User interfaces for remote management and control of network-connected thermostats

• US 20120191257A1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony Michael, Sloo, David, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Matas, Michael James, Corcoran, Patrick B., Crabtree, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,489,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/278
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide user interface methods for interacting with and managing network-connected thermostats through a thermostat management system. The user interface method identifies a primary enclosure associated with a thermostat management account with the remaining enclosures deemed secondary enclosures. The user interface displays the primary enclosure using a primary enclosure selection appearing in a foreground area of the user interface as a house and adjacent to thermostat selections representing each of the network-connected thermostats installed in the primary enclosure. In a background area of the user interface, a primary weather visual incorporates images of various weather patterns reflecting both a weather pattern in the vicinity of the primary enclosure and an approximate time of day at the geographic location of the primary enclosure. Secondary enclosure selections are visually deemphasized on the user interface when compared with the primary enclosure selection displayed on the user interface.

Claims

1. A user interface method used on a computer device for accessing one or more thermostats connected to a network, comprising:

identifying a primary enclosure chosen from one or more enclosures associated with a thermostat management account for display as a primary enclosure selection on a user interface of a display device, wherein the thermostat management account provides the user interface access to the one or more thermostats associated with the enclosure through a thermostat management system on the network;

displaying the primary enclosure selection and one or more thermostat selections associated with each of the one or more thermostats, wherein each of the one or more thermostat selections further displays an environmental condition associated with the primary enclosure in a foreground area of the user interface on the display device; and

displaying a primary weather visual on the display device that incorporates an approximate time of day at a geographic location of the primary enclosure, wherein the primary weather visual is displayed in a background area of the user interface on the display device.

2. The user interface method used on a computer device of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a secondary enclosure is associated with the thermostat management account; and

displaying a secondary enclosure selection associated with the secondary enclosure in the foreground area of the user interface of the display device associated with the computer device, wherein the secondary enclosure selection is visually deemphasized when compared with the primary enclosure selection also displayed in the foreground area of the user interface.

3. The user interface method of claim 2 wherein the secondary enclosure selection is visually deemphasized by reducing the size of the secondary enclosure selection compared with the size of the primary enclosure selection displayed on the user interface and making the secondary enclosure selection appear to be behind the primary enclosure selection as displayed in the foreground area of the user interface.

4. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the primary enclosure selection is an image of a house configured for selection on the user interface and the thermostat selection is an image of a thermostat configured for selection on the user interface.

5. The user interface method of claim 2 wherein the secondary enclosure selection is an image of a house configured for selection on the user interface and the thermostat selection is an image of a thermostat configured for selection on the user interface.

6. The user interface method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if a selection of the secondary enclosure selection has been made through the user interface indicating that the secondary enclosure should assume a role as the primary enclosure and the primary enclosure should assume a role of the secondary enclosure;

associating the secondary enclosure with the primary enclosure selection in response to the selection of the secondary enclosure selection through the user interface; and

associating the primary enclosure with the secondary enclosure selection in response to the selection of the secondary enclosure selection through the user interface.

7. A user interface method used on a computer device for interacting with a heating and cooling schedule associated with a thermostat connected to a network, comprising:

receiving a selection on the user interface of an enclosure selection associated with an enclosure combined with a further selection of a thermostat selection corresponding to a thermostat associated with the enclosure;

displaying a heating and cooling schedule associated with the thermostat on a user interface of the computer device as one or more vertically stacked horizontal bars corresponding to one or more days in the heating and cooling schedule for the thermostat with a range of time in one day measured along a horizontal direction of each horizontal bar in the schedule; and

displaying a setpoint selection as a geometric shape located on one of the one or more vertically stacked horizontal bars with at least one temperature threshold indicated by a value displayed in the center of the geometric shape with a thermal preference for operating an HVAC system when the at least one temperature threshold measured by the thermostat is detected.

8. The user interface method of claim 7, wherein the geometric shape is a circle and the thermal preference is indicated by one or more colors associated with circle.

9. The user interface method of claim 8 wherein a circle with a red color indicates the thermal preference to turn on heater in the HVAC system when the temperature detected is below the temperature threshold.

10. The user interface method of claim 8 wherein a circle with a blue color indicates the thermal preference to turn an air conditioner in the HVAC system when the temperature detected is above the temperature threshold.

11. The user interface method of claim 7 used on the computer device for interacting with a schedule for heating and cooling schedule, further comprising:

receiving a selection on the computer of one horizontal bar corresponding to one day in the schedule and at a time interval corresponding to a range of time along a horizontal length of the one horizontal bar, wherein the time interval does not already have a setpoint for making a thermal change; and

adding a setpoint at the time interval corresponding to the time interval of the one horizontal bar and a thermal preference and temperature threshold for operating an HVAC system when the temperature threshold in the area of the thermostat is detected.

12. The user interface method of claim 7 used on the computer device for interacting with a schedule for heating and cooling schedule, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one horizontal bar corresponding to one day in the schedule and at a time interval selected along a horizontal length of the one horizontal bar, wherein the time interval already has a setpoint for making a thermal change and the selection further indicates to delete the setpoint; and

deleting a setpoint at the time interval corresponding to the time interval of the one horizontal bar.

13. The user interface method of claim 7 used on the computer device for interacting with a schedule for heating and cooling schedule, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one horizontal bar corresponding to one day in the schedule and at a time interval corresponding to a range of time along a horizontal length of the one horizontal bar, wherein the time interval already has a setpoint for making a thermal change and the selection further indicates to modify the setpoint;

modifying a setpoint at the time interval corresponding to the time interval of the one horizontal bar, wherein the modification may include one or more changes including a change in a thermal preference and a change temperature threshold for operating an HVAC system.