System and method of use for a user interface dashboard of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

• US 8,442,693 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mirza, Muhammad Ali, Thorson, Timothy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Kavita
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US12/603,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 700/295, 715/779, 345/581, 345/593, 345/589, 345/619, 345/661, 345/671, 345/689, 345/902
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

The disclosure provides systems and methods of use of an HVAC graphical interface dashboard. In various embodiments, the dashboard includes a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen. The dashboard also includes an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen interprets a percentage of humidity for a user. A programs tab and a home tab are also provided. At least one attribute of a presentation of the home screen is selectable by a user.

Claims

1. An HVAC graphical interface dashboard, comprising:

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen which can program at least one of;

a) a time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints;

wherein a program schedule of the program tab is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being invoked for a set period of time;

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions wherein at least one attribute of a presentation of the home screen is selectable by a user,

wherein at least one attribute of a presentation of the home screen is selectable by a user.

2. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein, in order to access an installer screen from the home screen, an installer is to press and hold an icon that is a logo with a finger for a given time period and then drag the finger across the HVAC graphical interface dashboard.

3. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the presentation includes at least one of:

a) a choice of a black screen background;

b) a choice of a white screen background;

c) a choice of an enlargement of at least one font; and

d) a choice of an enlargement of icon.

4. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the dashboard has a screensaver that activates after a selected amount of inactivity from a user.

5. The dashboard of claim 1, further comprising a zone tab.

6. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein at least one tab is remotely invocable by a user.

7. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the help screen displays settings depending upon a screen displayed before the help tab is activated.

8. An HVAC system including a graphical interface dashboard and at least one coupled device, comprising:

a graphical interface dashboard, including;

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances a user to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein pressing the programs tab invokes a programs screen which can program at least one of;

i) a time;

ii) temperature setpoints;

iii) heating/cooling setpoints;

wherein a program schedule of the program tab is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being invoked for a set period of time;

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances a user to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions; and

the at least one coupled device selected from the group including;

a) an air handler;

b) a furnace;

c) an evaporator coil;

d) a condenser coil; and

e) a compressor;

wherein the at least one coupled device is viewable from at least one of the tabs, and

wherein at least one attribute of a presentation of the home screen is selectable by a user.

9. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the attribute of the presentation includes at least one of:

a) a choice of a black screen background;

b) a choice of a white screen background;

c) a choice of an enlargement of at least one font; and

d) a choice of an enlargement of icon.

10. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the dashboard has a screensaver that activates after a selected amount of inactivity from a user.

11. The HVAC system of claim 8, further comprising a zone tab.

12. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein at least one tab is remotely invocable by a user.

13. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein, in order to access an installer screen from the home screen, an installer is to press and hold an icon that is a logo with a finger for a given time period and then drag the finger across the graphical interface dashboard.

14. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the help screen displays settings depending upon a screen displayed before the help tab is activated.