User friendly interface for control unit

• US 8,918,219 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sloo, David, Fadell, Anthony Michael, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Plitkins, Michael, Matas, Michael James, Bould, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/269,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 236/1.C, 236/91.D, 236/91.R, 236/94
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/32 preventing human errors during the installation, use or maintenance, e.g. goofy proof
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A user-friendly programmable thermostat is described that includes a central electronic display surrounded by a ring that can be rotated and pressed inwardly to provide user input in a simple and elegant fashion. The current temperature and setpoint are graphically displayed as prominent tick marks. Different colors and intensities can be displayed to indicate currently active HVAC functions and an amount of heating or cooling required to reach a target temperature. The setpoint can be altered by user rotation of the ring. The schedule can be displayed and altered by virtue of rotations and inward pressings of the ring. Initial device set up and installation, the viewing of device operation, the editing of various settings, and the viewing of historical energy usage information are made simple and elegant by virtue of the described form factor, display modalities, and user input modalities of the device.

Claims

1. In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:

displaying a plurality of background tick marks arcuately arranged within a range area on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device, said electronic display and said body each being rounded in shape;

displaying a setpoint tick mark on the electronic display within the range area such that the setpoint tick mark is more prominently visible to the user than the background tick marks, the setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature;

displaying a numerical representation of the setpoint temperature in a central location on the rounded electronic display; and

displaying on the rounded electronic display a background color having a red and/or orange shade when the programmable device is calling for heating from the HVAC system.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the background color is displayed with an intensity that varies according to an amount of heating to be used to reach the setpoint temperature.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising displaying a current temperature tick mark on the rounded electronic display within the range area such that the current temperature tick mark is more prominent than the background tick marks, the current temperature tick mark representing a current temperature.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising displaying a numerical representation of the current temperature on the rounded electronic display in close proximity to said current temperature tick mark.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving input from a user at least in part using a rotatable ring surrounding the rounded electronic display, the input representing a change in the setpoint temperature.

6. A method according to claim 5 further comprising moving the setpoint tick mark in response to and in accordance with the received input such that the change in setpoint is visible to the user.

7. A programmable device for controlling an HVAC system adapted and configured to interface with a user according to the method of claim 1.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, cause the programmable device to interface with a user thereof according to the method of claim 1.

9. A method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a menu including a plurality of user selectable options in an arcuate area on the electronic display that is centrally mounted on the body of the programmable device;

receiving input from a user at least in part using a rotatable ring surrounding the rounded electronic display; and

highlighting different user selectable options in response to and in accordance with the received input.

10. A method according to claim 9, said electronic display and said body each being rounded in shape, wherein the arcuate area is a circular outer area of the rounded electronic display, and wherein the plurality of user selectable options are distributed about the circular area and are rotated about the rounded electronic display in response to the received input.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the highlighting includes a highlighting window that remains in a fixed position relative to the device while the plurality of user selectable options are progressively rotated through the window such that only one of the user selectable options appears within the window.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein said receiving input from the user includes:

detecting an inward pressure from the user placed on the device; and

regarding as the user'"'"'s selected option the user selectable option that appears within the highlighting window at a time of the detected inward pressure.

13. In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:

displaying a plurality of background tick marks arcuately arranged within a range area on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device, said electronic display and said body each being rounded in shape;

displaying a setpoint tick mark on the electronic display within the range area such that the setpoint tick mark is more prominently visible to the user than the background tick marks, the setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature;

displaying a numerical representation of the setpoint temperature in a central location on the rounded electronic display; and

displaying on the rounded electronic display a background color having a bluish shade when the device is calling for cooling from the HVAC system.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the background color is displayed with an intensity that varies according to an amount of cooling to be used to reach the setpoint temperature.

15. A programmable device for controlling an HVAC system adapted and configured to interface with a user according to the method of claim 13.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, cause the programmable device to interface with a user thereof according to the method of claim 13.

17. A method according to claim 13 further comprising displaying a current temperature tick mark on the rounded electronic display within the range area such that the current temperature tick mark is more prominent than the background tick marks, the current temperature tick mark representing a current temperature.

18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising displaying a numerical representation of the current temperature on the rounded electronic display in close proximity to said current temperature tick mark.

19. A method according to claim 13 further comprising receiving input from a user at least in part using a rotatable ring surrounding the rounded electronic display, the input representing a change in the setpoint temperature.

20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising moving the setpoint tick mark in response to and in accordance with the received input such that the change in setpoint is visible to the user.

21. In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:

displaying a visible portion of a schedule plot on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device, the schedule plot having a time axis and including a plurality of programmed setpoints disposed at respective locations along the time axis;

receiving input from the user by user rotation of a rotatable ring surrounding the electronic display;

progressively changing the visible portion of the schedule plot in response to the received input; and

displaying a stationary cursor overlaid on the displayed visible portion of the schedule plot, the cursor being representative of a time value by virtue of its location along the time axis of the schedule plot;

wherein the changing the visible portion includes moving the schedule plot in a direction of the time axis relative to the stationary cursor such that a progression of time intervals is represented on the electronic display as a function of the received user input;

wherein each said programmed setpoint has an effective time that is characterized by the location of the programmed setpoint along said time axis, and wherein each said programmed setpoint further has a temperature value that is characterized by the location of the programmed setpoint along a temperature axis of the schedule plot.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said time axis is oriented along a horizontal direction of the rounded electronic display, and wherein said temperature axis is disposed along a vertical direction of the rounded electronic display.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the setpoint effective time and setpoint temperature value of each setpoint can be adjusted by the user using the rotatable ring.

24. A programmable device for controlling an HVAC system adapted and configured to interface with a user according to the method of claim 21.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, cause the programmable device to interface with a user thereof according to the method of claim 21.

26. A programmable device for controlling an HVAC system comprising:

an electronic display positioned inside an outer ring that is user rotatable to generate rotation input and user pressable along a direction of an axis of rotation of the outer ring to generate press input; and

a processor adapted and configured to drive the electronic display responsive to rotation input generated by user rotation of the outer ring and press input generated by user pressing of the outer ring,

wherein the processor is programmed to cause the electronic display to show recent energy usage performance information for a succession of recent historical time intervals that appear on the electronic display according to rotation input generated by user rotation of the outer ring.

27. A device according to claim 26, wherein each of the outer ring and the electronic display is circular in shape, and wherein the energy performance information for each time interval is displayed in a separate window, the electronic display showing transitions between adjacent historical intervals using animated lateral movement transitions between windows that are responsive to rotation input generated by user rotation of the outer ring.

28. A device according to claim 27, wherein the device is a programmable thermostat.

29. A device according to claim 28, the device being further programmed according to a method comprising:

displaying a menu including a plurality of user selectable options in an arcuate area on the electronic display, said user selectable options including an energy information display option;

highlighting different ones of said user selectable options in response to and in accordance with rotation input generated by user rotation of the outer ring;

detecting press input generated by user pressing of the outer ring; and

regarding as a selected option from said menu the user selectable option that is highlighted at a time of said detecting press input generated by user pressing;

wherein said recent energy usage performance information is shown responsive to selection of the energy information display option from said menu.