THERMOSTAT HAVING NETWORK CONNECTED BRANDING FEATURES

• US 20170074537A1
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Gillette, Theresa N., Tasker, Tom R., McCune, Tyler, Uerkvitz, John W., Atchison, Shaun B., Middleton, Daniel S., Noor, Aneek Muhammad, Ribbich, Joseph R., Bentz, Jedidiah O., Rigg, Brian D., Alberth, William P. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,510,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0003 characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0383 Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 : for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 : by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 : Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 : Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 : Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 : Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 : for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/08 : Use of distortion metrics or a particular distance between probe pattern and reference templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 : for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A thermostat for a building space includes a communications interface, an electronic display, and a processing circuit. The communications interface is configured to receive service provider information via a network connection. The electronic display includes a user interface configured to display the service provider information. The processing circuit is configured to determine when to display the service provider information on the electronic display by monitoring thermostat events.

Claims

1. A thermostat for a building space, the thermostat comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive service provider information via a network connection;

an electronic display comprising a user interface configured to display the service provider information; and

a processing circuit configured to determine when to display service provider information on the electronic display by monitoring thermostat events.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive the service provider information from a dealer associated with the thermostat;

receive new service provider information from a second dealer when the dealer associated with the thermostat changes from a first dealer to the second dealer; and

display the new service provider information via the electronic display in response to a determination that the dealer associated with the thermostat has changed from the first dealer to the second dealer.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive the service provider information via the communications interface when the thermostat is first installed in the building space.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the service provider information comprises customized branding, the customized branding comprising at least one of:

a dealer phone number;

a dealer address;

dealer store hours;

a dealer RSS feed; and

a dealer logo.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive the service provider information via the communications interface when a dealer creates new branding and serves the new branding to the thermostat via the communications interface.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

cause the electronic display to display a button to contact a dealer;

detect a user pressing the button;

place a call to the dealer through voice over Internet in response to detecting the user pressing the button; and

transmitting communications between the user and the dealer using at least one of a microphone and a speaker of the thermostat.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine when to display dealer information on the electronic display by monitoring thermostat events;

wherein the thermostat events comprise at least one of;

a fault occurring in the thermostat;

a fault occurring in equipment connected to the thermostat;

detecting that maintenance is due for the thermostat;

detecting that maintenance is due for the connected equipment;

determining that a threshold time has passed since the dealer information was last displayed; and

determining that a user is adjusting settings in the thermostat for a time longer than a predetermined amount of time.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the service provider information comprises advertisements, the advertisements;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to select the advertisements based on at least one of;

a schedule of the thermostat; and

an ambient temperature.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to collect revenue information and serve the revenue information to a dealer via the communications interface, the revenue information comprising at least one of:

number of service calls placed;

number of technician visits to the building;

advertising revenue; and

equipment and parts purchased.

10. A method for operating a network branded thermostat, the method comprising:

receiving customized branding via a network connection of the thermostat;

determining when to display the customized branding on the electronic display by monitoring thermostat events; and

displaying the customized branding on an electronic display of the thermostat in response to detecting one or more of the thermostat events.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprising receiving the customized branding via the network connection when the thermostat is first installed in a building space.

12. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising receiving new customized branding from a second dealer when a dealer associated with the thermostat changes from a first dealer to the second dealer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the customized branding comprising at least one of:

a dealer phone number;

a dealer address;

dealer store hours;

a dealer RSS feed; and

a dealer logo.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving customized branding via the network connection when a dealer creates new branding and serves the new branding to the thermostat via the network connection.

15. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising collecting revenue information and serving the revenue information to a dealer via the network connection, the revenue information comprising:

number of service calls placed;

number of technician visits to the building;

advertising revenue; and

equipment and parts purchased.

16. A dealer configured thermostat for a building space, the thermostat comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive dealer information via a network connection;

an electronic display comprising a user interface configured to display the dealer information; and

a processing circuit configured to determine when to display the dealer information on the electronic display by monitoring events of the thermostat.

17. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the dealer information comprises at least one of:

a dealer phone number;

a dealer address;

dealer store hours;

a dealer RSS feed; and

a dealer logo.

18. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

cause the electronic display to display a button to contact a dealer;

detect a user pressing the button;

place a call to the dealer through voice over Internet in response to detecting the user pressing the button; and

transmitting communications between the user and the dealer using at least one of a microphone and a speaker of the thermostat.

19. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to collect revenue information and serve the revenue information to a dealer via the communications interface, the revenue information comprising:

number of service calls placed;

number of technician visits to the building;

advertising revenue; and

equipment and parts purchased.

20. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive customized branding from a dealer associated with the thermostat;

receive new customized branding from a second dealer when the dealer associated with the thermostat changes from a first dealer to the second dealer; and

display the new customized branding via the electronic display in response to a determination that the dealer associated with the thermostat has changed from the first dealer to the second dealer.