Multi-zone system with software update features
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for updating thermostat software in building HVAC systems are inefficient, often requiring manual intervention through SD cards or USB drives and lacking automated processes for determining necessary software updates.
Innovation Solution
A thermostat with a processing circuit that communicates with HVAC devices to determine software updates, prompting users for permission and retrieving updates from HVAC devices or servers, ensuring compatibility and automatic installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional manual software update methods (SD card or USB flash drive) are used, then software can be updated, but the process requires manual intervention and is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The thermostat system automatically determines whether software updates are needed by checking compatibility with HVAC control devices, retrieves updates from storage devices or servers without user intervention, and installs them autonomously. The processing circuit compares software versions, identifies compatibility requirements, and executes the entire update workflow without manual input beyond initial device connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary compatibility checking between the thermostat's current software version and the HVAC control device requirements before initiating the update process. Software updates are staged in memory for verification, and compatibility assessments are conducted in advance to prevent failed updates, ensuring the thermostat is prepared before actual installation occurs.
2Extent of automation
If the thermostat automatically determines and retrieves software updates, then update efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing circuit is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls HVAC operations, manages user interface interactions, checks software compatibility, retrieves update files, and installs updates. The same hardware components (processor, memory, communications interface) serve both operational control and software management purposes, avoiding the need for separate dedicated update hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary storage device (such as a network-attached storage device or server) that holds software updates and provides them to the thermostat when needed. This intermediary handles the complexity of update distribution, version management, and file integrity, while the thermostat simply requests and receives updates, reducing the burden on the thermostat's processing circuit.
3Reliability
If the thermostat checks for software compatibility with HVAC devices, then communication reliability improves, but the update process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs compatibility checking and software version comparison in advance before initiating the actual update installation. The processing circuit compares the thermostat's current software version against the version required by the HVAC control device, determines compatibility requirements upfront, and prepares the update path before committing resources to the transfer and installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system checks compatibility information from the HVAC control device and compares it with the thermostat's current software version, but only performs a full update if incompatibility is detected. If the software is already compatible, the system skips the update process entirely, performing a partial check without the full overhead of download, install, and verification, thus minimizing time loss while ensuring reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for performing software updates for building devices of a building includes a thermostat associated with one of multiple zones of the building and a controller. The controller includes a processing circuit configured to store thermostat software in a memory device of the processing circuit, the stored software being software for the thermostat and determine, by communicating with the thermostat, whether thermostat software run on the thermostat is newer or older than the thermostat software stored in the memory device. The processing circuit is configured to update the thermostat software run on the thermostat with the thermostat software stored in the memory device in response to a determination that the thermostat software run on the thermostat is older than the thermostat software stored in the memory device and operate building equipment to control an environmental condition of the building.