HVAC Customer Support System

Abstract

An HVAC thermostat has a processor configured to control at least one component of an HVAC system in response to temperature and at least one of (1) receive voice over internet protocol (VOIP) data and (2) transmit VOIP data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) thermostat, comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 control at least one component of an HVAC system in response to temperature; and 
 at least one of (1) receive voice over internet protocol (VOIP) data and (2) transmit VOIP data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC thermostat of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a microphone configured to selectively receive sound inputs for conversion into the VOIP data.   
     
     
         3 . The HVAC thermostat of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a speaker configured to selectively output sound converted from the VOIP data.   
     
     
         4 . The thermostat of  claim 1 , wherein the processor system is configured to store product information further comprising HVAC component information related to the at least one HVAC component connected to the thermostat. 
     
     
         5 . The thermostat of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to store product information which further comprises at least information identifying the thermostat, information identifying the HVAC component, diagnostic information related to the operation of the thermostat, and diagnostic information related to the operation of the HVAC component, and wherein the processor is configured to transmit product information comprising the at least information identifying the thermostat, information identifying the HVAC component, diagnostic information relating to the operation of the thermostat, and diagnostic information related to the operation of the HVAC component to a remote service center. 
     
     
         6 . The thermostat according to  claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive additional diagnostic information from the remote service center, and to display the additional diagnostic information on a display. 
     
     
         7 . The thermostat according to  claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 store diagnostic instructions relating to the functions of the HVAC component and the thermostat;   receive a command from the remote service center invoking the diagnostic instructions; and   execute the invoked diagnostic instructions.   
     
     
         8 . The thermostat according to  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to limit communications to a predetermined list of allowed numbers, the numbers being one of Internet Protocol addresses and customer service telephone numbers. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a thermostat, comprising:
 controlling, in response to a signal from at least one climate sensor attached to a thermostat, a heating, ventilation, and air/or conditioning (HVAC) component;   transmitting voice information from the thermostat using voice over internet protocol (VOIP); and   receiving voice information using VOIP, and outputting the received voice information via a speaker.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 storing product information, the product information comprising system identification information and diagnostic information relating to at least the configuration and operation of the thermostat and HVAC component;   receiving by the thermostat a customer service command to initiate a customer service call to a remote service center;   transmitting the product information to the remote service center via a network interface attached to the thermostat in response to the customer service command.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 performing diagnostic actions on one of the thermostat and the HVAC component in response to receiving voice information, and   reporting the results of the diagnostic actions using VOIP.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 generating HVAC diagnostic information by the HVAC component relating to the operation of the HVAC component;   transmitting the HVAC diagnostic information to the thermostat; and   comprising the HVAC diagnostic information in said storing product information and said transmitting the product information.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the customer service command is a voice command received by the thermostat through a microphone. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 identifying, at the remote service center, a malfunction of the HVAC component;   identifying, at the remote service center, a part required for repair of the malfunction of the HVAC component; and   transmitting, by the remote service center, information identifying the part to at least one of the thermostat, an HVAC parts dealer, and a HVAC service center.   
     
     
         15 . A device, comprising:
 a microphone;   a speaker;   an input;   a network interface; and   a processor system configured to:
 store product information regarding the device as a whole; 
 receive a customer service command from the input to initiate a customer service call regarding the device; 
 transmit the service information via the network interface in response to the customer service command; 
 transmit, in response to the customer service command, first voice information input by the microphone to a remote service center via the network interface using voice over internet protocol (VOIP); and 
 receive second voice information from the remote service center via the network interface using VOIP, and output the second voice information via the speaker. 
   
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 15 , further comprising a display, wherein the processor system is further configured to receive diagnostic information from the remote service center and to display the diagnostic information on the display. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the processor system is further configured to store predetermined customer service information regarding at least one of a customer service telephone number and a customer service Internet Protocol address, and to retrieve the customer service information in response to a customer service command. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 15 , further comprising a display, and wherein the processor system is further configured to:
 store diagnostic instructions relating to diagnosis of the functions of the device;   receive a command from the remote service center invoking the diagnostic instructions and to execute the invoked diagnostic instructions; and   display data retrieved as a result of the execution of the diagnostic instructions on the display and at the remote service center.   
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the processor system is further configured to limit communications to a predetermined list of allowed numbers, the numbers being one of Internet Protocol addresses and customer service telephone numbers. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the input is limited to a predetermined list of allowed choices for establishing a communication via VOIP. 
     
     
         21 . A method of operating a customer service center, comprising:
 receiving diagnostic data generated by a heating, ventilation, and air/or conditioning (HVAC) controller associated with a first HVAC system component; and   receiving voice over internet protocol (VOIP) data from the HVAC controller.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the customer service center, a function of the HVAC system component; and   transmitting voice information using VOIP from the customer service center to the HVAC controller.