Control system for an hvac system including modular communication

Abstract

An HVAC system includes at least one HVAC component, an HVAC controller, and a communication device. The controller includes a first substrate, a processer mounted on the first substrate, a memory mounted on the first substrate and in communication with the processor, a control interface mounted on the first substrate and communicatively coupled to the processor and the at least one HVAC component, and a first communication interface mounted on the first substrate and communicatively coupled to the processor. The communication module includes a second substrate, a communication circuit mounted on the second substrate, and a second communication interface mounted on the second substrate and communicatively coupled to the communication circuit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An HVAC system comprising:
 at least one HVAC component;   an HVAC controller configured to control the at least one HVAC component according to one or more HVAC system configuration parameters, the HVAC controller comprising:
 a first substrate; 
 a processor mounted on the first substrate; 
 a memory mounted on the first substrate and in communication with the processor; 
 a control interface mounted on the first substrate and communicatively coupled to the processor and the at least one HVAC component; and 
 a first communication interface mounted on the first substrate and communicatively coupled to the processor; 
   a communication module for communicating with a remote device, the communication module comprising:
 a second substrate; 
 a communication circuit mounted on the second substrate; and 
 a second communication interface mounted on the second substrate and communicatively coupled to the communication circuit, wherein the second communication interface is removably connected to the HVAC controller's first communication interface to communicatively connect the communication module to the HVAC controller's processor to allow the processor to communicate with the remote device through the communication module. 
   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module's communication circuit comprises at least one of a Bluetooth circuit, a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) circuit, a universal serial bus (USB) circuit, a WiFi circuit, a Sub-GHz circuit, a near-field communication (NFC) circuit, a long range (LoRa) circuit, an Ethernet circuit, and an RS-485 circuit. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the first communication interface and the second communication interface comprise mating connectors. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC system of  claim 3 , wherein the first communication interface physically supports the communication module via its mating connection to the second communication interface. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC system of  claim 3 , wherein the first communication interface and the second communication interface comprise four pin connectors. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC system of  claim 3 , wherein the first communication interface and the second communication interface comprise six pin connectors. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , further comprising the remote device communicatively coupled to the HVAC control via the communication module. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC system of  claim 7 , wherein the remote device comprises one of a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, or a server computer. 
     
     
         9 . An HVAC controller for controlling at least one HVAC component according to one or more HVAC system configuration parameters, the HVAC controller comprising:
 a substrate;   a processor mounted on the substrate;   a memory mounted on the substrate and in communication with the processor;   a control interface mounted on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the processor and the at least one HVAC component; and   a communication interface mounted on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the processor, the communication interface configured for connection to a mating connector of a communication module for communicating with a remote device.   
     
     
         10 . The HVAC controller of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate with the remote device through the communication interface using at least one of a Bluetooth protocol, a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) protocol, a universal serial bus (USB) protocol, a WiFi protocol, a Sub-GHz protocol, a near-field communication (NFC) protocol, a long range (LoRa) protocol, an Ethernet protocol, and an RS-485 protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC controller of  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface is configured to physically support the communication module via its mating connector. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC controller of  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface and the mating connector comprise four pin connectors. 
     
     
         13 . The HVAC controller of  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface and the mating connector comprise six pin connectors. 
     
     
         14 . A method of configuring an HVAC controller including a substrate, a processor mounted on the substrate, a memory mounted on the substrate and in communication with the processor, and a communication interface mounted on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the processor, the method comprising:
 removably connecting a communication module to the HVAC controller by connecting a mating connector of the communication module to the HVAC controller's communication interface;   communicatively connecting a remote device to the HVAC controller through the communication module; and   storing one or more configuration parameter for the HVAC system from the remote device to the HVAC controller's memory through the communication module.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising disconnecting the communication module from the HVAC controller after the one or more configuration parameters have been stored to the HVAC controller's memory. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein removably connecting a communication module to the HVAC controller by connecting a mating connector of the communication module to the HVAC controller's communication interface includes physically supporting the communication module with the HVAC controller's communication interface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 physically installing the HVAC controller in an HVAC system; and   communicatively connecting the HVAC controller to at least one HVAC component to be controlled by the HVAC controller.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the HVAC controller is installed in the HVAC system before the communication module is connected to the HVAC controller. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the HVAC controller is installed in the HVAC system after the communication module is connected to the HVAC controller 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising retrieving, by the remote device, data from the controller's memory through the communication module.