Diagnostics of indoor unit of HVAC system based on sound signatures
A method for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system diagnostics includes sending a first instruction to a thermostat to shut down an HVAC system. A user is instructed to minimize background noise. A second instruction is sent to the thermostat to turn on the HVAC system. A third instruction is sent to the thermostat to set a temperature setpoint below or above a value of a room temperature. Indoor unit sound data is captured for a second time period. The baseline sound data is subtracted from the indoor unit sound data to determine normalized indoor unit sound data. Expected sound signatures of the indoor unit are identified. The normalized indoor unit sound data is compared to the expected sound signatures. In response to determining that an expected sound signature for a blower is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data, it is determined that the blower has failed.
The present disclosure relates generally to Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system control, and more specifically to sound-based diagnostics of an indoor unit of an HVAC system.
BACKGROUNDExisting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems typically can only provide a general alert when there is an issue with an HVAC system. For example, the HVAC system may report that an error has occurred while trying to operate the HVAC system and that a service is required to repair the HVAC system. Existing HVAC systems cannot typically self-diagnose any issues with the HVAC system. This means that a technician will need to inspect the HVAC system and make repairs to the HVAC system. In many instances, a technician will need to make multiple trips to a location to first diagnose the issue with an HVAC system and then to return with the appropriate parts and tools for servicing the HVAC system. This process results in an extended amount of downtime while the technician diagnoses and makes repairs to the HVAC system.
SUMMARYThe system disclosed in the present application provides a technical solution to the technical problems discussed above by providing a visual- and sound-based HVAC diagnostic system that is configured to detect faults and issues within an HVAC system based on sounds made by the components of the HVAC system and detect faults and issues within a filter of an HVAC system based on images of the filter. The disclosed system provides several practical applications and technical advantages which include a process that enables a user of an HVAC system to diagnose faults within the HVAC system and to output information that identifies any faulty components of the HVAC system. These features reduce the amount of downtime that an HVAC system will experience because the HVAC system is able to identify the components that are causing the issues that the HVAC system is experiencing. This process allows the user to provide diagnostic information to a technician, such that the technician is prepared with all of the necessary equipment (i.e., parts and tools) and instructions for servicing the HVAC system without having to first diagnose the HVAC system themselves.
In one embodiment, a system includes a thermostat communicatively coupled to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a user device communicatively coupled to the thermostat. The user device includes a first processor configured to determine if a triggering event has occurred. In response to determining that the triggering event has occurred, the first processor enters a filter diagnostics mode. The first processor sends a first instruction to the thermostat to shut down the HVAC system. The first processor instructs a user of the user device to locate a filter of the HVAC system. The first processor instructs the user to remove the filter. The first processor classifies the filter as acceptable or dirty. In response to classifying the filter as acceptable, the first processor instructs the user to the turn on the HVAC system. The first processor determines a desired mode of the HVAC system based on the triggering event. In response to determining that the desired mode is a cooling mode. The first processor determines a first value of a room temperature. The first processor instructs the user to set a temperature setpoint below the first value of the room temperature. The first processor determines a second value of the room temperature. The first processor compares the first value of the room temperature to the second value of the room temperature. In response to determining that the second value of the room temperature is less than the first value of the room temperature, The first processor determines that the HVAC system operates properly.
In another embodiment, a system includes a thermostat communicatively coupled to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a user device communicatively coupled to the thermostat, and a computing system communicatively coupled to the user device. The user device includes a first processor configured to send a first instruction to the thermostat to shut down the HVAC system. The first processor instructs a user to minimize background noise. The first processor instructs the user to go to an indoor unit of the HVAC system. The first processor instructs the user to capture an image of a nameplate of the indoor unit. The first processor analyzes the image to determine a distance of the user from the indoor unit. The first processor compares the distance to a distance range. In response to determining that the distance is within the distance range, the first processor captures baseline sound data for a first time period. The first processor sends a second instruction to the thermostat to turn on the HVAC system. The first processor determines a value of a room temperature. The first processor sends a third instruction to the thermostat to set a temperature setpoint below or above the value of the room temperature. The first processor captures an indoor unit sound data for a second time period. The first processor sends the indoor unit sound data and the baseline sound data to the computing system. The computing system includes a second processor configured to subtract the baseline sound data from the indoor unit sound data to determine normalized indoor unit sound data. The second processor analyze the normalized indoor unit sound data to determine sound signatures. The second processor identifies expected sound signatures of the indoor unit. The second processor compares the normalized indoor unit sound data to the expected sound signatures. In response to determining that an expected sound signature for a blower is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data, The second processor determines that the blower has failed. The second processor sends a first notification to the user device that the blower has failed.
In yet another embodiment, a system includes a thermostat communicatively coupled to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a user device communicatively coupled to the thermostat, and a computing system communicatively coupled to the user device. The user device includes a first processor configured to send a first instruction to the thermostat to shut down the HVAC system. The first processor instructs a user to minimize background noise. The first processor instructs the user to go to an outdoor unit of the HVAC system. The first processor instructs the user to capture an image of a nameplate of the outdoor unit. The first processor analyzes the image to determine a distance of the user from the outdoor unit. The first processor compares the distance to a distance range. In response to determining that the distance is within the distance range, the first processor captures baseline sound data for a first time period. The first processor sends a second instruction to the thermostat to turn on the HVAC system. The first processor determines a value of a room temperature. The first processor sends a third instruction to the thermostat to set a temperature setpoint below or above the value of the room temperature. The first processor captures first outdoor unit sound data for a second time period. The first processor sends the first outdoor unit sound data and the baseline sound data to the computing system. The computing system includes a second processor configured to subtract the baseline sound data from the first outdoor unit sound data to determine first normalized outdoor unit sound data. The second processor analyzes the first normalized outdoor unit sound data to determine first sound signatures. The second processor identifies expected first sound signatures of the outdoor unit. The second processor compares the first normalized outdoor unit sound data to the expected first sound signatures. In response to determining that an expected sound signature for a compressor is missing from the first normalized outdoor unit sound data, the second processor determines that the compressor has failed. The second processor sends a first notification to the user device that the compressor has failed.
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include some, all, or none of these advantages. These advantages and other features will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts.
In general, the diagnostic system 100 is configured to use visual and sound data for detecting and diagnosing faults within the HVAC system 140. More specifically, the analysis system 100 is configured to diagnose various faults within the HVAC system 140 and to notify a user 102 that one or more components of the HVAC system have failed or are malfunctioning. The user 102 may provide this information to a technician. These features reduce the amount of downtime that the HVAC system 140 will experience because the diagnostic system is able to output information about the components that are causing the issues that the HVAC system 140 is experiencing. This process allows the technician to be prepared with all of the necessary equipment (i.e., parts and tools) and instructions for servicing the HVAC system 140 without having to first diagnose the HVAC system 140 themselves.
System Components NetworkThe network 101 may be any suitable type of wireless and/or wired network including, but not limited to, all or a portion of the Internet, an Intranet, a private network, a public network, a peer-to-peer network, the public switched telephone network, a cellular network, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a personal area network (PAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a satellite network. The network 101 may be configured to support any suitable type of communication protocol as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
User DeviceThe user device 103 is generally any device that is configured to process data and interact with the user 102. Examples of the user device 103 include, but are not limited to, a personal computer, a desktop computer, a workstation, a server, a laptop, a tablet computer, a mobile phone (such as a smartphone), etc. The user device 103 may include a user interface, such as a display 106, one or more cameras 107, one or more microphones 108, keypad, or other appropriate terminal equipment usable by the user 102.
The user device 103 may comprise a processor 104 in signal communication with a memory 109 and a network interface 105. The processor 104 comprises one or more processors operably coupled to the memory 109. The processor 104 is any electronic circuitry including, but not limited to, state machines, one or more central processing unit (CPU) chips, logic units, cores (e.g., a multi-core processor), field-programmable gate array (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or digital signal processors (DSPs). The processor 104 may be a programmable logic device, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or any suitable combination of the preceding. The processor 104 is communicatively coupled to and in signal communication with the memory 109, a display 106, one or more cameras 107, one or more microphones 108, and the network interface 105. The one or more processors are configured to process data and may be implemented in hardware or software. For example, the processor 104 may be 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit, or of any other suitable architecture. The processor 104 may include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) for performing arithmetic and logic operations, processor registers that supply operands to the ALU and store the results of ALU operations, and a control unit that fetches instructions from memory and executes them by directing the coordinated operations of the ALU, registers and other components.
The one or more processors are configured to implement various instructions. For example, the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions 110 to implement various functions of the user device 103. The one or more processors are configured to execute an application 111 to implement a diagnostic process described in this disclosure. In this way, processor 104 may be a special-purpose computer designed to implement the functions disclosed herein. The processor 104, when executing the application 111, is configured to operate as described in
The network interface 105 is configured to enable wired and/or wireless communications. The network interface 105 is configured to communicate data between the user device 103 and other components of the diagnostic system 100. For example, the network interface 105 may comprise an NFC interface, a Bluetooth interface, a Zigbee interface, a Z-wave interface, an RFID interface, a WIFI interface, a LAN interface, a WAN interface, a PAN interface, a modem, a switch, or a router. The processor 104 is configured to send and receive data using the network interface 105. The network interface 105 may be configured to use any suitable type of communication protocol as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
The memory 109 comprises one or more disks, tape drives, or solid-state drives, and may be used as an over-flow data storage device, to store programs when such programs are selected for execution, and to store instructions and data that are read during program execution. The memory 109 may be volatile or non-volatile and may comprise a read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), and static random-access memory (SRAM).
The memory 109 is operable to store any of the information described herein with respect to
The user device 103 may comprise one or more microphones 108. The microphones 108 are generally configured to record the sounds that are made by electrical and mechanical components of the HVAC system 140. For example, a microphone 108 may be positioned proximate or adjacent to a blower, an integrated furnace control board, a relay, a compressor, a gas valve, a furnace, a fan, or any other component of the HVAC system 140. Each microphone is configured to capture sound data of one or more components of the HVAC system 140. The microphones 108 may be configured to capture sound data continuously, at predetermined intervals, or on-demand. Each microphone 108 is operably coupled to the processor 104 and provides captured sound data to the processor 104 for processing.
The user device 103 may comprise a display 106. The display 106 is a graphical user interface that is configured to present visual information to the user 102 using graphical objects. Examples of the display 106 include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display, a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an active-matrix OLED (AMOLED), an organic LED (OLED) display, a projector display, or any other suitable type of display as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
The user device 103 may comprise one or more cameras 107. The cameras may be configured to captures images of various components of the HVAC system 104, such as a filter, a nameplate, or any other component of the HVAC system 140. The cameras 107 are operably coupled to the processor 104 and provide captured images to the processor 104 for processing.
In operation, the user device 103 is configured to capture sound data (e.g., indoor unit sound data 124) of one or more indoor units (e.g., indoor unit 202 of
The user device 103 is configured capture images (e.g., images 112 and 113) of a front side and a back side of a filter (e.g., filter 242 of
The user device 103 may be further configured exchange various instructions (e.g., instructions 156) and responses (e.g., responses 157) with the thermostat 135 and receive various notifications (e.g., notifications 160) from the computing system 141. In one embodiment, the user device 103 may receive a notification that the indoor unit 202 of the HVAC system 140 operates properly. In another embodiment, the user device 103 may receive a notification that the outdoor unit 204 of the HVAC system 140 operates properly. In yet another embodiment, the user device 103 may receive a notification that a component of HVAC system 140 has failed or is malfunctioning.
ThermostatThe thermostat 135 is generally configured to control various operations of the HVAC system 140. In one embodiment, the thermostat 135 comprises a processor 136 in signal communication with a memory 138 and a network interface 137. The thermostat 135 may further comprise a graphical user interface, a display, a touch screen, buttons, knobs, or any other suitable combination of components.
The processor 136 may be similar to the processor 104 and the description is not repeated herein. The processor 136 is configured to implement various instructions. For example, the processor 136 is configured to execute instructions 139 to implement various functions of the thermostat 135.
The network interface 137 may be similar to the network interface 105 and the description is not repeated herein. The network interface 137 is configured to enable wired and/or wireless communications. The network interface 137 is configured to communicate data between the thermostat 135 and other components of the diagnostic system 100.
The memory 138 may be similar to the memory 109 and the description is not repeated herein. The memory 138 is operable to store any of the information described herein with respect to
In operation, the thermostat 135 is configured to exchange various instructions (e.g., instructions 156) and responses (e.g., responses 157) with the user device 103. The thermostat 135 is configured to send various instructions (e.g., instructions 158) to the HVAC system 140 to control various operations of the HVAC system 140.
Computing SystemThe computing system 141 may be a remote computing system or a cloud computing system. In one embodiment, the computing system 141 comprises a processor 142 in signal communication with a memory 144 and a network interface 143. The processor 142 may be similar to the processor 104 and the description is not repeated herein. The processor 142 is configured to implement various instructions. For example, the processor 142 is configured to execute instructions 145 to implement various functions of the computing system 141 described herein.
The network interface 143 may be similar to the network interface 105 and the description is not repeated herein. The network interface 143 is configured to enable wired and/or wireless communications. The network interface 143 is configured to communicate data between the computing system 141 and other components of the analysis system 100.
The memory 144 may be similar to the memory 109 and the description is not repeated herein. The memory 144 is operable to store any of the information described herein with respect to
In operation, the computing system 141 is configured to receive various sound data (e.g., sound data 124-126) from the user device 103. The computing system 141 analyzes the received sound data and determines if a component of the HVAC system 140 is malfunctioning or has failed. In an embodiment, the computing system 141 identifies sound signatures (e.g., expected sound signatures 150) that are expected to be present in the received sound data and compares them to the received sound data. If an expected sound signature of a component of the HVAC system 140 is not present in the received sound data, the computing system 141 determines that the component has failed. If a sound signature of a component of the HVAC system 140 is different from the expected sound signature of the component, the computing system 141 determines that the component is malfunctioning.
HVAC SystemAn HVAC system 140 is generally configured to control the temperature of a space. Examples of the space include, but are not limited to, a room, a home, an apartment, a mall, an office, a warehouse, or a building. Although
The HVAC system 140 comprises a working-fluid conduit subsystem 206 for moving a working fluid, or refrigerant. The working fluid may be any acceptable working fluid, or refrigerant, including, but not limited to, fluorocarbons (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons), ammonia, non-halogenated hydrocarbons (e.g., propane), hydrofluorocarbons (e.g., R-410A), or any other suitable type of refrigerant.
The HVAC system 140 comprises one or more outdoor units 204. The outdoor units 204 may be also referred to as condensing units. In one embodiment, the outdoor unit 204 comprises a compressor 208, an outdoor heat exchanger 210, and a fan 212. The compressor 208 is coupled to the working-fluid conduit subsystem 206 that compresses the working fluid. The outdoor unit 204 may be configured with a single-stage or multi-stage compressor 208. A single-stage compressor 208 is configured to operate at a constant speed to increase the pressure of the working fluid to keep the working fluid moving along the working-fluid conduit subsystem 206. A multi-stage compressor 208 may comprise multiple compressors or a single compressor with multiple internal stages and may be configured to operate at a constant speed to increase the pressure of the working fluid to keep the working fluid moving along the working-fluid conduit subsystem 206. In this configuration, one or more compressors can be turned on or off to adjust the cooling/heating capacity of the HVAC system 140. In some embodiments, the compressor 208 may be configured to operate at multiple speeds or as a variable speed compressor. For example, the compressor 208 may be configured to operate at multiple predetermined speeds.
In one embodiment, the outdoor unit 204 (e.g., the compressor 208) is in signal communication with a controller or thermostat 135 using a wired or wireless connection. The thermostat 135 is configured to provide commands, instructions, or signals to control the operation of the compressor 208. For example, the thermostat 135 is configured to send signals to turn on or off one or more compressors 208 when the outdoor unit 204 comprises a multi-stage compressor 208. In this configuration, the thermostat 135 may operate the multi-stage compressors 208 in a first mode where all the compressors 208 are on and a second mode where at least one of the compressors 208 is off. In some examples, the thermostat 135 may be configured to control the speed of the compressor 208.
The outdoor heat exchanger 210 is configured to assist with moving the working fluid through the working-fluid conduit subsystem 206. The outdoor heat exchanger 210 is located downstream of the compressor 208 for exchanging heat. The fan 212 is configured to move air 214 across the outdoor heat exchanger 210. For example, the fan 212 may be configured to blow outside air through the heat exchanger to help cool the working fluid. The compressed, cooled working fluid flows downstream from the outdoor heat exchanger 210 to one or more expansion devices 224, or metering devices, and subsequently to the indoor unit 202.
The outdoor unit 204 may also comprises one or more relays 216 and one or more contactors 218 that are configured to provide power to the compressor 208 and the fan 212 based on instructions received from the thermostat 135.
In certain embodiments, the HVAC system 140 may be configured to operate in a heat pump heating mode. In such embodiments, the outdoor unit 204 may further comprise a reversing valve 220 that is configured to reverse a flow of the working fluid through the working-fluid conduit subsystem 206. In the heat pump heating mode, the heated working fluid flows downstream from the indoor unit 202 to the one or more expansion devices 224, and subsequently to the outdoor heat exchanger 210.
The expansion device 224 is configured to remove pressure from the working fluid. The expansion device 224 is coupled to the working-fluid conduit subsystem 206 downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 210. The expansion device 224 is closely associated with an indoor heat exchanger 226. The expansion device 224 is coupled to the working-fluid conduit subsystem 206 downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 210 for removing pressure from the working fluid. In this way, the working fluid is delivered to the indoor heat exchanger 226 and receives heat from airflow 228 to produce a treated airflow 230 that is delivered by a duct sub-system 232 to the desired space, for example, a room in the building.
The indoor unit 202 of the HVAC system 140 is configured to move air across the indoor heat exchanger 226 and/or a heating unit 234 and out of the duct sub-system 232. The heating unit 234 may be also referred to as a supplemental heating unit or an emergency heating unit. The heating unit 234 may comprise one or more relays 236 that are configured to provide power to the heating unit 234 based on instructions received from the thermostat 135. The heating unit 234 may also include one or more heating elements 254. The heating elements 254 may be also referred to as supplemental heating elements.
Return air 238, which may be air returning from the building, fresh air from outside, or some combination, is pulled into a return duct 240 through a filter 242. A suction side of a variable-speed blower 244 pulls the return air 238. The variable-speed blower 244 discharges airflow 228 into a duct 246 from where the airflow 228 crosses the indoor heat exchanger 226 or heating unit 234 to produce the treated airflow 230.
Examples of a variable-speed blower 244 include, but are not limited to, belt-drive blowers controlled by inverters, direct-drive blowers with electronically commutated motors (ECM), or any other suitable types of blowers. In some configurations, the variable-speed blower 244 is configured to operate at multiple predetermined fan speeds. In other configurations, the fan speed of the variable-speed blower 244 can vary dynamically based on a corresponding temperature value instead of relying on using predetermined fan speeds. In other words, the variable-speed blower 244 may be configured to dynamically adjust its fan speed over a range of fan speeds rather than using a set of predetermined fan speeds. This feature also allows the thermostat 135 to gradually transition the speed of the variable-speed blower 244 between different operating speeds. This contrasts with conventional configurations where a variable-speed blower 244 is abruptly switched between different predetermined fan speeds. The variable-speed blower 244 is in signal communication with the thermostat 135 using any suitable type of wired or wireless connection 250.
The thermostat 135 is configured to provide commands or signals to the variable-speed blower 244 to control the operation of the variable-speed blower 244. For example, the thermostat 135 is configured to send signals to the variable-speed blower 244 to control the fan speed of the variable-speed blower 244. In some embodiments, the thermostat 135 may be configured to send other commands or signals to the variable-speed blower 244 to control any other functionality of the variable-speed blower 244.
The HVAC system 140 comprises one or more sensors 252 in signal communication with the thermostat 135. The sensors 252 may comprise any suitable type of sensor for measuring the air temperature, relative humidity, pressure, and/or other variables. The sensors 252 may be positioned anywhere within a conditioned space (e.g., a room or building) and/or the HVAC system 140. For example, the HVAC system 140 may comprise a sensor 252 positioned and configured to measure an outdoor air temperature. As another example, the HVAC system 140 may comprise a sensor 252 positioned and configured to measure a supply or treated air temperature and/or a return air temperature. In other examples, the HVAC system 140 may comprise sensors 252 positioned and configured to measure any other suitable type of air temperature, relative humidity, pressure, and/or other variables.
The HVAC system 140 comprises one or more thermostats 135, for example, located within a conditioned space (e.g., a room or building). A thermostat 135 may be a single-stage thermostat, a multi-stage thermostat, or any suitable type of thermostat as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The thermostat 135 is configured to allow a user (e.g., user 102 of
In embodiments when the relay 216 (see
At operation 1002, a user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1004, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1006, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1008, the user device 103 receive a response (e.g., response 157 of
At operation 1010, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1012, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1014, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1016, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1018, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1020, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1022, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1024, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1026, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1026 that the desired mode is the cooling mode, diagnostic process 1000 continues to operation 1028.
At operation 1028, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1030, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1032, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1034, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1036, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1038, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1038 that the second value of the room temperature (e.g., temperature 132 of
At operation 1070, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1038 that the second value of the room temperature (e.g., temperature 132 of
At operation 1040, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1026 that the desired mode is the heating mode, diagnostic process 1000 continues to operation 1042.
At operation 1042, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1044, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1046, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1048, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1050, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1052, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1054, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1054 that the second value of the room temperature (e.g., temperature 132 of
At operation 1056, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1054 that the second value of the room temperature (e.g., temperature 132 of
At operation 1058, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1060, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1062, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1064, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1066, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1066 that the third value of the room temperature (e.g., temperature 133 of
At operation 1068, (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1066 that the third value of the room temperature (e.g., temperature 133 of
At operation 1070, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1102, a user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1104, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1106, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1108, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1110, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1112, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1114, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1116, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1118, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1120, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1120 that the color distance (e.g., color distance 117 of
At operation 1122, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1120 that the color distance (e.g., color distance 117 of
At operation 1124, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In other embodiments, operations 1112 through 1124 of process 1100 may be performed by the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1202, a user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1204, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1206, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1208, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1210, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1212, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1214, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1216, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1218, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1218 that the first depth (e.g., depth 119 of
At operation 1220, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1218 that the first depth (e.g., depth 119 of
At operation 1222, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In other embodiments, operations 1208 through 1222 of process 1200 may be performed by the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
An example diagnostic process for an indoor unit of an HVAC system operating in a cooling mode
At operation 1302, a user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1304, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1306, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1308, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1310, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1312, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1314, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1316, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1318, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1318 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1320, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1318 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1322, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1324, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1326, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1328, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1330, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1332, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1334, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1336, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1338, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1340, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1342, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1344, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1344 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 404 of
At operation 1346, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1348, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1344 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 404 of
At operation 1350, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1350 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 404 of
At operation 1352, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1354, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1350 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 404 of
At operation 1356, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1358, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1360, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1402, a user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1404, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1406, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1408, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1410, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1412, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1414, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1416, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1418, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1418 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1420, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1418 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1422, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1424, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1426, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1428, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1430, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1432, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1434, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1436, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1438, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1440, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1442, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1444, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1444 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1446, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1448, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1444 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1450, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1450 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1452, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1454, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1450 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1456, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1458, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1460, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
An example diagnostic process for an indoor unit of an HVAC system operating in a supplemental heating mode
At operation 1502, a user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1504, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1506, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1508, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1510, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1512, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1514, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1516, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1518, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1518 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1520, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1518 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1522, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1524, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1526, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1528, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1530, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1532, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1534, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1536, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1538, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1540, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1542, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1544, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1544 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1546, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1548, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1544 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1550, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1550 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1552, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1554, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1550 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 504 of
At operation 1556, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1556 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 150 of
At operation 1558, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1560, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1556 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 150 of
At operation 1562, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1562 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 150 of
At operation 1564, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1566, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1562 that the relay (e.g., relay 236 of
At operation 1568, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1570, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1601, a user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1602, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1603, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1604, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1605, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1606, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1607, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1608, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1609, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1609 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1610, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1609 that the distance (e.g., distance 121 of
At operation 1611, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1612, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1613, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1614, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1615, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1616, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1617, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1618, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1619, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1620, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1621, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1622, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1622 the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 604 of
At operation 1623, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1624, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1522 the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 604 of
At operation 1625, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1625 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 604 of
At operation 1626, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1627, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1625 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 604 of
At operation 1628, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1629, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1629 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 606 of
At operation 1630, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1631, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1629 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 606 of
At operation 1632, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1632 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 606 of
At operation 1633, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1634, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1632 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 606 of
At operation 1635, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1636, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1636 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 706 of
At operation 1637, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1638, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1636 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 706 of
At operation 1639, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1639 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 706 of
At operation 1640, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1641, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1639 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 706 of
At operation 1642, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1643, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1643 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 704 of
At operation 1644, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1645, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1643 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 704 of
At operation 1646, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1646 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 704 of
At operation 1647, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1648, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1646 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 704 of
At operation 1649, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1650, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1650 that the HVAC system 140 does not support the heat pump heating mode, process 1600 continues to operation 1667.
At operation 1667, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1668, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1650 that the HVAC system 140 supports the heat pump heating mode, process 1600 continues to operation 1651.
At operation 1651, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1651 that the temperature setpoint (e.g., temperature setpoint 130 of
At operation 1652, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
In response to determining at operation 1651 that the temperature setpoint (e.g., temperature setpoint 130 of
At operation 1653, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1654, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1655, the user device (e.g., user device 103 of
At operation 1656, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1657, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1658, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1659, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1660, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1660 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 904A of
At operation 1661, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1662, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1660 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 904A of
At operation 1663, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1663 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 904A of
At operation 1664, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1665, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
In response to determining at operation 1663 that the expected sound signature (e.g., sound signature 904A of
At operation 1666, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1667, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
At operation 1668, the computing system (e.g., computing system 141 of
While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods might be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details given herein. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or integrated with another system or certain features may be omitted, or not implemented.
In addition, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other items shown or discussed as coupled or directly coupled or communicating with each other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through some interface, device, or intermediate component whether electrically, mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.
To aid the Patent Office, and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants note that they do not intend any of the appended claims to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) as it exists on the date of filing hereof unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.
Claims
1. A system comprising:
- a thermostat communicatively coupled to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;
- a user device communicatively coupled to the thermostat, wherein the user device comprises a first processor configured to: send a first instruction to the thermostat to shut down the HVAC system; instruct a user to minimize background noise; instruct the user to go to an indoor unit of the HVAC system; instruct the user to capture an image of a nameplate of the indoor unit; analyze the image to determine a distance of the user from the indoor unit; compare the distance to a distance range; in response to determining that the distance is within the distance range, capture baseline sound data for a first time period; send a second instruction to the thermostat to turn on the HVAC system; determine a value of a room temperature; send a third instruction to the thermostat to set a temperature setpoint below or above the value of the room temperature; capture indoor unit sound data for a second time period; and send the indoor unit sound data and the baseline sound data to a computing system; and
- the computing system communicatively coupled to the user device, wherein the computing system comprises a second processor configured to: subtract the baseline sound data from the indoor unit sound data to determine normalized indoor unit sound data; analyze the normalized indoor unit sound data to determine sound signatures; identify expected sound signatures of the indoor unit; compare the normalized indoor unit sound data to the expected sound signatures; in response to determining that an expected sound signature for a blower is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data, determine that the blower has failed; and send a first notification to the user device that the blower has failed.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor is further configured to:
- in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the blower is malfunctioning; and send a second notification to the user device that blower is malfunctioning.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein:
- the temperature setpoint is set below the value of the room temperature;
- the second processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the indoor unit operates properly in a cooling mode; and send a second notification to the user device that the indoor unit operates properly in the cooling mode; and
- the first processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the indoor unit operates properly in the cooling mode, perform diagnostics of an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn off a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature;
- the second processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the indoor unit operates properly in a heat pump heating mode; and send a second notification to the user device that the indoor unit operates properly in the heat pump heating mode; and
- the first processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the indoor unit operates properly in the heat pump heating mode, perform diagnostics of an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the second processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for the supplemental heat relay is not different from a respective sound signature of the supplemental heat relay determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that a supplemental heating element has failed; and send a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heating element has failed.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the second processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for a supplemental heat relay is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the supplemental heat relay has failed; and send a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heat relay has failed.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the second processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for the supplemental heat relay is different from a respective sound signature of the supplemental heat relay determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the supplemental heat relay is malfunctioning; and send a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heat relay is malfunctioning.
8. A method comprising:
- sending a first instruction to a thermostat to shut down a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;
- instructing a user to minimize background noise;
- instructing the user to go to an indoor unit of the HVAC system;
- instructing the user to capture an image of a nameplate of the indoor unit;
- analyzing the image to determine a distance of the user from the indoor unit;
- comparing the distance to a distance range;
- in response to determining that the distance is within the distance range, capturing baseline sound data for a first time period;
- sending a second instruction to the thermostat to turn on the HVAC system;
- determining a value of a room temperature;
- sending a third instruction to the thermostat to set a temperature setpoint below or above the value of the room temperature;
- capturing indoor unit sound data for a second time period;
- subtracting the baseline sound data from the indoor unit sound data to determine normalized indoor unit sound data;
- analyzing the normalized indoor unit sound data to determine sound signatures;
- identifying expected sound signatures of the indoor unit;
- comparing the normalized indoor unit sound data to the expected sound signatures;
- in response to determining that an expected sound signature for a blower is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data, determining that the blower has failed; and
- sending a first notification to the user device that the blower has failed.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determining that the blower is malfunctioning; and sending a second notification to the user device that blower is malfunctioning.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein:
- the temperature setpoint is set below the value of the room temperature; and
- the method further comprises: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determining that the indoor unit operates properly in a cooling mode; and sending a second notification to the user device that the indoor unit operates properly in the cooling mode; and in response to determining that the indoor unit operates properly in the cooling mode, performing diagnostics of an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn off a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the method further comprises: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determining that the indoor unit operates properly in a heat pump heating mode; and sending a second notification to the user device that the indoor unit operates properly in the heat pump heating mode; and in response to determining that the indoor unit operates properly in the heat pump heating mode, performing diagnostics of an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the method further comprises: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for the supplemental heat relay is not different from a respective sound signature of the supplemental heat relay determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determining that a supplemental heating element has failed; and sending a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heating element has failed.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the method further comprises: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for a supplemental heat relay is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determining that the supplemental heat relay has failed; and sending a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heat relay has failed.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the second processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for the supplemental heat relay is different from a respective sound signature of the supplemental heat relay determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determining that the supplemental heat relay is malfunctioning; and sending a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heat relay is malfunctioning.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
- send a first instruction to a thermostat to shut down a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;
- instruct a user to minimize background noise;
- instruct the user to go to an indoor unit of the HVAC system;
- instruct the user to capture an image of a nameplate of the indoor unit;
- analyze the image to determine a distance of the user from the indoor unit;
- compare the distance to a distance range;
- in response to determining that the distance is within the distance range, capture baseline sound data for a first time period;
- send a second instruction to the thermostat to turn on the HVAC system;
- determine a value of a room temperature;
- send a third instruction to the thermostat to set a temperature setpoint below or above the value of the room temperature;
- capture indoor unit sound data for a second time period;
- subtract the baseline sound data from the indoor unit sound data to determine normalized indoor unit sound data;
- analyze the normalized indoor unit sound data to determine sound signatures;
- identify expected sound signatures of the indoor unit;
- compare the normalized indoor unit sound data to the expected sound signatures;
- in response to determining that an expected sound signature for a blower is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data, determine that the blower has failed; and
- send a first notification to the user device that the blower has failed.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
- in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the blower is malfunctioning; and send a second notification to the user device that blower is malfunctioning.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:
- the temperature setpoint is set below the value of the room temperature; and
- the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the indoor unit operates properly in a cooling mode; and send a second notification to the user device that the indoor unit operates properly in the cooling mode; and in response to determining that the indoor unit operates properly in the cooling mode, perform diagnostics of an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn off a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the indoor unit operates properly in a heat pump heating mode; and send a second notification to the user device that the indoor unit operates properly in the heat pump heating mode; and in response to determining that the indoor unit operates properly in the heat pump heating mode, perform diagnostics of an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for the supplemental heat relay is not different from a respective sound signature of the supplemental heat relay determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that a supplemental heating element has failed; and send a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heating element has failed.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:
- the second instruction further instructs the thermostat to turn on a supplemental heating unit of the HVAC system and turn off an outdoor unit of the HVAC system;
- the temperature setpoint is set above the value of the room temperature; and
- the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: in response to determining that the expected sound signature for the blower is not different from a respective sound signature of the blower determined from the normalized indoor unit sound data: in response to determining that an expected sound signature for a supplemental heat relay is missing from the normalized indoor unit sound data: determine that the supplemental heat relay has failed; and send a second notification to the user device that the supplemental heat relay has failed.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 12, 2023
Publication Date: Oct 17, 2024
Inventors: Payam Delgoshaei (Addison, TX), Sridhar Venkatesh (Irving, TX), Eric Berg (The Colony, TX)
Application Number: 18/299,302