HVAC zone control panel

• US 7,904,830 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Jian, Liu, Tony, Paine, Brad, Arneson, David J., Hoglund, Steven R., Schwendinger, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T
• Application Number:
  US11/697,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/864, 715/810, 715/717, 715/771, 715/740, 715/817, 715/818, 236/46.R, 236/91.D, 236/94, 236/1.B, 700/278, 700/27, 700/8
• US Class Current: 715/817
• 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 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/80 for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A zone control panel that is easy and intuitive to use and to program. In some embodiments, a zone control panel may be configured to have an easy to use, single level menu structure with, for example, a configuration mode and/or a checkout mode. The configuration mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. Likewise, the checkout mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. A mode selector may be provided to select a particular mode, after which, the menu screens that correspond to the selected mode may be sequentially displayed to the user. Other features and aspects are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A zone control panel having two or more menu modes, the zone control panel comprising:

a dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector for selecting a menu mode from the two or more menu modes, wherein each of two or more menu modes, once selected by the dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector, sequentially traverse through a corresponding single level menu structure without submenu levels, wherein each corresponding single level menu structure allows a user to sequentially traverse through two or more corresponding menu screens between a first menu screen and a last menu screen;

a display for sequentially displaying the two or more menu screens that correspond to the selected menu mode;

one or more electro-mechanical buttons for interacting with the two or more menu screens of the selected menu mode;

wherein the dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector includes a mode select pushbutton, wherein sequentially pushing the mode select pushbutton causes the zone control panel to advance to a next menu mode and to display a corresponding first one of the two or more menu screens on the display;

wherein at least some of the two or more menu screens allow a user to change one or more parameter values of the zone control panel by pressing one or more of the electro-mechanical buttons; and

wherein at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped when sequentially traversing from one menu screen to a next menu screen in at least one of the menu modes, wherein at least one of the one or more parameter values are used to determine if/when the at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped.

2. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the zone control panel queries whether changes should be saved if the mode select pushbutton is pressed after a parameter value of the zone control panel has been changed via the one or more electro-mechanical buttons.

3. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein pressing one or more of the electro-mechanical buttons sequentially advances the display from one menu screen to a next menu screen.

4. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the zone control panel advances to a next menu mode if the mode select pushbutton is pressed before a parameter value of the zone control panel is changed via the one or more electro-mechanical buttons.

5. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein pressing one or more of the electro-mechanical buttons sequentially advances the display from one menu screen to a next menu screen in the selected menu mode.

6. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the one or more electro-mechanical buttons permit a user to scroll forwards and backwards sequentially through the two or more menu screens of the selected menu mode.

7. The zone control panel of claim 6, wherein the one or more electro-mechanical buttons permit a user to change one or more parameter values within the selected menu mode.

9. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more menu modes comprise a configuration mode.

10. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more menu modes comprise a checkout mode.

11. The zone control panel of claim 10, wherein in the checkout mode, a user is permitted to selectively activate heating equipment via a menu screen of the zone control panel.

8. A zone control panel having two or more menu modes, the zone control panel comprising:

a dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector for selecting a menu mode from the two or more menu modes, wherein each of two or more menu modes, once selected by the dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector, sequentially traverse through a corresponding single level menu structure without submenu levels, wherein each corresponding single level menu structure allows a user to sequentially traverse through two or more corresponding menu screens between a first menu screen and a last menu screen;

a display for sequentially displaying the two or more menu screens that correspond to the selected menu mode;

one or more electro-mechanical buttons for interacting with the two or more menu screens of the selected menu mode;

wherein at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped when sequentially advancing from one menu screen to a next menu screen in the selected menu mode;

wherein the one or more electro-mechanical buttons permit a user to scroll forwards and backwards sequentially through the two or more menu screens of the selected menu mode;

wherein the one or more electro-mechanical buttons permit a user to change one or more parameter values within the selected menu mode; and

wherein at least one of the one or more parameter values are used to determine if/when at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped as a user scroll forwards and/or backwards sequentially through the two or more menu screens of the selected menu mode.

12. A zone control panel having two or more menu modes, the zone control panel comprising:

a dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector for selecting a menu mode from the two or more menu modes, wherein each of two or more menu modes, once selected by the dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector, sequentially traverse through a corresponding single level menu structure without submenu levels, wherein each corresponding single level menu structure allows a user to sequentially traverse through two or more corresponding menu screens between a first menu screen and a last menu screen;

a display for sequentially displaying the two or more menu screens that correspond to the selected menu mode;

one or more electro-mechanical buttons for interacting with the two or more menu screens of the selected menu mode;

wherein at least some of the two or more menu screens allow a user to change one or more parameter values of the zone control panel by pressing one or more of the electro-mechanical buttons;

wherein at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped when sequentially traversing from one menu screen to a next menu screen in at least one of the menu modes, wherein at least one of the one or more parameter values are used to determine if/when the at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped;

wherein one of the two or more menu modes comprise a checkout mode; and

wherein in the checkout mode, a user is permitted to selectively activate cooling equipment via a menu screen of the zone control panel.

13. A zone control panel having two or more menu modes, the zone control panel comprising:

a dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector for selecting a menu mode from the two or more menu modes, wherein each of two or more menu modes, once selected by the dedicated electro-mechanical mode selector, sequentially traverse through a corresponding single level menu structure without submenu levels, wherein each corresponding single level menu structure allows a user to sequentially traverse through two or more corresponding menu screens between a first menu screen and a last menu screen;

a display for sequentially displaying the two or more menu screens that correspond to the selected menu mode;

one or more electro-mechanical buttons for interacting with the two or more menu screens of the selected menu mode;

wherein at least some of the two or more menu screens allow a user to change one or more parameter values of the zone control panel by pressing one or more of the electro-mechanical buttons;

wherein at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped when sequentially traversing from one menu screen to a next menu screen in at least one of the menu modes, wherein at least one of the one or more parameter values are used to determine if/when the at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped;

wherein one of the two or more menu modes comprise a checkout mode; and

wherein in the checkout mode, a user is permitted to selectively open and close dampers via a menu screen of the zone control panel.

14. A method of programming a programmable zone control panel, the zone control panel having a mode select button for selecting a menu mode, and one or more buttons for making changes to one or more programmable parameters of the zone control panel, the method comprising the steps of:

pushing the mode select button to select a selected menu mode, wherein sequentially pushing the mode select button causes the zone control panel to advance to a next menu mode and to display a menu that corresponding to the selected menu mode on a display of the zone control panel;

displaying a menu that corresponds to the selected mode;

pushing the one or more other buttons to sequentially move along two or more menu screens of a single level menu structure that does not have submenu levels corresponding to the selected menu mode and, if desired, to make one or more changes to one or more programmable parameter values identified by one or more of the two or more menu screens of the single level menu structure;

wherein at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped when sequentially traversing from one menu screen to a next menu screen in at least one of the menu modes, wherein at least one of the one or more programmable parameter values are used to determine if/when the at least one of the menu screens is selectively skipped; and

pushing the mode select button again to exit the selected menu mode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, if one or more changes were made to one of more programmable parameter values identified by the single level menu structure, pressing the mode select button to exit the selected menu mode causes a query to be displayed querying whether the one or more changes made to the programmable parameter values should be saved.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, if one or more changes were not made to one of more programmable parameter values identified by the single level menu structure, pressing the mode select button to exit the selected menu mode does not cause a query to be displayed querying whether the one or more changes made to the programmable parameter values should be saved.