THERMOSTAT WITH RING-SHAPED CONTROL MEMBER

• US 20130099009A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Filson, John Benjamin, Daniels, Eric B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,127,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/041 : Mountings in enclosures or in a particular environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 : Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/26 : Testing of individual semiconductor devices testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment H01L22/00; testing of photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 : characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 : characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 : to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 : the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/2454 : using photoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/27 : with sensing element responsive to radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/275 : with sensing element expanding, contracting, or fusing in response to changes of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 : Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 : Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 : by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 : Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 : Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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 3/042 : by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 : using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 : Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/06 : Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 : Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems

Abstract

A sleek, low-profile wall-mountable thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a ring-shaped controller that rotates about a central axis, and an optical sensor directed away from the central axis and toward a radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped controller so as to accurately detect optical signals indicating controller'"'"'s rotational movement.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:

a housing;

a processing system disposed with in the housing;

a rounded electronic display coupled to the processing system and mounted on the housing and adapted to display information to a user;

a ring-shaped control member mounted on the housing so as to surround the rounded display and rotate about a central axis; and

an optical sensor mounted within the housing and directed away from the central axis and toward a radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped control member, so as to detect optical signals indicating rotational movement of ring-shaped control member and generate electrical signals therefrom, wherein the processing system is adapted and configured to detect user input based on the electrical signals generated by the optical sensor.

2. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped control member is curved and is textured to enhance detection of optical signals indicating rotational movement.

3. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the thermostat housing is adapted to be mounted on a wall.

4. A thermostat according to claim 3 wherein the thermostat is dimensioned such that when mounted on a wall it protrudes from the wall no more than 35 millimeters.

5. A thermostat according to claim 4 wherein the thermostat is dimensioned such that when mounted on a wall it protrudes from the wall no more than 32 millimeters.

6. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the ring-shaped control member is configured to be inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of the central axis.

7. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the optical sensor is an optical finger navigation module.

8. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein a ratio of (1) a radial distance between the central axis and the inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped control member and (2) a radial distance between the central axis and an outmost periphery of the ring-shaped control member is not less than 75 percent.

9. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of (1) the radial distance between the central axis and the inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped control member and (2) the radial distance between the central axis and an outmost periphery of the ring-shaped control member is not less than 90 percent.

10. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped control member is parallel to the central axis.

11. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the housing is generally disk-like in shape, said display is circular, and wherein the ring-shaped control member generally makes up an outer lateral periphery of said disk-like shape.

12. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein said rotational movement and inward pressings of the ring-shaped control member represent the sole physical user inputs to said thermostat.

13. A method for control of an HVAC system by a thermostat, the thermostat comprising a housing, a processing system disposed with in the housing, a rounded electronic display coupled to the processing system and mounted on the housing and adapted to display information to a user, a ring-shaped control member mounted on the housing so as to surround the rounded display and rotate about a central axis, and an optical sensor mounted within the housing and directed away from the central axis and toward a radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped control member, the method comprising:

detecting optical signals using the optical sensor indicating rotational movement of the radially inward facing surface of the ring-shaped control member;

generating electrical signals therefrom;

detecting user input using the processing system based on the electrical signals generated by the optical sensor; and

displaying information to the user on the rounded electronic display in response to the detected user input.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the detected user input represents a desired change to a new setpoint temperature, and the method further comprising:

determining that an HVAC system function should be activated based on a comparison of the new setpoint temperature to with an ambient temperature measurement; and

activating the HVAC system function.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein the thermostat is mounted on a wall and is dimensioned such that it protrudes from the wall no more than 35 millimeters.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein the ring-shaped control member is configured to be inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of the central axis.

17. A method according to claim 16 further comprising:

detecting an inward pressing motion of the ring-shaped control member and generating electrical signals therefrom;

detecting an inward press user input using the processing system based on the electrical signals generated from the detected inward pressing; and

displaying information to the user on the rounded electronic display in response to the detected inward press user input.

18. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:

a housing including a head unit and a backplate, the backplate being configured to be mounted on a wall and the head unit being configured to be removably mounted to the backplate;

a processing system disposed with in the head unit;

a rounded electronic display coupled to the processing system and mounted on the head unit and adapted to display information to a user;

a ring-shaped control member rotatably mounted on the head unit so as to surround the rounded display, to rotatable about a central axis and to be inwardly pressable in a direction parallel to the central axis; and

an optical sensor mounted within the head unit and directed away from the central axis and toward a curved radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped control member, so as to detect optical signals indicating rotational movement of ring-shaped control member and generate electrical signals therefrom, wherein the processing system is adapted and configured to detect user input based on the electrical signals generated by the optical sensor.

19. A thermostat according to claim 18 wherein the thermostat is generally disk-like in shape and dimensioned such that when mounted on a wall it protrudes from the wall no more than 35 millimeters, and the ring-shaped control member has a solid smooth metallic outwardly facing surface visible to and touchable by a user that generally makes up an outer lateral periphery of said disk-like shape.

20. A thermostat according to according to claim 19 wherein the outwardly facing surface of the ring-shaped control member is outwardly curved so as to bulge in a radially outward direction from the central axis.