USER INTERFACE FOR SPECIAL PURPOSE CONTROLLER

• US 20150362929A1
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Laberge, Jason C., Goknur, Sinem C., Andrzejewski, Jakub, Belleau, Jacqueline Lee, Clements, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 10,037,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00

Abstract

A temperature controller for controlling the temperature of an inside space that is serviced by one or more pieces of HVAC equipment. The temperature controller may include a controller having a control algorithm for controlling one or more pieces of HVAC equipment as well as a user interface that may be configured to display a hierarchical menu structure and to permit a user to traverse the menu structure. The user interface may be configured to display breadcrumbs that provide an indication to the user of the current location within a hierarchical menu structure, and in some cases, provide instructional information in a designated or common display area that helps instruct the user in using a particular menu or menu option. These and other features may help make the special purpose controller more intuitive to set up, program and operate.

Claims

1. An equipment controller, comprising:

a housing;

a controller situated in the housing, the controller having a control algorithm for controlling one or more pieces of equipment;

two or more output terminals accessible from outside of the housing for connection to one or more pieces of equipment that are to be controlled;

two or more input terminals accessible from outside of the housing for connection to one or more sensors, the control algorithm using one or more signals from one or more of the input terminals;

two or more relays situated in the housing, each of the two or more relays operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the output terminals;

the controller configured to control the two or more relays in accordance with the control algorithm to selectively activate the corresponding output terminals;

a user interface secured relative to the housing and accessible by a user from outside of the housing, the user interface operatively coupled to the controller, the user interface comprising a display;

the controller is configured to simultaneously display on the display of the user interface an activation status for each of the two or more relays, the activation status representing whether the relay is currently activated or deactivated by the controller; and

the controller is configured to allow a user to select a particular relay via the user interface, and in response, display one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm when controlling the selected relay.

2. The equipment controller of claim 1 configured to control one or more of traffic light equipment, factory equipment, process equipment, HVAC equipment, swimming pool heating equipment, security system equipment, and lighting equipment.

3. The equipment controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously display the activation status of each of the two or more relays on a first portion of the display and to display the one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm when controlling the selected relay on a second portion of the display.

4. The equipment controller of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to display the one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm for the selected relay on the second portion of the display while not displaying the one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm for unselected relays.

5. The equipment controller of claim 4, wherein after displaying the one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm for the selected relay on the second portion of the display, the controller is configured to allow a user to select a another relay via the user interface, and in response, display the one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm when controlling the newly selected relay.

6. The equipment controller of claim 4, wherein the one or more control algorithm parameter values comprises a temperature setpoint value.

7. The equipment controller of claim 4, wherein the one or more control algorithm parameter values comprises a current sensed temperature.

8. The equipment controller of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to allow the user to program different control algorithm parameter values for each relay via the user interface.

9. The equipment controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured activate an HVAC heating component via a first one of the two or more relays and to activate an HVAC cooling component via a second one of the two or more relays.

10. The equipment controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display a current run time for the selected relay.

11. The equipment controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to select a control algorithm type from two or more predetermined control algorithm types, depending on a particular application of the equipment controller in the field.

12. The equipment controller of claim 11, wherein the two or more predetermined control algorithm types comprise a sequencer control algorithm type and a standard control algorithm type.

13. The equipment controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to select one or more of the input terminals for use by the control algorithm when controlling a particular relay.

14. An equipment controller, comprising:

a housing;

a controller situated in the housing, the controller having a control algorithm for controlling one or more pieces of equipment;

two or more output terminals accessible from outside of the housing for connection to one or more pieces of equipment that are to be controlled;

two or more input terminals accessible from outside of the housing for connection to one or more sensors, the control algorithm using one or more signals from one or more of the input terminals;

two or more relays situated in the housing, each of the two or more relays operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the output terminals;

the controller configured to control the two or more relays in accordance with the control algorithm to selectively activate the corresponding output terminals;

a user interface secured relative to the housing and accessible by a user from outside of the housing, the user interface operatively coupled to the controller, the user interface comprising a display; and

the controller is configured to allow a user to select a control algorithm type from two or more predetermined control algorithm types via the user interface, depending on the particularly application of the equipment controller in the field.

15. The equipment controller of claim 14, wherein the two or more predetermined control algorithm types are each tailored to control a different type of equipment in the field.

16. The equipment controller of claim 14, wherein the two or more predetermined control algorithm types comprise a sequencer control algorithm type and a standard control algorithm type.

17. The equipment controller of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously display on the display of the user interface an activation status for each of the two or more relays, the activation status representing whether the relay is currently activated or deactivated by the controller.

18. The equipment controller of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to select a particular relay via the user interface, and in response, display one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm when controlling the selected relay.

19. The equipment controller of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to select one or more of the input terminals for use by the control algorithm when controlling a particular relay.

20. An equipment controller, comprising:

a housing;

a controller situated in the housing, the controller having a control algorithm for controlling one or more pieces of equipment;

two or more output terminals accessible from outside of the housing for connection to one or more pieces of equipment that are to be controlled;

two or more input terminals accessible from outside of the housing for connection to one or more sensors, the control algorithm using one or more signals from one or more of the input terminals;

two or more relays situated in the housing, each of the two or more relays operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the output terminals;

the controller configured to control the two or more relays in accordance with the control algorithm to selectively activate the corresponding output terminals;

a user interface secured relative to the housing and accessible by a user from outside of the housing, the user interface operatively coupled to the controller, the user interface comprising a display;

the controller is configured to allow a user to select a control algorithm type from two or more predetermined control algorithm types via the user interface, wherein the two or more predetermined control algorithm types are each tailored to control a different type of equipment in the field;

the controller is further configured to allow a user to select one or more of the input terminals for use by the selected control algorithm when controlling a particular relay;

the controller is further configured to simultaneously display on the display of the user interface an activation status for each of the two or more relays, the activation status representing whether the corresponding relay is currently activated or deactivated by the controller; and

the controller is further configured to allow a user to select a particular relay via the user interface, and in response, display one or more control algorithm parameter values used by the control algorithm when controlling the selected relay.