VERSATILE HVAC CONTROLLER
An HVAC controller for providing control signals to one or more HVAC components to control one or more environmental parameters in an inside space. The HVAC Controller may include a housing for housing a controller, a wired control port, and a wireless interface for optionally wirelessly connecting the HVAC controller to HVAC components and for wirelessly providing control signals generated by the controller to the HVAC components. The wired control port may connect the HVAC controller to the HVAC components via one or more wires and for providing control signals generated by the controller to the HVAC components via the one or more wires. The controller may be programmable to include control configurations comprising controlling via only the wired control port, via only the wireless interface, or via the wired control port and the wireless interface.
1 . An HVAC controller for providing control signals to one or more HVAC components to control one or more environmental parameters in an inside space, the HVAC controller comprising:
a housing for housing:
a controller for generating one or more control signals;
a battery compartment;
a battery power input for receiving power from an optional battery in the battery compartment to power the HVAC controller;
a wired power port for receiving power from an optional external wired power source to power the HVAC controller;
a wired control port for optionally connecting the HVAC controller directly or indirectly to one or more HVAC components via one or more wires and for providing the control signals generated by the controller to the one or more HVAC components via the one or more wires;
a wireless interface for optionally wirelessly connecting the HVAC controller directly or indirectly to one or more HVAC components and for providing the control signals generated by the controller to the one or more HVAC components via the wireless interface;
the controller is configured to operate under at least three power configurations, wherein the at least three power configurations comprise:
receiving power from only the battery power input;
receiving power from only the wired power port;
receiving power from the battery power input and the wired power port;
the controller is programmable to have at least three control configurations, wherein the at least three control configurations comprise,
controlling one or more of the HVAC components using only the wired control port;
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using only the wireless interface;
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using the wired control port and the wireless interface;
a touch screen display, the touch screen display comprising,
a first region having an array of fixed segment pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns for displaying text in a dot matrix format;
a second region having a plurality of predefined fixed segment graphical icons; and
wherein the first region of the touch screen display includes a message center, and wherein the HVAC controller is programmed to query a user using the message center and accept responses to identify the one or more HVAC components that are to be controlled by the HVAC controller, and based on the responses, configure the controller to one of the three control configurations.
2 . An HVAC controller for providing control signals to one or more HVAC components to control one or more environmental parameters in an inside space, the HVAC controller comprising:
a housing for housing:
a controller for generating one or more control signals;
a battery compartment;
a battery power input for receiving power from an optional battery in the battery compartment to power the HVAC controller;
a wired power port for receiving power from an optional external wired power source to power the HVAC controller;
a wired control port for optionally connecting the HVAC controller directly or indirectly to one or more HVAC components via one or more wires and for providing the control signals generated by the controller to the one or more HVAC components via the one or more wires;
a wireless interface for optionally wirelessly connecting the HVAC controller directly or indirectly to one or more HVAC components and for providing the control signals generated by the controller to the one or more HVAC components via the wireless interface.
3 . The HVAC controller of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is configured to operate under at least two power configurations, wherein the at least two power configurations comprise:
receiving power from the battery power input;
receiving power from the wired power port;
the controller is programmable to have at least three control configurations, wherein the at least three control configurations comprise:
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using only the wired control port;
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using only the wireless interface; and
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using the wired control port and the wireless interface.
4 . The HVAC controller of claim 3 , wherein the housing further houses a touch screen display, the touch screen display comprising:
a first region having an array of fixed segment pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns for displaying text in a dot matrix format;
a second region having a plurality of predefined fixed segment graphical icons;
5 . The HVAC controller of claim 4 , wherein the first region includes a message center, and wherein the HVAC controller is programmed to query a user using the message center and accept responses during a setup process to identify the one or more HVAC components that are to be controlled by the HVAC controller, and based on the responses, configure the controller to one of the three control configurations.
6 . The HVAC controller of claim 5 , wherein the message center is capable of displaying up to two lines of text.
7 . The HVAC controller of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to operate under at least two power configurations, wherein the at least two power configurations comprise:
receiving power from only the battery power input; and
receiving power from only the wired power port.
8 . The HVAC controller of claim 7 , where the controller is configured to operate under an additional power configuration, wherein the additional power configuration comprises:
receiving power from the battery power input and the wired power port.
9 . The HVAC controller of claim 8 , wherein under the additional power configuration, the controller is configured to receive power simultaneously from the battery power input and the wired power port.
10 . The HVAC controller of claim 8 , wherein under the additional power configuration, the controller is configured to receive power from the battery power input and the wired power port, but not both at the same time.
11 . The HVAC controller of claim 2 , wherein the controller is programmable to have at least two control configurations, wherein the at least two control configurations comprise:
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using only the wired control port; and
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using only the wireless interface.
12 . The HVAC controller of claim 11 , wherein the controller is programmable to have an additional control configuration, wherein the additional control configuration comprises:
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using the wired control port and the wireless interface.
13 . The HVAC controller of claim 2 , wherein the controller is programmable to directly control the one or more HVAC components using the wired control port, the wireless interface, or the wired control port and the wireless interface.
14 . The HVAC controller of claim 2 , wherein the controller is programmable to indirectly control the one or more HVAC components through an equipment interface module (EIM) using the wired control port, the wireless interface, or the wired control port and the wireless interface.
15 . The HVAC controller of claim 2 , wherein the controller is programmable to send control signals to an equipment interface module (EIM), a wireless adapter, a zone panel, and/or directly to one or more HVAC components.
16 . The HVAC controller of claim 2 , wherein the housing further houses a touch screen display, the touch screen display comprising:
a first region having an array of fixed segment pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns for displaying text in a dot matrix format;
a second region having a plurality of predefined fixed segment graphical icons;
17 . The HVAC controller of claim 16 , wherein the first region includes a message center, and wherein the HVAC controller is programmed to query a user using the message center and accept responses during a setup process to identify the one or more HVAC components that are to be controlled by the HVAC controller.
18 . The HVAC controller of claim 17 , wherein the HVAC controller is programmed to query the user by displaying a sequence of two or more questions in the message center, and accepting a response to each of the two or more questions.
19 . An HVAC controller for providing control signals to one or more HVAC components to control one or more environmental parameters in an inside space, the HVAC controller comprising:
a housing for housing:
a controller for generating one or more control signals;
a wired control port for optionally connecting the HVAC controller directly or indirectly to one or more HVAC components via one or more wires and for providing the control signals generated by the controller to the one or more HVAC components via the one or more wires;
a wireless interface for optionally wirelessly connecting the HVAC controller directly or indirectly to one or more HVAC components and for providing the control signals generated by the controller to the one or more HVAC components via the wireless interface;
the controller is programmable to have at least three control configurations, wherein the at least three control configurations comprise,
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using only the wired control port;
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using only the wireless interface; and
controlling the one or more of the HVAC components using the wired control port and the wireless interface.
20 . The HVAC controller of claim 19 , further comprising a user interface having a display, wherein the controller is programmed to query a user by displaying messages on the display and accepting responses in order to identify the one or more HVAC components that are to be controlled by the HVAC controller, and based on the responses, configure the controller to one of the three control configurations.