Integrate the Room Air-Conditioner Control into a Central HVAC Room Thermostat

Abstract

A central HVAC thermostat controls a central HVAC system of a home. The thermostat further includes a control unit and remote-control device for controlling at least one room HVAC system in a room of the home. The control unit generates control data for the at least one room HVAC system. The remote-control device receives the control data from the control unit. The remote-control device converts the control data to wireless control signals. Finally, the remote-control device sends the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using a first wireless communication technology. The at least one room HVAC system can include at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump. The first wireless communication technology can be infrared technology. The control unit further transmits the control data to the remote-control device using a second wireless communication technology.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 566,935, filed on Mar. 19, 2024, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The teachings herein relate to controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system installed in a room of a home. More particularly the teachings herein relate to systems and methods for controlling both a central HVAC system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home using either a single thermostat or a mobile application.BACKGROUND

[0003] It is common in homes with a central HVAC system to have one or more room air conditioners or heat pumps. A room air conditioner or heat pump allows for zone level cooling or cooling and heating, respectively, without having to add zone systems to the central HVAC system. Zone level cooling or cooling and heating improves the comfort of a home and is more energy efficient.

[0004] Installing a room air conditioner or heat pump for zone level cooling or cooling and heating is also often less costly and less time consuming than adding zone systems to a central HVAC system. This is because adding zone systems for a central HVAC system generally require the installation of electrically controlled duct dampers in the ductwork of the central HVAC system and separate (usually wired) thermostats for controlling each zone that are each connected to the HVAC system.

[0005] Room air conditioners or heat pumps can come in many different forms. There are single unit devices that are either installed in a window or have an attachment that connects to a window to have thermal contact with the outside air. There are also mini split devices. A mini-split air conditioner or heat pump has both indoor and outdoor units. Refrigerant is pumped back and forth between the indoor and outdoor unit, through a refrigerant line usually placed through a hole in a wall, to provide the cooling or both heating and cooling.

[0006] All room air conditioners or heat pumps have a control unit and thermostat separate from the central HVAC system. This control unit and thermostat is usually in the form of a wireless remote-control device. The most common form of wireless communication between the remote control of a room air conditioner or heat pump is infrared communication.

[0007] One of the biggest problems in using a room air conditioner or heat pump in conjunction with a central HVAC system is having to operate at least two different control units. They have same purpose of getting the correct heating and cooling throughout the home. Unfortunately, they do not talk to one another. As a result, they require extra effort on the part of the homeowner to coordinate the control of the two or more systems.

[0008] As a result, there is an unmet need for systems and methods that can integrate the control and thermostat functions of at least one room air conditioner or heat pump and a central HVAC system.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings, described below, are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system, upon which embodiments of the present teachings may be implemented.

[0011] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram showing a system for controlling both the central HVAC system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, in accordance with various embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing the system of FIG. 2 with an alternative method of communicating between the control unit and the remote-control device, in accordance with various embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram showing a system for controlling both the central HVAC system about home in at least one room HVAC system of the home using an Internet-connected device, in accordance with various embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart showing a method for controlling both a central HVAC system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, in accordance with various embodiments.

[0015] Before one or more embodiments of the present teachings are described in detail, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present teachings are not limited in their application to the details of construction, the arrangements of components, and the arrangement of steps set forth in the following detailed description or illustrated in the drawings. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTSComputer-Implemented System

[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system 100, upon which embodiments of the present teachings may be implemented. Computer system 100 includes a bus 102 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor 104 coupled with bus 102 for processing information. Computer system 100 also includes a memory 106, which can be a random-access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus 102 for storing instructions to be executed by processor 104. Memory 106 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 104. Computer system 100 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 108 or other static storage device coupled to bus 102 for storing static information and instructions for processor 104. A storage device 110, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus 102 for storing information and instructions.

[0017] Computer system 100 may be coupled via bus 102 to a display 112, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD), for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 114, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus 102 for communicating information and command selections to processor 104. Another type of user input device is cursor control 116, such as a mouse, a trackball or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 104 and for controlling cursor movement on display 112.

[0018] A computer system 100 can perform the present teachings. Consistent with certain implementations of the present teachings, results are provided by computer system 100 in response to processor 104 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in memory 106. Such instructions may be read into memory 106 from another computer-readable medium, such as storage device 110. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in memory 106 causes processor 104 to perform the process described herein.

[0019] Alternatively, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the present teachings. For example, the present teachings may also be implemented with programmable artificial intelligence (AI) chips with only the encoder neural network programmed—to allow for performance and decreased cost. Thus, implementations of the present teachings are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0020] The term “computer-readable medium” or “computer program product” as used herein refers to any media that participates in providing instructions to processor 104 for execution. The terms “computer-readable medium” and “computer program product” are used interchangeably throughout this written description. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 110. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as memory 106.

[0021] Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, digital video disc (DVD), a Blu-ray Disc, any other optical medium, a thumb drive, a memory card, a RAM, PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other tangible medium from which a computer can read.

[0022] Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 104 for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on the magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 100 can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitter to convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector coupled to bus 102 can receive the data carried in the infra-red signal and place the data on bus 102. Bus 102 carries the data to memory 106, from which processor 104 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by memory 106 may optionally be stored on storage device 110 either before or after execution by processor 104.

[0023] In accordance with various embodiments, instructions configured to be executed by a processor to perform a method are stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can be a device that stores digital information. The computer-readable medium is accessed by a processor suitable for executing instructions configured to be executed.

[0024] The following descriptions of various implementations of the present teachings have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the present teachings to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practicing of the present teachings. Additionally, the described implementation includes software but the present teachings may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software or in hardware alone. The present teachings may be implemented with both object-oriented and non-object-oriented programming systems.Thermostat Controlled Room HVAC System

[0025] As described above, it is common in homes with a central HVAC system to have one or more room air conditioners or heat pumps to improve comfort and energy efficiency. Installing a room air conditioner or heat pump for zone-level cooling or cooling and heating is often less costly and less time-consuming than adding zone systems to a central HVAC system. All room air conditioners or heat pumps have a control unit and thermostat separate from the central HVAC system.

[0026] One of the biggest problems in using a room air conditioner or heat pump in conjunction with a central HVAC system is having to operate at least two different control units. Unfortunately, they do not talk to one another. As a result, they require extra effort on the part of the homeowner to coordinate the control of the two or more systems.

[0027] As a result, there is an unmet need for systems and methods that can integrate the control and thermostat functions of at least one room air conditioner or heat pump and a central HVAC system.

[0028] In various embodiments, a thermostat of a central HVAC system includes a wireless transmitter that controls one or more room air conditioners or heat pumps. For example, the central HVAC thermostat includes an infrared signal transmitter just like the remote control of a room air conditioner or heat pump.

[0029] In various embodiments, the infrared signal transmitter is controlled wirelessly by the central HVAC thermostat. The wireless technology used to control the infrared signal transmitter can include, but is not limited to, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Zigbee in a local network or through a cloud system via an Internet connection.

[0030] In various embodiments, when the infrared signal transmitter and the central HVAC thermostat are connected to the Internet, a single user interface is provided by a mobile application running on a mobile device, such as a smartphone. As a result, the mobile application can be used to control both the room air conditioner or heat pump and the central HVAC system.

[0031] In various embodiments, the central HVAC thermostat can accept a room temperature offset setting. The setting is a measurement of the difference between the ambient temperature measured by the central HVAC thermostat and the ambient temperature measured by the room air conditioner or heat pump due to the different locations of their different temperature sensors. The central HVAC thermostat can then use this setting to adjust the temperature set point that is sent to the room air conditioner heat pump.

[0032] In various embodiments, the central HVAC thermostat determines if the command should be sent to the central HVAC system or the room air conditioner or heat pump automatically based on the installation configuration. For example, if the central HVAC system is configured for heating only while the room air conditioner or heat pump is designed for cooling only, then for cooling demand a cooling set point is sent only to the room air conditioner or heat pump via the infrared signal transmitter and for heating demand that heating setpoint is sent only to the central HVAC system.

[0033] In various embodiments, the central HVAC thermostat further includes an algorithm for optimizing both comfort and energy efficiency by operating both the room air conditioner pump and the central HVAC system at the same time.Thermostat Controlled System

[0034] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram 200 showing a system for controlling both the central HVAC system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, in accordance with various embodiments. In FIG. 2, the system includes central HVAC thermostat 210. Central HVAC thermostat 210 controls central HVAC system 220 of home 230.

[0035] Central HVAC thermostat 210 includes control unit 212 and remote-control device 211 for controlling at least one room HVAC system 240 in room 231 of home 230. Control unit 212 generates control data for at least one room HVAC system 240.

[0036] Control unit 212 can be any type of electrical circuitry capable of sending and receiving control signals or data and analyzing data. In various embodiments, control unit 212 includes one or more processors. The one or more processors can be, but are not limited to, controllers, computers, microprocessors, computer systems such as the computer system of FIG. 1, the controller of central HVAC thermostat 210, or any devices capable of sending and receiving control signals, or data and analyzing data.

[0037] Remote-control device 211 receives the control data from control unit 212. Remote-control device 211 converts the control data to wireless control signals. Finally, remote-control device 211 sends the wireless control signals to at least one room HVAC system 240 using first wireless communication technology 213.

[0038] Remote-control device 211 can be any type of electrical circuitry capable of sending and receiving control signals or data and analyzing data. In various embodiments, remote-control device 211 includes one or more processors. The one or more processors can be, but are not limited to, controllers, computers, microprocessors, computer systems such as the computer system of FIG. 1, or any devices capable of sending and receiving control signals or data and analyzing data.

[0039] In various embodiments, at least one room HVAC system 240 includes at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump.

[0040] In various embodiments, the first wireless communication technology includes infrared technology.

[0041] In various embodiments, remote-control device 211 is part of central HVAC thermostat 210.

[0042] In various embodiments, remote-control device 211 is separate from the central HVAC thermostat 210 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0043] In various embodiments, control unit 212 further transmits the control data to remote-control device 211 using a second wireless communication technology 214.

[0044] In various embodiments, second wireless communication technology 214 comprises one of WiFi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee.

[0045] FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram 300 showing the system of FIG. 2 with an alternative method of communicating between the control unit and the remote-control device, in accordance with various embodiments. In FIG. 3, remote-control device 211 further includes first wireless transceiver 315 and control unit 212 further includes second wireless transceiver 316. Second wireless communication technology 214 then includes first Internet channel 317 that includes WiFi communication between first wireless transceiver 315 and Internet 350 and second Internet channel 318 that includes Wi-Fi communication between second wireless transceiver 316 and Internet 350.

[0046] In various embodiments, control unit 201 sends the control data to Internet 350 using second Internet channel 318, and remote-control device 211 receives the control data from Internet 350 using first Internet channel 317.

[0047] In various embodiments, control unit 212 accepts a room temperature offset setting. This setting takes into account deviation of the ambient temperature measured by central HVAC thermostat 210 and room HVAC system 240 due to the different locations of their temperature sensors and is used to adjust the temperature setpoint sent to at least one room HVAC system 240.

[0048] In various embodiments, control unit 212 determines if a command should be sent to central HVAC system 220 or at least one room HVAC system 240 automatically based on the installation configuration. For example, in a system configurated as a central heating system with a room air-conditioning for cooling, the cooling setpoint is sent to at least one room HVAC system 240 via the infrared transmitter of remote-control device 211 while a heating demand is sent to central HVAC system 220.

[0049] In various embodiments, control unit 212 uses a smart algorithm for the optimization of comfort and energy efficiency by operating central HVAC system 220 and at least one room HVAC system 240 at the same time.Application Controlled System

[0050] FIG. 4 is an energy exemplary diagram 400 showing a system for controlling both the central HVAC system about home in at least one room HVAC system of the home using an Internet-connected device, in accordance with various embodiments. In FIG. 4, the system includes central HVAC thermostat 210 and remote-control device 211.

[0051] Central HVAC thermostat 210 controls central HVAC system 220 of home 230. Central HVAC thermostat 210 receives central HVAC control data from application 461 running on Internet-connected device 460 using second wireless Internet channel 418 established between central HVAC thermostat 210 and Internet-connected device 460.

[0052] Remote-control device 211 controls at least one room HVAC system 240 in room 231 of home 230. Remote-control device 211 receives room HVAC control data for at least one room HVAC system 240 from application 461 using first wireless Internet channel 417 established between remote-control device 211 and Internet-connected device 460, converts the room HVAC control data to wireless control signals, and sends the wireless control signals to at least one room HVAC system 240 using first wireless communication technology 213.

[0053] In various embodiments, remote-control device 211 further includes first wireless transreceiver 315 and central HVAC thermostat 210 further includes a second wireless transceiver 416. First Internet channel 417 includes WiFi communication between first wireless transceiver 315 and Internet 350 and second Internet channel 418 includes Wi-Fi communication between second wireless transceiver 416 and Internet 350.

[0054] In various embodiments, Internet-connected device 460 includes one of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer.

[0055] In various embodiments, application 461 includes a user interface integrating the controls of both central HVAC system 220 and at least one HVAC system 240.

[0056] In various embodiments, the at least one room HVAC system includes at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump.

[0057] In various embodiments, first wireless communication technology 213 includes infrared technology.Thermostat Controlling Method

[0058] FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart showing a method 500 for controlling both a central HVAC system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, in accordance with various embodiments.

[0059] In step 510 of method 500, control data is generated for at least one room HVAC system in a room of a home using a control unit of a central HVAC thermostat that controls a central HVAC system of the home.

[0060] In step 520, the control data is received from the control unit using a remote-control device for the at least one room HVAC system.

[0061] In step 530, the control data is converted to wireless control signals using the remote-control device.

[0062] In step 540, the wireless control signals are sent to the at least one room HVAC system using the remote-control device using a first wireless communication technology.

[0063] While the present teachings are described in conjunction with various embodiments, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art.

[0064] Further, in describing various embodiments, the specification may have presented a method and / or process as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and / or process should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments.

Claims

1. A system for controlling both a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, comprising:a central HVAC thermostat that controls a central HVAC system of a home that includesa control unit that generates control data for at least one room HVAC system in a room of the home anda remote-control device for the at least one room HVAC system that receives the control data from the control unit, converts the control data to wireless control signals, and sends the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using a first wireless communication technology.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one room HVAC system comprises at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication technology comprises infrared technology.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote-control device is part of the central HVAC thermostat.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote-control device is separate from the central HVAC thermostat.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control unit further transmits the control data to the remote-control device using a second wireless communication technology.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second wireless communication technology comprises one of WiFi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote-control device further includes a first wireless transceiver, wherein the control unit further includes a second wireless transceiver, and wherein the second wireless communication technology comprises a first Internet channel that comprises WiFi communication between the first wireless transceiver and the Internet and a second Internet channel that comprises Wi-Fi communication between the second wireless transceiver and the Internet.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control unit sends the control data to the Internet using the second Internet channel and the remote-control device receives the control data from the Internet using the first Internet channel.

10. A method for controlling both a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, comprising:generating control data for at least one room HVAC system in a room of a home using a control unit of a central HVAC thermostat that controls a central HVAC system of the home;receiving the control data from the control unit using a remote-control device for the at least one room HVAC system;converting the control data to wireless control signals using the remote-control device; andsending the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using the remote-control device using a first wireless communication technology.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one room HVAC system comprises at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first wireless communication technology comprises infrared technology.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the control unit further includes a second wireless transmitter and further comprising transmitting the control data to the remote-control device using the second wireless transmitter using a second wireless communication technology.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second wireless communication technology comprises one of WiFi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee.

15. A system for controlling both a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home using an Internet-connected device, comprising:a central HVAC thermostat that controls a central HVAC system of a home and that receives central HVAC control data from an application running on an Internet-connected device using a second wireless Internet channel established between the central HVAC thermostat and the Internet-connected device; anda remote-control device that controls at least one room HVAC system in a room of the home and that receives room HVAC control data for the at least one room HVAC system from the application using a first wireless Internet channel established between the remote-control device and the Internet-connected device, converts the room HVAC control data to wireless control signals, and sends the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using a first wireless communication technology.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote-control device further includes a first wireless transceiver, wherein the central HVAC thermostat further includes a second wireless transceiver, and wherein the first Internet channel comprises WiFi communication between the first wireless transceiver and the Internet and the second Internet channel comprises Wi-Fi communication between the second wireless transceiver and the Internet.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the Internet-connected device comprises one of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the application comprises a user interface integrating the controls of both the central HVAC and the at least one room HVAC system.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one room HVAC system comprises at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first wireless communication technology comprises infrared technology.

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