DEVICES AND METHODS FOR INTERACTING WITH AN HVAC CONTROLLER

• US 20150053780A1
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Nelson, Jay, Thiruvengada, Hari, Adamek, Martin, Skala, Martin, Buno, Juraj, Kolavennu, Soumitri, Horky, Libor, Gilmer, Preston, Gessner, Thomas, Peterschmidt, Max
• Granted Patent: US 10,047,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/40 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/40 Geothermal heat-pumps

Abstract

An HVAC controller may be controlled in response to a natural language audio message that is not recognizable by the HVAC controller as a command, where the natural language audio message is translated into a command recognizable by the HVAC controller. The HVAC controller may be a thermostat and may include a housing that at least partially houses a control module, a microphone, a speaker, a display, and a voice recognition module. The voice recognition module recognizes a predetermined audible trigger from a recorded voice message or streamed voice message, and in response, provide one or more audio clips via the speaker and/or video clips via the display to assist users in operating the thermostat. A user may communicate with the thermostat via the thermostat and/or a remote device.

Claims

1. A thermostat configured to control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing, the housing configured to house;

a control module configured to provide one or more control signals to control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system in accordance with a thermostat control algorithm;

a microphone;

a speaker;

a display; and

a voice recognition module, wherein the voice recognition module is configured to recognize a predetermined audible trigger via the microphone, and in response, provide one or more audio clips via the speaker and/or video clips via the display for assisting a user in operating the thermostat.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition module, in response to recognizing the predetermined audible trigger, provides an audio/video clip for assisting the user in operating the thermostat.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition module is configured to recognize a plurality of different audible triggers, and to provide a different audio and/or video clip in response to each of the plurality of different audible triggers.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the housing further houses one or more touch buttons for manually interacting with the thermostat, wherein one or more audio and/or video clips can be activated via the one or more touch buttons.

5. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the display is a touch screen display, and wherein the one or more touch buttons comprise one or more touch regions on the touch screen display.

6. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the one or more touch buttons comprise one or more push buttons separate from the display.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat has a plurality of disabled features that can be enabled by the user, and wherein one or more audio and/or video clips are automatically activated when one of the plurality of disabled features is enabled by the user.

8. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein the one or more audio and/or video clips that are automatically activated correspond to the one of the plurality of disabled features that is enabled by the user.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein one or more audio and/or video clips are automatically activated when the thermostat is turned on.

10. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein the one or more audio and/or video clips that are automatically activated when the thermostat is turned on are configured to assist the user in initial set up of the thermostat.

11. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the predetermined audible trigger comprises one of a plurality of different audible trigger phrases.

12. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein one or more of the audible trigger phrases comprise the phrase “

HELP”

.

13. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the predetermined audible trigger comprises an audible trigger phrase followed by one of a plurality of different audible trigger commands.

14. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the voice recognition module automatically provides one or more audio and/or video clips in response to detecting an audible trigger phrase but not detecting a recognized audible trigger command following the detected audible trigger phrase.

15. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory; and

wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to operate the voice recognition module.

16. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to operate the controller module.

17. A thermostat configured to communicate with and control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing, the housing configured to house;

a control module configured to provide one or more control signals to control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system in accordance with a thermostat control algorithm;

a display; and

a help module for playing one or more prerecorded video clips on the display for assisting a user in operating the thermostat.

18. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the help module further comprising a voice recognition module, wherein the voice recognition module is configured to recognize a predetermined audible trigger, and in response, play one or more prerecorded video clips.

19. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the thermostat has a plurality of disabled features that can be enabled by the user, and wherein one or more of the prerecorded video clips are played on the display when one of the plurality of disabled features is enabled by the user.

20. A thermostat configured to communicate with and control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a control module configured to provide one or more control signals to control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system in accordance with a thermostat control algorithm;

a temperature sensor;

a voice recognition module; and

wherein the voice recognition module plays one or more prerecorded clips in response to detecting a user needs assistance with operation of the thermostat.

21. The thermostat of claim 20, wherein the voice recognition module detects a user needs assistance by detecting one or more failed interactions with the thermostat.

22. The thermostat of claim 21, wherein the voice recognition module plays a different prerecorded clip in response to repeated failed interactions with the thermostat over a predetermined amount of time.