The 30 second version

CONTEXT

Honeywell builds digital products for efficiently managing air-conditioning systems in commercial spaces like malls and offices. Highly efficient VRF and VRV systems couldn't communicate with a building's other systems, fire and security among them, which matters most in exactly the moment they all need to act together.

WHAT I DID

Sole designer: learned the VRF domain, went on site to watch installation and interview the technicians who run it, then designed an app that lets an electrician build a virtual network of every VRF device and connect it to the gateway that puts the whole building on one channel. It shipped inside the existing Connect Mobile suite rather than as a new app.

OUTCOME

The solution was filed with the US Patents office on behalf of Honeywell and the patent was granted. The team also received the Honeywell IP Patent Award.

The situation

Since its establishment in 1906, Honeywell has been granted approximately 30,000 patents to date. In 2022 alone the company secured around 750 patents across fields as diverse as Building Technologies, Aerospace and Performance Materials.

I consider myself fortunate to have been part of a team that contributed to one of those patents. Our project focused on developing digital products for efficiently managing air-conditioning systems (HVAC) in commercial spaces like malls and offices.

~30,000

Honeywell patents granted since 1906

~750

Secured in 2022 alone, across Building Technologies, Aerospace, Performance Materials and more

This project, one of them

The problem

New air conditioning systems in the market, like VRF and VRV, are super efficient, but they struggle to communicate with other building systems such as fire and security systems. This is a problem because, in emergencies like fires, these systems need to work together.

FIRST, WHAT IS A VRF?

A VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) system is a smart way to control a building's temperature. It uses a network of pipes carrying a temperature-controlling liquid to keep each room just the way occupants want it, warmer or cooler. The best part is that it's energy-efficient, keeping spaces at the perfect temperature without excessive energy use.

Other BMS systems (fire, lighting, security, elevator) with a broken link to the VRF system

What we did

We crafted an application that helps the user or electrician create a virtual network of all the devices of the VRF system and connect it to the main gateway, the gateway that brings all the other BMS systems of the building onto a common channel.

We already had a similar suite mobile app, Connect Mobile, designed to connect and onboard various BMS systems in a building onto a central common channel. So we took the initiative to integrate the VRF onboarding application into our main app instead of standing up a new one. That integration ensures a seamless user experience and strengthens the overall architecture of our solution in the market: both VRF and other BMS systems, managed effortlessly through a single, user-friendly platform.

Honeywell Connect Mobile

Honeywell International, Inc.

Designed for iPhone

★★★★★ ★★★★★ 4.1 • 33 Ratings

Free

In the field

This project's research happened on site, not on a call. The install is physical, so watching it was the only way to understand it.

A field trip to customer sites

To gain a deeper understanding of real-world situations in the field, and to learn more about our own products, I visited several customer sites, with the goal of grasping the on-site requirements better.

Interviewing the technician

I interviewed the field technician responsible for installing and managing the VRF system. Witnessing the installation process firsthand and getting insights directly from the people on the ground was invaluable.

A report the team could act on

Afterwards I compiled a comprehensive report to find the key elements that would guide a user-friendly product (comments and insights from two sites and interviews with various individuals) and presented it to the team for feedback. Once the action items were clear, I moved into iterations and a design proposal.

Site visit photos: technicians walking through the install, wiring and control rooms

Field research board: interview transcript highlighted and tagged with insights alongside product screenshots

How it works

Build the virtual network

The application helps users manually add multiple Indoor and Outdoor Units to a VRF, creating a virtual network. It also allows multiple VRF systems to be added, so it caters to big buildings as well.

Test, then set alarms

The user can view the parameters of respective Indoor Units in order to test them, and can set alarms against each parameter based on certain conditions.

Iterations, and the constraint of a suite

It took several rounds of design discussions and iterations to arrive at the final workflow, which was ultimately approved. The review cycle involved the design team, stakeholders and leadership.

Because the app was going to be part of the main Connect Mobile suite application, many of the workflows had to be consistent with what was already there. Once the final workflow was complete, it was ready to be developed.

Workflow iterations: VRF configuration screens annotated with review comments across the design, stakeholder and leadership rounds

Patent awarded

During all of this we had also filed for a patent on the solution, to the US Patents office on behalf of Honeywell. After a long and tiring process our patent was finally approved, and Honeywell awarded the Honeywell IP Patent Award for the hard work. As this was all new to me, I learned a lot about what goes into making a product patent-ready.

Invention disclosure IDF-225724: intuitive way of enabling remote monitoring and controlling of VRF systems via Modbus

That's the last one. Appreciate you making it all the way down here. Thanks for reading!

Back to Selected Works

Connecting new HVAC capabilities with current building systems.