GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE SYSTEM FOR A THERMAL COMFORT CONTROLLER
First Claim
1. A method for programming a thermal comfort controller, wherein the thermal comfort controller includes a central processing unit coupled to a memory, where the memory stores a temperature schedule data structure having at least two set-points, wherein each of the at least two set-points associate a desired temperature to a desired time, the thermal comfort controller configured to control one or more HVAC components in accordance with the temperature schedule data structure, the method comprising:
- displaying at least one set-point on a display of a mobile handheld computing unit;
accepting an input from a user of the mobile handheld computing unit to change at least one of the set-points that is displayed on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit, resulting in at least one changed set-point;
establishing communication between the mobile handheld computing unit and the thermal comfort controller;
communicating the at least one changed set-point from the mobile handheld computing unit to the thermal comfort controller;
updating the temperature schedule data structure stored in the memory of the thermal comfort controller to include the at least one changed set-point, resulting in an updated temperature schedule data structure; and
using the thermal comfort controller to control the one or more HVAC components in accordance with the updated temperature schedule data structure.
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Abstract
A graphical user interface system for a thermal comfort controller. The user interface system has a central processing unit coupled to a memory and a touch sensitive display unit. The memory stores a temperature schedule data structure and perhaps a temperature history data structure. The temperature schedule data structure is made up of at least one set-point. The temperature history data structure is made up of at least one Actual-Temperature-Point. The display presents the set-points and/or the Actual-Temperature-Points. One representation of the display is a graphical step-function. The user uses a finger or stylus to program the set-points by pointing and dragging a portion of the step-function.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for programming a thermal comfort controller, wherein the thermal comfort controller includes a central processing unit coupled to a memory, where the memory stores a temperature schedule data structure having at least two set-points, wherein each of the at least two set-points associate a desired temperature to a desired time, the thermal comfort controller configured to control one or more HVAC components in accordance with the temperature schedule data structure, the method comprising:
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displaying at least one set-point on a display of a mobile handheld computing unit; accepting an input from a user of the mobile handheld computing unit to change at least one of the set-points that is displayed on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit, resulting in at least one changed set-point; establishing communication between the mobile handheld computing unit and the thermal comfort controller; communicating the at least one changed set-point from the mobile handheld computing unit to the thermal comfort controller; updating the temperature schedule data structure stored in the memory of the thermal comfort controller to include the at least one changed set-point, resulting in an updated temperature schedule data structure; and using the thermal comfort controller to control the one or more HVAC components in accordance with the updated temperature schedule data structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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22. A method for programming a thermal comfort controller, wherein the thermal comfort controller includes a central processing unit coupled to a memory, where the memory stores a temperature schedule data structure having at least two set-points, wherein each of the at least two set-points associate a desired temperature to a desired time, the thermal comfort controller configured to control one or more HVAC components in accordance with the temperature schedule data structure, the method comprising:
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displaying at least one set-point on a display of a mobile handheld computing unit; displaying a clock control on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit and simultaneously displaying a temperature control on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit; accepting a desired time for the at least one set-point by interfacing with the clock control displayed on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit while also displaying the temperature control on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit; accepting a desired temperature for the at least one set-point by interfacing with the temperature control displayed on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit while also displaying the clock control; establishing communication between the mobile handheld computing unit and the thermal comfort controller; updating the temperature schedule data structure stored in the memory of the thermal comfort controller to include the desired time and the desired temperature for the at least one set-point, resulting in an updated temperature schedule data structure; and operating the thermal comfort controller to control the one or more HVAC components in accordance with the updated temperature schedule data structure.
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28. A mobile handheld computing unit having a user interface with a display, and a cellular communication feature, the mobile handheld computing unit comprising:
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a controller configured to; display on the display at least one set-point for a remote thermal comfort controller; accept an input from a user of the mobile handheld computing unit via the user interface to change at least one of the set-points that is displayed on the display of the mobile handheld computing unit, resulting in at least one changed set-point; establish a communication link between the mobile handheld computing unit and a thermal comfort controller, at least part of the communication link established using the cellular communication feature of the mobile handheld computing unit; and communicate the at least one changed set-point from the mobile handheld computing unit to the thermal comfort controller across the established communication link. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for programming a scheduled set point of a programmable thermostat, the thermostat configured to sense a temperature at the location of the thermostat and to control an HVAC system in accordance with the scheduled set point, the scheduled set point having a time value and a corresponding temperature value, the method comprising:
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providing one or more touch regions at predefined known locations on a touch screen for use in setting a time value and a corresponding temperature value for the scheduled set point, both the time value and the temperature value for the scheduled set point being simultaneously displayed in a numerical format at predefined known locations on the touch screen; monitoring the one or more touch regions for touching by a user; changing the time value for the scheduled set point if the monitoring step determines that the one or more touch regions associated with the time value have been touched; changing the temperature value for the scheduled set point at the predefined known location on the touch screen for the temperature value while simultaneously displaying the time value if the monitoring step determines that the one or more touch regions associated with the temperature value have been touched; and updating the scheduled set point of the programmable thermostat.
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Specification