A monitoring system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building includes a monitoring device installed at the building, a monitoring server located remotely from the building, and a review server. The monitoring device measures an aggregate current supplied to components of the HVAC system and transmits current data based on the measured aggregate current. The monitoring server receives the transmitted current data and, based on the received current data, assesses whether failures have occurred in first and second components of the HVAC components. The monitoring server generates a first advisory in response to determining that the failure has occurred in the first component. The review server provides the first advisory to a technician for review and, in response to the technician verifying that the failure has occurred, transmits a first alert.

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Hvac system remote monitoring and diagnosis

A monitoring system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a residence includes a monitoring device installed at the residence and a server located remotely from the residence. The monitoring device measures an aggregate current supplied to a plurality of components of the HVAC system and transmits current data based on the measured aggregate current. The server receives the transmitted current data and, based on the received current, assesses whether a failure has occurred in a first component of the plurality of components of the HVAC system and assesses whether a failure has occurred in a second component of the plurality of components of the HVAC system.

Residential solutions hvac monitoring and diagnosis

Systems and methods for gathering data, representative of food condition information, from a plurality of remote locations and providing the information to a user together with information about the locations from which the information was gathered. The sensors may be grouped into a plurality of zones, and the food information may be presented to the user on the basis of the zone in which the respective sensor is located. A sensor's actual location may be compared to its expected location and the results provided to a user, and an alarm may be generated if the sensor's actual location differes from its expected location.

Food information monitoring system

An interactive electronic thermostat operates to communicate with an installed through an audible or visual display and keypad to instruct the installer to perform tasks and enter observations to effect proper connections at the thermostat of heater/air conditioner wires in spite of the absence of labels identifying the functions of those wires The thermostat requires entry of coded indicia representing operator-observed conditions in the system in response to displayed instructions carried out by the operator Control circuits are automatically assigned functional tasks in response to the operator-observed conditions entered into the system Different program routines are invoked depending upon the number of system wires and the type of heater/air conditioner being controlled Under appropriate circumstances, messages are displayed informing the operator/homeowner that the thermostat is incompatible, or has no advantageous use, with the heater/air conditioner In one embodiment the installer need only connect the wires to the thermostat terminals one time; the thermostat reconfigures its internal connection paths in response to installer-entered indicia to assure proper control of the system

Interactive electronic thermostat with installation assistance

A method and apparatus for controlling the capacity of a multi-stage cooling system is disclosed. The system of the invention utilizes a plurality of commonly piped compressors being a variable speed compressor, means for establishing a single predetermined cooling state "cut-in" pressure and a single predetermined cooling state "cut-out" pressure, a plurality of condenser fans and a microprocessor based control means for controlling the operation of the system.

Method and apparatus for controlling capacity of a multiple-stage cooling system

A sensing and display system for a refrigerator includes a plurality of sensors which are sequentially monitored at a first rate in order to determine whether certain conditions in the refrigerator are within predetermined ranges. If the sensed conditions are within their ranges, a first plurality of visual indicators are sequentially energized at a second rate and a separate indicator is continuously energized to indicate normal operating conditions. If the system detects that one or more of the sensed conditions are not within their ranges, the first plurality of indicators and the separate indicator are de-energized, and one or more of a second plurality of indicators are energized to inform the user of the existence of one or more abnormal operating conditions. The system delays an abnormal condition indication, such as an overtemperature condition, until the condition has existed for a predetermined period of time. The system also provides separate and distinct indications for a presently existing overtemperature condition and a previous overtemperature condition which has since disappeared.

Electronic sensing and display system for a refrigerator

A refrigerator includes a compressor, a condenser fan, and an evaporator fan simultaneously energized by a temperature control system which includes a thermistor located to sense the average temperature of the cabinet air and a potentiometer manually adjustable to a desired temperature set point. The on or run time of the compressor and fans is controlled by the thermistor sensed temperature with respect to the set point. The duration of the run time is measured by a resettable counter. The off time is adaptively controlled within a predetermined range which minimizes energy consumption while maintaining good temperature control. An off time counter, which is used to determine the duration of the off cycle, is incremented when the measured run time is less than a desired minimum, is decremented when the measured run time is greater than a desired maximum, and maintains the prior off time when the measured run time is within a desired range.

Adaptive temperature control system

A refrigerator includes a compressor, an evaporator fan, a condensor fan and a defrost heater which are controlled by a defrost control system. The control senses the number and duration of freezer and fresh food compartment openings, the duration of the previous defrost operation, and the total accumulated compressor run time since the previous defrosting operation. A stored count is decremented by weighting functions which are adaptably varied in accordance with the number and duration of compartment door openings and the duration of the previous defrosting operation. When the stored count is decremented to zero, the defrosting operation may be initiated, unless inhibited. The defrosting operation is inhibited if the total accumulated compressor run time is less than a predetermined amount. The control is reset to a point just short of a defrosting operation if a power outage occurs.

Adaptive defrost control system

An ice maker assembly and method of assembling the same wherein the electrical connections between electrical structure carried by the mold and an intermediate support, and contacts carried by a control means also mounted to the support are made solely as an incident of the assembly of the mold, support and control means. In the illustrated embodiment, the assembly is effected along a single axis. Illustratively, the electrical components so connected include a heater carried by the mold, a thermostat carried by the support for thermal transfer association with the mold in the assembled arrangement of the structure, and a grounding pin carried by the mold. The support is provided with suitable openings for passing the electrical connection components therethrough to have automatic electrical connection with complementary contact elements carried by the control means. The assembled support and control mechanism may be removed as a unit from the mold to provide access to the mold heater and thermostat for facilitated replacement.

Ice maker assembly and method of assembly

A refrigerator includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, an evaporator fan and a temperature sensing circuit which includes a thermistor located to sense the average temperature of the cabinet air and a potentiometer manually adjustable to a desired temperature set point. The temperature sensing circuit also includes a first comparator stage which indicates whether the average temperature of the cabinet air is above or below a first value, the first comparator having little or no hysteresis in its response so that small changes in temperature can be detected. A second comparator stage indicates whether a signal at its input is greater or less than a second value, the second comparator stage having substantial hysteresis in its response to provide high noise immunity. An integrator is interposed between the first comparator stage and the second comparator stage to further enhance noise suppression.

Stephen W. Paddock

Papers

Electronic sensing and display system for a refrigerator

Adaptive temperature control system

Adaptive defrost control system

Ice maker assembly and method of assembly

Temperature sensing circuit with high noise immunity