Computerized system for controlling thermostats

• US 6,351,693 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Monie, Vijaykumar Subramonie, Vasudevan, Rajesh K., Hamann, Richard Daniel, Cook, Stephen Duane, Mannikkath, Premraj K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): CABRERA, ZOILA E
• Application Number:
  US09/235,140
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/299, 700/300, 702/99, 702/130
• US Class Current: 700/299
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

A computerized system is provided that shows a visual representation of thermostat programming information and provides context-sensitive help. The system automatically detects communicating thermostats on a network upon starting, and gives a visual representation of the stages of thermostat programming. The system further provides a visual representation of programming details of a user-selected stage while providing the representation of all stages, and allows selection of stages for display or modification of programming details in any order. The system also provides context-sensitive help for each of the stages and for each of the programming details of each stage when selected, in the form of instruction text and pop-up clarifying text.

Claims

1. A computerized system, comprising:

a module within a computer that is operable to give a visual representation of programming stages of programming one of one or more selected communicating thermostats connected to the computer via a network, to retrieve programming details of programming stage details from the one or more communicating thermostats, to give a visual representation of programming details of a stage selected from said programming stages, and to automatically provide instruction that relates to said selected stage, and further operable to allow selection of any one of the communicating thermostats for viewing retrieved programming details or programming said details of a selected programming stage, wherein the stages may be selected viewed or programmed in any order.

2. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the module, upon starting, searches the network for communicating thermostats, automatically generates a thermostat list of all communicating thermostats found as a result of the search, and retrieves the programming details from the communicating thermostats.

3. The computerized system of claim 2, wherein the module, upon not finding any communicating thermostats connected to the network, automatically enters a self-tutoring mode that provides virtual thermostats that can be selected, viewed, and programmed.

4. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the selection of any one of the communicating thermostats is performed by selecting a user-configurable thermostat label from a thermostat list of communicating thermostats.

5. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the stages of programming a thermostat include:

selecting a thermostat for programming;

configuring thermostat keyboard and display options;

configuring thermostat operation time and temperature set point options; and

configuring scheduled occupied and unoccupied times;

where the stages may be viewed or programmed in any order.

6. The computerized system of claim 5, further including a stage providing a visual representation of data monitored from a selected communicating thermostat.

7. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the instruction that relates to the selected stage comprises an instruction window that automatically displays instructions related to programming the current stage, and further comprise clarifying text displayed in pop-up form when a mouse pointer is positioned over a visual representation of a stage or a selected stage programming detail.

8. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a modem connection.

9. A method of programming selected ones of a plurality of thermostat programs, comprising:

searching a network for communicating thermostats;

creating a thermostat list of all communicating thermostats found by searching the network;

selecting a communicating thermostat from the thermostat list to view programming details retrieved from the selected thermostat or to program from the list of communicating thermostats;

providing a visual representation of programming stages of thermostat programming;

selecting any stage from such visual representation of stages, wherein a visual representation of stage programming details of the selected stage is then displayed; and

displaying automatically instructions associated with such selected stage or stage programming details.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically displaying instructions comprises displaying instructions related to programming the current stage programming details, and further comprises displaying pop-up clarifying text when a mouse pointer is positioned over a visual representation of a stage or a selected stage programming detail.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving programming details from each communicating thermostat connected to the network such that the retrieved programming details are displayed as part of the visual representation of the stage programming details for the selected stage.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

entering a self-tutoring mode that provides virtual thermostats that can be selected, viewed, and programmed if no communicating thermostats are found in searching the network for communicating thermostats.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting a communicating thermostat from the thermostat list further comprises selecting the thermostat by selecting a user-configurable thermostat label from the thermostat list.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the stages of programming a thermostat include:

selecting a thermostat for programming;

configuring thermostat keyboard and display options;

configuring thermostat operation time and temperature set point options; and

configuring scheduled occupied and unoccupied times;

where the stages may be viewed or programmed in any order.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a stage providing a visual representation of data monitored from a selected communicating thermostat.

16. A machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions operable to cause a computer to:

search a network for communicating thermostats;

create a thermostat list of all communicating thermostats found by searching the network;

allow a user to select a communicating thermostat from the thermostat list to view programming details retrieved from the selected thermostat or to program from the list of communicating thermostats;

provide a visual representation of programming stages of thermostat programming;

allow a user to select any stage from such visual representation of programming stages, wherein a visual representation of stage programming details of the selected stage is displayed upon selection; and

display automatically instructions associated with such selected stage or stage programming details.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause a computer to retrieve programming details from each communicating thermostat connected to the network such that the retrieved programming details are displayed as part of the visual representation of the stage programming details for the selected stage.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the stages comprise:

selecting a thermostat for programming;

configuring thermostat keyboard and display options;

configuring thermostat operation time and temperature set point options; and

configuring scheduled occupied and unoccupied times.