WALL MODULE DISPLAY MODIFICATION AND SHARING

• US 20160273793A1
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Sedlacek, David, Hanel, Petr, Chromy, Ivo, Mikulica, Miroslav, Kasper, Gary P., Bray, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,920,944 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204

Abstract

A wall module for controlling a temperature in a building space includes a housing and a temperature sensor disposed within the housing. A touch screen display is mounted relative to the housing and a controller is configured to control what is displayed on the touch screen display and to accept inputs received via the touch screen display. A communication port is operatively coupled to the controller for communicating with an HVAC controller that is remote from the wall module. The controller is configured to permit a user to alter a display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display, and to transmit the altered display arrangement to the HVAC controller such that the HVAC controller can subsequently provide the altered display arrangement back to the wall module and/or share the altered display arrangement with other wall modules.

Claims

1. A wall module for controlling a temperature in a building space, the wall module comprising:

a housing;

a temperature sensor disposed within the housing;

a touch screen display mounted relative to the housing;

a controller configured to control what is displayed on the touch screen display and to accept inputs received via the touch screen display;

a communication port operatively coupled to the controller for communicating with an HVAC controller that is remote from the wall module; and

the controller further configured to permit a user to alter a display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display, and to transmit the altered display arrangement to the HVAC controller such that the HVAC controller can subsequently provide the altered display arrangement back to the wall module.

2. The wall module of claim 1, wherein the HVAC controller is configured to operate in accordance with a programmed schedule, and the wall module communicates a current local temperature to the HVAC controller.

3. The wall module of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to alter the display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display by permitting a user to move a location of an information object on the touch screen display via a drag-n-drop gesture and/or to resize an information object on the touch screen display via a pinch gesture.

4. The wall module of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to alter the display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display by permitting a user to add an information object on the touch screen display and/or to remove an information object from the touch screen display.

5. The wall module of claim 1, wherein the HVAC controller is configured to communicate the altered display arrangement to a remote server via a network.

6. The wall module of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a memory for storing the altered display arrangement.

7. The wall module of claim 6, wherein the memory retains one or more display tables that store display attributes relating to each of one or more information objects that are to be displayable on the touch screen display, wherein the one or more display tables store at least part of the altered display arrangement.

8. The wall module of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive an initial display arrangement from the HVAC controller upon initial power up of the wall module.

9. The wall module of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to receive the altered display arrangement from the HVAC controller upon power resumption and/or wall module replacement.

10. A wall module for controlling a feature of a building automation system, the wall module comprising:

a housing;

a touch screen display mounted relative to the housing;

a controller configured to control what is displayed on the touch screen display and to accept inputs received via the touch screen display;

a communication port operatively coupled to the controller for communicating with a building automation controller that is remote from the wall module; and

the controller further configured to permit a user to alter a display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display, and to transmit the altered display arrangement to a building automation controller such that the building automation controller can subsequently provide the altered display arrangement back to the wall module.

11. The wall module of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to alter the display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display by permitting a user to move a location of an information object on the touch screen display via a drag-n-drop gesture and/or by permitting a user to resize an information object on the touch screen display via a pinch gesture.

12. The wall module of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to alter the display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display by permitting a user to add an information object on the touch screen display and/or by permitting a user to remove an information object from the touch screen display.

13. The wall module of claim 10, wherein the building automation controller is configured to communicate the altered display arrangement to a remote server via a network.

14. The wall module of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to receive an initial display arrangement from the building automation controller upon initial power up of the wall module.

15. The wall module of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to receive the altered display arrangement from the building automation controller upon power resumption and/or wall module replacement.

16. The wall module of claim 10, wherein the display arrangement of information displayed on the touch screen display comprises an arrangement of two or more information objects on the touch screen display, wherein each information object has a location attribute that indicates a location of the information object on the touch screen display and/or a size attribute that indicates a size of the information object of the information object on the touch screen display.

17. The wall module of claim 16, wherein the controller permits a user to alter one or more of the location attribute and size attribute for one or more of the two or more information objects.

18. The wall module of claim 10, further comprising one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a light sensor, a movement sensor or a security sensor.

19. A method for operating a wall module of a building control system, the method comprising:

displaying information on the a display of the wall module according to a first display arrangement of information;

receiving inputs from a user that alters the first display arrangement of information, resulting in a second display arrangement of information;

storing the second display arrangement of information in a memory of the wall module; and

transmitting the second display arrangement of information to a separate remote device that is located remote from the wall module.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving the second display arrangement of information from the separate remote device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving step is performed upon power resumption of the wall module and/or upon wall module replacement.

22. A method for operating a building control system including a plurality of wall modules and a building controller remote from the plurality of wall modules, the method comprising:

displaying information on a display of one of the plurality of wall modules according to a first display arrangement of information;

receiving inputs from a user that alters the first display arrangement of information, resulting in a second display arrangement of information;

transmitting the second display arrangement of information from the one of the plurality of wall modules to the building controller; and

transmitting the second display arrangement of information from the building controller to others of the plurality of wall modules.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one of the plurality of wall modules is configured to transmit the first display arrangement of information to the building controller, which then transmits the first display arrangement of information to others of the plurality of wall modules.