TRIAGE OF INITIAL SCHEDULE SETUP FOR AN HVAC CONTROLLER

• US 20180023827A1
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Quam, David, Slate, Sara, Booth, Ted, Roberts, Shannon, Tiefenauer, Jason, Tran, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 10,302,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/10 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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

An HVAC controller may be configured to control at least part of an HVAC system in accordance with any one of several different scheduling options, such as a location-based scheduling option and time-based scheduling option. In some cases, a user may be guided through several different scheduling options in a methodical, easy to understand sequence of information displays.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing program instructions for facilitating a user in setting up schedule settings of an HVAC controller, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors carries out the steps of:

displaying on a user interface a plurality of screens that permit a user to select one of several scheduling setup procedures, each of the several scheduling setup procedures being selectable for use via a different one of the plurality of screens, the plurality of screens including a first screen that has an acceptance button that when selected by the user selects a first scheduling setup procedure, the first screen also including a navigation element that the user can use to move to a second screen of the plurality of screens;

if the user selects the acceptance button on the first screen, displaying one or more subsequent screens on the user interface that allow the user to make setting selections in accordance with the first scheduling setup procedure;

if the user selects the navigation element on the first screen, displaying on the user interface the second screen of the plurality of screens, the second screen including an acceptance button that when selected by the user selects a second scheduling setup procedure; and

if the user selects the acceptance button on the second screen, displaying one or more subsequent screens on the user interface that allow the user to make setting selections in accordance with the second scheduling procedure.

2. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second screen including a navigation element that the user can use to return to the first screen.

3. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second screen including a navigation element that the user can use to move to a third screen of the plurality of screens, wherein the third screen including an acceptance button that when selected by the user selects a third scheduling setup procedure, and wherein if the user selects the acceptance button on the third screen, displaying one or more subsequent screens on the user interface that allow the user to make setting selections in accordance with the third scheduling procedure.

4. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first screen and the second screen are at a common menu level.

5. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first scheduling setup procedure pertains to utilizing geofencing in operation of the HVAC controller.

6. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the setting selections in accordance with the first scheduling setup procedure comprise one or more of a home temperature, an away temperature and a geo-fence radius.

7. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second scheduling setup procedure pertains to utilizing a programmable schedule in operation of the HVAC controller with no geo-fencing.

8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the setting selections in accordance with the second scheduling setup procedure comprise one or more of a time and a temperature for each of two or more time periods.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the third scheduling setup procedure pertains to utilizing geofencing plus a schedule in operation of the HVAC controller.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the setting selections in accordance with the third scheduling setup procedure comprise one or more of a home temperature, an away temperature, a geo-fence radius, a wake time, a wake temperature, a sleep time and a sleep temperature.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the navigation element of the first screen comprises a swipe element that can be used to move to the second screen with a swipe gesture.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the navigation element of the first screen comprises a button that can be used to move to the second screen by activating the button.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on the user interface an inquiry of the user as to whether the user has a predictable schedule or a non-predictable schedule;

accepting, via the user interface, an answer from the user, and;

if the answer indicates that the user has a predictable schedule, the first scheduling setup procedure is selected to pertain to utilizing a programmable schedule in operation of the HVAC controller; and

if the answer indicates that the user has a non-predictable schedule, the first scheduling setup procedure is selected to pertain to utilizing geofencing in operation of the HVAC controller.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the inquiry as to whether the user has a predictable schedule or a non-predictable schedule comprises an inquiry as to whether the user is home all day or not.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executed by one or more processors of a smartphone or one or more processors of the HVAC controller.

16. A wireless mobile device configured to facilitate setup of an HVAC controller, the wireless mobile device comprising:

a user interface;

a wireless communications port;

a controller coupled with the user interface and the wireless communications port;

the controller configured to display on the user interface a plurality of screens that permit a user to select one of several scheduling setup procedures, each of the several scheduling setup procedures being selectable for use via a different one of the plurality of screens, the plurality of screens including a first screen that has an acceptance button that when selected by the user selects a first scheduling setup procedure, the first screen also including a navigation element that the user can use to move to a second screen of the plurality of screens;

if the user selects the acceptance button on the first screen, the controller is configured to display one or more subsequent screens on the user interface that allow the user to make setting selections in accordance with the first scheduling setup procedure;

if the user selects the navigation element on the first screen, the controller is configured to display on the user interface the second screen of the plurality of screens, the second screen including an acceptance button that when selected by the user selects a second scheduling setup procedure;

if the user selects the acceptance button on the second screen, the controller is configured to display one or more subsequent screens on the user interface that allow the user to make setting selections in accordance with the second scheduling setup procedure; and

where the first scheduling setup procedure pertains to utilizing geofencing in operation of the HVAC controller, and the second scheduling setup procedure pertains to utilizing a programmable schedule in operation of the HVAC controller with no geo-fencing.

17. The wireless mobile device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to communicate the setting selections via the wireless communications port of the wireless mobile device.

18. The wireless mobile device of claim 17, wherein the setting selections are communicated to a remote server.

19. A method of guiding a user in setting up a HVAC controller, the method comprising:

querying the user to determine if the user wishes to operate the HVAC controller in accordance with a location-based procedure;

accepting a first indication from the user, and if the first indication indicates that the user wishes to operate the HVAC controller in accordance with the location-based procedure, then allowing the user to make setting selections in accordance with the location-based procedure;

if the first indication indicates that the user does not wish to operate the HVAC controller in accordance with the location-based procedure, querying the user to determine if the user wishes to operate the HVAC controller in accordance with a time-based procedure; and

accepting a second indication from the user, and if the second indication indicates that the user wishes to operate their HVAC controller in accordance with the time-based procedure, then allowing the user to make setting selections in accordance with the time-based procedure.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the setting selections in accordance with the location-based procedure comprise one or more of a home temperature, an away temperature and a geo-fence radius; and

the setting selections in accordance with the time-based procedure comprise one or more of a time and a temperature for each of two or more time periods.