INTERVIEW PROGRAMMING FOR AN HVAC CONTROLLER

• US 20120191258A1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Amundson, John B., Finch, Heidi J., Vick, Brent D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,409 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 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Controllers and methods are disclosed for aiding a user in programming a schedule of a programmable controller. In an illustrative embodiment, a guided programming routine can be activated by a user, which then guides a user through two or more screens that are designed to collect sufficient information from the user to generate and/or update at least some of the schedule parameters of the controller.

Claims

1. A method of programming configuration information of an HVAC controller, wherein the configuration information is used to configure the HVAC controller to control HVAC equipment of an HVAC system that is to be controlled by the HVAC controller, the method comprising:

entering an equipment setting routine via a user interface of the HVAC controller, the equipment setting routine providing a programmed sequence of two or more screens on a display of the HVAC controller from a first screen to a last screen, the sequence of two or more screens prompting a user to identify the HVAC equipment of an HVAC system that is to be controlled by the HVAC controller;

accepting two or more response from the user via the two or more screens; and

modifying the configuration information of the HVAC controller based, at least in part, on the accepted two or more responses from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more screens prompts the user to select an HVAC equipment type from a list of two or more HVAC equipment types.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC equipment is identified by two or more HVAC equipment type parameters, wherein one of the two or more screens prompts the user to identify a first HVAC equipment type parameter, and another one of the two or more screens prompts the user to identify a second HVAC equipment type parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC equipment is identified by two or more HVAC equipment type parameters, wherein one of the two or more screens prompts the user to identify only a first HVAC equipment type parameter, and another one of the two or more screens prompts the user to only identify a second HVAC equipment type parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC equipment is identified by two or more HVAC equipment type parameters, and wherein each of at least two of the two or more screens display a phrase with three or more words that prompts the user to identify at least one of the HVAC equipment type parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the modified configuration information of the HVAC controller when controlling the HVAC system.

7. A method of programming an HVAC controller for use at a particular installation, comprising:

initiating a configuration routine;

once the configuration routine is initiated, providing a programmed sequence of two or more screens on a display of the HVAC controller from a first screen to a last screen, the sequence of two or more screens prompting a user to enter configuration information for configuring the HVAC controller for use at the particular installation, the configuration information includes two or more configuration parameters, wherein one of the two or more screens prompts the user to enter only a first configuration parameter and another one of the two or more screens prompts the user to enter only a second configuration parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the two or more screens is configured to prompt the user to enter only one configuration parameter per screen.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the two or more screens prompts the user to select a configuration parameter from a list of two or more configuration parameters.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one of the two or more screens that prompts the user to enter the first configuration parameter includes a sentence or phrase with three or more words that prompts the user to enter the first configuration parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the another one of the two or more screens that prompts the user to enter the second configuration parameter includes a sentence or phrase with three or more words that prompts the user to enter the second configuration parameter.

12. A method of programming an HVAC controller for use at a particular installation, comprising:

displaying a sentence or phrase having three or more words on a display of the HVAC controller, the sentence or phrase making reference to a particular configuration parameter of the HVAC controller and asking a user to enter a value for the particular configuration parameter;

accepting the value for the particular configuration parameter from the user; and

modifying the configuration of the HVAC controller based, at least in part, on the accepted value for the particular configuration parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using the modified configuration of the HVAC controller when controlling an HVAC system at the particular installation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the sentence or phrase is displayed on a first screen, and the user enters the value for the particular configuration parameter also on the first screen.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

a first sentence or phrase is displayed on a first screen, and the user enters the value for the particular configuration parameter on the first screen; and

a second sentence or phrase is displayed on a second screen, wherein the second sentence of phrase makes reference to a different configuration parameter of the HVAC controller and asks the user to enter a value for the different configuration parameter, and the user enters the value for the different configuration parameter on the second screen.

16. A method of programming an HVAC controller for use at a particular installation, comprising:

providing a sequence of two or more solicitations to a user via a display of the HVAC controller;

the sequence of two or more solicitations prompting the user to enter configuration information for configuring the HVAC controller for use at the particular installation, the configuration information includes two or more configuration parameters; and

wherein one of the two or more solicitations prompts the user to enter a first configuration parameter while not prompting the user to enter a second configuration parameter, and a subsequent one of the two or more solicitations prompts the user to enter the second configuration parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the sequence of two or more solicitations are displayed on separate screens on the display of the HVAC controller.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the sequence of two or more solicitations are displayed on separate screens on the display of the HVAC controller, and each of the separate screens also allows a user to enter a corresponding configuration parameter.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the two or more solicitations includes a sentence or phrase that has three or more words that make reference to a particular configuration parameter of the HVAC controller and prompts the user to enter a value for the particular configuration parameter.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein yet another one of the two or more solicitations prompts the user to enter a third configuration parameter.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the user enters the first configuration parameter in response to the one of the two or more solicitations that prompts the user to enter the first configuration parameter before the subsequent one of the two or more solicitations prompts the user to enter the second configuration parameter.

22. A method of programming configuration information of an HVAC controller, wherein the configuration information is related to characteristics of one or more system components of an HVAC system to be controlled by the HVAC controller, the HVAC controller is configured to use the configuration information to properly control the one or more system components of the HVAC system to be controlled by the HVAC controller, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying one or more prompts on a user interface of the HVAC controller, the one or more prompts soliciting a response from a user related to characteristics of one or more HVAC system components of the HVAC system to be controlled by the HVAC controller;

in response to displaying at least one of the prompts on the user interface, allowing the user to select between at least two responses that are simultaneously displayed on the user interface;

accepting a user selection; and

modifying the configuration information of the HVAC controller based at least in part on said accepted user selection.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

using the modified configuration information of the HVAC controller when controlling the one or more HVAC system components of the HVAC system.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying one or more prompts that include a natural language expression.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying one or more prompts that include a sentence or phrase having three or more words.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the user interface includes an LCD or dot matrix screen, and wherein said step of allowing the user to select between at least two responses that are simultaneously displayed on the LCD or dot matrix screen includes the step of allowing the user to select between responses via a selector displayed on the user interface.

27. A method of programming configuration information of an HVAC controller, wherein the HVAC controller is configured to use the configuration information when controlling one or more system components of an HVAC system, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first query to a user via a user interface of the HVAC controller while not displaying a second query, the first query soliciting configuration information from the user, wherein the configuration information is related to characteristics of one or more HVAC system components of the HVAC system to be controlled by the HVAC controller;

accepting one or more user responses to the first query via the user interface;

after accepting the one or more user responses to the first query, displaying the second query to a user via a user interface of the HVAC controller while not displaying the first query, the second query soliciting different configuration information from the user;

accepting one or more user responses to the second query via the user interface; and

modifying the configuration information of the HVAC controller based at least in part on the one or more user responses to the first and second queries.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

using the modified configuration information of the HVAC controller when controlling one or more HVAC system components of an HVAC system.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the user interface is an LCD or dot matrix screen, and wherein said step of accepting one or more user responses includes the step of allowing the user to select between two or more responses via a selector displayed on the user interface.

30. A thermostat for controlling the HVAC equipment of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a memory for storing configuration information;

a user interface including a display; and

a controller in communication with the memory and the user interface, the controller programmed to;

provide a programmed sequence of two or more screens on the display of the thermostat from a first screen to a last screen, the sequence of two or more screens prompting the user to identify the HVAC equipment of an HVAC system that is to be controlled by the thermostat;

accept two or more response from the user via the two or more screens;

modify the configuration information in the memory based, at least in part, on the accepted two or more responses from the user; and

use the modified configuration information when controlling the HVAC system.

31. A thermostat for controlling the HVAC equipment of an HVAC system at a particular installation, the thermostat comprising:

a memory for storing configuration information;

a user interface including a display; and

a controller in communication with the memory and the user interface, the controller programmed to;

provide a sequence of two or more solicitations to a user via the display of the thermostat, the sequence of two or more solicitations prompting the user to enter configuration information for configuring the thermostat for use at the particular installation, the configuration information includes two or more configuration parameters, wherein one of the two or more solicitations prompts the user to enter a first configuration parameter while not prompting the user to enter a second configuration parameter, and a subsequent one of the two or more solicitations prompts the user to enter the second configuration parameter;

accept the first configuration parameter in response to the one of the two or more solicitations that prompts the user to enter the first configuration parameter; and

accept the second configuration parameter in response to the subsequent one of the two or more solicitations that prompts the user to enter the second configuration parameter.