USER FRIENDLY INTERFACE FOR CONTROL UNIT
First Claim
1. In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:
- displaying a plurality of background tick marks arcuately arranged within a range area on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device; and
displaying a setpoint tick mark on the electronic display within the range area such that the setpoint tick mark is more prominently visible to the user than the back ground tick marks, the setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user-friendly programmable thermostat is described that includes a central electronic display surrounded by a ring that can be rotated and pressed inwardly to provide user input in a simple and elegant fashion. The current temperature and setpoint are graphically displayed as prominent tick marks. Different colors and intensities can be displayed to indicate currently active HVAC functions and an amount of heating or cooling required to reach a target temperature. The setpoint can be altered by user rotation of the ring. The schedule can be displayed and altered by virtue of rotations and inward pressings of the ring. Initial device set up and installation, the viewing of device operation, the editing of various settings, and the viewing of historical energy usage information are made simple and elegant by virtue of the described form factor, display modalities, and user input modalities of the device.
223 Citations
30 Claims
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1. In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:
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displaying a plurality of background tick marks arcuately arranged within a range area on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device; and displaying a setpoint tick mark on the electronic display within the range area such that the setpoint tick mark is more prominently visible to the user than the back ground tick marks, the setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:
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displaying a menu including a plurality of user selectable options in an arcuate area on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device; receiving input from a user at least in part using a rotatable ring surrounding the rounded display; and highlighting different user selectable options in response to and in accordance with the received input. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:
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displaying a visible portion of a schedule plot on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device, the schedule plot having a time axis and including a plurality of programmed setpoints disposed at respective locations along the time axis; receiving input from the user by user rotation of a rotatable ring surrounding the rounded display; and progressively changing the visible portion of the schedule plot display in response to the received input. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A programmable device for controlling an HVAC system comprising:
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an electronic display positioned inside an outer ring that is user rotatable and user pressable; and a processor adapted and configured to drive the electronic display responsive to user pressing and user rotation of the outer ring, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the electronic display to show recent energy usage performance information for a succession of recent historical time intervals that appear on the electronic display according to user rotations of the outer ring. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification