Thermostat HVAC Status Encoding for Network Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart energy networks face challenges in efficiently and reliably managing HVAC systems due to the lack of interoperability and the difficulty in obtaining and transmitting status information from these systems through wireless networks, especially when using proprietary data formats that are not easily accessible to end users.
Innovation Solution
A thermostat collects status information from an HVAC system, encodes it, and sends it to a remote networked device using a data container, which can be either a customer-defined or publicly accessible cluster, allowing for the inclusion of relay status and other critical HVAC data, enabling efficient communication and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a thermostat sends raw HVAC status information through a wireless network, then the data transmission is straightforward, but the information is not easily accessible or usable to end users due to proprietary data formats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms raw HVAC status information by encoding it into a structured data format with indexed attributes. This parameter transformation makes the data accessible to end users while maintaining the underlying complexity within the thermostat's processing logic, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of access and data complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary data structure that sits between the raw HVAC status information and the end user interface. This intermediary format acts as a bridge, translating proprietary data formats into a standardized, accessible structure without exposing the complexity to users, thereby resolving the accessibility versus complexity contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different network topologies and operations are used in smart energy networks, then the system adapts to various installations and utility preferences, but interoperability becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal data container structure that can carry HVAC status information across different network topologies and smart energy network types. This universal format ensures interoperability reliability by providing a consistent data exchange mechanism that works across diverse installations and utility preferences, resolving the adaptability versus reliability contradiction.
3Productivity
If detailed HVAC status information is transmitted frequently, then energy management efficiency is improved, but network bandwidth and device power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential HVAC status information that is most critical for energy management decisions and transmits it in a compact, indexed format. By selecting and transmitting only the most important data elements rather than all available information, the system improves energy management efficiency while reducing network bandwidth consumption and device power usage.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides apparatuses and computer readable media for obtaining status information from a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and sending the status information to a remote networked device using a data container. A thermostat obtains status information from a HVAC system, associates the status information with a corresponding index number, and includes the index number and HVAC information in a data container. The data container can assume different forms, including a customer-defined cluster or a publicly accessible cluster. The HVAC information may be encoded so that the HVAC information can be included as an attribute of the publicly accessible cluster. HVAC information may include relay status of a relay in the HVAC system. The relay is identified by an index number that is included in an attribute. A networked device typically receives the HVAC information from the thermostat in at least one data container.