APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED CONTROL OF A MINI SPLIT HVAC SYSTEM

Abstract

A controller for a Heating Ventilation or Air Conditioning system (HVAC system) such as a mini split system is disclosed for adding control features that incorporate an observed operational status and occupancy/motion detection utilizing control commands already provided as part of the HVAC system as manufactured.

Claims

1. An adjunct control apparatus for controlling a Heating Ventilation and/or Air Conditioning (HVAC) system that is used for conditioning air in a conditioned space, the adjunct control apparatus including apparatus for determining in a standard way control requirements for the HVAC system in order to provide desired conditioning of the air in the conditioned space, the adjunct further comprising: A) a control module that provides overall control of the adjunct control apparatus and; B) a wireless transmitter operatively coupled to the control module for sending wireless commands from the adjunct control apparatus to the HVAC system; and, C) a transducer for capturing activity based energy emanating from the HVAC system, the transducer being operatively coupled to the control module for providing a transducer signal that is analyzed by the control module to determine a current operating status of the HVAC system; and, the control module causing the wireless transmitter to send wireless command signals to the HVAC system, the wireless command signals sent being based upon both: a) the determined control requirements for the HVAC system, and b) the determined current operating status of the HVAC system.

2. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 further including a motion sensing apparatus operatively coupled to the control module which provides a signal indicative of motion in the conditioned space to the control module; the signal indicative of motion in the conditioned space being utilized by the control module to make a determination of a condition of occupancy in the conditioned space, and the wireless command signals sent being further based upon the condition of occupancy in the conditioned space.

3. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 further including a current temperature sensing apparatus operatively coupled to the control module which provides a signal directly related to a measured current room temperature in the conditioned space to the control module; and, the wireless command signals sent by the control module being further based upon the measured current room temperature.

4. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 further including a current humidity sensing apparatus operatively coupled to the control module which provides a signal directly related to a measure of humidity in the conditioned space to the control module; and, the wireless command signals sent by the control module being further based upon the measure of humidity in the conditioned space.

5. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 further including a transducer connecting wire for connecting the transducer to the control module and for enabling the transducer to be mounted at a location remote from the control module.

6. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 further including wireless transducer connection apparatus that operatively couples the transducer to the control module and enables the transducer to be mounted at a location remote from the control module.

7. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 5 further including a transducer mounting apparatus that enables the transducer to be attached to an exchanger unit included as a part of the HVAC system.

8. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 6 further including a transducer mounting apparatus that enables the transducer to be attached to an exchanger unit included as a part of the HVAC system.

9. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 further comprising digital signal processing apparatus coupled to the control module, the digital signal processing apparatus performing an analysis of the transducer signal in determining the current operating status of the HVAC system.

10. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transducer comprises a magnetic field detection apparatus.

11. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transducer comprises a microphone.

12. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 2 wherein the transducer comprises a magnetic field detection apparatus.

13. The adjunct control apparatus of claim 2 wherein the transducer comprises a microphone.

14. An adjunct control apparatus for enhanced control of a Heating Ventilation and/or Air Conditioning system (HVAC system), the adjunct control apparatus comprising: A) a control module; B) a motion sensing apparatus operatively coupled to the control module; C) a wireless transmitter operatively coupled to the control module for sending wireless commands from the adjunct control apparatus to the HVAC system; and, D) a transducer for detecting sound, vibration or electromagnetic signals emanating from the HVAC system, the transducer operatively coupled to the control module and providing a signal that is analyzed by the control module to determine a currently detected operating status of the HVAC system; and, the control module in response to signals from the motion sensing apparatus being operative to send wireless command signals by the wireless transmitter to the HVAC system, the particular wireless command signals sent being determined based in part upon the currently detected operating status of the HVAC system.

15. A method for controlling a Heating Ventilation and/or Air Conditioning system (HVAC system) from an adjunct control apparatus, the method comprising the following steps: A) with standard apparatus that is included as part of the adjunct control apparatus determine in a standard way a desired change in operating state of the HVAC system; B) utilizing a transducer, optionally either included in the adjunct control apparatus or remote from the adjunct control apparatus, to produce or generate a transducer signal and then analyzing the transducer signal to determine a current operating state of the HVAC system; B) using processing apparatus further included in the adjunct control apparatus to determine a specific command signal to be sent to the HVAC system, the specific command signal based upon both: a) the current operating state of the HVAC system; and, b) the desired change in operating state of the HVAC system; and, C) transmitting that specific command signal to the HVAC system utilizing a wireless transmitter included as part of the adjunct control apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15 further including the step of utilizing a motion sensing apparatus included in the adjunct control apparatus to produce a motion sensor signal which is used in making a determination of conditioned space occupancy status, and further utilizing the determined conditioned space occupancy status in the determining of the specific command signal to be sent to the HVAC system.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the specific command signal sent to the HVAC system causes the current temperature of air in the conditioned space to be moved closer to the currently desired temperature in the conditioned space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0036] The invention will be better understood by means of the following description, given only as an example and in reference to the attached drawings. Other advantages, purposes and characteristics of the present invention will emerge from the following detailed description and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art ductless mini split HVAC system;

[0038] FIG. 2 illustrates an adjunct HVAC control apparatus that incorporates motion or occupancy detector apparatus, a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless commands to a main HVAC control apparatus, the main HVAC control apparatus being already provided as part of the HVAC system as manufactured, and a vibration or sound sensing transducer for use in the adjunct control apparatus in determining a current operating state of the HVAC system;

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates an adjunct HVAC control apparatus that incorporates a temperature sensing apparatus, a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless commands to a main HVAC control apparatus, the main HVAC control apparatus being included as part of the HVAC system as manufactured, and a vibration or sound sensing transducer used in the adjunct control apparatus in determining a current operating state of the HVAC system; and,

[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates an adjunct HVAC control apparatus that incorporates motion or occupancy detector apparatus, a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless commands to a main HVAC control apparatus, the main HVAC control apparatus being included as part of the HVAC system when manufactured, and a vibration or sound sensing transducer used in the adjunct control apparatus in determining a current operating state of the HVAC system, and a connection or wiring mechanism that enables the vibration or sound sensing transducer to be placed remotely from the rest of the adjunct HVAC control apparatus, thus enabling the transducer to be mounted attached to the indoor exchanger unit or very close to it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0041] It is noted that while a mini split system as depicted in FIG. 1 is an example of a prior art system to which the teachings of the present invention may be applied, the mini split system is shown only as an illustrative example and the concepts and all aspects of the present invention can be applied to types or models of HVAC systems. It is also noted that application of the teachings of the present invention is not necessarily just for applications requiring heating and/or cooling but could be applied to any type of conditioning of air in a room or supplied to a room or any conditioned space. That is, the figures depicted in this drawing are meant to be interpreted in a broad and general fashion.

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art ductless mini split HVAC system. In FIG. 1 a condenser 101 unit is illustrated as being located outside of a building, and would typically include a compressor for heating and/or cooling. A conduit 103 is shown for passing or containing a Freon line and/or control connections through an outside wall 120 of the building to a second unit mounted inside the space or room to be conditioned, that second unit being illustrated as an Air Handler or Indoor Exchanger unit 102. The HVAC system as manufactured includes the condenser unit 101, the air handler/indoor exchanger 101 and also typically includes, as part of the indoor exchanger unit, an HVAC system control module 150 and a remote control receiver 151, the remote control receiver 151 for receiving wireless commands 140 transmitted from a remote control device 130, the wireless commands 140 typically including commands for signaling toggling of the power condition and increasing or decreasing the temperature set-point. These commands are transmitted by the remote control unit 130 when a power button 131, a temperature up button 132 or a temperature down button 133, respectively are pushed by a user of the system. The command protocol utilized over the wireless connection 140 is predefined by the manufacturer of the HVAC system.

[0043] As previously discussed, it is one broad object of the present invention to provide a method and/or apparatus that allows for adding an adjunct control unit to the air conditioning/heating and or cooling system illustrated in FIG. 1 so as to add to the overall control of the HVAC system, a feature or capability of utilizing a motion detector to determine an occupancy condition and optionally a history of room occupancy. In one illustrated embodiment, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for accomplishing this objective without additional wiring be added to the existing HVAC system, and while utilizing the existing wireless command protocol over the wireless connection 140, and further without requiring any or insignificant modification of the existing illustrated HVAC system.

[0044] FIG. 2 illustrates an adjunct HVAC control apparatus 200 that incorporates a motion or occupancy detector apparatus 210. The motion or occupancy detector 210 is intended to be located at a location in the conditioned space or room that provides a good view of activity in the room or space. In this illustration, the motion detector 210 is located so as to point at a bed in the room, the bed being located in an area where a person when sleeping may not move very much and the ability of detecting movement is best served by locating the motion detector 210 in a place which has a good view of the bed area. The adjunct control apparatus 200 further incorporates a wireless transmitter 230 for transmitting wireless commands to a main HVAC control apparatus 150, the main HVAC control apparatus 150 being originally provided as part of the HVAC system as manufactured, and a vibration, sound or magnetic field sensing transducer 250 for use in the adjunct control apparatus 200 in determining a current operating state of the HVAC system, and typically and more specifically the status of the Air Handler/indoor exchanger unit 102, and/or the condenser/compressor unit 101. Specifically in FIG. 2, the already existing control module 150 and the already existing wireless receiver 151 and the command protocol over the wireless connection 140 are not changed from that prior art system shown in FIG. 1. It is noted that the transducer 250 optionally can receive and the adjunct control module can analyze sound and vibration that may emanate from either the condenser unit 101 and/or the air handler unit 102. This choice of unit is one that can be made by a designer or engineer of ordinary skill in the art of designing the control algorithms and the sound/vibration signal analysis programs, method or apparatus.

[0045] FIG. 3 illustrates an adjunct HVAC control apparatus 300 that is similar to the adjunct control apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 2. The adjunct HVAC control apparatus of FIG. 3 incorporates a temperature sensing apparatus 350, a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless commands to a main HVAC control apparatus 150, the main HVAC control apparatus being already provided as part of the HVAC system as manufactured, and a vibration or sound sensing transducer 330 for providing an output transducer signal to be transmitted to the adjunct controller 300 by a wireless transmitter 310 which in turn provides a wireless signal 312 to a wireless receiver 311 that is used by the adjunct control apparatus 300 in determining a current operating state of the HVAC system. It is noted that interpretation an analysis of the signal can be performed by analysis processing apparatus or included either before the wireless transmitter/receiver combination, or after. That is, the analysis processing apparatus is located near to the air handler, or near or within the adjunct controller 300. It is further noted that additional processing or circuitry may be required to be located between the transducer 330 and the wireless transmitter 310 for preserving transmission quality and this can be readily determined, designed or included by one of ordinary skill in the art of electronic design engineering.

[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates an adjunct HVAC control apparatus that incorporates a motion or occupancy detector apparatus 210, a wireless transmitter 230 for transmitting wireless commands 201 to a main HVAC control apparatus, the main HVAC control apparatus being already provided as part of the HVAC system as manufactured and typically comprising an outdoor condenser/compressor 101, an indoor air handler/exchanger 102 and refrigerant/control connections 103. The adjunct controller 300 further includes a vibration or sound sensing transducer 330 used by the adjunct control apparatus 300 in determining a current operating state of the HVAC system, and a connection or wiring mechanism 412 that enables the vibration or sound sensing transducer to be placed remotely from the rest of the adjunct HVAC control apparatus 300 thus enabling the transducer 330 to be mounted or attached to the indoor exchanger unit 102 or very close to it.

[0047] Thus, while the principles of the invention have now been made clear and described relative to a number of illustrative embodiments or implementations, it will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art the many modifications or adaptations which can be made without departing from those principles. While the invention has been shown and described with reference to specific illustrated embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made such implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of the teachings of the invention as defined by the following claims.

[0048] Having described the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, it will now become apparent to one of skill in the arts that other embodiments or implementations incorporating the teachings of the present invention may be used. Accordingly, these embodiments should not be limited to the disclosed embodiments or implementations but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.