Systems and methods for a graphical user interface of a controller for an energy-consuming system having spatially related discrete display elements

• US 9,075,419 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• 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, Hales, Steven A. IV
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/834,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/276, 236/1.C, 236/51, 236/91.D, 236/91.R, 236/94
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2221/32 preventing human errors during the installation, use or maintenance, e.g. goofy proof
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for generating and/or displaying a graphical user interface used to control an energy-consuming system, such as a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system. Such an electronic device may include, for example, a processor that generates the graphical user interface and an electronic display that displays the graphical user interface. The graphical user interface may include a menu formed from discrete display elements that, owing to the way in which the discrete display elements are shifted into and out of view on the screen, appear to be spatially related to one another.

Claims

1. An electronic device for controlling a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to generate a graphical user interface; and

an electronic display of the electronic device configured to display the graphical user interface;

wherein the graphical user interface comprises a menu of discrete display elements, wherein, upon a first stimulus, a first of the discrete display elements is shifted out of full view on the electronic display while a second of the discrete display elements is shifted into full view on the electronic display, and wherein the first of the discrete display elements is shifted out of full view on the electronic display using a coin flip animation effect and the second of the discrete display elements is shifted into full view on the electronic display using the coin flip animation effect.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein only one of the discrete display elements of the menu is completely in view on the electronic display at any single time.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein each discrete display element of the menu fills the electronic display when fully in view.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein each discrete display element of the menu fills only a portion of the electronic display when fully in view.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein each discrete display element substantially takes the shape of the electronic display of the same or a different scale.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the electronic display and the discrete display elements have a common non-rectangular shape.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a user input interface configured to:

detect a user navigation operation from the first of the discrete display elements of the menu to the second of the discrete display elements of the menu; and

provide the first stimulus when the user navigation operation is detected.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a rotating ring user input interface, wherein the rotating ring user input interface is configured to provide the first stimulus when the rotating ring user input interface is rotated a first direction and the first of the discrete display elements is fully visible on the electronic display.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the rotating ring user input interface is configured to provide a second stimulus when the rotating ring user input interface is rotated a second direction and the first of the discrete display elements is fully in view on the electronic display, wherein, upon the second stimulus, the first of the discrete display elements is shifted out of full view while a third of the discrete display elements is shifted into full view, and wherein the first and third of the discrete display elements appear spatially related to one another when the first of the discrete display elements is shifted out of full view and the third of the discrete display elements is shifted into full view.

10. A method for providing a graphical user interface of an electronic display of an electronic device configured to control a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:

displaying a screen of a first logical hierarchical level of the graphical user interface, wherein the screen comprises a user-selectable option to enter a menu of a second logical hierarchical level of the graphical user interface, wherein the second logical hierarchical level is lower than the first logical hierarchical level;

after receiving an indication of a user selection of the option to enter the menu, displaying a first discrete display element of the menu on the electronic display; and

after receiving an indication of a user navigation from the first discrete display element of the menu to a second discrete display element of the menu, shifting the first discrete display element out of full view on the electronic display using a coin flip animation effect while shifting the second discrete display element into full view on the electronic display using the coin flip animation effect.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising, after the user selection of the option to enter the menu but before the first discrete display element is displayed, transitioning via the coin flip animation from the screen of the first logical hierarchical level to the menu of the second logical hierarchical level.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the screen of the first logical hierarchical level appears to be rotated at least once in space to reveal the first discrete display element of the menu on the other side.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the first discrete display element of the menu comprises displaying on the electronic display a title of the menu in an area of the electronic display not filled by the first discrete display element, wherein the title remains visible while the first discrete display element and the second discrete display element are shifted.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second discrete display elements comprise the same shape as the electronic display but a smaller scale.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first discrete display element is shifted out of full view at a first location along a boundary of the electronic display and the second discrete display element is shifted into full view at a second location along the boundary of the electronic display.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first location along the boundary of the electronic display is opposite the second location along the boundary of the electronic display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first location along the boundary of electronic display is a leftmost edge of the electronic display and the second location along the boundary of the electronic display is a rightmost edge of the electronic display, or wherein the first location along the boundary of electronic display is a rightmost edge of the electronic display and the second location along the boundary of the electronic display is a leftmost edge of the electronic display.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein shifting the first and second discrete display elements comprises translating the first and second discrete display elements in a common direction and at a common rate to maintain the appearance of the spatial relationship to one another.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein shifting at least the second discrete display element comprises translating the second discrete display element at a rate that varies to give an appearance that the second discrete display element has a mass or inertia.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein shifting at least the second discrete display element comprises translating the second discrete display element at a rate that varies at least partly based on variable assist scrolling comprising a speed of rotation of a rotating ring user input interface.

21. One or more tangible, non-transitory machine-readable media comprising instructions configured to be carried out on an electronic device that controls a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the instructions configured to:

generate at least one screen of a navigable, ordered series of screens of a graphical user interface configured to be displayed on an electronic display of the electronic device, wherein the ordered series of screens comprises a first screen and a last screen, wherein each of the ordered series of screens is directly navigable to at least an immediately subsequent one or an immediately prior one of the ordered series of screens, and wherein each of the ordered series of screens comprises a discrete display element;

display the at least one screen on the electronic display; and

in response to user input indicating a desire to navigate from the at least one screen to another screen of the ordered series of screens, display an animated transition on the electronic display configured to provide an appearance of a spatial relationship between the respective discrete display elements of the at least one screen and the other screen, wherein the animated transition comprises a coin flip effect in which the at least one screen appears to be rotated at least once in space to reveal the other screen on the other side.

22. The one or more tangible, machine-readable media of claim 21, wherein the first screen of the ordered series of screens is only directly navigable to an immediately subsequent screen and the last screen of the ordered series of screens is only directly navigable to an immediately prior screen.

23. The one or more tangible, machine-readable media of claim 21, wherein the first screen or the last screen of the ordered series of screens is configured to provide a user-selectable exit from the ordered series of screens to a higher logical hierarchical level of the graphical user interface.

24. The one or more tangible, machine-readable media of claim 21, wherein both the first screen and the last screen of the ordered series of screens are configured to provide a user-selectable exit from the ordered series of screens to a higher logical hierarchical level of the graphical user interface.

25. The one or more tangible, machine-readable media of claim 21, wherein the ordered series of screens comprises a thermostat settings menu and wherein at least two of the ordered series of screens comprise different user-selectable thermostat settings.

26. The one or more tangible, machine-readable media of claim 21, wherein each of the ordered series of screens comprises a portion of the discrete display element of the immediately prior screen of the ordered series of screens or the a portion of the discrete display element of the immediately subsequent screen of the ordered series of screens, or both.

27. A method for providing a graphical user interface of an electronic display of an electronic device configured to control a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:

displaying a screen of a first logical hierarchical level of the graphical user interface, wherein the screen comprises a user-selectable option to enter a menu of a second logical hierarchical level of the graphical user interface, wherein the second logical hierarchical level is lower than the first logical hierarchical level;

after receiving an indication of a user selection of the option to enter the menu, displaying a first discrete display element of the menu on the electronic display; and

after receiving an indication of a user navigation from the first discrete display element of the menu to a second discrete display element of the menu, shifting the first discrete display element out of full view on the electronic display while shifting the second discrete display element into full view on the electronic display, wherein the first discrete display element and the second discrete display element appear to have a spatial relationship to one another at least while being shifted, wherein the animation comprises a coin flip effect in which the screen of the first logical hierarchical level appears to be rotated at least once in space to reveal the first discrete display element of the menu on the other side.