INTERVIEW PROGRAMMING FOR AN HVAC CONTROLLER

• US 20150205310A1
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Amundson, John B., Finch, Heidi J., Vick, Brent D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,471,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Controllers and methods are disclosed for aiding a user in programming a schedule of a programmable controller. In an illustrative embodiment, a guided programming routine can be activated by a user, which then guides a user through two or more screens that are designed to collect sufficient information from the user to generate and/or update at least some of the schedule parameters of the controller.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a user interface housed by the housing, user interface including a touch screen display;

a temperature sensor housed by the housing;

a memory for storing configuration information, the memory housed by the housing; and

a controller operative coupled to the memory, the temperature sensor, the touch screen display, the controller housed by the housing and programming to;

provide a guided programming sequence of two or more screens on the touch screen display of the thermostat from a first screen to a last screen, the particular sequence of two or more screens is determined by the controller, at least two of the two more screens prompting a user to provide configuration information that is related to one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system that is to be controlled by the thermostat,

wherein a first one of the two more screens prompting the user to provide configuration information is an equipment type screen that includes two or more selectable equipment type options simultaneously displayed on the touch screen display with each of the two or more selectable equipment type options displayed as a separate equipment type touch button, wherein each equipment type touch button includes a descriptive indicator of the corresponding selectable equipment type option displayed inside an outer perimeter of the equipment type touch button;

wherein a second one of the screens that prompt the user to provide configuration information includes two or more touch buttons simultaneously displayed on the touch screen display with each of the selectable touch buttons having a descriptive indicator displayed inside a perimeter of the corresponding touch button;

accept user selections via the first and second screens;

determine updated configuration based on the accepted user selections, the updated configuration information including an equipment type, a number of heating stages, and a number of cooling stages for the HVAC system;

store the updated configuration information in the memory including the updated equipment type, the updated number of heating stages, and the updated number of cooling stages;

provide a summary screen that displays a summary of the configuration information including the updated configuration information; and

use the updated configuration information when subsequently controlling the HVAC system.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the second one of the screens comprises a touch button, that when selected, indicates two heating stages.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the second one of the screens comprises a touch button, that when selected, indicates two cooling stages.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a speaker.

5. A thermostat for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a user interface housed by the housing, user interface including a touch screen display;

a temperature sensor housed by the housing;

a memory for storing configuration information, the memory housed by the housing; and

a controller operative coupled to the memory, the temperature sensor, the touch screen display, the controller housed by the housing and programming to;

provide a guided programming sequence of two or more screens on the touch screen display of the thermostat from a first screen to a last screen, the particular sequence of two or more screens is determined by the controller, at least one of the two more screens prompting a user to provide configuration information that is related to one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system that is to be controlled by the thermostat, wherein one of the two more screens prompting the user is an equipment type screen that includes two or more selectable equipment type options simultaneously displayed on the touch screen display with each of the two or more selectable equipment type options displayed as a separate equipment type touch button, wherein each equipment type touch button includes a descriptive indicator of the corresponding selectable equipment type option displayed inside an outer perimeter of the equipment type touch button;

accept user responses via the two or more screens;

update configuration information in the memory based, at least in part, on the accepted user responses;

provide a summary screen that displays a summary of the configuration information including the updated configuration information, wherein the summary screen is one of the two or more screens of the guided programming sequence; and

use the updated configuration information when subsequently controlling the HVAC system.

6. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein the equipment type screen comprises a message that directs the user to select one of the selectable equipment type options.

7. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein at least one of the two or more equipment type selectable options corresponds to an electric equipment type.

8. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein another one of the screens that prompt the user to provide configuration information includes two or more selectable touch buttons simultaneously displayed on the touch screen display with each of the selectable touch buttons having a descriptive indicator displayed inside a perimeter of the corresponding touch button, and wherein the controller is programmed to determine a number of heating stages for one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system based on a user selection of the two or more selectable touch buttons.

9. The thermostat of claim 8, wherein the two or more selectable touch buttons comprise a touch button, that when selected, indicates two heating stages.

10. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein another one of the screens that prompt the user to provide configuration information includes two or more selectable touch buttons simultaneously displayed on the touch screen display with each of the selectable touch buttons having a descriptive indicator displayed inside a perimeter of the corresponding touch button, and wherein the controller is programmed to determine a number of cooling stages for one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system based on a user selection of the two or more selectable touch buttons.

11. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the two or more selectable touch buttons comprise a touch button, that when selected, indicates two cooling stages.

12. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein at least one of the two or more screens simultaneously displays on the touch screen display a first touch button that if selected exits the guided programming sequence of two or more screens and a second touch button that if selected displays a previous screen of the two or more screens in the guided programming sequence of two or more screens.

13. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein the user interface further comprises a speaker.

14. A thermostat for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a user interface housed by the housing, user interface including a touch screen display;

a temperature sensor housed by the housing;

a memory for storing configuration information, the memory housed by the housing; and

a controller operative coupled to the memory, the temperature sensor, the touch screen display, the controller housed by the housing and programming to;

provide a guided programming sequence of two or more screens on the touch screen display of the thermostat from a first screen to a last screen, the particular sequence of two or more screens is determined by the controller, at least one of the two more screens prompting a user to provide configuration information that is related to one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system that is to be controlled by the thermostat, wherein one or more of the screens that prompt the user to provide configuration information includes two or more selectable touch buttons simultaneously displayed on the touch screen display with each of the selectable touch buttons having a descriptive indicator displayed inside a perimeter of the corresponding touch button;

accept user responses via the two or more screens;

determine a number of heating stages, a number of cooling stages and/or a system type for the HVAC system based on the user responses accepted via the two or more screens;

updating configuration information in the memory including the number of heating stages, the number of cooling stages and/or the system type for the HVAC system;

provide a summary screen that displays a summary of the configuration information including the updated configuration information; and

use the updated configuration information when subsequently controlling the HVAC system.

15. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the two or more selectable touch buttons comprise a touch button, that when selected, indicates two heating stages.

16. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the two or more selectable touch buttons comprise a touch button, that when selected, indicates two cooling stages.

17. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to determine the number of heating stages.

18. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to determine the number of cooling stages.

19. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to determine the system type.

20. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein one of the screens that prompt the user to provide configuration information include two or more selectable system type touch buttons simultaneously displayed on the touch screen display with each of the selectable system type touch buttons having a descriptive indicator displayed inside a perimeter of the corresponding system type touch button, and wherein each of the two or more selectable system type touch buttons corresponding to a different type of system.

21. The thermostat of claim 20, wherein the two or more selectable system type touch buttons include a convention system type touch button and a heat pump system type touch button.

22. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the summary screen is one of the two or more screens of the guided programming sequence.

23. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the user interface further comprises a speaker.