 may comprise a push button that when pressed indicates to a system controller 106 that a predetermined SMS message is desired to be generated and/or transmitted.
- the system controller 106 may request that the CDP 131 , the SP 133 , and/or the other Internet site 129 generate and transmit the predetermined SMS message to a predetermined SMS recipient device, such as, but not limited to, another device 130 , such as, but not limited to, a smartphone.
- the CDP 131 and/or the SP 133 may take predetermined actions in response to receiving the request from the system controller 106 .
- the CDP 131 may remotely initiate a change in ringer volume setting, tactile vibration settings, and/or visual display setting of a smartphone so that no matter what the smartphone settings were before the smartphone receives the predetermined SMS message, the smartphone reacts to receipt of the predetermined SMS message in a predetermined manner.
- the smartphone reacts to receipt of the predetermined SMS message by initiating an audible, visible, and/or tactile response that is selected to assist in locating the smartphone when the smartphone has been misplaced.
- the HVAC system 100 may, with or without prompting by SMS initiator input 164 , generate, transmit, request generation, and/or request transmission of an SMS message.
- the SMS message may comprise HVAC system 100 operation information such as, but not limited to, a filter status of the HVAC system 100 , alarms and/or warning messages, power efficiency reports, overall efficiency reports of the HVAC system 100 , and/or any other information and/or report comprising information available to the controller 106 and which is suitable for transmission via SMS message.
- HVAC system 100 operation information such as, but not limited to, a filter status of the HVAC system 100 , alarms and/or warning messages, power efficiency reports, overall efficiency reports of the HVAC system 100 , and/or any other information and/or report comprising information available to the controller 106 and which is suitable for transmission via SMS message.
- the method 300 may begin at block 302 by providing an HVAC system controller such as system controller 106 .
- the system controller may comprise a wall mountable thermostat comprising an SMS module, such as SMS module 162 .
- the HVAC system may further comprise an SMS initiation input 164 configured to selectively trigger generation and/or transmission of a predetermined SMS message.
- the method 300 may continue at block 304 by operating the HVAC system controller to receive information and/or a signal indicating that the SMS initiation input 164 has been actuated.
- a smartphone may be in a mode in which audible, visual, and/or tactile indicators are not set at maximum levels and so that locating the smartphone is relatively more difficult than if the smartphone were in a louder, more visible, and/or more tactile mode.
- multiple HVAC systems 100 may be configured to communicate requests for sending SMS messages, in some embodiments as generated by actuating SMS initiation inputs 164 , between each other so actuating an SMS initiation input of a first HVAC system may result in an SMS module 162 of a second HVAC system generating, transmitting, requesting generation of, and/or requesting transmission of a predetermined SMS message.
- Method 300 may continue at block 306 by sending and/or requesting that a predetermined SMS message be transmitted.
- the method 400 may begin at block 402 by providing an HVAC system comprising an SMS module such as, but not limited to, SMS module 162 .
- the method 400 may continue at block 404 by operating the HVAC system to communicate information regarding generation and/or transmission of an SMS message to a remote system, such as, but not limited to, another HVAC system, CDP 131 , SP 133 , other Internet site 129 , and/or other devices 130 .
- FIG. 5 illustrates a typical, general-purpose processor (e.g., electronic controller or computer) system 1300 that includes a processing component 1310 suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
- the system 1300 might include network connectivity devices 1320 , random access memory (RAM) 1330 , read only memory (ROM) 1340 , secondary storage 1350 , and input/output (I/O) devices 1360 .
- RAM random access memory
- ROM read only memory
- secondary storage 1350 secondary storage
- I/O input/output
- some of these components may not be present or may be combined in various combinations with one another or with other components not shown. These components might be located in a single physical entity or in more than one physical entity. Any actions described herein as being taken by the processor 1310 might be taken by the processor 1310 alone or by the processor 1310 in conjunction with one or more components shown or not shown in the drawing.
- the processor 1310 executes instructions, codes, computer programs, or scripts that it might access from the network connectivity devices 1320 , RAM 1330 , ROM 1340 , or secondary storage 1350 (which might include various disk-based systems such as hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk, and/or solid state systems such as, but not limited to, SD cards, USB flash drives, and/or the like). While only one processor 1310 is shown, multiple processors may be present. Thus, while instructions may be discussed as being executed by a processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, serially, or otherwise by one or multiple processors.
- the processor 1310 may be implemented as one or more CPU chips.
- the network connectivity devices 1320 may take the form of modems, modem banks, Ethernet devices, universal serial bus (USB) interface devices, serial interfaces, token ring devices, fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) devices, wireless local area network (WLAN) devices, radio transceiver devices such as code division multiple access (CDMA) devices, global system for mobile communications (GSM) radio transceiver devices, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) devices, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and/or other well-known devices for connecting to networks.
- These network connectivity devices 1320 may enable the processor 1310 to communicate with the Internet or one or more telecommunications networks or other networks from which the processor 1310 might receive information or to which the processor 1310 might output information.
- the network connectivity devices 1320 might also include one or more transceiver components 1325 capable of transmitting and/or receiving data wirelessly in the form of electromagnetic waves, such as radio frequency signals or microwave frequency signals. Alternatively, the data may propagate in or on the surface of electrical conductors, in coaxial cables, in waveguides, in optical media such as optical fiber, or in other media.
- the transceiver component 1325 might include separate receiving and transmitting units or a single transceiver.
- Information transmitted or received by the transceiver 1325 may include data that has been processed by the processor 1310 or instructions that are to be executed by processor 1310 . Such information may be received from and outputted to a network in the form, for example, of a computer data baseband signal or signal embodied in a carrier wave.
- the data may be ordered according to different sequences as may be desirable for either processing or generating the data or transmitting or receiving the data.
- the baseband signal, the signal embedded in the carrier wave, or other types of signals currently used or hereafter developed may be referred to as the transmission medium and may be generated according to several methods well known to one skilled in the art.
- the RAM 1330 might be used to store volatile data and perhaps to store instructions that are executed by the processor 1310 .
- the ROM 1340 is a non-volatile memory device that typically has a smaller memory capacity than the memory capacity of the secondary storage 1350 .
- ROM 1340 might be used to store instructions and perhaps data that are read during execution of the instructions. Access to both RAM 1330 and ROM 1340 is typically faster than to secondary storage 1350 .
- the secondary storage 1350 is typically comprised of one or more disk drives or tape drives and/or solid state systems such as, but not limited to, SD cards, USB flash drives, and/or the like and might be used for non-volatile storage of data or as an over-flow data storage device if RAM 1330 is not large enough to hold all working data. Secondary storage 1350 may be used to store programs or instructions that are loaded into RAM 1330 when such programs are selected for execution or information is needed.
- the I/O devices 1360 may include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), touch screen displays, keyboards, keypads, switches, dials, mice, track balls, voice recognizers, card readers, paper tape readers, printers, video monitors, transducers, sensors, or other well-known input or output devices.
- the transceiver 1325 might be considered to be a component of the I/O devices 1360 instead of or in addition to being a component of the network connectivity devices 1320 .
- Some or all of the I/O devices 1360 may be substantially similar to various components disclosed herein.
- R 1 a numerical range with a lower limit, R 1 , and an upper limit, R u , any number falling within the range is specifically disclosed.
- R R 1 +k*(R u ⁇ R 1 ), wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 percent to 100 percent with a 1 percent increment, i.e., k is 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent, 5 percent, . . . 50 percent, 51 percent, 52 percent, . . . , 95 percent, 96 percent, 97 percent, 98 percent, 99 percent, or 100 percent.
- any numerical range defined by two R numbers as defined in the above is also specifically disclosed.
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed that include providing a system controller in a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system with an SMS module. Initialization and/or actuation of an SMS initiator input may cause the SMS module to generate, transmit, and/or to allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of a predetermined SMS message to alter a setting and/or an operation of a smartphone that allows the smartphone to produce an audible alert, even when the smartphone is configured in a so-called silent mode.
Description
- The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/034,491 filed on Aug. 7, 2014 by Pradeep Chandramohan and entitled “HVAC System with SMS Capability,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- Not applicable.
- Not applicable.
- In some cases, heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems comprise wall mounted system controllers. While the wall mounted system controllers often have user interfaces that allow a user to selectively adjust, control, and/or monitor operating parameters of an HVAC system, the wall mounted system controller may often be configured to communicate with other remotely located devices.
- In some embodiments of the disclosure, a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system is disclosed as comprising: an SMS module.
- In other embodiments of the disclosure, a method of operating a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system is disclosed as comprising: providing an HVAC system comprising an SMS module; and communicating information regarding an SMS message to a remote system.
- For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an HVAC system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the air circulation paths of the HVAC system ofFIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of operating an HVAC system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; -
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another method of operating an HVAC system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and -
FIG. 5 is a simplified representation of a general-purpose processor (e.g. electronic controller or computer) system suitable for implementing the embodiments of the disclosure. - In some cases, it may be desirable to provide a system controller in a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system with a Short Message Service (SMS) module. For example, where a lost smartphone may be located in a residence, initialization and/or actuation of an SMS initiator input may cause the SMS module to generate, transmit, and/or to allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of a predetermined SMS message to alter a setting and/or an operation of a smartphone (i.e. ringer volume) that allows the smartphone to produce an audible alert, even when the smartphone is configured in a so-called silent mode. Accordingly, a lost and/or misplaced smartphone in a residence may be located through the HVAC system controller and/or thermostat.
- Referring now to
FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of anHVAC system 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.HVAC system 100 comprises anindoor unit 102, anoutdoor unit 104, and asystem controller 106. In some embodiments, thesystem controller 106 may operate to control operation of theindoor unit 102 and/or theoutdoor unit 104. As shown, theHVAC system 100 is a so-called heat pump system that may be selectively operated to implement one or more substantially closed thermodynamic refrigeration cycles to provide a cooling functionality and/or a heating functionality. -
Indoor unit 102 comprises anindoor heat exchanger 108, anindoor fan 110, and anindoor metering device 112.Indoor heat exchanger 108 is a plate fin heat exchanger configured to allow heat exchange between refrigerant carried within internal tubing of theindoor heat exchanger 108 and fluids that contact theindoor heat exchanger 108 but that are kept segregated from the refrigerant. In other embodiments,indoor heat exchanger 108 may comprise a spine fin heat exchanger, a microchannel heat exchanger, or any other suitable type of heat exchanger. - The
indoor fan 110 is a centrifugal blower comprising a blower housing, a blower impeller at least partially disposed within the blower housing, and a blower motor configured to selectively rotate the blower impeller. In other embodiments, theindoor fan 110 may comprise a mixed-flow fan and/or any other suitable type of fan. Theindoor fan 110 is configured as a modulating and/or variable speed fan capable of being operated at many speeds over one or more ranges of speeds. In other embodiments, theindoor fan 110 may be configured as a multiple speed fan capable of being operated at a plurality of operating speeds by selectively electrically powering different ones of multiple electromagnetic windings of a motor of theindoor fan 110. In yet other embodiments, theindoor fan 110 may be a single speed fan. - The
indoor metering device 112 is an electronically controlled motor driven electronic expansion valve (EEV). In alternative embodiments, theindoor metering device 112 may comprise a thermostatic expansion valve, a capillary tube assembly, and/or any other suitable metering device. Theindoor metering device 112 may comprise and/or be associated with a refrigerant check valve and/or refrigerant bypass for use when a direction of refrigerant flow through theindoor metering device 112 is such that theindoor metering device 112 is not intended to meter or otherwise substantially restrict flow of the refrigerant through theindoor metering device 112. -
Outdoor unit 104 comprises anoutdoor heat exchanger 114, acompressor 116, anoutdoor fan 118, anoutdoor metering device 120, and areversing valve 122.Outdoor heat exchanger 114 is a spine fin heat exchanger configured to allow heat exchange between refrigerant carried within internal passages of theoutdoor heat exchanger 114 and fluids that contact theoutdoor heat exchanger 114 but that are kept segregated from the refrigerant. In other embodiments,outdoor heat exchanger 114 may comprise a plate fin heat exchanger, a microchannel heat exchanger, or any other suitable type of heat exchanger. - The
compressor 116 is a multiple speed scroll type compressor configured to selectively pump refrigerant at a plurality of mass flow rates. In alternative embodiments, thecompressor 116 may comprise a modulating compressor capable of operation over one or more speed ranges, thecompressor 116 may comprise a reciprocating type compressor, thecompressor 116 may be a single speed compressor, and/or thecompressor 116 may comprise any other suitable refrigerant compressor and/or refrigerant pump. - The
outdoor fan 118 is an axial fan comprising a fan blade assembly and fan motor configured to selectively rotate the fan blade assembly. In other embodiments, theoutdoor fan 118 may comprise a mixed-flow fan, a centrifugal blower, and/or any other suitable type of fan and/or blower. Theoutdoor fan 118 is configured as a modulating and/or variable speed fan capable of being operated at many speeds over one or more ranges of speeds. In other embodiments, theoutdoor fan 118 may be configured as a multiple speed fan capable of being operated at a plurality of operating speeds by selectively electrically powering different ones of multiple electromagnetic windings of a motor of theoutdoor fan 118. In yet other embodiments, theoutdoor fan 118 may be a single speed fan. - The
outdoor metering device 120 is a thermostatic expansion valve. In alternative embodiments, theoutdoor metering device 120 may comprise an electronically controlled motor driven EEV, a capillary tube assembly, and/or any other suitable metering device. Theoutdoor metering device 120 may comprise and/or be associated with a refrigerant check valve and/or refrigerant bypass for use when a direction of refrigerant flow through theoutdoor metering device 120 is such that theoutdoor metering device 120 is not intended to meter or otherwise substantially restrict flow of the refrigerant through theoutdoor metering device 120. - The reversing
valve 122 is a so-called four-way reversing valve. The reversingvalve 122 may be selectively controlled to alter a flow path of refrigerant in theHVAC system 100 as described in greater detail below. The reversingvalve 122 may comprise an electrical solenoid or other device configured to selectively move a component of the reversingvalve 122 between operational positions. - The
system controller 106 may comprise a touchscreen interface for displaying information and for receiving user inputs. Thesystem controller 106 may display information related to the operation of theHVAC system 100 and may receive user inputs related to operation of theHVAC system 100. However, thesystem controller 106 may further be operable to display information and receive user inputs tangentially and/or unrelated to operation of theHVAC system 100. In some embodiments, thesystem controller 106 may comprise a temperature sensor and may further be configured to control heating and/or cooling of zones associated with theHVAC system 100. In some embodiments, thesystem controller 106 may be configured as a thermostat for controlling supply of conditioned air to zones associated with theHVAC system 100. - In some embodiments, the
system controller 106 may selectively communicate with anindoor controller 124 of theindoor unit 102, with anoutdoor controller 126 of theoutdoor unit 104, and/or with other components of theHVAC system 100. In some embodiments, thesystem controller 106 may be configured for selective bidirectional communication over acommunication bus 128. In some embodiments, portions of thecommunication bus 128 may comprise a three-wire connection suitable for communicating messages between thesystem controller 106 and one or more of theHVAC system 100 components configured for interfacing with thecommunication bus 128. Still further, thesystem controller 106 may be configured to selectively communicate withHVAC system 100 components and/orother device 130 via acommunication network 132. In some embodiments, thecommunication network 132 may comprise a telephone network and theother device 130 may comprise a telephone. In some embodiments, thecommunication network 132 may comprise the Internet and theother device 130 may comprise a so-called smartphone and/or other Internet enabled mobile telecommunication device. - The
indoor controller 124 may be configured to receive information inputs, transmit information outputs, and otherwise communicate with thesystem controller 106, theoutdoor controller 126, and/or any other device via thecommunication bus 128 and/or any other suitable medium of communication. In some embodiments, theindoor controller 124 may be configured to communicate with anindoor personality module 134, receive information related to a speed of theindoor fan 110, transmit a control output to an electric heat relay, transmit information regarding anindoor fan 110 volumetric flow-rate, communicate with and/or otherwise affect control over anair cleaner 136, and communicate with anindoor EEV controller 138. In some embodiments, theindoor controller 124 may be configured to communicate with anindoor fan controller 142 and/or otherwise affect control over operation of theindoor fan 110. In some embodiments, theindoor personality module 134 may comprise information related to the identification and/or operation of theindoor unit 102 and/or a position of theoutdoor metering device 120. - In some embodiments, the
indoor EEV controller 138 may be configured to receive information regarding temperatures and pressures of the refrigerant in theindoor unit 102. More specifically, theindoor EEV controller 138 may be configured to receive information regarding temperatures and pressures of refrigerant entering, exiting, and/or within theindoor heat exchanger 108. Further, theindoor EEV controller 138 may be configured to communicate with theindoor metering device 112 and/or otherwise affect control over theindoor metering device 112. - The
outdoor controller 126 may be configured to receive information inputs, transmit information outputs, and otherwise communicate with thesystem controller 106, theindoor controller 124, and/or any other device via thecommunication bus 128 and/or any other suitable medium of communication. In some embodiments, theoutdoor controller 126 may be configured to communicate with anoutdoor personality module 140 that may comprise information related to the identification and/or operation of theoutdoor unit 104. In some embodiments, theoutdoor controller 126 may be configured to receive information related to an ambient temperature associated with theoutdoor unit 104, information related to a temperature of theoutdoor heat exchanger 114, and/or information related to refrigerant temperatures and/or pressures of refrigerant entering, exiting, and/or within theoutdoor heat exchanger 114 and/or thecompressor 116. In some embodiments, theoutdoor controller 126 may be configured to transmit information related to monitoring, communicating with, and/or otherwise affecting control over theoutdoor fan 118, a compressor sump heater, a solenoid of the reversingvalve 122, a relay associated with adjusting and/or monitoring a refrigerant charge of theHVAC system 100, a position of theindoor metering device 112, and/or a position of theoutdoor metering device 120. Theoutdoor controller 126 may further be configured to communicate with acompressor drive controller 144 that is configured to electrically power and/or control thecompressor 116. - The
HVAC system 100 is shown configured for operating in a so-called cooling mode in which heat is absorbed by refrigerant at theindoor heat exchanger 108 and heat is rejected from the refrigerant at theoutdoor heat exchanger 114. In some embodiments, thecompressor 116 may be operated to compress refrigerant and pump the relatively high temperature and high pressure compressed refrigerant from thecompressor 116 to theoutdoor heat exchanger 114 through the reversingvalve 122 and to theoutdoor heat exchanger 114. As the refrigerant is passed through theoutdoor heat exchanger 114, theoutdoor fan 118 may be operated to move air into contact with theoutdoor heat exchanger 114, thereby transferring heat from the refrigerant to the air surrounding theoutdoor heat exchanger 114. The refrigerant may primarily comprise liquid phase refrigerant and the refrigerant may be pumped from theoutdoor heat exchanger 114 to theindoor metering device 112 through and/or around theoutdoor metering device 120 which does not substantially impede flow of the refrigerant in the cooling mode. Theindoor metering device 112 may meter passage of the refrigerant through theindoor metering device 112 so that the refrigerant downstream of theindoor metering device 112 is at a lower pressure than the refrigerant upstream of theindoor metering device 112. The pressure differential across theindoor metering device 112 allows the refrigerant downstream of theindoor metering device 112 to expand and/or at least partially convert to gaseous phase. The gaseous phase refrigerant may enter theindoor heat exchanger 108. As the refrigerant is passed through theindoor heat exchanger 108, theindoor fan 110 may be operated to move air into contact with theindoor heat exchanger 108, thereby transferring heat to the refrigerant from the air surrounding theindoor heat exchanger 108. The refrigerant may thereafter reenter thecompressor 116 after passing through the reversingvalve 122. - To operate the
HVAC system 100 in the so-called heating mode, the reversingvalve 122 may be controlled to alter the flow path of the refrigerant, theindoor metering device 112 may be disabled and/or bypassed, and theoutdoor metering device 120 may be enabled. In the heating mode, refrigerant may flow from thecompressor 116 to theindoor heat exchanger 108 through the reversingvalve 122, the refrigerant may be substantially unaffected by theindoor metering device 112, the refrigerant may experience a pressure differential across theoutdoor metering device 120, the refrigerant may pass through theoutdoor heat exchanger 114, and the refrigerant may reenter thecompressor 116 after passing through the reversingvalve 122. Most generally, operation of theHVAC system 100 in the heating mode reverses the roles of theindoor heat exchanger 108 and theoutdoor heat exchanger 114 as compared to their operation in the cooling mode. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , a simplified schematic diagram of the air circulation paths for astructure 200 conditioned by twoHVAC systems 100 is shown. In this embodiment, thestructure 200 is conceptualized as comprising alower floor 202 and anupper floor 204. Thelower floor 202 compriseszones upper floor 204 compriseszones HVAC system 100 associated with thelower floor 202 is configured to circulate and/or condition air oflower zones HVAC system 100 associated with theupper floor 204 is configured to circulate and/or condition air ofupper zones - In addition to the components of
HVAC system 100 described above, in this embodiment, eachHVAC system 100 further comprises aventilator 146, aprefilter 148, ahumidifier 150, and abypass duct 152. Theventilator 146 may be operated to selectively exhaust circulating air to the environment and/or introduce environmental air into the circulating air. Theprefilter 148 may generally comprise a filter media selected to catch and/or retain relatively large particulate matter prior to air exiting theprefilter 148 and entering theair cleaner 136. Thehumidifier 150 may be operated to adjust a humidity of the circulating air. Thebypass duct 152 may be utilized to regulate air pressures within the ducts that form the circulating air flow paths. In some embodiments, air flow through thebypass duct 152 may be regulated by abypass damper 154 while air flow delivered to thezones zone dampers 156. - Still further, each
HVAC system 100 may further comprise azone thermostat 158 and azone sensor 160. In some embodiments, azone thermostat 158 may communicate with thesystem controller 106 and may allow a user to control a temperature, humidity, and/or other environmental setting for the zone in which thezone thermostat 158 is located. Further, thezone thermostat 158 may communicate with thesystem controller 106 to provide temperature, humidity, and/or other environmental feedback regarding the zone in which thezone thermostat 158 is located. In some embodiments, azone sensor 160 may communicate with thesystem controller 106 to provide temperature, humidity, and/or other environmental feedback regarding the zone in which thezone sensor 160 is located. - While
HVAC systems 100 are shown as a so-called split system comprising anindoor unit 102 located separately from theoutdoor unit 104, alternative embodiments of anHVAC system 100 may comprise a so-called package system in which one or more of the components of theindoor unit 102 and one or more of the components of theoutdoor unit 104 are carried together in a common housing or package. TheHVAC system 100 is shown as a so-called ducted system where theindoor unit 102 is located remote from the conditioned zones, thereby requiring air ducts to route the circulating air. However, in alternative embodiments, anHVAC system 100 may be configured as a non-ducted system in which theindoor unit 102 and/or multipleindoor units 102 associated with anoutdoor unit 104 is located substantially in the space and/or zone to be conditioned by the respectiveindoor units 102, thereby not requiring air ducts to route the air conditioned by theindoor units 102. - Still referring to
FIG. 2 , thesystem controllers 106 may be configured for bidirectional communication with each other and may further be configured so that a user may, using any of thesystem controllers 106, monitor and/or control any of theHVAC system 100 components regardless of which zones the components may be associated. Further, eachsystem controller 106, eachzone thermostat 158, and eachzone sensor 160 may comprise a humidity sensor. As such, it will be appreciated thatstructure 200 is equipped with a plurality of humidity sensors in a plurality of different locations. In some embodiments, a user may effectively select which of the plurality of humidity sensors is used to control operation of one or more of theHVAC systems 100. - In this embodiment, at least one of the
HVAC systems 100 comprises a Short Message Service (SMS)module 162 and each of thesystem controllers 106,zone thermostats 158, andzone sensors 160 comprise anSMS initiator input 164. In this embodiment, theSMS module 162 may comprise a computer, software, and/or hardware configured to allow generation, transmittal, and/or to allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of an SMS message. In this embodiment, theSMS module 162 is configured to generate, transmit, and/or allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of an SMS message in response to initialization and/or actuation of theSMS initiator input 164. One or moreSMS initiator inputs 164 may be carried by at least one of thesystem controllers 106,zone thermostats 158, andzone sensors 160. In some cases, initialization and/or actuation of theSMS initiator input 164 may cause the SMS module to generate, transmit, and/or to allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of a predetermined SMS message. In some embodiments, theHVAC systems 100 may communicate the predetermined SMS message and/or the request for the predetermined SMS message to other systems via thecommunication network 132. In this embodiment, theSMS module 162 may be configured to generate, transmit, and/or allow a request for generation and/or transmittal of a predetermined SMS message selected to alter a setting and/or an operation of anotherdevice 130, such as, but not limited to, a smartphone. In some embodiments, theHVAC system 100 may communicate with a security provider (SP) 133 which may take predetermined actions in response to receiving the predetermined SMS message and/or the request for the predetermined SMS message. In some embodiments, theHVAC system 100 may communicate with a customized data provider (CDP) 131, such as home automation service provider authorized by the manufacturer ofsystem controller 106, which may similarly take predetermined actions in response to receiving the predetermined SMS message and/or the request for the predetermined SMS message. - The
CDP 131, theSP 133, and/or theHVAC system 100 may also be configured to communicate with each other and/orother devices 130, such as, telephones, smart phones, and/or personal computers. In some cases, theCDP 131 may be controlled and operated by any entity authorized to communicate withsystem controller 106. Authorization for access tosystem controller 106 may take the form of a password, encryption, and/or any other suitable authentication method. Optionally, authorization may be disabled usingsystem controller 106.CDP 131 may be configured to allow for the setup of account login information to remotely configuresystem controller 106. For example, theCDP 131 may provide the user an opportunity to configuresystem controller 106 with a large general purpose computer screen and greater number of interface features than may be available on a user interface ofsystem controller 106, in some cases, allowing the interface ofsystem controller 106 to be smaller and/or eliminated entirely. -
System controller 106 may also be configured to communicate withother Internet sites 129. Suchother Internet sites 129 may receive and/or distribute data regarding the information and/or signals regarding a received predetermined SMS message and/or request for the predetermined SMS message. In some cases,other Internet sites 129 may provide a private and/or secured portal to information gathered as a function of and/or related to the SMS message and/or the request for the SMS message generated and/or transmitted by theHVAC system 100. In some cases, any of theHVAC systems 100,CDP 131,SP 133,other Internet sites 129, and/orother devices 130 may generate, transfer, receive, and/or present information and/or signals ultimately related to a predetermined SMS message and/or a request for a predetermined SMS message. As an example, theSMS initiator input 164 may comprise a push button that when pressed indicates to asystem controller 106 that a predetermined SMS message is desired to be generated and/or transmitted. In some cases, thesystem controller 106 may request that theCDP 131, theSP 133, and/or theother Internet site 129 generate and transmit the predetermined SMS message to a predetermined SMS recipient device, such as, but not limited to, anotherdevice 130, such as, but not limited to, a smartphone. In some cases, theCDP 131 and/or theSP 133 may take predetermined actions in response to receiving the request from thesystem controller 106. For example, theCDP 131 may remotely initiate a change in ringer volume setting, tactile vibration settings, and/or visual display setting of a smartphone so that no matter what the smartphone settings were before the smartphone receives the predetermined SMS message, the smartphone reacts to receipt of the predetermined SMS message in a predetermined manner. In some embodiments, the smartphone reacts to receipt of the predetermined SMS message by initiating an audible, visible, and/or tactile response that is selected to assist in locating the smartphone when the smartphone has been misplaced. In alternative embodiment, theHVAC system 100 may, with or without prompting bySMS initiator input 164, generate, transmit, request generation, and/or request transmission of an SMS message. In some cases, the SMS message may compriseHVAC system 100 operation information such as, but not limited to, a filter status of theHVAC system 100, alarms and/or warning messages, power efficiency reports, overall efficiency reports of theHVAC system 100, and/or any other information and/or report comprising information available to thecontroller 106 and which is suitable for transmission via SMS message. - Referring now to
FIG. 3 , a flowchart of amethod 300 of operating an HVAC system, such asHVAC system 100, is shown. Themethod 300 may begin atblock 302 by providing an HVAC system controller such assystem controller 106. In some embodiments, the system controller provided may comprise a wall mountable thermostat comprising an SMS module, such asSMS module 162. The HVAC system may further comprise anSMS initiation input 164 configured to selectively trigger generation and/or transmission of a predetermined SMS message. Themethod 300 may continue atblock 304 by operating the HVAC system controller to receive information and/or a signal indicating that theSMS initiation input 164 has been actuated. In some cases, a smartphone may be in a mode in which audible, visual, and/or tactile indicators are not set at maximum levels and so that locating the smartphone is relatively more difficult than if the smartphone were in a louder, more visible, and/or more tactile mode. In some embodiments,multiple HVAC systems 100 may be configured to communicate requests for sending SMS messages, in some embodiments as generated by actuatingSMS initiation inputs 164, between each other so actuating an SMS initiation input of a first HVAC system may result in anSMS module 162 of a second HVAC system generating, transmitting, requesting generation of, and/or requesting transmission of a predetermined SMS message.Method 300 may continue atblock 306 by sending and/or requesting that a predetermined SMS message be transmitted. - Referring now to
FIG. 4 , a flowchart of amethod 400 of operating an HVAC system such asHVAC system 100 is shown. Themethod 400 may begin atblock 402 by providing an HVAC system comprising an SMS module such as, but not limited to,SMS module 162. Themethod 400 may continue atblock 404 by operating the HVAC system to communicate information regarding generation and/or transmission of an SMS message to a remote system, such as, but not limited to, another HVAC system,CDP 131,SP 133,other Internet site 129, and/orother devices 130. -
FIG. 5 illustrates a typical, general-purpose processor (e.g., electronic controller or computer)system 1300 that includes aprocessing component 1310 suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein. In addition to the processor 1310 (which may be referred to as a central processor unit or CPU), thesystem 1300 might includenetwork connectivity devices 1320, random access memory (RAM) 1330, read only memory (ROM) 1340,secondary storage 1350, and input/output (I/O)devices 1360. In some cases, some of these components may not be present or may be combined in various combinations with one another or with other components not shown. These components might be located in a single physical entity or in more than one physical entity. Any actions described herein as being taken by theprocessor 1310 might be taken by theprocessor 1310 alone or by theprocessor 1310 in conjunction with one or more components shown or not shown in the drawing. - The
processor 1310 executes instructions, codes, computer programs, or scripts that it might access from thenetwork connectivity devices 1320,RAM 1330,ROM 1340, or secondary storage 1350 (which might include various disk-based systems such as hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk, and/or solid state systems such as, but not limited to, SD cards, USB flash drives, and/or the like). While only oneprocessor 1310 is shown, multiple processors may be present. Thus, while instructions may be discussed as being executed by a processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, serially, or otherwise by one or multiple processors. Theprocessor 1310 may be implemented as one or more CPU chips. - The
network connectivity devices 1320 may take the form of modems, modem banks, Ethernet devices, universal serial bus (USB) interface devices, serial interfaces, token ring devices, fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) devices, wireless local area network (WLAN) devices, radio transceiver devices such as code division multiple access (CDMA) devices, global system for mobile communications (GSM) radio transceiver devices, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) devices, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and/or other well-known devices for connecting to networks. Thesenetwork connectivity devices 1320 may enable theprocessor 1310 to communicate with the Internet or one or more telecommunications networks or other networks from which theprocessor 1310 might receive information or to which theprocessor 1310 might output information. - The
network connectivity devices 1320 might also include one ormore transceiver components 1325 capable of transmitting and/or receiving data wirelessly in the form of electromagnetic waves, such as radio frequency signals or microwave frequency signals. Alternatively, the data may propagate in or on the surface of electrical conductors, in coaxial cables, in waveguides, in optical media such as optical fiber, or in other media. Thetransceiver component 1325 might include separate receiving and transmitting units or a single transceiver. Information transmitted or received by thetransceiver 1325 may include data that has been processed by theprocessor 1310 or instructions that are to be executed byprocessor 1310. Such information may be received from and outputted to a network in the form, for example, of a computer data baseband signal or signal embodied in a carrier wave. The data may be ordered according to different sequences as may be desirable for either processing or generating the data or transmitting or receiving the data. The baseband signal, the signal embedded in the carrier wave, or other types of signals currently used or hereafter developed may be referred to as the transmission medium and may be generated according to several methods well known to one skilled in the art. - The
RAM 1330 might be used to store volatile data and perhaps to store instructions that are executed by theprocessor 1310. TheROM 1340 is a non-volatile memory device that typically has a smaller memory capacity than the memory capacity of thesecondary storage 1350.ROM 1340 might be used to store instructions and perhaps data that are read during execution of the instructions. Access to bothRAM 1330 andROM 1340 is typically faster than tosecondary storage 1350. Thesecondary storage 1350 is typically comprised of one or more disk drives or tape drives and/or solid state systems such as, but not limited to, SD cards, USB flash drives, and/or the like and might be used for non-volatile storage of data or as an over-flow data storage device ifRAM 1330 is not large enough to hold all working data.Secondary storage 1350 may be used to store programs or instructions that are loaded intoRAM 1330 when such programs are selected for execution or information is needed. - The I/
O devices 1360 may include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), touch screen displays, keyboards, keypads, switches, dials, mice, track balls, voice recognizers, card readers, paper tape readers, printers, video monitors, transducers, sensors, or other well-known input or output devices. Also, thetransceiver 1325 might be considered to be a component of the I/O devices 1360 instead of or in addition to being a component of thenetwork connectivity devices 1320. Some or all of the I/O devices 1360 may be substantially similar to various components disclosed herein. - At least one embodiment is disclosed and variations, combinations, and/or modifications of the embodiment(s) and/or features of the embodiment(s) made by a person having ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of the disclosure. Alternative embodiments that result from combining, integrating, and/or omitting features of the embodiment(s) are also within the scope of the disclosure. Where numerical ranges or limitations are expressly stated, such express ranges or limitations should be understood to include iterative ranges or limitations of like magnitude falling within the expressly stated ranges or limitations (e.g., from about 1 to about 10 includes, 2, 3, 4, etc.; greater than 0.10 includes 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, etc.). For example, whenever a numerical range with a lower limit, R1, and an upper limit, Ru, is disclosed, any number falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, the following numbers within the range are specifically disclosed: R=R1+k*(Ru−R1), wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 percent to 100 percent with a 1 percent increment, i.e., k is 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent, 5 percent, . . . 50 percent, 51 percent, 52 percent, . . . , 95 percent, 96 percent, 97 percent, 98 percent, 99 percent, or 100 percent. Moreover, any numerical range defined by two R numbers as defined in the above is also specifically disclosed. Use of the term “optionally” with respect to any element of a claim means that the element is required, or alternatively, the element is not required, both alternatives being within the scope of the claim. Use of broader terms such as comprises, includes, and having should be understood to provide support for narrower terms such as consisting of, consisting essentially of, and comprised substantially of. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited by the description set out above but is defined by the claims that follow, that scope including all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification and the claims are embodiment(s) of the present invention.
Claims (17)
1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
an SMS module.
2. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the SMS module is carried by a system controller of the HVAC system.
3. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the SMS module is configured to generate an SMS message.
4. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the SMS module is configured to request generation of an SMS message.
5. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the SMS module is configured to transmit an SMS message.
6. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein a system controller of the HVAC system is configured to selectively communicate information regarding an SMS message to a home automation provider.
7. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein a system controller of the HVAC system is configured to selectively communicate information regarding an SMS message to an SMS gateway.
8. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein a system controller of the HVAC system is configured to selectively communicate information regarding an SMS message to a second HVAC system.
9. The HVAC system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an SMS initiator input.
10. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the SMS initiator input comprises a push button.
11. A method of operating a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
providing an HVAC system comprising an SMS module; and
communicating information regarding an SMS message to a remote system.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the remote system comprises a smartphone.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the remote system comprises a home automation provider.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the remote system is a security provider.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the remote system is a second HVAC system.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein when the remote system receives the information regarding the SMS message the remote system changes at least one of a visual, audible, and tactile operation mode.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
causing the remote system to produce an audible alert.
Priority Applications (1)
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US14/811,369 US20160040900A1 (en) | 2014-08-07 | 2015-07-28 | HVAC System with SMS Capability |
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US201462034491P | 2014-08-07 | 2014-08-07 | |
US14/811,369 US20160040900A1 (en) | 2014-08-07 | 2015-07-28 | HVAC System with SMS Capability |
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US20160040900A1 true US20160040900A1 (en) | 2016-02-11 |
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US14/811,369 Abandoned US20160040900A1 (en) | 2014-08-07 | 2015-07-28 | HVAC System with SMS Capability |
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