Thermostat display system providing animated icons

• US 7,455,240 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ranco Incorporated of Delaware (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Ranco Incorporated of Delaware (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Chapman, John Gilman Jr., Burt, Robert, Gray, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US11/216,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20070045433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 236/46.R, 236/46.C, 236/91.D, 236/91.R, 700/275, 700/276, 700/83, 345/173
• US Class Current: 236/91.00D
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/12 room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2241/02 Space-heating
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/022 using electronic means F23N5/04 - F23N5/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

A visual display system and method for a digital thermostat having a user display screen to provide operational status information of the heating and/or cooling equipment controlled by the thermostat is provided. This visual display system utilizes animated icons to show operational status of the heating and/or cooling equipment. Static icons may also be used in one embodiment to indicate the current mode of the thermostat. Animated icons for the heating system, the cooling system, and fan operation are provided. The illusion of animation is provided by overwriting or replacing a displayed image with another image at a predetermined frequency. This predetermined frequency may be changed programmatically, and varied to provide different visual effects.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling heating and/or cooling equipment, comprising:

a user display screen for displaying operational information about the heating and/or cooling equipment controlled by the thermostat; and

wherein the thermostat displays at least one animated visual indication of operation of at least one of the heating and/or cooling equipment on the user display, the animated visual indication comprising a first icon positioned on the user display in a first orientation and a second icon positioned on the user display in a second orientation differing slightly from the first orientation, the thermostat alternatively displaying the first icon and the second icon.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the first icon is replaced with the second icon at a predetermined frequency.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the animated visual indication further comprises a third icon positioned on the user display in a third orientation differing slightly from the first and the second orientation, and wherein the thermostat alternatively displays the first icon, the second icon, and the third icon in sequence.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the first icon is replaced with the second icon, and the second icon is replaced by the third icon at a predetermined frequency.

5. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein a frequency at which the first icon is replaced with the second icon, and the second icon is replaced by the third icon is variable to provide a visual perception of different speeds of animation of the animated visual indication.

6. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the animated visual indication comprises an indication of operation of the cooling equipment, and wherein the first, second and third icons are illustrations of snow flakes oriented such that sequencing of the first, second and third icons gives a visual perception of falling snow.

7. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the animated visual indication comprises an indication of operation of a fan, and wherein the first, second and third icons are illustrations of a fan having a plurality of fan blades oriented such that sequencing of the first, second and third icons gives a visual perception of a rotating fan.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the animated visual indication comprises an indication of operation of the heating equipment, and wherein the first and second icons are illustrations of a flame oriented such that sequencing of the first and second icons gives a visual perception of a flickering flame.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat displays a static visual indication an operational mode of the thermostat.

10. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the user display is a liquid crystal display (LCD), and wherein the first and second icons are bitmap images.

11. A thermostat for controlling heating and/or cooling equipment, comprising:

a user display screen for displaying operational information about the heating and/or cooling equipment controlled by the thermostat;

wherein the thermostat displays at least one animated visual indication of operation of at least one of the heating and/or cooling equipment on the user display, the animated visual indication comprising a first icon positioned on the user display in a first orientation and a second icon positioned on the user display in a second orientation differing slightly from the first orientation, the thermostat alternatively displaying the first icon and the second icon;

wherein the first icon is replaced with the second icon at a predetermined frequency; and

wherein the predetermined frequency is user programmable.

12. A method of providing a visual indication of an operational status of heating and/or cooling equipment controlled by a thermostat having a user display, comprising the step of displaying an animated image on the user display signifying the operational status of the heating and/or cooling equipment controlled by the thermostat when at least one of the heating and/or cooling equipment is operating.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of displaying an animated image includes the steps of:

displaying a first image having a first orientation on the user display; and

replacing the first image with a second image having a second orientation slightly different than the first orientation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of displaying and replacing at a predetermined frequency.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of displaying and replacing at a user programmable frequency.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of displaying an animated image includes the steps of:

displaying a first image having a first orientation on the user display;

replacing the first image with a second image having a second orientation slightly different than the first orientation; and

replacing the second image with a third image having a third orientation slightly different than the second orientation.

17. The method of claim 16, where the steps of displaying the first image, replacing the first image with the second image, and replacing the second image with the third image are repeated at a predetermined frequency to provide an illusion of smooth movement of the image.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of varying the predetermined frequency to provide an illusion of movement of the image at a different speed.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of displaying a static image on the user display signifying the operational mode of the thermostat.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of displaying a second animated image on the user display signifying the operational status of two of the heating and/or cooling equipment controlled by the thermostat when two of the heating and/or cooling equipment are operating.