# US 9,879,875 B2 · Remote contractor system with case management

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- Number: US 9,879,875 B2
- Document ID: US9879875B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/531,269
- Filed: 2014-11-03
- Published: 2015-05-07
- Granted: 2018-01-30
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-04
- Assignees: Honeywell International Inc.
- Applicants: Honeywell International Inc.
- Inventors: David Quam; Amy Ragland; Steve R. Peterson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9879875B2

## CPC

- F24F 11/56: Remote control
- F24F 11/30: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
- F24F 11/62: characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
- F24F 11/63: Electronic processing
- F24F 11/64: using pre-stored data
- F24F 11/70: Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
- F24F 11/89: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G06Q 10/0639: Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- H04L 12/2825: {Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002)}
- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 67/125: involving control of end-device applications over a network
- F24F 11/38: Failure diagnosis
- F24F 11/58: using Internet communication
- F24F 2110/00: Control inputs relating to air properties
- G05B 2219/24033: Failure, fault detection and isolation
- G05B 2219/2614: HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
- G05B 2219/2642: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
- G05B 2219/34477: Fault prediction, analyzing signal trends
- H04L 2012/285: {Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators}
- Y02P 90/82: Energy audits or management systems therefor
- Y04S 40/18: Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A system that allows a contractor to remotely monitor and/or interact with its customers' building control systems, such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and analyze information obtained from the building control systems over time. Such a system may help the contractor monitor and diagnosis customer building control systems, setup service calls, achieve better customer relations, create more effective marketing opportunities, as well as other functions. In some cases, the disclosed system may help a contractor pro-actively identify possible issues with its customer's building control systems and may output an alert related to an operation of the customer's building control systems. Within the system, the contractor may able to open a case associated with the customer's building control systems and link related alerts to the case.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A remote contractor system in operative communication with a plurality of client heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controllers over a network, wherein each of two or more of the client HVAC controllers is part of a corresponding client HVAC system that services a corresponding client building, the remote contractor system comprising:
a communications port in operative communication with the two or more client HVAC controllers, and to receive data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems;
a memory for storing the received data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems;
a controller including a processor, the controller operatively coupled to the communications port and the memory, wherein the controller:
processes the received data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems via the processor to statistically determine a normal HVAC system operation pattern, wherein the operation pattern includes a pattern over a period of time in one or more of humidity level, temperature level, fan activation, and particle count;
identifies an abnormality with the operation of a particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems by comparing the received data related to the operation of the particular one of the client HVAC systems to the determined normal HVAC system operation pattern;
outputs via the communications port one or more alerts with respect to the identified abnormality of the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems for viewing by a contractor on a display; and
allows the contractor to open a case, wherein the case is associated with the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems, and wherein one or more alerts associated with the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems are linked to the case for easy access.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the controller keeps the case open until closed by the contractor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the controller allows a contractor to assign the case to a particular technician of the contractor for resolution.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the controller allows a contractor to enter notes and to associate those notes to a particular case.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the controller populates a case display screen on the display via the communications port, wherein the populated case display screen comprises one or more alerts associated with the particular one of the client HVAC systems.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alerts associated with the particular one of the client HVAC systems comprise one or more unresolved alerts.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alerts associated with the particular one of the client HVAC systems comprise one or more resolved alerts.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alerts associated with the particular one of the client HVAC systems are time stamped.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The remote contractor system of claim 1, wherein the controller populates a case log on a display via the communications port, wherein the case log includes a listing of cases.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The remote contractor system of claim 9, wherein the listing of cases is sorted by open cases and closed cases.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The remote contractor system of claim 9, wherein the listing of cases is sorted by an associated client HVAC system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The remote contractor system of claim 9, wherein the listing of cases is sorted by an assigned technician.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The remote contractor system of claim 9, wherein the listing of cases is sorted by geographic area.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The remote contractor system of claim 9, wherein the listing of cases is sorted by a customer account.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The remote contractor system of claim 9, wherein the controller further allows selection of a particular case via the case log, and in response, to populate the case display screen with more detailed case information regarding the selected case.

### Claim 16

A remote contractor system in operative communication with a plurality of client heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controllers over a network, wherein each of two or more of the client HVAC controllers is part of a corresponding client HVAC system that services a corresponding client building, the remote contractor system comprising:
a communications port in operative communication with the two or more client HVAC controllers, and to receive data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems;
a memory for storing the received data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems;
a controller including a processor, the controller operatively coupled to the communications port and the memory, wherein the controller:
processes the received data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems via the processor to statistically determine a normal HVAC system operation pattern, wherein the operation pattern includes a pattern over a period of time in one or more of humidity level, temperature level, fan activation, particle count, and user interactions with client HVAC controllers;
identifies an abnormality with the operation of a particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems by comparing the received data related to the operation of the particular one of the client HVAC systems to the determined normal HVAC system operation pattern;
outputs via the communications port one or more alerts with respect to the identified abnormality of the particular one or more of the two or more client HVAC systems for viewing by a contractor on a display; and
allows the contractor to create a case, wherein the case is associated with the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems, and wherein the controller allows a contractor to assign the case to a particular technician for resolution.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The remote contractor system of claim 16, wherein the controller populates a case display screen on the display via the communications port, wherein the populated case display screen comprises one or more alerts associated with the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The remote contractor system of claim 16, wherein the controller populates a case log on the display via the communications port, wherein the case log includes a listing of two or more cases, wherein each of the two or more case is associated with the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems.

### Claim 19

A remote contractor system in operative communication with a plurality of client heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controllers over a network, wherein each of two or more of the client HVAC controllers is part of a corresponding client HVAC system that services a corresponding client building, the remote contractor system comprising:
a communications port in operative communication with the two or more client HVAC controllers, and to receive data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems;
a memory for storing the received data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems;
a controller including a processor, the controller operatively coupled to the communications port and the memory, wherein the controller;
processes the received data related to the operation of the corresponding two or more client HVAC systems via the processor to statistically determine a normal HVAC system operation pattern, wherein the operation pattern includes a pattern over a period of time in one or more of humidity level, temperature level, fan activation, and particle count;
identifies an abnormality with the operation of a particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems by comparing the received data related to the operation of the particular one of the client HVAC systems to the determined normal HVAC system operation pattern;
outputs via the communications port one or more alerts with respect to the identified abnormality of the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems for viewing by a contractor on a display;
allows the contractor to create a case and to store the case in the memory, wherein the case is associated with the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems;
populates a case log for display on the display via the communications port, wherein the case log includes a listing of two or more cases created by the contractor; and
allows selection of a particular case of the case log, and in response, to display more detailed case information regarding the selected case on the display.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The remote contractor system of claim 19, wherein the more detailed case information regarding the selected case includes one or more alerts associated with the particular one of the two or more client HVAC systems.