CONTROLLER SYSTEM USER INTERFACE

• US 20060219799A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Schultz, David A., Tessier, Patrick C., Leen, Cary
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• 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: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A thermostat system having dedicated informational regions in a display and associated buttons or softkeys for sequential operation. The system may maximize utilization of a sectioned display and buttons for system navigation. The informational, selection and/or action design takes into consideration operational button groupings for straightforward comfort settings as well as editing of the clock, day-of-week, schedules, and so forth. Sections, regions or areas of the display may indicate immediate button operations. The changeable information in the regions associated with the softkeys or buttons may provide sequential operation of the thermostat system. The system may have multiple schedules and setpoints for heating and cooling comfort setting flexibility. A combining of individual schedules may be automatically selected. Also, there may be a system switch mode, for example, between heat and cool, where the schedules may be individually edited. Scheduling may be informational and/or action item and option key driven.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a first key associated with a first section of a display;

a second key; and

a third key; and

wherein;

if a set schedule indication is present in the first section, then actuating the first key starts a set schedule sequence;

the set schedule sequence comprises;

at least one time setpoint for a schedule; and

setpoints for a plurality of parameters occurring in the schedule;

actuating the second key sequentially displays each of the setpoints of the set schedule sequence in the display; and

each setpoint of the set schedule sequence may be set or adjusted by actuating the third key.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

if a done indication is present in the first section, then actuating the first key ends the set schedule sequence; and

the set schedule sequence may be repeated by actuating the first key when the set schedule indication appears in the first section.

3. A control system comprising:

a first key associated with a first area of a display; and

a second key associated with a second area of the display.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the first area of the display indicates a set day and/or schedule;

upon actuating the first key, a set day indication appears in the second area of the display;

the day may be set by actuating the second key; and

if a done indication is present in the first area, then actuating the first key ends the set clock, day and/or schedule.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein if a set schedule indication is present in the second area, then actuating the second key activates a set schedule sequence.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the set schedule sequence comprises:

a setpoint for a schedule of a first time period; and

a heat setpoint and/or cool setpoint for the first time period.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein further actuating the second key sequentially displays the setpoints of the set schedule sequence in the second area of the display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the setpoints of the set schedule sequence may be set and/or adjusted by actuating a third key.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the set schedule sequence further comprises:

a setpoint for a schedule of second time period; and

a heat setpoint and/or cool setpoint for the second time period.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein if a done indication is present in the first area, then actuating the first key ends the set schedule sequence.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the set schedule sequence may be repeated.

12. A controller system comprising:

a structure;

a display situated on the structure;

a first key associated with a first region of the display; and

wherein;

the first region is an indicator that an action of a sequence of actions is to occur each time the first key is activated; and

a second region is an indicator of a parameter.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

at least one action is a setting of a parameter; and

a parameter may be a time, period of a day, day, heat temperature, cool temperature, system, configuration, mode and/or fan.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a second key; and

wherein a parameter may be set by an activation of the second key.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sequence of actions may be proceeded through with a plurality of activations of the first and/or second key.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a third key; and

wherein the third key may be activated to enable the first and/or second key to begin proceeding through the sequence of actions or to terminate the proceeding through the sequence of actions.

17. A method for programming a control system, comprising:

pressing a softkey to get a time period;

pressing an adjust key to schedule the time period;

pressing the softkey to get heat and/or cool setpoints for the time period; and

pressing the adjust key to set the heat and/or cool setpoints.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

pressing the softkey to get another time period;

pressing the adjust key to schedule the other time period;

pressing the softkey to get heat and/or cool setpoints of the other time period; and

pressing the adjust key to set the heat and/or cool setpoints for the other time period.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

a display shows an action of the softkey if the softkey is pressed; and

when the softkey is pressed, the display shows the next action if the softkey is pressed again.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method of claim 17 is repeated or ended.