Thermostat with adjustable color for aesthetics and readability

• US 20080006709A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Original Assignee: Ranco Incorporated of Delaware (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Ashworth, Nicholas, Yoder, Grace
• Granted Patent: US 7,667,163 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

The thermostat includes a housing having at least a portion thereof illuminated by a light that changes color via a manual input. The light illuminates the display for easy readability while the variable color of the light allows a user to match the appearance of the thermostat to best complement the surrounding décor. User input elements provide for the manual adjustment of one or more characteristics of the light, such as visible color of the light. The light source comprises at least one LED for displaying a plurality of colors. In this case, to change the color of the light illuminating the translucent portion of the housing or backlighting the display, electronics within the thermostat control the drive signals to the LED in order to operate the LED to provide the desired color. The invention also contemplates filtering the light and manually adjusting the filtering to provide the desired aesthetics.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a source of light within the housing;

a manually adjustable input; and

means responsive to the manually adjustable input for adjusting one or more characteristics of a light radiating from the source of light.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the one or more characteristics of the light includes a visible color of the light.

3. The thermostat of claim 2 wherein the visible color of the light is adjusted by changing one or more of the light'"'"'s hue, brightness, saturation.

4. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the means includes circuitry for adjusting the one or more characteristics of the light source.

5. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the means includes a filter for filtering the light from the light source.

6. The thermostat of claim 5 wherein the filter is one of a polarizing filter, and a variable color filter.

7. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the source of light includes one of an electroluminescent source and at least one LED for displaying a plurality of colors.

8. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the housing is translucent to the light.

9. The thermostat of claim 1 further including a display backlit by the light.

10. The thermostat of claim 9 wherein the housing is translucent to the light.

11. The thermostat of claim 10 wherein the manually adjustable input element adjusts the characteristics of both the backlight for the display and the light passing through the housing.

12. A method of modifying a visual appearance of a HVAC thermostat comprising:

observing a light originating from inside the thermostat; and

manually adjusting one or more characteristics of the light to provide a desired visual effect.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein manually adjusting the one or more characteristics of the light includes changing a visible color of the light.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein changing the visible color of the light includes changing one or more of the light'"'"'s hue, brightness, saturation.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the light includes light backlighting a display.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the light includes light passing through a semi-transparent area of a housing.

17. A thermostat for sensing ambient temperatures in an enclosed space, the thermostat comprising:

a display;

a housing for the display;

a source of light within the housing wherein the light is visible to an observer of the display; and

an element internal to the housing and with a manually adjustable input accessible from an external surface of the housing for adjusting a color of the light to complement colors of the enclosed space.

18. The thermostat of claim 17 wherein the element responds to adjustments to the manually adjustable input by changing one or more of the light'"'"'s hue, brightness, saturation.

19. The thermostat of claim 17 wherein the element includes circuitry responsive to adjustments to the manually adjustable input to change the color of the light.

20. The thermostat of claim 17 wherein the element includes one of a variable color filter and a polarizing filter for filtering the light from the light source.