BUILDING CONTROL UNIT METHOD AND CONTROLS

• US 20130292481A1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Filson, John B., Daniels, Eric B., Fadell, Anthony M., Rogers, Matthew Lee
• Granted Patent: US 10,054,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/207 with control knobs; Mounting controlling members or control units therein
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide thermostat controls having improved tactile feedback. According to one embodiment, a thermostat includes a bottom member, a switch, a top member, and a motion guiding member or assembly that operationally couples the top member with the bottom member so that the top member is inwardly pressable by a user relative to the bottom member to allow the thermostat to receive input from the user by contacting the switch with a component of the top member or the bottom member. The motion guiding member or assembly contacts the top member near its outer periphery to control the inward motion of the top member relative to the bottom member to provide the improved tactile feedback.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a bottom disk-shaped member;

a switch disposed on a surface of the bottom disk-shaped member;

a top disk disk-shaped member;

a ring-shaped component rotationally coupled with the top disk-shaped member, the ring-shaped component being configured to track a rotational input motion of a user so as to allow the user to scroll between options of an electronic thermostat menuing system;

at least one spring disposed between the top disk-shaped member and the bottom disk-shaped member to bias the top disk-shaped member and the bottom disk-shaped member apart; and

at least one motion guiding member that operationally couples the top disk-shaped member with the bottom disk-shaped member such that the top disk-shaped member is inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of an axis of rotation of the rotational input motion to allow the user to select an option of the interactive thermostat menuing system by contacting the switch with a component of the top disk disk-shaped member or a component coupled therewith;

wherein the at least one motion guiding member contacts the top disk disk-shaped member near an outer periphery of the top disk-shaped member to control the motion of the top disk-shaped member relative to the bottom disk-shaped member.

2. A thermostat comprising:

a bottom member;

a switch;

a top member; and

a motion guiding member that operationally couples the top member with the bottom member such that the top member is inwardly pressable by a user relative to the bottom member to allow the thermostat to receive input from the user by contacting the switch with a component of or coupled with the top member or the bottom member;

wherein the motion guiding member contacts the top member near an outer periphery of the top member to control the inward motion of the top member relative to the bottom member.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the switch is centrally disposed on the bottom member and wherein the component comprises a rod coupled with the top member, the rod being positioned over the switch such that axial depression of the top member causes the rod to contact the switch.

4. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the motion guiding member comprises a plurality of stop members that extend from the bottom member, the plurality of stop members being engageable with corresponding features of the top member to create a pivot point about which the top member pivots when the top member is inwardly pressed.

5. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the features of the top member comprise apertures through which corresponding stop members of the bottom member are inserted, the top member being inwardly movable relative to the stop members via the apertures and the stop members including a flange that engages with the apertures to limit outward movement of the top member relative to the stop member.

6. The thermostat of claim 5, further comprising a spring coupled with the stop member, the spring biasing the top and bottom members apart.

7. The thermostat of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of posts, each post being slidably disposed through an aperture of the bottom member and coupled with the top member such that rotational movement of the top member relative to the bottom member is limited.

8. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the plurality of stop members comprise first flanges that extend from an outer wall of the bottom member, and wherein the features of the top member comprise second flanges that extend from the top member, the second flanges being disposed inward of the first flanges such that outward movement of the top member relative to the bottom member causes at least one of the second flanges to engage with a corresponding first flange to create the pivot points.

9. The thermostat of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of posts, each post being disposed through an aperture of the top member and through an aperture of the bottom member, or coupled therewith, such that rotational movement of the top member relative to the bottom member is limited.

10. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the motion guiding member comprises a plurality of compliant mechanism coupled near the outer periphery of the top member, the compliant mechanisms being rigidly coupled with the top member and the bottom member and having a flexible middle portion.

11. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein each of the compliant mechanisms comprise at least two longitudinally extending members and two end members, the end members being disposed between the longitudinally extending members and coupled therewith on opposite ends to laterally separate the longitudinally extending members, wherein the longitudinally extending members are flexible in the direction of the axis of rotation to provide the inward motion of the top member relative to the bottom member.

12. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the flexible middle portion biases the top and bottom members apart.

13. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein one of the end members is rigidly coupled with the top member and the other end member is rigidly coupled with the bottom member.

14. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the motion guiding member comprises a scissor mechanism that provides substantially planar inward motion of the top member relative to the bottom member, the scissor mechanism including a first member and a second member that overlap and crisscross, the first and second members being rotationally coupled at the crisscross locations.

15. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the motion guiding member comprises a plurality of torsion springs configured to limit the rotation of an edge of the top member relative to an opposite edge of the top member so as to provide substantially planar inward motion of the top member relative to the bottom member.

16. A method for control of an HVAC system by a thermostat, the thermostat comprising a top member, a bottom member, a switch, a ring-shaped user-interface component, an electronic display, and an interactive menuing system, the method comprising:

displaying the interactive menuing system on the electronic display, the interactive menuing system comprising one or more thermostat control options;

tracking rotational movement of the ring-shaped user-interface component to track at least one rotational input motion of a user;

navigating between the thermostat control options of the interactive menuing system in response to the rotational movement of the ring-shaped user-interface component;

detecting via the switch, an inward pressing of the ring-shaped user-interface component by the user corresponding to a selection of one of the thermostat control options, the inward pressing being;

along a direction of an axis of rotation of the ring-shaped user-interface component, and

controlled by a motion guiding member operationally coupled with the top member and the bottom member, the motion guiding member contacting the top member near an outer periphery to control the inward motion of the top member relative to the bottom member; and

performing an operation of the selected thermostat control option in response to the detected inward pressing of the ring-shaped user-interface component.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the operation performed includes one or more operations selected from the group consisting of:

displaying a sub-menu including sub-options;

setting or adjusting a parameter of the thermostat control;

setting or adjusting a temperature level; and

setting or adjusting a time or date parameter.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the inward pressing of the ring-shaped user-interface component provides a tactile clicking feedback.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the motion guiding member is configured such that a substantially uniform tactile clicking feedback is provided regardless of where the user contacts and inwardly presses the ring-shaped user-interface component.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the thermostat is configured such that the rotational input motion and inward pressing of the ring-shaped user-interface component represent the sole physical user inputs.