Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
HVAC CONTROLLER WITH USER-FRIENDLY INSTALLATION
FEATURES FACILITATING BOTH DO-IT-YOURSELF AND
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION SCENARIOS
10 TECHNICAL FIELD
This patent specification relates to systems and methods for the monitoring
and control of
energy-consuming systems or other resource-consuming systems. More
particularly, this
patent specification relates to control units that govern the operation of
energy-consuming
systems, household devices, or other resource-consuming systems, including
methods for
activating electronic displays for thermostats that govern the operation of
heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
While substantial effort and attention continues toward the development of
newer and
more sustainable energy supplies, the conservation of energy by increased
energy
efficiency remains crucial to the world's energy future. According to an
October 2010
report from the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling account for 56%
of the
energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for
most homes.
Along with improvements in the physical plant associated with home heating and
cooling
(e.g., improved insulation, higher efficiency furnaces), substantial increases
in energy
efficiency can be achieved by better control and regulation of home heating
and cooling
equipment. By activating heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
equipment
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for judiciously selected time intervals and carefully chosen operating levels,
substantial
energy can be saved while at the same time keeping the living space suitably
comfortable
for its occupants.
Historically, however, most known HVAC thermostatic control systems have
tended to
fall into one of two opposing categories, neither of which is believed be
optimal in most
practical home environments. In a first category are many simple, non-
programmable
home thermostats, each typically consisting of a single mechanical or
electrical dial for
setting a desired temperature and a single HEAT-FAN-OFF-AC switch. While being
easy
to use for even the most unsophisticated occupant, any energy-saving control
activity,
such as adjusting the nighttime temperature or turning off all heating/cooling
just before
departing the home, must be performed manually by the user. As such,
substantial energy-
saving opportunities are often missed for all but the most vigilant users.
Moreover, more
advanced energy-saving settings are not provided, such as the ability to
specify a custom
temperature swing, i.e., the difference between the desired set temperature
and actual
current temperature (such as 1 to 3 degrees) required to trigger turn-on of
the
heating/cooling unit.
In a second category, on the other hand, are many programmable thermostats,
which have
become more prevalent in recent years in view of Energy Star (US) and TCO
(Europe)
standards, and which have progressed considerably in the number of different
settings for
an HVAC system that can be individually manipulated. Unfortunately, however,
users are
often intimidated by a dizzying array of switches and controls laid out in
various
configurations on the face of the thermostat or behind a panel door on the
thermostat, and
seldom adjust the manufacturer defaults to optimize their own energy usage.
Thus, even
though the installed programmable thermostats in a large number of homes are
technologically capable of operating the HVAC equipment with energy-saving
profiles, it
is often the case that only the one-size-fits-all manufacturer default
profiles are ever
implemented in a large number of homes. Indeed, in an unfortunately large
number of
cases, a home user may permanently operate the unit in a "temporary" or "hold"
mode,
manually manipulating the displayed set temperature as if the unit were a
simple, non-
programmable thermostat.
In a more general sense, important issues arise at the interface between (i)
energy-saving
technologies that might be achievable using known sensing and processing
methods, and
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(ii) the actual widespread user adoption of devices that implement such energy-
saving
technologies and the integration of those devices into their daily routines
and environment.
It has been found especially important that the "first contact" between a user
and an
energy-saving device constitute a particularly easy, enjoyable, and pleasant
experience, or
else the user can quickly "turn off' or "tune out" to the device and its
energy-saving
advantages.
Although the scope of the present teachings hereinbelow is not necessarily
limited to
thermostats but rather can extend to a variety of different smart-home
devices, the
installation of an intelligent, energy-saving, network-connected thermostat
presents
particular issues that are well addressed by one or more of the embodiments
herein. One
the one hand, it is desirable to provide an intelligent, energy-saving,
network-connected a
thermostat that accommodates easy do-it-yourself installation for ordinary
users who
desire to perform their own installation. On the other hand, because HVAC
equipment
configurations in some homes can get rather complex, and because the
consequences of
improper installation can sometimes be severe, it is sometimes important that
professionals get involved in the installation process.
It would be desirable to provide an intelligent, energy-saving, network-
connected
thermostat that can provide both do-it-yourself simplicity in scenarios where
that is proper
and safe, and yet that also has the ability to accommodate more complex HVAC
systems
and identify the potential need for professional assistance, all while being
user-friendly
and providing a pleasing first contact with the user as well as any
professionals who may
ultimately get involved. Other issues arise as would be apparent to a person
skilled in the
art in view of the present disclosure.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one embodiment, a thermostat may be presented. The thermostat may
include a housing, a user interface comprising an electronic display, and a
processing
system disposed within the housing and coupled to the user interface. The
processing
system may be configured to be in operative communication with one or more
temperature
sensors for determining an ambient air temperature, in operative communication
with one
or more input devices including said user interface for determining a setpoint
temperature
value, and in still further operative communication with a heating,
ventilation, and air
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conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part
on a
comparison of a measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature
value. The
thermostat may also include a plurality of HVAC connectors configured to
receive a
corresponding plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to the HVAC
system, each
HVAC connector having an identifier that identifies one or more HVAC
functionalities
associated with that HVAC connector. The thermostat may additionally include,
a
connection sensing module coupled to the plurality of HVAC connectors and
configured
to determine the identities of a first subset of the plurality of HVAC
connectors into which
corresponding HVAC wires have been inserted, wherein the processing system is
further
configured to process the identities of the first subset of HVAC connectors to
determine a
configuration of the HVAC system to be controlled. In one embodiment, the
processing
may include identifying, based on said identities of the first subset of HVAC
connectors,
whether (i) only a single possible HVAC system configuration is indicated
thereby, or (ii)
multiple possible HVAC system configurations are indicated thereby. The
processing
may further include operating, if the single possible HVAC system
configuration is
indicated, the HVAC system according to said single possible HVAC system
configuration. The processing may additionally include resolving, if the
multiple possible
HVAC system configurations are indicated, a particular one of the multiple
possible
HVAC system configurations that is applicable based on at least one user
response to at
least one inquiry to a user presented on the user interface, and operating the
HVAC system
according to the resolved particular HVAC system configuration.
In another embodiment, a method of determining HVAC system configuration for
an
HVAC system for control by a thermostat may be presented. The method may
include
determining the identities of a first subset of a plurality of HVAC connectors
into which
corresponding HVAC wires have been inserted, wherein the plurality of HVAC
connectors are configured to receive a corresponding plurality of HVAC control
wires
corresponding to the HVAC system, each HVAC connector having an identifier
that
identifies one or more HVAC functionalities associated with that HVAC
connector. The
method may also include identifying, based on the identities of the first
subset of HVAC
connectors, whether (i) only a single possible HVAC system configuration is
indicated
thereby, or (ii) multiple possible HVAC system configurations are indicated
thereby. The
method may additionally include operating, if the single possible HVAC system
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configuration is indicated, the HVAC system according to the single possible
HVAC
system configuration. The method may further include resolving, if the
multiple possible
HVAC system configurations are indicated, a particular one of the multiple
possible
HVAC system configurations that is applicable based on at least one user
response to at
least one inquiry to a user presented on a user interface comprising an
electronic display,
and operating said HVAC system according to the resolved particular HVAC
system
configuration. In one embodiment, the resolving is performed at least in part
by a
processing system disposed within a housing of a thermostat and coupled to the
user
interface, the processing system being configured to be in operative
communication with
one or more temperature sensors for determining an ambient air temperature, in
operative
communication with one or more input devices including said user interface for
determining a setpoint temperature value, and in still further operative
communication
with the HVAC system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a
comparison
of a measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value.
In yet another embodiment, another thermostat may be presented. The thermostat
may
include a housing, a user interface, a processing system communicatively
coupled to the
user interface and disposed within the housing, a power stealing circuit
coupled to the
processing system and configured to provide power to the user interface using
a
rechargeable battery, a plurality of HVAC connectors configured to receive a
corresponding plurality of HVAC control wires, and a connection sensing module
coupled
to the plurality of HVAC connectors and configured to provide an indication to
the
processing system whether a wire is mechanically inserted for each of the
plurality of
HVAC connectors. The processing system may be configured to determine an HVAC
system configuration by identifying a subset of the plurality of HVAC
connectors into
which a wire has been mechanically inserted, identifying an ambiguity
resulting from the
subset, providing an indication via the user interface based on the ambiguity,
resolving the
ambiguity in accordance with an input provided to the user interface,
determining the
HVAC system configuration; and operating the HVAC system in accordance with
the
HVAC system configuration.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention
may be
realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the
drawings. Also
note that other embodiments may be described in the following disclosure and
claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a thermostat, according to one
embodiment.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a thermostat having a head
unit and the
backplate, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded perspective view of a head unit with respect
to its primary
components, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded perspective view of a backplate with respect
to its primary
components, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 4A illustrates a simplified functional block diagram for a head unit,
according to one
embodiment.
FIG. 4B illustrates a simplified functional block diagram for a backplate,
according to one
embodiment.
FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified circuit diagram of a system for managing the
power
consumed by a thermostat, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 6 illustrates steps for automated system matching that can be carried out
by a
thermostat, according to one embodiment.
FIGS. 7A-7B are diagrams showing a thermostat backplate having a plurality of
wiring
terminals, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining an HVAC
configuration using
wire connectors, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart of a method of determining whether an HVAC
system uses a
heat pump, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining an HVAC system
configuration for a conventional HVAC system, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining an HVAC system
configuration for one-stage or two-stage conventional heating, according to
one
embodiment.
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FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining an HVAC system
configuration for a heat pump system with a W3 wire connection, according to
one
embodiment.
FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining an HVAC system
configuration for a beat pump system without the W3 wire connection, according
to one
embodiment.
FIG. 14A illustrates a user interface of a thermostat for providing an output
describing a
wiring error, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 14B illustrates a user interface of a thermostat providing a graphical
output of
mechanical wiring connections that have been detected, according to one
embodiment.
FIG. 15A illustrates a user interface of a thermostat providing a graphical
output of
multiple wiring connections, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 15B illustrates a corresponding user interface of a thermostat providing
a graphical
wiring diagram, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 16A illustrates a user interface of a thermostat providing a graphical
description of a
current wiring configuration, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 16B illustrates a thermostat user interface providing additional
information for a
particular connector, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 17A illustrates a thermostat with a user interface displaying a
connection to a
wildcard connector, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 17B illustrates a thermostat with a user interface displaying a
configuration screen
for the wildcard connector, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 18A illustrates a settings screen for accessing a professional setup
interface.
FIG. 18B illustrates a warning that may be displayed for professional setup,
according to
one embodiment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The subject matter of this patent specification relates to the subject matter
of the following
commonly assigned applications. U.S.
Ser. No. 13/034,666 filed February 24, 2011; U.S. Ser. No. 13/038,191 filed
March 1,
2011; U.S. Ser. No. 13/467,029 filed May 8, 2012; and U.S. Ser. No. 13/624,878
filed
September 21, 2012. The above-referenced patent applications are collectively
referenced
herein as "the commonly-assigned applications".
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous
specific
details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the various
embodiments of the
present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that these
various
embodiments of the present invention are illustrative only and are not
intended to be
limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily
suggest
themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure.
In addition, for clarity purposes, not all of the routine features of the
embodiments
described herein are shown or described. One of ordinary skill in the art
would readily
appreciate that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous
embodiment-specific decisions may be required to achieve specific design
objectives.
These design objectives will vary from one embodiment to another and from one
developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development
effort
might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine
engineering
undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this
disclosure.
It is to be appreciated that while one or more embodiments are described
further herein in
the context of typical HVAC system used in a residential home, such as single-
family
residential home, the scope of the present teachings is not so limited. More
generally,
thermostats according to one or more of the preferred embodiments are
applicable for a
wide variety of enclosures having one or more HVAC systems including, without
limitation, duplexes, townhomes, multi-unit apartment buildings, hotels,
retail stores,
office buildings, and industrial buildings. Further, it is to be appreciated
that while the
terms user, customer, installer, homeowner, occupant, guest, tenant, landlord,
repair
person, and/or the like may be used to refer to the person or persons who are
interacting
with the thermostat or other device or user interface in the context of one or
more
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scenarios described herein, these references are by no means to be considered
as limiting
the scope of the present teachings with respect to the person or persons who
are
performing such actions.
Exemplary Thermostat Embodiments
Provided according to one or more embodiments are systems, methods, and
computer
program products for controlling one or more HVAC systems based on one or more
versatile sensing and control units (VSCU units), each VSCU unit being
configured and
adapted to provide sophisticated, customized, energy-saving HVAC control
functionality
while at the same time being visually appealing, non-intimidating, and easy to
use. The
term "thermostat" is used herein below to represent a particular type of VSCU
unit
(Versatile Sensing and Control) that is particularly applicable for HVAC
control in an
enclosure. Although "thermostat" and "VSCU unit" may be seen as generally
interchangeable for the contexts of HVAC control of an enclosure, it is within
the scope of
the present teachings for each of the embodiments herein to be applied to VSCU
units
having control functionality over measurable characteristics other than
temperature (e.g.,
pressure, flow rate, height, position, velocity, acceleration, capacity,
power, loudness,
brightness) for any of a variety of different control systems involving the
governance of
one or more measurable characteristics of one or more physical systems, and/or
the
governance of other energy or resource consuming systems such as water usage
systems,
air usage systems, systems involving the usage of other natural resources, and
systems
involving the usage of various other forms of energy.
FIGS. 1-5 and the descriptions in relation thereto provide exemplary
embodiments of
thermostat hardware and/or software that can be used to implement the specific
embodiments of the appended claims. This thermostat hardware and/or software
is not
meant to be limiting, and is presented to provide an enabling disclosure. FIG.
1 illustrates
a perspective view of a thermostat 100, according to one embodiment. In this
specific
embodiment, the thermostat 100 can be controlled by at least two types of user
input, the
first being a rotation of the outer ring 112, and the second being an inward
push on an
outer cap 108 until an audible and/or tactile "click" occurs. As used herein,
these two
types of user inputs, may be referred to as "manipulating" the thermostat. In
other
embodiments, manipulating the thermostat may also include pressing keys on a
keypad,
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voice recognition commands, and/or any other type of input that can be used to
change or
adjust settings on the thermostat 100.
For this embodiment, the outer cap 108 can comprise an assembly that includes
the outer
ring 112, a cover 114, an electronic display 116, and a metallic portion 124.
Each of these
elements, or the combination of these elements, may be referred to as a
"housing" for the
thermostat 100. Simultaneously, each of these elements, or the combination of
these
elements, may also form a user interface. The user interface may specifically
include the
electronic display 116. In FIG. 1, the user interface 116 may be said to
operate in an
active display mode. The active display mode may include providing a backlight
for the
electronic display 116. In other embodiments, the active display mode may
increase the
intensity and/or light output of the electronic display 116 such that a user
can easily see
displayed settings of the thermostat 100, such as a current temperature, a
setpoint
temperature, an HVAC function, and/or the like. The active display mode may be
contrasted with an inactive display mode (not shown). The inactive display
mode can
disable a backlight, reduce the amount of information displayed, lessen the
intensity of the
display, and/or altogether turn off the electronic display 116, depending on
the
embodiment.
Depending on the settings of the thermostat 100, the active display mode and
the inactive
display mode of the electronic display 116 may also or instead be
characterized by the
relative power usage of each mode. In one embodiment, the active display mode
may
generally require substantially more electrical power than the inactive
display mode. In
some embodiments, different operating modes of the electronic display 116 may
instead
be characterized completely by their power usage. In these embodiments, the
different
operating modes of the electronic display 116 may be referred to as a first
mode and a
second mode, where the user interface requires more power when operating in
the first
mode than when operating in the second mode.
According to some embodiments the electronic display 116 may comprise a dot-
matrix
layout (individually addressable) such that arbitrary shapes can be generated,
rather than
being a segmented layout. According to some embodiments, a combination of dot-
matrix
layout and segmented layout is employed. According to some embodiments,
electronic
display 116 may be a backlit color liquid crystal display (LCD). An example of
information displayed on the electronic display 116 is illustrated in FIG. 1,
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central numerals 120 that are representative of a current setpoint
temperature. According
to some embodiments, metallic portion 124 can have a number of slot-like
openings so as
to facilitate the use of a sensors 130, such as a passive infrared motion
sensor (PIR),
mounted beneath the slot-like openings.
According to some embodiments, the thermostat 100 can include additional
components,
such as a processing system 160, display driver 164, and a wireless
communications
system 166. The processing system 160 can adapted or configured to cause the
display
driver 164 to cause the electronic display 116 to display information to the
user. The
processing system 160 can also be configured to receive user input via the
rotatable ring
112. These additional components, including the processing system 160, can be
enclosed
within the housing, as displayed in FIG. 1. These additional components are
described in
further detail herein below.
The processing system 160, according to some embodiments, is capable of
carrying out
the governance of the thermostat's operation. For example, processing system
160 can be
further programmed and/or configured to maintain and update a thermodynamic
model for
the enclosure in which the HVAC system is installed. According to some
embodiments,
the wireless communications system 166 can be used to communicate with devices
such as
personal computers, remote servers, handheld devices, smart phones, and/or
other
thermostats or HVAC system components. These communications can be peer-to-
peer
communications, communications through one or more servers located on a
private
network, or and/or communications through a cloud-based service.
Motion sensing as well as other techniques can be use used in the detection
and/or
prediction of occupancy, as is described further in the commonly assigned U.S.
Ser. No.
12/881,430, supra. According to some embodiments, occupancy information can be
a
used in generating an effective and efficient scheduled program. For example,
an active
proximity sensor 170A can be provided to detect an approaching user by
infrared light
reflection, and an ambient light sensor 170B can be provided to sense visible
light. The
proximity sensor 170A can be used in conjunction with a plurality of other
sensors to
detect proximity in the range of about one meter so that the thermostat 100
can initiate
.. "waking up" when the user is approaching the thermostat and prior to the
user touching
the thermostat. Such use of proximity sensing is useful for enhancing the user
experience
by being "ready" for interaction as soon as, or very soon after the user is
ready to interact
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with the thermostat. Further, the wake-up-on-proximity functionality also
allows for
energy savings within the thermostat by "sleeping" when no user interaction is
taking
place or about to take place. The various types of sensors that may be used,
as well as the
operation of the "wake up" function are described in much greater detail
throughout the
remainder of this disclosure.
In some embodiments, the thermostat can be physically and/or functionally
divided into at
least two different units. Throughout this disclosure, these two units can be
referred to as
a head unit and a backplate. FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view
200 of a
thermostat 208 having a head unit 210 and a backplate 212, according to one
embodiment.
Physically, this arrangement may be advantageous during an installation
process. In this
embodiment, the backplate 212 can first be attached to a wall, and the HVAC
wires can be
attached to a plurality of HVAC connectors on the backplate 212. Next, the
head unit 210
can be connected to the backplate 212 in order to complete the installation of
the
thermostat 208.
FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded perspective view 300a of a head unit 330 with
respect to
its primary components, according to one embodiment. Here, the head unit 330
may
include an electronic display 360. According to this embodiment, the
electronic display
360 may comprise an LCD module. Furthermore, the head unit 330 may include a
mounting assembly 350 used to secure the primary components in a completely
assembled
head unit 330. The head unit 330 may further include a circuit board 340 that
can be used
to integrate various electronic components described further below. In this
particular
embodiment, the circuit board 340 of the head unit 330 can include a
manipulation sensor
342 to detect user manipulations of the thermostat. In embodiments using a
rotatable ring,
the manipulation sensor 342 may comprise an optical finger navigation module
as
illustrated in FIG. 3A. A rechargeable battery 344 may also be included in the
assembly
of the head unit 330. In one preferred embodiment, rechargeable battery 344
can be a
Lithium-Ion battery, which may have a nominal voltage of 3.7 volts and a
nominal
capacity of 560 mAh.
FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded perspective view 300b of a backplate 332 with
respect to
its primary components, according to one embodiment. The backplate 332 may
include a
frame 310 that can be used to mount, protect, or house a backplate circuit
board 320. The
backplate circuit board 320 may be used to mount electronic components,
including one or
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more processing functions, and/or one or more HVAC wire connectors 322. The
one or
more HVAC wire connectors 322 may include integrated wire insertion sensing
circuitry
configured to determine whether or not a wire is mechanically and/or
electrically
connected to each of the one or more HVAC wire connectors 322. In this
particular
embodiment, two relatively large capacitors 324 are a part of power stealing
circuitry that
can be mounted to the backplate circuit board 320. The power stealing
circuitry is
discussed further herein below.
In addition to physical divisions within the thermostat that simplify
installation process,
the thermostat may also be divided functionally between the head unit and the
backplate.
FIG. 4A illustrates a simplified functional block diagram 400a for a head
unit, according
to one embodiment. The functions embodied by block diagram 400a arc largely
self-
explanatory, and may be implemented using one or more processing functions. As
used
herein, the term "processing function" may refer to any combination of
hardware and/or
software. For example, a processing function may include a microprocessor, a
microcontroller, distributed processors, a lookup table, digital logic,
logical/arithmetic
functions implemented in analog circuitry, and/or the like. A processing
function may
also be referred to as a processing system, a processing circuit, or simply a
circuit.
In this embodiment, a processing function on the head unit may be implemented
by an
ARM processor. The head unit processing function may interface with the
electronic
display 402, an audio system 404, and a manipulation sensor 406 as a part of a
user
interface 408. The head unit processing function may also facilitate wireless
communications 410 by interfacing with various wireless modules, such as a Wi-
Fi
module 412 and/or a ZigBee module 414. Furthermore, the head unit processing
function
may be configured to control the core thermostat operations 416, such as
operating the
HVAC system. The head unit processing function may further be configured to
determine
or sense occupancy 418 of a physical location, and to determine building
characteristics
420 that can be used to determine time-to-temperature characteristics. Using
the
occupancy sensing 418, the processing function on the head unit may also be
configured to
learn and manage operational schedules 422, such as diurnal heat and cooling
schedules.
A power management module 462 may be used to interface with a corresponding
power
management module on the back plate, the rechargeable battery, and a power
control
circuit 464 on the back plate.
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Additionally, the head unit processing function may include and/or be
communicatively
coupled to one or more memories. The one or more memories may include one or
more
sets of instructions that cause the processing function to operate as
described above. The
one or more memories may also include a sensor history and global state
objects 424. The
one or more memories may be integrated with the processing function, such as a
flash
memory or RAM memory available on many commercial microprocessors. The bead
unit
processing function may also be configured to interface with a cloud
management system
426, and may also operate to conserve energy wherever appropriate 428. An
interface 432
to a backplate processing function 430 may also be included, and may be
implemented
using a hardware connector.
FIG. 4B illustrates a simplified functional block diagram for a backplate,
according to one
embodiment. Using an interface 436 that is matched to the interface 432 shown
in FIG.
4A, the backplate processing function can communicate with the head unit
processing
function 438. The backplate processing function can include wire insertion
sensing 440
that is coupled to external circuitry 442 configured to provide signals based
on different
wire connection states. The backplate processing function may be configured to
manage
the HVAC switch actuation 444 by driving power FET circuitry 446 to control
the HVAC
system.
The backplate processing function may also include a sensor polling interface
448 to
interface with a plurality of sensors. In this particular embodiment, the
plurality of sensors
may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a PIR sensor, a proximity
sensor, an
ambient light sensor, and or other sensors not specifically listed. This list
is not meant to
be exhaustive. Other types of sensors may be used depending on the particular
embodiment and application, such as sound sensors, flame sensors, smoke
detectors,
and/or the like. The sensor polling interface 448 may be communicatively
coupled to a
sensor reading memory 450. The sensor reading memory 450 can store sensor
readings
and may be located internally or externally to a microcontroller or
microprocessor.
Finally, the backplate processing function can include a power management unit
460 that
is used to control various digital and/or analog components integrated with
the backplate
and used to manage the power system of the thermostat. Although one having
skill in the
art will recognize many different implementations of a power management
system, the
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power management system of this particular embodiment can include a bootstrap
regulator
462, a power stealing circuit 464, a buck converter 466, and/or a battery
controller 468.
FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified circuit diagram 500 of a system for managing
the power
consumed by a thermostat, according to one embodiment. The powering circuitry
510
comprises a full-wave bridge rectifier 520, a storage and waveform-smoothing
bridge
output capacitor 522 (which can be, for example, on the order of 30
microfarads), a buck
regulator circuit 524, a power-and-battery (PAB) regulation circuit 528, and a
rechargeable lithium-ion battery 530. In conjunction with other control
circuitry including
backplate power management circuitry 527, head unit power management circuitry
529,
and the microcontroller 508, the powering circuitry 510 can be configured and
adapted to
have the characteristics and functionality described herein below. Description
of further
details of the powering circuitry 510 and associated components can be found
elsewhere in
the instant disclosure and/or in the commonly assigned U.S. 13/034,678, supra,
and U.S.
13/267,871, supra.
By virtue of the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5, when there is a "C" wire
presented
upon installation, the powering circuitry 510 operates as a relatively high-
powered,
rechargeable-battery-assisted AC-to-DC converting power supply. When there is
not a
"C" wire presented, the powering circuitry 510 operates as a power-stealing,
rechargeable-
battery-assisted AC-to-DC converting power supply. The powering circuitry 510
generally serves to provide the voltage Vcc MAIN that is used by the various
electrical
components of the thermostat, which in one embodiment can be about 4.0 volts.
For the
case in which the "C" wire is present, there is no need to worry about
accidentally tripping
(as there is in inactive power stealing) or untripping (for active power
stealing) an HVAC
call relay, and therefore relatively large amounts of power can be assumed to
be available.
Generally, the power supplied by the "C" wire will be greater than the
instantaneous
power required at any time by the remaining circuits in the thermostat.
However, a "C" wire will typically only be present in about 20% of homes.
Therefore, the
powering circuitry 510 may also be configured to "steal" power from one of the
other
HVAC wires in the absence of a "C" wire. As used herein, "inactive power
stealing"
refers to the power stealing that is performed during periods in which there
is no active
call in place based on the lead from which power is being stolen. Thus, for
cases where it
is the "V" lead from which power is stolen, "inactive power stealing" refers
to the power
stealing that is performed when there is no active cooling call in place. As
used herein,
"active power stealing" refers to the power stealing that is performed during
periods in
which there is an active call in place based on the lead from which power is
being stolen.
Thus, for cases where it is the "Y" lead from which power is stolen, "active
power
stealing" refers to the power stealing that is performed when there is an
active cooling call
in place. During inactive or active power stealing, power can be stolen from a
selected
one of the available call relay wires. While a complete description of the
power stealing
circuitry 510 can be found in the commonly assigned applications,
the following brief explanation is sufficient
for purposes of this disclosure.
Some components in the thermostat, such as the head unit processing function,
the user
interface, and/or the electronic display may consume more instantaneous power
than can
be provided by power stealing alone. When these more power-hungry components
are
actively operating, the power supplied by power stealing can be supplemented
with the
rechargeable battery 530. In other words, when the thermostat is engaged in
operations,
such as when the electronic display is in an active display mode, power may be
supplied
by both power stealing and the rechargeable battery 530. In order to preserve
the power
stored in the rechargeable battery 530, and to give the rechargeable battery
530 an
opportunity to recharge, some embodiments optimize the amount of time that the
head unit
processing function and the electronic display are operating in an active
mode. In other
words, it may be advantageous in some embodiments to keep the head unit
processing
function in a sleep mode or low power mode and to keep the electronic display
in an
inactive display mode as long as possible without affecting the user
experience.
When the head unit processing function and the electronic display are in an
inactive or
sleep mode, the power consumed by the thermostat is generally less than the
power
provided by power stealing. Therefore, the power that is not consumed by the
thermostat
can be used to recharge the rechargeable battery 530. In this embodiment, the
backplate
processing function 508 (MSP430) can be configured to monitor the
environmental
sensors in a low-power mode, and then wake the head unit processing function
532
(AM3703) when needed to control the HVAC system, etc. Similarly, the
bacicplate
processing function 508 can be used to monitor sensors used to detect the
closeness of a
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user, and wake the head unit processing system 532 and/or the electronic
display when it
is determined that a user intends to interface with the thermostat.
It will be understood by one having skill in the art that the various
thermostat
embodiments depicted and described in relation to FIGS. 1-5 are merely
exemplary and
not meant to be limiting. Many other hardware and/or software configurations
may be
used to implement a thermostat and the various functions described herein
below. These
embodiments should be seen as an exemplary platform in which the following
embodiments can be implemented to provide an enabling disclosure. Of course,
the
following methods, systems, and/or software program products could also be
implemented
using different types of thermostats, different hardware, and/or different
software.
FIG. 6 illustrates steps for automated system matching that are preferably
carried out by
the same thermostat or thermostatic control system that carries out one or
more of the
other HVAC control methods that are described in the instant patent
specification. It has
been found particularly desirable to make thermostat setup and governance as
user-
friendly as possible by judiciously automating the selection of which among a
variety of
available energy-saving and comfort-promoting control algorithms are
appropriate for the
particular HVAC configuration of the home in which the thermostat is
installed. At step
602, the HVAC system features available for control by the thermostat are
determined by
virtue of at least one of (i) automated wire insertion detection, (ii)
interactive user
interview, (iii) automated inferences or deductions based on automated trial
runs of the
HVAC system at or near the time of thermostat installation, and (iv) automated
inferences
or deductions based on observed system behaviors or performance. Examples of
such
methods arc described in one or more of the commonly assigned US20120130679A1
and
US20120203379A1, as well as the present application.
In relation to cooling mode operation, if it is determined that the HVAC
system includes
air conditioning (step 604), which may be by virtue of a dedicated air
conditioning system
and/or a heat pump operating in the cooling direction, then at step 606 there
is enabled a
smart preconditioning feature for cooling mode operation. One example of a
particularly
advantageous smart preconditioning feature is described in the commonly
assigned U.S.
8,630,742 filed even date
herewith and entitled, "Preconditioning Controls and Methods for an
Environmental
Control System". For some
embodiments, the
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=
smart preconditioning algorithm is configured to: constantly learn how fast
the home heats
up or cools down by monitoring the recent heating and cooling history of the
home,
optionally incorporating external environmental information such as outside
temperatures,
sun heating effects, etc.; predict how long the HVAC system will need to
actively heat or
cool in order to reach a particular scheduled setpoint; and begin
preconditioning toward
the particular scheduled setpoint at just the right time such that the
scheduled setpoint
temperature will be reached at the scheduled setpoint time. User comfort is
promoted by
virtue of not reaching the scheduled setpoint temperature too late, while
energy savings is
promoted by virtue of not reaching the scheduled setpoint temperature too
early.
In relation to heating mode operation, if it is determined that the HVAC
system includes
radiant heating (step 608), then at step 618 there is enabled a smart radiant
control feature
for heating mode operation. One example of a particularly advantageous smart
radiant
control feature is described in the commonly assigned U.S. 8,600,561
filed even date herewith and entitled,
"Radiant Heating Controls and Methods for an Environmental Control System"!.
For some embodiments, the smart radiant control
feature is configured to monitor radiant heating cycles on an ongoing basis,
compute an
estimated thermal model of the home as heated by the radiant system, and
predictively
control the radiant system in a manner that takes into account the thermal
model of the
house, the time of day, and the previous heat cycle information. The smart
radiant control
feature is configured to achieve comfortable maintenance band temperatures
while also
minimizing frequent changes in HVAC on/off states and minimizing HVAC energy
consumption. Among other advantages, uncomfortable and energy-wasting target
temperature overshoots are avoided.
If it is determined that the HVAC system includes a heat pump including
auxiliary
resistive electrical heating (i.e., so-called auxiliary or AUX heat) (step
610), and if it is
further determined (step 612) that the thermostat is network-connected (such
that it can
receive outside temperature information based on location data and an internet-
based
temperature information source) or otherwise has access to outside temperature
information (such as by wired or wireless connection to an outside temperature
sensor),
then at step 616 a smart heat pump control feature is enabled. If at step 610
there is not a
heat pump with AUX heat (which will most commonly be because there is a
conventional
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gas furnace instead of a heat pump, or else because there is a heat pump in a
so-called
dual-fuel system that does not include AUX heat), then at step 614 there is
enabled a smart
preconditioning feature for heat mode, which can be a similar or identical
opposing
counterpart to the preconditioning feature for cooling mode discussed supra
with respect
to step 606. Similarly, if at step 612 there is no network connectivity or
other access to
outside temperature information, then the smart heat pump control feature of
step 616 is
not enabled and instead the smart preconditioning feature of step 614 is
enabled.
In reference to step 616, one example of a particularly advantageous smart
heat pump
control feature is described in the commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No.
13/632,093, filed even
date herewith and entitled, "Intelligent Controller For An Environmental
Control System".
Although the AUX heat function allows for
faster heating of the home, which can be particularly useful at lower outside
temperatures
at which heat pump compressors alone are of lesser efficacy, the energy costs
of using
AUX heat can often be two to five times as high as the energy costs of using
the heat
pump alone. For some embodiments, the smart heat pump control feature is
configured to
monitor heat pump heating cycles on an ongoing basis, tracldng how fast the
home is
heated (for example, in units of degrees F per hour) by the heat pump
compressor alone in
view of the associated outside air temperatures. Based on computed
correlations between
effective heating rates and outside air temperatures, and further including a
user preference
setting in a range from "Max Comfort" to "Max Savings" (including a "Balanced"
selection in between these end points), the smart heat pump control feature
judiciously
activates the AUX heating function in a manner that achieves an appropriate
balance
between user comfort and AUX heating costs. For some embodiments, the factors
affecting the judicious invocation of AUX heat include (i) a predicted amount
of time
needed for the heat pump alone to achieve the current temperature setpoint,
(ii) whether
the current temperature setpoint resulted from an immediate user control input
versus
whether it was a scheduled temperature setpoint, and (iii) the particular
selected user
preference within the "Max Comfort" to "Max Savings" range. Generally
speaking, the
AUX function determination will be more favorable to invoking AUX heat as the
compressor-alone time estimate increases, more favorable to invoking AUX heat
for
immediate user control inputs versus scheduled setpoints, and more favorable
to invoking
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AUX heat for "Max Comfort" directed preferences than for "Max Savings"
directed
preferences.
For some embodiments, the smart heat pump control feature further provides for
automated adjustment of a so-called AUX lockout temperature, which corresponds
to an
outside air temperature above which the AUX heat will never be turned on,
based on the
monitored heat pump heating cycle information and the user preference between
"Max
Comfort" and "Max Savings." Generally speaking, the AUX lockout temperatures
will be
lower (leading to less AUX usage) for better-performing heat pumps, and will
also be
lower (leading to less AUX usage) as the user preference tends toward "Max
Savings".
For some embodiments in which there is network connectivity available such
that
overnight temperature forecasts can be provided, the smart heat pump control
feature
further provides for night time temperature economization in which an
overnight setpoint
temperature may be raised higher than a normally scheduled overnight setpoint
if, based
on the overnight temperature forecast, the AUX function would be required to
reach a
morning setpoint temperature from the normal overnight setpoint temperature
when
morning comes. Advantageously, in such situations, even though the overnight
temperature inside the home is made higher it would otherwise be, the user
actually saves
energy and money by avoiding the use of the AUX function when morning comes.
According to some embodiments, the determinations made at one or more of steps
608 and
610 can be based on automatically observed HVAC system performance information
rather than specific system identification information. For example, it may be
the case
that a particular heating functionality of an HVAC system is not physically a
radiant
system, but nevertheless tends to exhibit signs of a high thermal mass
combined with
substantial control lag, making it similar in nature to a radiant heating
system. For such
cases, the smart radiant control feature may be enabled to improve
performance.
Likewise, it may not be the case that the HVAC system has a heat pump with AUX
functionality, but it may have a two-stage heating functionality in which the
first stage
(which type was likely chosen as a first stage because it was more cost-
effective) tends to
be very slow or "fall behind" at lower outside temperatures, and in which the
second stage
(which type was likely chosen as a second stage because it was less cost-
effective) tends to
be very time-effective in heating up the home, thus making the system act very
much like
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a heat pump system with AUX functionality. For such cases, the smart heat pump
control
feature may be enabled to improve performance.
Automatically Configuring Operational Modes
In modern network-enabled homes, many different types of devices can be used
to control
various aspects of the home environment, including air temperature, humidity,
fan speed,
music, television, appliances, and/or the like. These modern control devices
may include a
number of connections, both wired and wireless, to other household systems.
Depending
on the complexity of these connections, modern control devices may appear
difficult to
install to the average homeowner and create a perception that professional
installation is
required in order to enjoy the benefits of modern control devices.
Presented herein are methods and systems to help simplify the connection
configuration
process that may otherwise prove daunting to the average homeowner.
Specifically, the
control device may mechanically or electrically detect the available
connections to other
systems within an enclosure. The control device may then intelligently analyze
these
connections and determine the configurations of the other systems. If the
control device is
able to determine the other system configurations, then the control device can
operate in
accordance with those configurations without requiring additional user input.
However, if
the control device is unable to determine these configurations (i.e. multiple
system
configurations are possible with the same set of connections) then a user
interface on the
control device may interview the user to acquire the minimal amount of
information
necessary to pinpoint the other system configurations. Additionally,
connection errors can
be detected, and-users can be alerted before possible damage can occur to the
other
systems. These embodiments may simplify the installation process and be
configured to
only require user input when absolutely necessary.
As various methods and systems for determining and operating in accordance
with
external system configurations are presented, it will be understood that the
ensuing
discussion can apply to any control unit as described above. However,
throughout the
remainder of this disclosure a specific type of implementation will be used,
namely a
thermostat. It will be understood that the principles described using
thermostat hardware
and software can be easily applied to other control units by one having skill
in the art in
light of this disclosure.
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In the case of the thermostat, the primary external system with which it will
interface is an
HVAC system. Generally, an HVAC system can communicate with the thermostat
through a plurality of HVAC control wires. Depending on the configuration of
the HVAC
system, different wires may be available. When replacing an old thermostat
with a new
modern thermostat, users are typically instructed to record the connection
made by each
wire to the old thermostat, and then make the same connection to the
corresponding
connector on the new thermostat. For example, a wire connected to the C
terminal of the
old thermostat should be connected to the C terminal of the new thermostat.
Simply duplicating in the new thermostat the connections that were made to the
old
thermostat represents only half of the installation challenge. As will be
understood by one
having skill in the art, many different HVAC system configurations are
possible
depending on the climate, the geographic location, the time of year, the age
of the home,
the natural resources locally available, and/or the like. For example, some
homes may
operate using a conventional gas-powered heater and a compressor-based air
conditioner.
Other homes may use a heat pump. Because of the limitations of heat pumps in
extreme
weather, supplemental systems may be used, such as electrical strip heat, gas
heaters,
radiant flooring, boilers, and/or the like. Besides heating and air-
conditioning, an HVAC
system may also provide other features, such as humidifiers, dehumidifiers,
fans,
emergency heating, and/or the like.
When certain wire connections between the HVAC system and the thermostat are
found to
exist, a reliable inference can sometimes be made as to at least part of an
HVAC system
configuration. For example, if a wire is connected between the HVAC system and
the
0/B connector of the thermostat, then it can be reliably inferred that the
HVAC system
uses a heat pump. Therefore, by analyzing each of the connections to the
thermostat,
some or all of the system configuration can be deduced. The difficulty lies in
the fact that
different HVAC system configurations may use similar wire connections to the
thermostat. Thus, every HVAC system configuration cannot be deduced based
solely on
the wire connections. For example, in a conventional system the Y1 wire may be
used to
activate an air conditioner, whereas in a heat pump system, the Y1 wire may be
used to
.. activate the heat pump in cooperation with an 0/B wire. In a heat pump
system, it may
not be possible to determine whether the system is dual-fuel or single-fuel
based solely on
the connections. In these cases, additional user input may be required.
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In cases where the HVAC system configuration can be reliably determined based
on the
wire connections, the thermostat can operate in accordance with that system
configuration
without requiring additional user input. In cases such as those above where
additional
information may be required, a user interface of the thermostat may present an
interview-
style set of questions to the user in order to acquire the needed information.
The user
interview may include instructions to visit a website to educate the user on
different
HVAC configurations that will help the user understand their HVAC system.
Additionally, the user interview may include a recommendation to contact a
professional
installer in cases where the user is confused or the HVAC system is
complicated.
FIGS. 7A-7B are diagrams showing a thermostat backplate having a plurality of
user-
friendly tool-free wiring terminals, according to some embodiments. For ease
of
installation, the thermostat 102 is separable into a head unit 540 and
backplate 542.
Shown in FIG. 7A is a plan view of backplate 542 which has been configured for
easy
installation by a non-expert installer, such as an end-user. Back plate 542
includes two
banks of HVAC wire connectors, which together provide capability for tool-free
connection to up to 10 HVAC system wires. A semi-circularly arranged left bank
includes
5 connectors 710, 712, 714, 716 and 718. Likewise, a semi-circularly arranged
right bank
includes 5 connectors 720, 722, 724, 726 and 728. Although 10 wiring
connectors are
shown in the embodiments of FIG. 7A, other numbers of connectors (for example
6, 8 or
12 connectors) can be similarly arranged in banks of circular arrangements. A
large central
opening 692 is provided through which the HVAC wires can pass when backplate
542 is
wall mounted. As shown in FIG. 7A, the backplate is mounted using two screw
fasteners
760 and 762 passing through backplate mounting holes 692 and 694 respectively
and
anchored into wall 780. A number of HVAC system wires, for example wires 772
and
774 are shown protruding through wall hole 770 and through backplate central
opening
692. By arranging the connectors along an arc close to the outer periphery of
the
backplate 542, a relatively large number of wiring connectors can be
accommodated, with
each individual connector still being large enough to allow for ease of making
electrical
connection with HVAC wires by a non-expert without the use of tools. In
particular, each
wiring connector has a spring loaded, pushable button which allows for an HVAC
wire to
be inserted into a wire hole. For example, connector 726 has a spring loaded
button 734
and a wire hole 736. When the button is released, the spring action within the
connectors
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a wire securely grasps the wire inserted in the wire hole. Each connector is
wedge shaped
as shown, with the button end being wider than the wire-hole end. In the
examples shown,
the button end of the connector is 8.5 mm in width and the wire-hole end is
5.1 mm in
width. In the embodiment shown, each connector occupies 15.3 degrees of an arc
on the
backplate 542, however, it has been found that connector widths of between 10-
20 degrees
of arc to be suitable for many applications. Another important dimension from
a usability
standpoint has been found to be the distance from the button surface to the
wire insertion
location (the wire hole). If the button to wire-hole distance is too short, it
has been found
that many users have difficulty in installation because the finger used to
press the button
tends to block a good view of the wire hole. In the embodiments shown the
distance from
the button center to the wire hole is 12.2 mm.
By arranging the buttons in an arc-shaped pattern close to the outer periphery
of backplate
542, and by shaping each connecter in a wedge-like shape, the surface area of
the buttons
can be maximized since there is more room for each button when the connectors
are
shaped and arranged as shown. Additionally, it has been found that it is
easier for many
users to press a button that is very close to the periphery of a backplate
device, especially
located close to the left and right edges when wall-mounting a thermostat.
HVAC system
wires, such as wires 772 and 774 are commonly 18 gauge solid (18AWG or 1.024mm
diameter). As a result the wires protruding from the hole in the wall are
rather stiff and
may be difficult to bend and otherwise manipulate. By passing the HVAC wires
through a
central opening 692 and arranging the connectors close to the outer periphery
of backplate
542 and positioning the wire holes in an arc-shaped pattern surrounding the
central
opening, more space is allowed the user to bend the HVAC wires. The distance d
from the
center 704 of the central opening 692 (and of the backplate 542) to the wire
hole in each
connector is 21 mm. Also, since the wire holes arc arranged in a circular
pattern around
the central opening 692, the distance d from the wire hole to the center of
the backplate is
equal for each connector, thereby aiding the installation of many wires being
the same
length protruding from wall 780 from the same hole 770. The radial direction
between the
hole 770 and the wire holes of the conductors also allows for few and less
complicated
bending of the HVAC wires during installation, since each hole is directly
facing the hole
770. Thus, for many reasons, the placement, shape orientation and arrangement
of the
connectors on the backplate 542 has been found to greatly increase the user
install ability
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of the thermostat. An example of user's finger 702 is shown pressing the
button of
connector 728.
FIG. 7B is a perspective view of a backplate being installed on a wall,
according to some
embodiments. The backplate 542 is shown attached to surface of wall 780. The
user has a
.. left hand 704 that is pressing the button of connector 716 while a right
band 706 is
inserting a wire 750 into the wire hole 746 of wiring connector 716. Note that
due to the
adequate distance between the button and wire hole of the connector, the
user's finger used
to press the button does not block the user's view of the wire hole. It has
been found that
the combination of pressing a spring loaded button and inserting the wire in a
wire hole is
.. much easier for non-expert installers than conventional screw-type wire
terminals which
require carefully holding a wire in place while positioning and turning a
relatively small
sized screw driver.
For one embodiment, the backplate of the thermostat can be equipped with a
small
mechanical detection switch (not shown) for each distinct input port, such
that the
insertion of a wire (and, of course, the non-insertion of a wire) is
automatically detected
and a corresponding indication signal is provided to a processing system of
the thermostat
upon initial docking. In this way, the thermostat can have knowledge for each
individual
input port whether a wire has, or has not, been inserted into that port.
Preferably, the
thermostat can be also provided with electrical sensors (e.g., voltmeter,
ammeter, and
ohmmeter) corresponding to each of the input wiring connectors. The thermostat
can
thereby be enabled, by suitable programming, to perform some fundamental
"sanity
checks" at initial installation. By way of example, if there is no input wire
at either the Re
or Rh terminal, or if there is no AC voltage sensed at either of these
terminals, further
initialization activity can be immediately halted, and the user notified on
the user interface,
because there is either no power at all or the user has inserted the Re and/or
Rh wires into
the wrong terminal. By way of further example, if there is a live voltage on
the order of
24 VAC detected at any of the W, Y, and G terminals, then it can be concluded
that the
user has placed the Re and/or Rh wire in the wrong place. Throughout the
remainder of
this disclosure, these capabilities will be referred to separately as
"mechanical detection"
and "electrical detection."
In some embodiments, it has been found particularly useful for the thermostat
itself to be
self-contained such that a knowledge base of possible HVAC system
configurations is
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stored within the thermostat. The user interface may provide wiring charts,
scenario
diagrams, interview-style questions, and so forth that have been preloaded on
the
thermostat in order to facilitate easy installation. This may provide a user
with all of the
instructions necessary for installation without requiring network activity to
access a URL
or website information. In other embodiments, the thermostat may instead be
provided
with wire insertion sensors using mechanical detection or electrical detection
in
combination with a communication chip and a user interface. In this case, the
thermostat
may provide wiring configuration information to the cloud server from which is
retrieved
possible HVAC system configurations. Although this embodiment may not be self-
contained like the first embodiment, the cloud-based configuration database
can be
updated constantly at the cloud server.
In still other embodiments the thermostat need not require a user interface at
all. Instead,
the interface may be provided by a smart phone, PDA, or other mobile computing
device.
In this case, the user may interface with the thermostat using the mobile
computing device.
This may allow the cost of the thermostat to be greatly reduced as a user
interface may be
eliminated. Additionally, the power usage of the thermostat may be conserved
by not
requiring a user interface. Of course, the installation methods described
herein for
determining an HVAC system configuration may also operate using the mobile
computing
interface.
It will be understood in light of this disclosure that one having skill in the
art could readily
combine any of these methods for providing installation information. Namely,
information may be stored a priori on the thermostat, provided by a cloud
server, and or
interfaced with a mobile computing device, depending on the particular
embodiment and
use thereof. However, it has been discovered that storing all or most of the
information
required for installation on the thermostat can be most advantageous because
no network
connection is required. This avoids a so-called "chicken and egg" problem,
wherein users
without network connections cannot access installation information, and they
are unable to
diagnose the problem because they have no network connection. This scenario
causes
many users to simply give up and return the thermostat in exchange for a more
basic
model that does not provide advanced functionality.
[0001] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart 800 of a method for determining an HVAC
configuration using wire connectors, according to one embodiment. The method
may
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include detecting a change in the thermostat wiring (802). The change may be
detected
using mechanical detection techniques and/or electrical detection techniques
as described
above. In one embodiment, a delay may be added such that these changes are not
detected
until after a batch of changes has been made, such as during installation
process after the
thermostat is assembled. This detection may also be carried out by a
connection sensing
module coupled to a plurality of HVAC connectors. The connection sensing
module may
be configured to determine the identities of a first subset of the plurality
of HVAC
connectors into which corresponding HVAC wires have been inserted.
The method may also include determining identities of the wire connectors
(804). In one
embodiment, this step may comprise a processing system that is configured to
process the
identities of the subset of HVAC connectors to determine a configuration of
the HVAC
system to be controlled.
The method may further include determining whether multiple HVAC system
configurations are indicated by the connected wires (806). In one embodiment,
this may
be determined by identifying, based on the identities of the first subset of
identified HVAC
connectors, whether (i) only a single possible HVAC system configuration is
indicated
thereby, or (ii) multiple possible HVAC system configurations are indicated
thereby.
If it is determined that only a single possible HVAC system configuration is
indicated,
then the method may include operating the HVAC system according to the single
possible
HVAC system configuration (810). Alternatively, if it is determined that
multiple HVAC
configurations are possible, the method may include resolving the multiple
possible
HVAC system configurations down to a particular one HVAC configuration (808).
In one
embodiment, the multiple HVAC system configurations may be resolved based on
at least
one user response to at least one inquiry to a user presented on a user
interface. Examples
of such user interfaces may be discussed further herein below. After the
multiple HVAC
system configurations have been resolved to a single HVAC configuration, the
system
may then operate in according to the particular HVAC system configuration
(810).
It should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in FIG. 8 provide
particular
methods of determining an HVAC system configuration according to various
embodiments of the present invention. Other sequences of steps may also be
performed
according to alternative embodiments. For example, alternative embodiments of
the
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present invention may perform the steps outlined above in a different order.
Moreover,
the individual steps illustrated in FIG. 8 may include multiple sub-steps that
may be
performed in various sequences as appropriate to the individual step.
Furthermore,
additional steps may be added or removed depending on the particular
applications. One
of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, modifications,
and
alternatives.
The method described above can be implemented using virtually any control unit
for an
enclosure. In the case of a thermostat, the method described above can be used
to
configure the thermostat to be compatible with virtually any HVAC system
configuration.
The particular thermostat described herein includes ten distinct HVAC wire
connectors.
However, it will be understood that other thermostat embodiments may include
more or
fewer HVAC wire connectors, which may have different names or labels
associated with
HVAC wires. Depending on which wires are available, and which wire connectors
are
used by the particular thermostat embodiment, different logical algorithms may
be used to
.. determine an HVAC configuration.
In order to provide an enabling disclosure, a description is provided below
for one
particular logical algorithm used in a preferred thermostat embodiment. In
light of this
disclosure, one having skill in the art can readily adapt the algorithm
described below to
be compatible with virtually any HVAC system configuration. This exemplary
algorithm
can be implemented using high or low level programming languages on a
microcontroller
or microprocessor in the thermostat embodiments. For example, the flowcharts
and
algorithms described below may be implemented, for example, using "switch"
statements
or a nested series of "if-then-else" control structures. It should be noted
that the exact
order of operations described below is merely exemplary, and not meant to be
limiting.
Alternate embodiments could vary both the order in which mechanical
connections are
tested and the logical pathways dependent on the results of detecting
mechanical
connections.
FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart 900 of a method of determining whether an HVAC
system
uses a heat pump, according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, it can
first be
determined whether a wire has been mechanically inserted into an 0/B connector
of the
thermostat (902). The 0/B wire can be used to control the direction of a heat
pump, i.e.
whether the heat pump is heating or cooling the inside of the enclosure.
Generally, the
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0/13 wire is not used in a conventional HVAC system. As used herein, the term
"conventional" may be used to refer to any HVAC system that does not use a
heat pump.
Therefore, if a wire is not mechanically detected in the 0/B connector, it can
be reliably
determined that the HVAC system uses a conventional heater and/or air
conditioner (904).
The discussion for conventional systems continues in relation to FIG. 10
described herein
below.
Next, the method may determine whether a wire is mechanically detected at the
Y1
connector (906). Generally, the Y1 wire is used to activate the heat pump. If
no wire is
detected at the Y1 connector, then this may result in an error condition
(908). For
example, a message can be displayed on the user interface informing the user
that a Y1
wire is not detected, and the heat pump requires a Y1 wire. The user could
also be
referred to a website explaining the issue and providing more information.
Refer to FIGS.
14-18 later in this disclosure for a discussion of addressing errors and/or
ambiguities using
the user interface of the thermostat.
If a wire is detected at the Y1 connector, it may next be determined whether a
wire is
mechanically detected at the W3 connector (910). At this point, the thermostat
knows that
it is dealing with a heat pump based HVAC system; however, many different heat
pump
configurations can exist. In this particular embodiment, the W3 wire can be
used to
segregate the various possible heat pump configurations into two categories.
The first
category of heat pump systems uses the W3 wire (914), and will be discussed in
relation to
FIG. 12 below. Similarly, the second category of heat pump system does not use
the W3
wire (912), and will be discussed in relation to FIG. 13 below.
FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart 1000 of a method for determining an HVAC
system
configuration for a conventional HVAC system, according to one embodiment.
Flowchart
.. 1000 may be considered a continuation of flowchart 900 from FIG. 9. At this
point, it
may have already been established that a conventional HVAC system ¨ rather
than a heat
pump ¨ is connected to the thermostat because no 0/B wire was connected
(1002). Next,
it can be determined whether a wire is mechanically detected at the E
connector. If an E
wire is detected, an error may be displayed on the user interface informing a
user that the
E wire should only be connected when an 0/B wire is connected in a heat pump
system
(1006).
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Next, it can be determined whether a wire is mechanically detected at the W3
connector
(1008). If a W3 wire is not detected, then it may be possible to determine
that a one-stage
or a two-stage conventional heating unit is connected to the thermostat
(1010). This
option may be processed in accordance with the flowchart discussed below in
relation to
FIG. 11 below. If a W3 wire is mechanically detected, then it can next be
determined
whether a wire is mechanically detected at the W2/AUX connector (1012). If a
W2/AUX
wire is not detected, then an error may be displayed on a user interface
explaining that a
W3 wire also requires a W2/AUX wire (1014). Next, it can be determined whether
a wire
is mechanically detected at the W1 connector (1016). If a W1 wire is not
detected, then an
error may be displayed on the user interface that additional wires may be
required because
the W2/AUX wire has been detected by itself (1034).
Next, it can be determined whether a wire is mechanically detected at the Y2
connector
(1018), as well as whether a wire is mechanically detected at the Y1 connector
(1020,
1026). If a Y2 wire is connected but a Y1 wire is not connected, then an error
may be
displayed on a user interface informing a user that a Y2 wire requires a Y1
wire (1022). If
both a Y1 wire and a Y2 wire are connected, then the thermostat may determine
that a
three-stage conventional heating with a two-stage conventional cooling HVAC
system
configuration is present (1024). If a Y1 wire is connected without a Y2 wire,
then the
thermostat may determine that a three-stage conventional heating and one-stage
conventional cooling HVAC system configuration is present (1030). Finally, if
it is
determined that neither the Y1 wire nor the Y2 wire is connected, then it may
be
determined that a three-stage conventional heating HVAC system configuration
is present
(1028).
One-stage or two-stage conventional heating systems can be detected by
continuing on
from flowchart 1000 at step 1010. FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart 1100 of a
method for
determining an HVAC system configuration for one-stage or two-stage
conventional
heating, according to one embodiment. As previously detected, based on the
absence of a
wire in the W3 connector, it may be determined a one-stage or two-stage
conventional
heating HVAC system configuration may be present (1102).
Next, it may be determined whether a wire is mechanically detected at the
W2/AUX
connector of the thermostat (1104), as well as whether a wire is mechanically
detected at
the W1 connector of the thermostat (1106, 1 1 1 2). If a W2/AUX wire is
detected without a
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WI wire, then an error may be displayed on the user interface that additional
wires may be
required because the W2/AUX wire has been detected by itself (1108). If a
W2/AUX wire
and a W1 wire are both detected, then a two-stage conventional heating system
may be
determined to be present (1110). Depending on the presence of the Y1 and Y2
wires,
either a one-stage or a two-stage cooling system may also be present. If no
W2/AUX wire
is connected, but a WI wire is connected, then an error may be present. Again,
depending
on the presence of the Y1 and Y2 wires, either a one-stage or a two-stage
cooling system
may also be present. Finally, if neither a W2/AUX wire or a W1 wire are
connected, then
depending upon the presence of the Y1 and Y2 wires, either a one-stage or a
two-stage
cooling system may be present without a heating system.
Turning back briefly to FIG. 9, if an 0/13 wire was mechanically detected,
then a heat
pump system was determined to be connected to the thermostat. Assuming that a
connection was also made to the Y1 connector, it could be assumed that either
a single-
fuel system or a dual-fuel system configuration was present. FIG. 12
illustrates a
flowchart 1200 of a method for determining an HVAC system configuration for a
heat
pump system with the W3 wire connection (continuing from step 914 of FIG. 9),
according to one embodiment. After detecting the W3 wire, it may next be
determined
whether connections are made to the W2/AUX connector and/or the W1 connector
(1204,
1214, 1224, 1234).
The next step in the method can be modified to include inputs other than
mechanical wire
connections. In this particular embodiment, a user interface may be configured
to present
a user with an interview-style question(s) to determine whether the heat pump
is single-
fuel or dual-fuel. Depending upon one or more inputs provided to the user
interface in
response to the interview style question(s), the thermostat may then determine
whether a
final HVAC system configuration can be determined, or whether an error message
should
be presented on the user interface.
Similarly, FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart 1300 of a method for determining an
HVAC
system configuration for a heat pump system without the W3 wire connection
(continuing
from step 912 of FIG. 9), according to one embodiment. Again, a user interface
may be
configured to present a user with an interview-style question(s) to determine
whether the
heat pump is single-fuel or dual-fuel. Depending upon one or more inputs
provided to the
user interface in response to the interview style question(s), the thermostat
may then
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determine whether a final HVAC system configuration can be determined, or
whether an
error message should be presented on the user interface.
It will be understood that numerous details and decisions may have been
omitted from the
flowcharts illustrated in FIGS. 9-13 for brevity. For example, instead of
illustrating final
HVAC system configurations in flowchart 1200, an indication of whether a final
system
configuration could be determined was presented. One having skill in the art
could use the
flowcharts and discussion included herein to readily fill in the remaining
details. For
convenience and to provide an enabling disclosure, listed below is an
exemplary
pseudocode implementation of these flowcharts that may be implemented by any
digital or
analog computing or processing system. Of course, many other specific
implementations
would be readily understood in light of this disclosure, and this example
could be edited or
altered depending on the particular embodiment, location, and/or HVAC system.
HVAC control wire check [0/B, Wl, W2/AUX, W3, Yl, Y2, E]
a. 0/B detected mechanically
i. Y1 not detected mechanically [Error]
ii. Y1 detected mechanically
1. W3 detected mechanically
a. W1 and W2/AUX detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [Error]
1. 0/B, Yl, W3, Wl, W2/AUX [one-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with three-stage conventional heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W3, Wl, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with three-stage conventional heating]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [Error]
1. 0/B, Yl, W3, Wl, W2/AUX [one-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with three-stage electric strip heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W3, Wl, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with three-stage electric strip heating]
b. W1 detected mechanically but W2/AUX not detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [OK]
1. 0/B, Yl, W3, W1 [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
two-stage conventional heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W3, Wl, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with two-stage conventional heating]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [Error]
1. 0/B, Yl, W3, W1 [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
two-stage electric strip heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W3, Wl, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with two-stage electric strip heating]
c. W2/AUX detected mechanically but VV1 not detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [OK]
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1. 0/B, Y1, W3, W2/AUX [one-stage beat pump heating and cooling
with two-stage conventional heating]
2. 0/B, Y1, W3, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage conventional heating]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [Error]
1. 0/B, Y1, W3, W2/AUX [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with two-stage electric strip heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W3, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage electric strip heating]
d. Neither WI nor W2/AUX detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [OK]
1. 0/B, Y I, W3 [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with one-
stage conventional heating]
2. 0/B, Y1, W3, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage conventional heating]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [OK]
I. 0/B, Y1, W3 [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with one-
stage electric strip heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W3, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage electric strip heating]
2. W3 not detected mechanically
a. WI and W2/AUX detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [OK]
1. 0/B, Yl, Wl, W2/AUX [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with two-stage conventional heating]
2. 0/B, Y1, W I, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage conventional heating]
3. 0/B, Y1, Wl, W2/AUX, E [one-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage conventional heating and emergency
heating]
4. 0/B, Yl, W I, W2/AUX, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage conventional heating and emergency
heating]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [Error]
1. 0/B, Yl, Wl, W2/AUX [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with two-stage electric strip heating]
2. 0/B, Y1, Wl, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage electric strip heating]
3. 0/B, Y1, Wl, W2/AUX, E [one-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage electric strip heating and emergency
heating]
4. 0/B, Yl, Wl, W2/AUX, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with two-stage electric strip heating and emergency
heating]
b. WI detected mechanically but W2/AUX not detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [OK]
1. 0/B, Yl, WI [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with one-
stage electric strip heating]
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2. 0/B, Yl, WI, Y2 [two-stage beat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage electric strip heating]
3. 0/B, Yl, Wl, E [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage electric strip heating and emergency heating]
4. 0/B, Yl, Wl, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage electric strip heating emergency heating]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [OK]
1. 0/B, Yl, W1 [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with 1. one-
stage conventional heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, Wl, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage conventional heating]
3. 0/B, Yl, Wl, E [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage conventional heating and emergency heating]
4. 0/B, Yl, Wl, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage conventional heating emergency heating]
c. W2/AUX detected mechanically but W1 not detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [OK]
1. 0/B, Y1, W2/AUX [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage electric strip heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with one-stage electric strip heating]
3. 0/B, Yl, W2/AUX, E [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with one-stage electric strip heating and emergency heating]
4. 0/B, Yl, W2/AUX, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with one-stage electric strip heating emergency heating]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [OK]
I. 0/B, Yl, W2/AUX [one-stage beat pump heating and cooling with
one-stage conventional heating]
2. 0/B, Yl, W2/AUX, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with one-stage conventional heating]
3. 0/B, Yl, W2/AUX, E [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling
with one-stage conventional beating and emergency heating]
4. 0/B, Yl, W2/AUX, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump heating and
cooling with one-stage conventional heating emergency heating]
d. Neither W1 nor W2/AUX detected mechanically
i. Dual fuel selected [Error]
1. 0/B, Y1 [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling (but no
conventional 1. heating)]
2. 2. 0/B, Yl, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling (but no
conventional heating)]
3. 0/B, Y1, E [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
emergency heating (but no conventional heating)]
4. 0/B, Yl, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
emergency heating (but no conventional heating)]
ii. Dual fuel not selected [OK]
1. 0/B, Y1 [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling]
2. 0/B, Yl, Y2 [two-stage heat pump heating and cooling]
3. 0/B, Yl, E [one-stage heat pump heating and cooling with
emergency heating]
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4. 0/B, Yl, Y2, E [two-stage heat pump beating and cooling and
emergency heating]
b. 0/B not detected mechanically
i. E detected mechanically [Error]
ii. E not detected mechanically
1. W3 detected mechanically
a. W2/AUX not detected mechanically [Error]
b. W2/AUX detected mechanically
i. W1 not detected mechanically [Error]
ii. W1 detected mechanically
1. Y2 detected mechanically
a. Y1 not detected mechanically [Error]
b. Y1 detected mechanically [OK]
i. W3, W2/AUX, Wl, Y2, Y1 [three-stage conventional
heating and two-stage cooling]
2. Y2 not detected mechanically [OK]
a. W3, W2/AUX, W1 [three-stage conventional heating]
b. W3, W2/AUX, Wl, Y1 [three-stage conventional heating and
one-stage cooling]
2.W3 not detected mechanically
a. W2/AUX detected mechanically
i. W1 not detected mechanically [Error]
ii. W1 detected mechanically
1. Y2 detected mechanically
a. Y1 not detected a. mechanically [Error]
b. Y1 detected mechanically [OK]
i. W2/AUX, WI, Y2, Yl [two-stage conventional heating
and
two-stage cooling]
2. Y2 not detected mechanically [OK]
a. W2/AUX, W1 [two-stage conventional heating]
b. W2/AUX, Wl, Y1 [two-stage conventional heating and one-
stage cooling]
b. W2/AUX not detected mechanically
i. W1 detected mechanically
1. Y2 detected mechanically
a. Y1 not detected mechanically [Error]
b. Yl detected mechanically [OK]
i. Wl, Y2, Y1 [one-stage conventional heating and two-stage
cooling]
2. Y2 not detected mechanically [OK]
a. W1 [one-stage heating]
b. Wl, Y1 [one-stage heating and one-stage cooling]
ii. W1 not detected mechanically
1. Y1 not detected mechanically [Error]
2. Y1 detected mechanically [OK]
a. Y1 [one-stage cooling]
b. Yl, Y2 [two-stage cooling]
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User Interface
During the process of determining whether an HVAC system configuration can be
determined, the thermostat may ascertain that the wires mechanically connected
to the
wiring connectors form an invalid combination that is not supported by the
thermostat. In
these cases, a user interface of the thermostat may be used to provide an
output. The
output may indicate that there is an error with the wiring configuration. The
output may
also indicate possible solutions for the error, the severity of the error,
external references
that may be consulted to solve the error, and/or possible effects of the
error.
FIG. 14A illustrates a user interface of a thermostat for providing an output
describing a
wiring error, according to one embodiment. Here, a user may have previously
made wire
connections to the wire connectors of the thermostat before turning the
thermostat on. The
thermostat may run through a hardware or software implementation of the logic
and
flowcharts described elsewhere herein to determine whether an HVAC system
configuration can be determined. In this example, a wire may be mechanically
detected at
the Re connector. The thermostat may determine that at least a Y1 or a W1 wire
is
necessary to run a valid HVAC system. In response, a wiring report 1402 may be
presented on the user interface. The wiring report 1402 may include an error
code 1404 as
well as a message 1406 providing additional information about the error
condition. For
example, the message 1406 may explain that no heating or cooling wires were
detected,
and that at least a Y1 or a WI wire is required. Additionally, the wiring
report 1402 may
include a reference 1408 to an external data source where more information
regarding the
error condition may be found, such as a website.
Often, users may be installing their new thermostat by themselves without the
aid or
advice of a professional HVAC installer. Therefore, additional information may
be
provided on the user interface in order to simplify the installation process.
For example,
pictures of the wiring condition may be provided to the user along with
graphical
representations and/or animations that illustrate how the error may be
diagnosed and/or
solved. FIG. 14B illustrates a user interface of a thermostat providing a
graphical output
of mechanical wiring connections that have been detected, according to one
embodiment.
Here, each of a plurality of HVAC wire connectors 1410 may be illustrated for
user. For
example, the plurality of HVAC wire connectors 1410 may be arranged
graphically on the
user interface to match the actual physical arrangement provided by the
thermostat.
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Notice that the plurality of HVAC connectors 1410 displayed by the user
interface are
arranged similarly to the physical arrangement shown in FIG. 7A. In this case,
the
connectors are arranged radially along the perimeter of the thermostat. In
other
embodiments, they may be arranged in a grid pattern, and oval pattern, or any
other
arrangement.
The user interface can show an electrical connection made for each of the
plurality of
HVAC wire connectors 1410. For example, electrical connection 1412 made to the
Re
wire connector shows that a power wire has been electrically sensed at the
connector.
Furthermore, the wire connectors that are implicated by the error may also be
highlighted.
For example, the Y1 and the W1 connectors may have a different color, outline,
or other
such indicator arranged to draw a user's attention to those connectors. In
this embodiment,
a color or shading of the connectors implicated by the error has been altered
compared to
the connectors not responsible for or related to the error in the graphic
display.
These types of informative and instructive user interfaces may become even
more
important as the wiring configurations become more complex. FIG. 15A
illustrates a user
interface of a thermostat providing a graphical output of multiple wiring
connections,
according to one embodiment. As before, a wiring report 1502, an error code
1504, a
message 1506, and a reference 1508 may be provided by the user interface. In
this case,
the message 1506 may inform a user that additional wires are connected in
addition to the
AUX/W2 wire. This may correspond to a case similar to that of step 1034 of
FIG. 10,
where a conventional HVAC system is detected with an AUX/W2 connection without
a
W1 connection.
FIG. 15B illustrates a corresponding user interface of a thermostat providing
a graphical
wiring diagram, according to one embodiment. Here, the plurality of HVAC wire
connectors 1510 may show connections 1512 that have been mechanically
detected. Here,
valid connections have been made to the Y1 connector, the Re connector, and
the
W2/AUX connector. Additionally, the graphical representation of the W1
connector may
be highlighted such that the user may match the graphical representation to
the actual
HVAC connector layout and remedy the error by making the proper connection.
In addition to providing information related to installation and wiring
errors, the user
interface may also be configured to provide valid configuration information to
the user.
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FIG. 16A illustrates a user interface of a thermostat providing a graphical
description of a
current wiring configuration, according to one embodiment. In this embodiment,
each
wire at which a mechanical connection is detected may be selected using the
user interface
in order to bring up additional information related to that connection. For
instance, the
user interface may allow a user to cycle through each connection and verify
that it is being
interpreted correctly by the thermostat. Each connection may be color-coded or
otherwise
highlighted to show users connections that have been checked and connections
that still
need to be checked.
In this example, a message 1602 may be displayed for each connection
describing how the
thermostat is interpreting the connection. For instance, the Y1 connection may
be
interpreted by the thermostat to control an electric air conditioner using
forced air. If a
user determines that this is an incorrect interpretation of the wiring
connection, the user
may select the Y1 connection using the user interface and navigate to a screen
providing
interactive options for changing the way the Y1 connection is interpreted.
FIG. 16B illustrates a thermostat user interface providing additional
information for a
particular connector, according to one embodiment. If a user selects the Y1
connection in
the previous interface, the interface of FIG. 16B may show that the thermostat
will operate
according to the displayed characteristics of the Y1 wire. Assuming that no
0/B wire is
connected, the Y1 wire may be construed to operate a conventional cooling
system. The
source may be electrical, and the cooling system may operate with a forced air
delivery.
In some cases where multiple options are available, a user may select either
the source,
type, or delivery associated with the Y1 wire and choose a different option
from a menu
that may be displayed on the user interface.
The user interface may also be adaptable such that it can handle many
different types of
HVAC system configurations. Some HVAC systems may include additional wires
that
are not specifically labeled on the HVAC connectors of the thermostat.
Additional
features such as radiant floor heating, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, emergency
heating
systems, second stages for heating and cooling systems, and/or the like may be
numerous,
and thus it would be impractical to provide a dedicated wire connector for
each option that
may be rarely used. In order to handle these various additional options,
certain
embodiments described herein will include a wildcard connector labeled with,
for
example, an asterisk or a star. The thermostat function associated with this
connector may
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be configured by a user using the user interface to handle one of the many
various optional
HVAC features that may be available.
FIG. 17A illustrates a thermostat with a user interface displaying a
connection to the
wildcard connector, according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, the user
interface
may display a currently selected function 1702 when the wildcard connector is
selected.
In this case, the wildcard connector is configured to operate a bypass
humidifier (i.e. a
humidifier that requires concurrent heat). In this particular embodiment, the
functions
associated with the wildcard connector are displayed as part of a check
routine for each
connector. Generally, if a wire is connected to the wildcard connector, the
thermostat may
provide a graphical display similar to that of FIG. 17A such that the user can
configure the
function of the wildcard connector before the thermostat begins operating.
This may take
place during an installation routine.
FIG. 17B illustrates a thermostat with a user interface displaying a
configuration screen
for the wildcard connector, according to one embodiment. In this case, the
user interface
may be used to change the function of the wildcard connector to a dehumidifier
used with
the air conditioner (i.e. an air conditioner with a dehumidifying mode). The
dehumidifier
may be activated by energizing the wildcard connector. Both of these settings,
along with
other settings that may not be shown explicitly, may be changed using this or
a similar
user interface.
The user interfaces provided thus far may allow users to make both simple and
complex
changes to the way their thermostat interacts with their HVAC system. These
user
interfaces may provide a simplified process that enables the average homeowner
to
perform even difficult installation procedures. However, in some cases the
installation
process may become too difficult for the average homeowner. Modern HVAC
systems
may become very complex, and incorrect wiring may cause unexpected HVAC
activity,
uncomfortable environmental conditions, or even equipment damage.
In order to prevent these unpleasant outcomes, some embodiments may
intelligently
determine when an installation process or HVAC configuration may require a
professional
installer. This determination may be made while the thermostat is analyzing
the
mechanically-sensed wire connections. This determination may also be made
while the
thermostat is receiving configuration inputs from a user via the user
interface. The
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thermostat may be configured to detect common errors, configurations that are
known to
cause damage, unknown configurations, or even user confusion. For example, a
user
making numerous changes throughout the installation process may be determined
to be ill-
equipped to confidently install his or her own thermostat without causing
damage.
When a professional installation is considered to be desirable for a
particular installation,
the thermostat may provide a message on the user interface recommending a
professional
installer. Some embodiments may provide a reference to a website or to another
resource
for finding professional installers well-versed with the particular type of
HVAC system
and/or thermostat. A user may then heed the warning provided by the thermostat
and
contact the professional installer, or the user may override the warning and
continue with
the installation process.
Additionally, a user may be able to select professional setup. FIG. 18A
illustrates a
settings screen for accessing a professional setup interface. A professional
setup interface
may provide additional options that are not provided to a regular homeowner.
These
options may be segregated into the professional setup interface in order to
simplify the
installation process for a regular homeowner. Additionally, these options may
be complex
and may require special training and/or experience. In one embodiment, a
warning may
be presented to a user when selecting the professional setup interface. FIG.
18B
illustrates a warning that may be displayed for professional setup, according
to one
embodiment. For example, a warning may provide a description of the dangers of
proceeding with the professional setup interface without proper training. The
interface
may also provide an option 1802 allowing the user to continue with the
professional setup
interface or to go back to the regular setup interface.
Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no
doubt
become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the
foregoing
description, it is to be understood that the particular embodiments shown and
described by
way of illustration are in no way intended to be considered limiting.
Therefore, reference
to the details of the preferred embodiments is not intended to limit their
scope.
