IP Library Patent Application 16863790
Patent Application
App. No. 16/863,790

SPLIT THERMOSTAT

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
16/863,790
Abstract

A building heating, ventilation or air conditioning (HVAC) system is shown. The system includes a display device. The display device includes a first processing circuit, the first processing circuit provides a setpoint to one or more virtual controllers. Execution of one of the one or more virtual controllers with the setpoint of an environmental condition of the building generates one or more control commands. The processing circuit further provides the one or more control commands to a building equipment. The system further includes the building equipment that receives the one or more control commands to control the environmental condition of the building.

Claims (59)

1 . A building heating, ventilation or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the building HVAC system comprising:

a display device comprising a first processing circuit, the first processing circuit configured to:

provide a setpoint to one or more virtual controllers, wherein execution of one of the one or more virtual controllers with the setpoint of an environmental condition of the building generates one or more control commands; and

provide the one or more control commands to a building equipment; and

the building equipment configured to receive the one or more control commands to control the environmental condition of the building.

2 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein providing a setpoint to one or more virtual controllers comprises providing at least one of a temperature, position, fluid flow, rotation, or air quality setpoint to one or more virtual controllers.

3 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein:

the display device comprises a user interface for receiving the setpoint, wherein the display device is a wall-mounted thermostat display or a mobile device or a computer;

the building equipment is a furnace or boiler or chiller or heater; and

the one or more virtual controllers are virtual thermostats.

4 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a building equipment interface configured to:

receive the one or more control commands via the one or more virtual controllers; and

operate the building equipment to achieve the setpoint.

5 . The HVAC system of claim 4 , wherein the building equipment and the equipment interface are at least one of:

separate devices, wherein the building equipment is connected to the equipment interface via one or more communication wires; or

integrated together, wherein the equipment interface is a component of the building equipment.

6 . The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuit of the device and the equipment interface are each configured to implement a communication interface module comprising a plurality of predefined communication rules, wherein the processing circuit is configured to communicate one or more control commands to the equipment interface via the plurality of predefined communications rules.

7 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more virtual controllers are located in a cloud network;

the display device is a smart display device configured to communicate with the virtual thermostat via the cloud network, the display device configured to receive operational data of the building HVAC system from the virtual controller.

8 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein:

the display device is located on premises such that the building equipment and the display device are located in a same building; and

the building HVAC system further comprises one or more sensors configured to provide sensor data for the setpoint of an environmental condition and provides the sensor data to the virtual controller via the cloud network.

9 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to:

receive an indication to instantiate a plurality of virtual controllers for one or more buildings; and

execute each of the plurality of virtual controllers to generate particular control decisions for each of the plurality of virtual controllers.

10 . The building system of claim 6 , wherein the communication interface module comprises an application programming interface (API).

11 . A method for controlling a building heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprises:

receiving a setpoint from a display device, the temperature setpoint provided by the display device via a cloud network to a virtual controller;

processing the setpoint within a virtual controller located within the cloud network and determine a set of control signals that, when provided to a building equipment, adjust a temperature in the HVAC system to reach the setpoint;

providing control signals from the virtual controller to the building equipment to control the environmental condition of the building.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the display device comprises a user interface for receiving the setpoint, wherein the display device is a wall-mounted thermostat display or a mobile device or a computer;

the building equipment is a furnace or boiler or chiller or heater; and

the one or more virtual controllers are virtual thermostats.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, via a display device, instructions to provide a change a temperature setpoint in the building HVAC system; and

providing, via the display device, the temperature setpoint to the one or more virtual thermostats via the cloud network; and

wherein the virtual controller is a virtual thermostat.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the display device is located on premises such that the building equipment and the display device are located in a same building; and

the building HVAC system further comprises one or more sensors configured to provide sensor data for the setpoint of an environmental condition and provides the sensor data to the virtual controller via the cloud network.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises a building equipment interface configured to:

receive the one or more control commands via the one or more virtual controllers; and

operate the building equipment to achieve the setpoint.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the building equipment and the equipment interface are at least one of:

separate devices, wherein the building equipment is connected to the equipment interface via one or more communication wires; or

integrated together, wherein the equipment interface is a component of the building equipment.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising implementing a communication interface module comprising a plurality of predefined communication rules; and

communicating one or more control commands to the equipment interface via the plurality of predefined communications rules.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the communication interface module comprises an application programming interface (API).

19 . A thermostat for a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the thermostat comprising:

a processing circuit comprising one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a temperature setpoint from a display device, the temperature setpoint provided by the display device via a cloud network to a virtual thermostat;

processing the temperature setpoint within a virtual thermostat located within the cloud network and determining a set of control signals that, when provided to an equipment module, adjust a temperature in the HVAC system to reach the temperature setpoint;

providing control signals from the virtual thermostat to an equipment module, the equipment module configured to operate a plurality of building equipment to control the temperature in the HVAC system.

20 . The thermostat of claim 19 , further comprising:

receiving, via a display device, instructions to provide a change a temperature setpoint in the building HVAC system; and

providing, via the display device, the temperature setpoint to the one or more virtual thermostats via the cloud network.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2024
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
To: TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH
Reel/Frame 066957/0796 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 4, 2022
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
Reel/Frame 058959/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2020
From: CHAKRABORTY, SAYAN; UDAVANT, ROHIT MADHAV
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 054239/0901 →