Quick edit system for programming a thermostat

• US 10,430,056 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braeburn Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Braeburn Systems LLC
• Inventors: Poplawski, Daniel S, Moore, Glenn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Haimei
• Application Number:
  US14/928,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines

Abstract

The invention includes a control for adjusting a thermostat comprising a controller including a microprocessor and memory for storing a user interface, a display screen including a touch sensitive screen, the display screen coupled to the microprocessor and memory; the user interface including a main screen having a temperature icon, a time icon, an adjustment icon, and temperature and time set points for at least two days of the week and the microprocessor programmed to highlight one of the time or temperature icons upon selection of said one of the time or temperature icons and thereafter, without navigating away from the main screen, upon selection of the adjustment touch pad icon, the microprocessor programmed to adjust the time or temperature set point.

Claims

1. A control for adjusting an environment control panel comprising:

a controller including a microprocessor and memory;

a display screen including a touch sensitive screen, the display screen coupled to the microprocessor and adapted to display a user interface programed by the microprocessor, the user interface including a programming mode interface, the programming mode interface including;

1) a set of day of week icons indicating days of a week, two or more day of week icons within the set of day of week icons adapted to be selected to form a group;

2) a set point table corresponding to the group and including a set of time segments, the set of time segments including more than one time segment, each time segment within the set of time segments including a set of adjustable set points, each adjustable set point within the set of adjustable set points being applicable to each day of week within the group, each time segment within the set of time segments adapted to be selected to form a selected time segment, the selected time segment displayed differently from other time segments within the set of time segments, each adjustable set point within the set of adjustable set points of the selected time segment adapted to be selected when the adjustable set point is depressed for a predetermined duration to form a selected set point, wherein all other set points of the selected segments that are not activated are indicated differently when the selected set point is activated, and wherein;

a. the set of adjustable set points includes a time setting for configuring a starting time of the corresponding time segment;

b. the set of adjustable set points includes a heating temperature setting; and

c. the set of adjustable set points includes a cooling temperature setting;

3) a single increment adjustment icon, the increment adjustment icon adapted to increase a value of the selected set point by an increment when operated on and thereby form a first updated value of the selected set point wherein the first updated value is applicable to each day of week within the group, wherein the selected set point is any one of the set of adjustable set points including the time setting, the heating temperature setting and the cooling setting of the selected time segment; and

4) a single decrement adjustment icon, the decrement adjustment icon adapted to decrease a value of the selected set point by a decrement when operated on and thereby form a second updated value of the selected set point wherein the second updated value is applicable to each day of week within the group, wherein the selected set point is any one of the set of adjustable set points including the time setting, the heating temperature setting and the cooling setting of the selected time segment.

2. The control of claim 1 wherein the set of day of week icons includes a Monday icon, a Tuesday icon, a Wednesday icon, a Thursday icon, a Friday icon, a Saturday icon and a Sunday icon.

3. The control of claim 1 wherein each day of week icon within the group is adapted to be deselected from the group and thereby forming a different group.

4. The control of claim 1 wherein any day of week within the set of day of week icons is adapted to be regrouped into the group and thereby forming a different group.

5. The control of claim 1 wherein the set of time segments are adapted to be displayed in rows of the set point table and the set of set points of the set of time segments are adapted to be displayed in columns of the set point table.

6. The control of claim 5 wherein the set of set points further includes a fan mode setting.

7. The control of claim 6 wherein when:

1) the selected set point is the time setting, the increment is one or more minutes and the decrement is one or more minutes;

2) the selected set point is the heating temperature setting or the cooling temperature setting, the increment is one or more degrees and the decrement is one or more degrees; and

3) the selected set point is the fan mode setting, the increment indicates a previous fan mode and the decrement indicates a next fan mode.

8. The control of claim 1 wherein the all other set points of the selected segments that are not activated are suppressed when the selected set point is activated.

9. The control of claim 1 wherein the set of time segments includes a morning time segment, a day time segment, an evening time segment and a night time segment.

10. A control for adjusting a thermostat comprising:

a controller including a microprocessor and memory;

a display screen including a touch sensitive screen, the display screen coupled to the microprocessor and adapted to display a user interface programed by the microprocessor, the user interface including a programming mode interface, the programming mode interface including;

1) a set of day of week icons indicating seven days of a week, more than one day of week icon within the set of day of week icons adapted to be selected to form a group;

2) a set point table corresponding to the group and including a set of time segments displayed in rows, the set of time segments including more than one time segment, each time segment within the set of time segments including a set of adjustable set points displayed in columns, the set of adjustable set points including a time setting for configuring a starting time of the corresponding time segment, a heating setting, a cooling setting and a fan mode setting, each adjustable set point within the set of adjustable set points being applicable to each day of week within the group, each time segment within the set of time segments adapted to be selected to form a selected time segment, the selected time segment displayed differently from other time segments within the set of time segments, each adjustable set point within the set of adjustable set points of the selected time segment adapted to be selected when the adjustable set point is depressed for a predetermined duration to form a selected set point, wherein all other set points of the selected segments that are not activated are indicated differently when the selected set point is activated;

3) a single increment adjustment icon, the increment adjustment icon adapted to increase a value of the selected set point by an increment when operated on and thereby form a first updated value of the selected set point wherein the first updated value is applicable to each day of week within the group, wherein the selected set point is any one of the time setting, the heating temperature setting, the cooling setting, and the fan mode setting of the selected time segment; and

4) a single decrement adjustment icon, the decrement adjustment icon adapted to decrease a value of the selected set point by a decrement when operated on and thereby form a second updated value of the selected set point wherein the second updated value is applicable to each day of week within the group, wherein the selected set point is any one of the time setting, the heating temperature setting, the cooling setting, and the fan mode setting of the selected time segment.

11. A method for programming an environment control panel, the method operated within a controller and comprising:

1) displaying a programming mode interface on a display of the controller, said controller having a microprocessor and a memory, said display and said memory coupled to said microcontroller, said programming mode interface including;

i.) a set of day of week icons indicating days of a week;

ii.) a set point table including a set of time segments in rows, the set of time segments including more than one time segment, each time segment within the set of time segments including a set of adjustable set points;

iii.) a single increment adjustment icon, the increment adjustment icon adapted to increase a value of a set point within said set of set points when operated on; and

iv.) a single decrement adjustment icon, the decrement adjustment icon adapted to decrease a value of a set point within said set of set points when operated on;

2) selecting two or more day of week icons within said set of day of week icons, thereby forming a group;

3) selecting a time segment within said set of time segments, thereby forming a selected time segment;

4) displaying said selected time segment differently from other time segments within said set of time segments;

5) selecting a set point within said set of set points of said selected time segment when said set point has been depressed for a predetermined duration;

6) suppressing other set points within said set of set points of said selected time segment when said selected set point is selected;

7) increasing a value of said selected set point when said increment adjustment icon is depressed, thereby forming a first updated value of said selected set point wherein said first updated value is applicable to each day of week within said group; and

8) decreasing a value of said selected set point when said decrement adjustment icon is depressed, thereby forming a second updated value of said selected set point wherein said second updated value is applicable to each day of week within said group.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising removing a day of week from said group.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising adding a day of week to said group.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said set of day of week icons includes a Monday icon, a Tuesday icon, a Wednesday icon, a Thursday icon, a Friday icon, a Saturday icon and a Sunday icon.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said set of set points includes at least one of a heating temperature setting, a cooling temperature setting and a fan mode setting.