Thermostat with touch-screen display

• US 20040245352A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tim Simon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tim Simon, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Blaine M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/94
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A thermostat is programmable by entering input through a large-format touch-screen display. The touch-screen display displays different sets of icons depending on the mode the thermostat is in. A set of icons is displayed in one mode that allows the user to put the thermostat in a temporary operating mode. Another set of icons is displayed when programming the thermostat. Displaying several sets of icons at once allows a user to quickly and intuitively operate the thermostat, which in turn facilitates using energy-saving functions of the thermostat.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a touch-screen display capable of displaying a plurality of icons, a first set of icons being displayed on the touch-screen display at a first level, the touch-screen display displaying a second set of icons in response to a user touching a touch icon in the first set of icons, the second set of icons including a target temperature icon, a first temporary mode touch icon, a second temporary mode touch icon, and target temperature adjustment touch icons.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the touch icon in the first set of icons is a room temperature icon.

3. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the room temperature icon is larger than any other icon in the first set of icons.

4. The thermostat of claim 1 further comprising a memory storing a thermostat operating program, wherein touching the first temporary mode touch icon a first time sets the thermostat to maintain a target temperature, and touching the first temporary mode touch icon a second time sets the thermostat to operate according to the thermostat operating program.

5. The thermostat of claim 1 further comprising a memory storing a thermostat operating program and storing an upper temperature set point and a lower temperature set point, wherein touching the second temporary mode touch icon a first time sets the thermostat to maintain a temperature between the upper temperature set point and the lower temperature set point, and touching the second temporary mode touch icon a second time sets the thermostat to operate according to the thermostat operating program.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 further comprising a programmable memory, wherein a third set of icons is displayed on the touch-screen display in response to a user entry, the third set of icons including a third plurality of touch icons for entering a thermostat operating program into the programmable memory.

7. The thermostat of claim 6 wherein a fourth set of icons is displayed on the touch-screen display in response to a second user entry, the fourth set of icons including a fourth plurality of touch icons for setting at least a current day and a current time.

8. The thermostat of claim 7 wherein the fourth set of icons includes a lock touch icon, the lock touch icon locking the thermostat operating program in response to a user touching the lock touch icon a first time so that the thermostat operating program cannot be changed by touching any one of the third plurality of touch icons, and unlocking the thermostat operating program in response to a user touching the lock touch icon a second time so that the thermostat operating program can be changed by touching one of the third plurality of touch icons.

9. A thermostat comprising:

a memory storing a thermostat operating program and storing an upper set point and a lower set point; and

a touch-screen display capable of displaying a plurality of icons, a first set of icons being initially displayed on the touch-screen display, the touch-screen display displaying a second set of icons in response to a user touching a touch icon in the first set of icons, the second set of icons including a target temperature icon, a first temporary mode touch icon, a second temporary mode touch icon, and target temperature adjustment touch icons, wherein touching the first temporary mode touch icon a first time sets the thermostat to maintain a target temperature, and touching the first temporary mode touch icon a second time sets the thermostat to operate according to the thermostat operating program and wherein touching the second temporary mode touch icon a first time sets the thermostat to maintain a temperature between an upper temperature set point and a lower temperature set point, and touching the second temporary mode touch icon a second time sets the thermostat to operate according to the program.

10. The thermostat of claim 9 further comprising a programmable memory, wherein a third set of icons is displayed on the touch-screen display in response to a user entry, the third set of icons including a third plurality of touch icons for entering a thermostat operating program into the programmable memory.

11. The thermostat of claim 9 wherein a fourth set of icons is displayed on the touch-screen display in response to a second user entry, the fourth set of icons including a fourth plurality of touch icons for setting at least a current day and a current time.

12. The thermostat of claim 11 wherein the fourth set of icons includes a lock touch icon, the lock touch icon locking the thermostat operating program in response to a user touching the lock touch icon a first time so that the thermostat operating program cannot be changed by touching any one of the third plurality of touch icons, and unlocking the thermostat operating program in response to a user touching the lock touch icon a second time so that the thermostat operating program can be changed by touching one of the third plurality of touch icons.

13. In a thermostat having a touch-screen display and a programmable memory, a method of operating the thermostat comprising:

operating the thermostat according to a thermostat operating program stored in the programmable memory;

displaying a first set of icons on the touch-screen display;

receiving a first user entry;

displaying a second set of icons on the touch-screen display in response to the first user entry, the second set of icons including at least a first temporary mode touch icon, a target temperature icon, and a second temporary mode touch icon.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving the first user entry comprises touching a touch icon in the first set of icons.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising steps of:

receiving a second user entry indicative of touching the first temporary mode icon;

operating the thermostat to maintain a target temperature according to the target temperature icon;

receiving a third user entry indicative of touching the first temporary mode icon a second time; and

operating the thermostat according to the thermostat operating program.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising steps of:

receiving a second user entry indicative of touching the second temporary mode icon;

operating the thermostat to maintain a temperature between an upper temperature set point and the lower temperature set point;

receiving a third user entry indicative of touching the second temporary mode icon a second time; and

operating the thermostat according to the thermostat operating program.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising steps of:

receiving a second user entry;

displaying a third set of icons on the touch-screen display, the third set of icons including a plurality of touch icons for entering thermostat operating program values into the programmable memory; and

touching one of the plurality of touch icons in the third set of icons; and

changing a program value of the thermostat operating program in response to the touching of one of the plurality of touch icons in the third set of icons.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising steps of:

receiving a fourth user entry;

displaying a fourth set of icons on the touch-screen display including a lock touch icon;

locking the thermostat operating program from being changed by touching the lock touch icon; and

unlocking the thermostat operating program by touching the lock touch icon a second time.

19. In a thermostat having a touch-screen display and a programmable memory, a method of operating the thermostat comprising:

operating the thermostat according to a thermostat operating program stored in the programmable memory;

displaying a first set of icons on the touch-screen display;

receiving a first user entry indicative of touching a first touch icon in the first set of icons;

displaying a second set of icons on the touch-screen display in response to the first user entry, the second set of icons including at least a first temporary mode touch icon, a target temperature icon, and a second temporary mode touch icon;

receiving a second user entry indicative of touching the first temporary mode icon;

operating the thermostat to maintain a target temperature according to the target temperature icon;

receiving a third user entry indicative of touching the first temporary mode icon a second time; and

operating the thermostat according to the thermostat operating program.