Hybrid finite state machine environmental system controller

In an environmental control system having a plurality of devices for altering a condition of an environment inside a building, a control system for operating the plurality of devices comprising:

• a plurality of feedback controllers each operatively coupled to control a different one of the plurality devices and implementing one of a plurality of feedback control loops;
• a finite state machine controller having a plurality of control states and responding to sets of transition data by determining which one of the plurality of control states is active at any given point in time, wherein the one of the plurality of control states that is active determines which of the plurality of controllers is active at that given point in time;
• and
• a display device coupled to receive data regarding operation of the finite state machine controller, the display device operable for representing each of the plurality of control states by a respective display element and each of the sets of transition data as a display link joining respective ones of the control states, wherein the display device comprises a user input device for allowing a user to respectively select a given display element, and wherein the display device is operable to display data related to the feedback control loop associated with that given display element.

A system for controlling an environmental control unit which has a plurality of devices for altering a condition of an environment inside a building, the system comprising:

• a plurality of controllers with each being operatively coupled to control the plurality devices and implementing one of a plurality feedback control loops which respond to performance of the environmental control unit;
• a finite state machine controller having a plurality of control states and responding to sets of transition data by determining which one of the plurality of control states is active at any given point in time, wherein which of the plurality of controllers is active at that given point in time is determined by the one of the plurality of control states that is active;
• and
• a memory for storing the sets of the transition data, wherein the memory also stores control parameters for the plurality of feedback control loops, and the plurality of controllers operate in response to the control parameters read from the memory.

A system for controlling an environmental control unit which has a plurality of devices for altering a condition of an environment inside a building, the system comprising:

• a plurality of controllers with each being operatively coupled to control the plurality of devices and implementing one of a plurality feedback control loops which respond to performance of the environmental control unit;
• a finite state machine controller having a plurality of control states and responding to sets of transition data by determining which one of the plurality of control states is active at any given point in time, wherein which of the plurality of controllers is active at that given point in time is determined by the one of the plurality of control states that is active;
• and
• a memory for storing the sets of the state transition data, wherein at least one of the plurality of controllers implements a proportional-integral-derivative feedback control loop.