SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE FOR A USER INTERFACE DASHBOARD OF A HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING NETWORK

• US 20100107072A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mirza, Muhammad Ali, Boneta, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/603,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0008 for air-humidification F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts

Abstract

The disclosure provides systems and methods of use of an HVAC graphical interface dashboard. In various embodiments, the dashboard includes a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen. The dashboard also includes an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen that allows users to have different humidity levels during different periods of a day. A programs tab and a home tab are also provided.

Claims

1. An HVAC graphical interface dashboard, comprising:

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen allows users to have different humidity levels during different periods of a day;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen which can program at least one of;

a) a time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions.

2. The humidity screen of claim 1, wherein the periods include at least one of:

a) waking;

b) leaving;

c) returning; and

d) sleep.

3. The humidity screen of claim 1, wherein a humidity status and a relative humidity are both presented on a same screen.

4. The humidity screen of claim 1, wherein a relative humidity (“

RH”

) bar is employed to set a relative humidity.

5. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein a button of the dashboard turns an inverse color when it is touched.

6. The dashboard of claim 5, wherein the button of the program screen remains inverted even after it is touched, unless the button is an up-down arrow, in which case, the up-down arrow button reverts to its non-inverted color when not touched.

7. The dashboard of claim 6, wherein a program schedule is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being pressed for a set period of time:

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints.

8. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.

9. An HVAC system including a graphical interface dashboard and at least one coupled device, comprising:

the dashboard, including;

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen allows users to have different humidity levels during different periods of a day;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances a user to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein pressing the programs tab invokes a programs screen which can program at least one of;

i) a time;

ii) temperature setpoints;

iii) heating/cooling setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances a user to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions; and

the at least one coupled device selected from the group including;

a) an air handler;

b) a furnace;

c) an evaporator coil;

d) a condenser coil; and

e) a compressor;

wherein the at least one coupled device is viewable from at least one of the tabs.

10. The humidity screen of claim 9, wherein the periods include at least one of:

a) waking;

b) leaving;

c) returning; and

d) sleep.

11. The humidity screen of claim 9, wherein a humidity status and a relative humidity are both presented on a same screen.

12. The humidity screen of claim 9, wherein a relative humidity (“

RH”

) bar is employed to set a relative humidity.

13. The dashboard of claim 9, wherein a button of the dashboard turns an inverse color when it is touched.

14. The dashboard of claim 13, wherein the button of the program screen remains inverted even after it is touched, unless the button is an up-down arrow, in which case, the up-down arrow button reverts to its non-inverted color when not touched.

15. The dashboard of claim 14, wherein a program schedule is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being pressed for a set period of time:

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints.

16. An HVAC graphical interface dashboard, comprising:

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen allows users to have different humidity levels during different periods of a day;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature, wherein for a given indoor setting to be offered to a user, a corresponding piece of equipment is installed in the HVAC system;

a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen which can program at least one of;

a) a time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions.

17. The humidity screen of claim 16, wherein the periods include at least one of:

a) waking;

b) leaving;

c) returning; and

d) sleep.

18. The humidity screen of claim 17, wherein a humidity status and a relative humidity are both presented on a same screen.

19. The humidity screen of claim 16, wherein a relative humidity (“

RH”

) bar is employed to set a relative humidity.

20. The dashboard of claim 16, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.