Redundant and selectable gateway and control elements for remote connected thermostats
A networking thermostat is described that includes a main processor and a communications processor. The main processor includes a network manager function, a master messaging function and a slave messaging function while the communications processor includes a wireless radio enabling the thermostat to communicate with other networking thermostats. The networking thermostat is able to operate in a master mode or a slave mode, where the master mode allows the networking thermostat to act as a main gateway between other networking thermostats and a remote server. When in the master mode the networking thermostat can default to a slave if communication with the remote server is lost, thereby allowing one of the other networking thermostats to become a master.
1. A method of operating a group of networking thermostats connected to a remote server, the method comprising:
designating one networking thermostat from the group of networking thermostats as a master operable to communicate with the remote server,
designating another of the networking thermostats as a standby master, the standby master and the remainder of the networking thermostats operating as slaves, wherein the standby master maintains a connection to the remote server such that the networking thermostat confirms its availability to the remote server and receives commands from the remote server;
forming a network where the remainder of networking thermostats operating as slaves form a star network with the networking thermostat designated as the master communicating with the remote server;
collecting data from the slaves at the master;
passing the data to the remote server;
defaulting to the standby master if communication is lost between the master and the remote server; and
forming a network where the remainder of networking thermostats operating as slaves form a star network with the networking thermostat designated as the standby master communicating with the remote server.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the networking thermostats can operate as either a slave or a master.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein a secondary standby master is also designated.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising having the networking thermostat originally designated as mater revert back to master mode when communication with the remote server is reestablished.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising a network management function storing the addresses of all slaves when the networking thermostat is in master mode.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications processor includes a slave message data storage to store messages to allow a quick response time in response to incoming communications from the master.
7. A method of operating a networking thermostat connected to a remote server, the method comprising:
designating the networking thermostat as a standby master, the networking thermostat acting as a slave to a master thermostat, wherein the networking thermostat acting as a standby master maintains a connection to the remote server such that the networking thermostat confirms its availability to the remote server and receives commands from the remote server;
receiving a command from the remote server to become master thermostat when the remote server detects a problem with the original master thermostat; and
forming a network with other networking thermostats operating as slaves to form a star network with the networking thermostat acting as a new master thermostat.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein any of the networking thermostats can operate as either a slave or a master.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein a secondary standby master is also designated.
10. The method of claim 7 further comprising having the networking thermostat originally designated as mater revert back to master mode when communication with the remote server is reestablished.
11. The method of claim 7 further comprising a network management function storing the addresses of all slaves when the networking thermostat is in master mode.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the communications processor includes a slave message data storage to store messages to allow a quick response time in response to incoming communications from the master.
13. The method of claim 7 further comprising, when the networking thermostat is acting as the master:
collecting data from the slaves at the master;
passing the data to the remote server;
defaulting to the standby master if communication is lost between the master and the remote server.