PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLERS AND SCHEDULE TIMERS

• US 20130027412A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Climote Limited
• Original Assignee: Colimote Limited
• Inventors: Roddy, Ivor
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/501
• 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 11/59 for presetting
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 23/345 another programme being carried out
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 15/006 for operating at a number of different times cigar or cigarette receptacles or boxes with means for limiting the frequency of smoking A24F15/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• 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: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user interface system and method for programming a schedule of a programmable device. The system comprises processor means and a display unit coupled to the processor means, whereby the processor means is configured to provide a graphical display on the display unit for displaying a time select region for programming at least one time period for the schedule. The time select region is displayed on the display unit as a dial (350) divided into a plurality of segments and each segment represents a period of time in a day, such as fifteen minutes, for an operating parameter, such as a temperature setting for the device. The time select region is interactively operable (354) to enable a user to select one or more segments (351) on the dial to correspond to a selected time period for the schedule. The present invention is directed to a user interface system and method that allows adjustment of multiple schedules in an easy and efficient manner allowing a user to easily view and switch between schedules.

Claims

1-61. -61. (canceled)

62. A user interface system for programming a schedule of a programmable device, the user interface system comprising:

processor means;

a display unit coupled to the processor means;

wherein the processor means configured to provide a graphical display on the display unit;

a time select region for programming at least one time period for the schedule, characterised in that the time select region is displayed on the display unit as a dial divided into a plurality of segments, each segment representing a period of time in a day for an operating parameter of the device;

wherein the time select region is interactively operable to enable a user to select one or more segments on the dial, in which the selected one or more segments correspond to a first time period for the schedule and any unselected segments correspond to a further time period for the schedule, the one or more segments are selectable by a user positioning and dragging pointing means over unselected segments of the dial and one or more segments are deselectable by a user positioning and dragging pointing means over the one or more selected segments of the dial,

wherein the processor means is further configured to display graphically on the display unit a temperature setting region which is interactively operable to enable a target temperature to be set for a time period set by a user for the schedule; and

wherein the schedule is programmable by accessing the user interface system via an Internet website, via an application executing on a mobile computing device, and/or via a control panel for the device.

63. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the pointing means is provided by a manually rotatable selection device which is located beside the dial on the control panel for the programmable device, and segments of the dial are selected or deselected by a user positioning, activating and dragging a pointer of the manually rotatable selection device over segments of the dial and pushing the manually rotatable selection device to complete the selection or deselection of the segments of the dial.

64. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the display unit is a touch sensitive screen and the pointing means is provided by a finger of a user or a stylus such that segments are selected or unselected by a user touching and dragging the finger or stylus over segments of the dial.

65. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the pointing means is a mouse and segments are selected or unselected by a user positioning, activating and dragging a mouse pointer over segments of the dial.

66. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which a segment is selectable and/or deselectable to set and indicate a state for the operating parameter of the device.

67. A user interface system as claimed in claim 66, in which a selected segment represents an on state and an unselected segment represents an off state for the operating parameter of the device.

68. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which each segment has a background colour or appearance which indicates a time of use price for the operating parameter.

69. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the operating parameter is one of:

room temperature, room humidity, room venting, room air quality, water temperature, water quality, water regulation, alarm or security setting and light level.

70. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the segments change appearance when selected and deselected.

71. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which each segment corresponds to a specific period of time within the range of one of:

one hour to twenty four hours of a day, thirty minutes to an hour of a day, fifteen minutes to thirty minutes of a day and one minute to fifteen minutes of a day.

72. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the time select region is operable for programming a plurality of time periods in a day, whereby each distinct time period for the operating parameter corresponds to adjacent selected or adjacent unselected segments on the dial.

73. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which a time period is additionally displayed in a numerical format on the display unit.

74. A user interface system as claimed in claim 73, in which a time period in the numerical format is displayed as a start and stop time on the display unit.

75. A user interface system as claimed in claim 74, in which a time period is updated by editing the start and stop time on the numerical format.

76. A user interface system as claimed in claim 75, in which segments of the dial are selected or deselected according to the edited time period.

77. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the target temperature and current temperature are displayed in or adjacent the dial.

78. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the processor means is further configured to display graphically on the display unit a day select region which is interactively operable to enable a user to select one or more days in a week for which a schedule is to be programmed.

79. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which a schedule is displayed as a dial for each day of a week on the display unit.

80. A user interface system as claimed in claim 62, in which the processor is coupled to local or remote storage means, whereby one or more programmed schedules are stored in and selectable from the storage means for processing by the device.

81. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device using a user interface system having a processor means and a display unit coupled to the processor means, the processor means configured to provide a graphical display on the display unit including a time select region for programming at least one time period for the schedule, the time select region displayed on the display unit as a dial divided into a plurality of segments, each segment representing a period of time in a day for an operating parameter of the device, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more segments on the dial, in which the selected one or more segments correspond to a first time period for the schedule and any unselected segments correspond to a further time period for the schedule, wherein the step of selecting one or more segments of the dial involves a user positioning and dragging pointing means over unselected segments of the dial and a step of deselecting one or more segments of the dial involves a user positioning and dragging pointing means over selected segments of the dial,

setting a target temperature for a time period set by a user on an interactively operable temperature setting region displayed graphically on the display unit by the processor means, and

programming the schedule by accessing the user interface system via an Internet website, via an application executing on a mobile computing device, and/or via a control panel for the device.

82. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device as claimed in claim 81, in which the pointing means is provided by a manually rotatable selection device which is located beside the dial on the control panel for the programmable device, and the step of selecting or deselecting segments involves a user positioning, activating and dragging a pointer of the selection device over segments of the dial and pushing the selection device to complete the selection or deselection of the segments of the dial.

83. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device as claimed in claim 81, in which the display unit is a touch sensitive screen and the pointing means is a finger of a user or a stylus, and the step of selecting or deselecting segments involves a user touching and dragging the finger or stylus over segments of the dial.

84. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device as claimed in claim 81 in which the pointing means is a mouse and segments are selected or deselected by a user positioning, activating and dragging a mouse pointer over segments of the dial.

85. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device as claimed in claim 81, comprising a further step of programming a plurality of time periods in a day on the time select region, whereby each distinct time period for the operating parameter corresponds to adjacent selected or adjacent unselected segments on the dial.

86. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device as claimed in claim 81, comprising a further step of editing a start and stop time for the time period on a numerical format additionally displayed on the display unit.

87. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device as claimed in claim 81, comprising a further step of selecting one or more days in a week for which a schedule is to be programmed by interacting with a day select region displayed graphically on the display unit.

88. A method of programming a schedule of a programmable device as claimed in claim 81, comprising a further step of selecting a programmed schedule from local or remote storage means for processing by the device.