HVAC System with Location Based Operation

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a system controller having a location determination module configured to cause determination and/or reporting of the location of the HVAC system in response to a first run and/or initialization of the HVAC system. The location determination module may determine and/or report location information via global positioning system (GPS) capability, a service provider (SP), customized data provider (CDP), Internet sites, LAN, WAN, 3G, 4G, and/or any other type of network infrastructure to effect reporting of the location of the HVAC system. The system controller may select a climate-based operation parameter value for the HVAC system as a function of a geographic location of the HVAC system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a location determination module; and   a system controller configured to select a climate-based operation parameter value for the HVAC system as a function of a geographic location of the HVAC system.   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the location determination module is configured to determine a geographic location of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC system of  claim 2 , wherein the location determination module is configured to generate latitude and longitude coordinates of the location of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the location determination module is located remotely from the system controller. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein location determination module is configured to communicate the geographic location to the system controller. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein location determination module is configured to wirelessly communicate the geographic location to the system controller. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the system controller is configured to selectively adjust the sensible heat ratio (SHR) of the HVAC system in response to the location determination module determining a geographic location of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the climate-based operation parameter comprises an indoor fan speed. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the climate-based operation parameter comprises an indoor fan run-on duration. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the climate-based operation parameter comprises a dehumidifier control setting. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the climate-based operation parameter comprises a minimum cooling cycle time. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a variable speed compressor, wherein the system controller is configured to determine the relationship between various operational speeds of the variable speed compressor and an indoor airflow to adjust the sensible heat ratio (SHR) of the HVAC system in response to the location determination module determining a geographic location of the HVAC system.   
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 learning a geographic location of the HVAC system; and   selecting a climate-based operation parameter value for the HVAC system as a function of the geographic location of the HVAC system.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the selecting a climate-based operation parameter value comprises an HVAC system controller retrieving a climate-based operation parameter value from a memory of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the selecting comprises an HVAC system controller retrieving a climate-based operation parameter value from a source external to the HVAC system. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the climate-based operation parameter comprises a typical wetness or humidity of a climate associated with the geographic location of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the selecting comprises retrieving a set of predetermined HVAC operation parameter values associated with the geographic location of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 operating the HVAC system according to the climate-based operation parameter value to adjust the sensible heat ratio (SHR) of the HVAC system to the geographic location of the HVAC system.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 communicating the geographic location to the system controller.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the operation parameter comprises at least one of an indoor fan speed, an indoor fan run-on duration, a dehumidifier control setting, and a minimum cooling cycle time.