Thermostat user interface

• US 8,280,536 B1
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M., Rogers, Matthew L., Sloo, David, Matas, Michael J., Bould, Fred, Honjo, Shigefumi, Huppi, Brian, Filson, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US13/487,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 120 Days
• Field of Search: 700/82, 700/276, 700/277, 236/1.C, 236/1.E, 236/18, 236/51, 236/94
• US Class Current: 700/83
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/07 : UV or IR detection, e.g. of human body
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/06 : Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement

Abstract

A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described, the thermostat having a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing ready access to, and intuitive navigation within, a menuing system capable of receiving a variety of different types of user settings and/or control parameters. For some embodiments, the thermostat comprises a housing, a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user, a processing system configured to identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, and an electronic display coupled to the processing system. An interactive thermostat menuing system is accessible to the user by an inward pressing of the ring-shaped user interface component. User navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system is achievable by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user;

a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled to the ring-shaped user interface component, the processing system being configured to dynamically identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, the processing system being further configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving an ambient air temperature, the processing system being still further configured to be in operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value; and

an electronic display coupled to the processing system and configured to dynamically display information representative of the identified setpoint temperature value; and

wherein said ring-shaped user-interface component is further configured to be inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of an axis of rotation of the rotational input motion;

wherein said processing system, said electronic display, and said ring-shaped user interface component are collectively configured such that (i) an interactive thermostat menuing system is accessible to the user, and (ii) a user navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system is achievable by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein:

said electronic display is disposed along a front face of the thermostat housing;

said ring-shaped user interface component comprises a mechanically rotatable ring that substantially surrounds the electronic display; and

said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that said mechanically rotatable ring moves inwardly along said direction of said axis of rotation when inwardly pressed.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that a tactile clicking feedback is provided when said mechanically rotatable ring is inwardly pressed.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, further comprising an audio output device coupled to said processing system, the thermostat being configured to output synthesized audible ticks through said audio output device in correspondence with user rotation of said mechanically rotatable ring.

5. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein said thermostat housing is generally disk-like in shape with said front face thereof being circular, and wherein said mechanically rotatable ring is generally coincident with an outer lateral periphery of said disk-like shape.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 further comprising:

the one or more temperature sensors; and

a plurality of HVAC wire connectors coupled to the processing system, the processing system being configured to send at least one control signal through the HVAC wire connectors to the HVAC system.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein said thermostat is configured such that said rotational input motions and said inward pressings of the ring-shaped user-interface component represent the sole physical user inputs to said thermostat.

8. A method for control of an HVAC system by a thermostat, the thermostat comprising a housing, a ring-shaped user-interface component, a processing system, and an electronic display, the method comprising:

accessing an ambient air temperature measured by one or more temperature sensors;

detecting and tracking rotational movements of the ring-shaped user-interface component to track at least one rotational input motion of a user;

dynamically identifying a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion;

dynamically displaying information representative of the identified setpoint temperature value on the electronic display;

controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the setpoint temperature value;

providing the user with an interactive thermostat menuing system on said electronic display, comprising providing user navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component, the inward pressings being along a direction of an axis of rotation of said tracked rotational movements of the ring-shaped user-interface component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said electronic display is disposed along a front face of the thermostat housing;

said ring-shaped user interface component comprises a mechanically rotatable ring that substantially surrounds the electronic display; and

said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that said mechanically rotatable ring moves inwardly along said direction of said axis of rotation when inwardly pressed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that a tactile clicking feedback is provided when said mechanically rotatable ring is inwardly pressed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said thermostat further comprises an audio output device coupled to said processing system, the thermostat being configured to output synthesized audible ticks through said audio output device in correspondence with user rotation of said mechanically rotatable ring.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said thermostat housing is generally disk-like in shape with said front face thereof being circular, and wherein said mechanically rotatable ring is generally coincident with an outer lateral periphery of said disk-like shape.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

measuring the ambient air temperature using the one or more temperature sensors,

wherein the thermostat comprises the one or more temperature sensors and a plurality of HVAC wire connectors,

wherein controlling the HVAC system comprises sending at least one control signal through HVAC wire connectors, and

wherein the interactive thermostat menuing system is provided in response to detecting an inward pressing of the ring-shaped user-interface component by the user.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said thermostat is configured such that said rotational input motions and said inward pressings of the ring-shaped user-interface component represent the sole physical user inputs to said thermostat.

15. A thermostat comprising:

a disk-like housing including a circular front face;

an electronic display centrally disposed on the front face;

an annular ring member disposed around the centrally disposed electronic display, said annular ring member and said housing being mutually configured such that (i) said annular ring member is rotatable around a front-to-back axis of the thermostat, and (ii) said annular ring member is inwardly pressable along a direction of the front-to-back axis;

a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled to the annular ring member;

said processing system being configured and programmed to dynamically alter a setpoint temperature value based on a user rotation of the annular ring member;

said processing system being further configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving an ambient air temperature,

said processing system being still further configured to be in operative communication with an HVAC system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value;

said processing system being further configured and programmed to provide an interactive thermostat menuing system on said electronic display; and

said processing system being further configured and programmed to provide user navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system based on rotation of the annular ring member by the user and inward pressing of the annular ring member by the user.

16. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein:

said annular ring member comprises a mechanically rotatable ring that substantially surrounds the electronic display; and

said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that said mechanically rotatable ring moves inwardly along said front-to-back axis when inwardly pressed.

17. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that a tactile clicking feedback is provided when said mechanically rotatable ring is inwardly pressed.

18. The thermostat of claim 17, further comprising an audio output device coupled to said processing system, the thermostat being configured to output synthesized audible ticks through said audio output device in correspondence with user rotation of said mechanically rotatable ring.

19. The thermostat of claim 16 further comprising:

the one or more temperature sensors,

wherein said processing system is configured and programmed to send at least one control signal to the HVAC system based at least in part on the comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the setpoint temperature value.

20. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein said thermostat is configured such that rotational input motions and inward pressings of the annular ring member represent the sole physical user inputs to said thermostat.