Thermostat with touch screen feature
First Claim
1. A thermostat for controlling a climate control system to maintain a desired temperature in a space, comprising:
- a touch-sensitive transparent membrane adapted to be affixed over a display device, the transparent membrane having a plurality of membrane switches; and
a microprocessor in communication with the plurality of membrane switches;
a display device responsive to the microprocessor for displaying at least a first icon associated with at least one membrane switch, wherein the display device subsequently displays at least a run icon and a schedule icon in response to the user touching the first icon associated with the at least one membrane switch, whereby a user may touch the schedule icon to enable adjustment of the schedule by which the thermostat operates to control the climate control system to maintain a desired temperature in the space.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermostat is provided that comprises a touch-sensitive transparent membrane adapted to be affixed over a display, where the transparent membrane has a plurality of membrane switches. The thermostat comprises a microprocessor in communication with the plurality of membrane switches, and has a memory for storing a program for controlling the operation of the climate control system. The thermostat further comprises a display device responsive to the microprocessor for displaying a first screen having at least a first user-interface icon associated with at least one membrane switch, where in response to the user touching the membrane switch associated with the first user-interface icon the display device displays a second screen having at least a run user-interface icon and a schedule user-interface icon.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A thermostat for controlling a climate control system to maintain a desired temperature in a space, comprising:
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a touch-sensitive transparent membrane adapted to be affixed over a display device, the transparent membrane having a plurality of membrane switches; and
a microprocessor in communication with the plurality of membrane switches;
a display device responsive to the microprocessor for displaying at least a first icon associated with at least one membrane switch, wherein the display device subsequently displays at least a run icon and a schedule icon in response to the user touching the first icon associated with the at least one membrane switch, whereby a user may touch the schedule icon to enable adjustment of the schedule by which the thermostat operates to control the climate control system to maintain a desired temperature in the space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A thermostat for controlling a climate control system to maintain a desired temperature in a space, comprising:
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a touch-sensitive transparent membrane adapted to be affixed over a display, the transparent membrane having a plurality of membrane switches;
a microprocessor in communication with the plurality of membrane switches, the microprocessor having a memory for storing a program for controlling the operation of the climate control system; and
a display device responsive to the microprocessor for displaying a first screen having at least a first user-interface icon associated with at least one membrane switch, where in response to the user touching the membrane switch associated with the first user-interface icon the display device displays a second screen having at least a run user-interface icon and a schedule user-interface icon, whereby a user may touch the schedule user-interface icon to enable adjustment of the schedule by which the program operates to control the climate control system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A thermostat for controlling a climate control system for maintaining a desired temperature in a space, comprising:
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a touch-sensitive transparent membrane adapted to be affixed over a display device, the transparent membrane having a plurality of membrane switches;
a microprocessor in communication with the plurality of membrane switches, the microprocessor having a memory for storing a program for controlling the operation of the climate control system; and
a display device responsive to the microprocessor for displaying at least a first screen having at least a first user interface icon associated with a first membrane switch, where in response to the user touching the first membrane switch associated with the first user interface icon the display device displays a second screen having at least a Schedule user interface icon associated with the first membrane switch, whereby a user may touch the first membrane switch associated with the Schedule icon to enable adjustment of the schedule by which the program functions to control the operation of the climate control system to maintain a desired temperature. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A thermostat comprising:
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a display screen;
a controller adapted to display a display image on the display screen, the display image having an icon that coincides with a touch area, wherein when the touch area is touched, at least part of the icon on the display image that coincides with the touch area changes from a first icon to a second icon to indicate a setting change of the thermostat;
wherein the icon has a boundary that is generally rectangular in shape and traverses around at least part of the touch area. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method for programming at least one set point of a thermostat having a plurality of transparent membrane switches disposed over a display screen, the thermostat adapted to sense a temperature at the location of the thermostat and to control an HVAC system in accordance with the at least one set point, the set point having a time period and a corresponding temperature value, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a display image on the touch screen, wherein the display image includes one or more membrane switches at predefined locations on the display screen for use in setting the time period and one or more membrane switches at predefined locations on the display screen for use in setting a corresponding temperature value for the at least one set point;
monitoring the one or more membrane switches for touching by a user;
changing the time period for the at least one set point if the monitoring step determines that the one or more membrane switches associated with the time period have been touched; and
changing the temperature value for the at least one set point if the monitoring step determines that the one or more membrane switches associated with the temperature value have been touched.
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Specification