Display for HVAC systems in remote control units

• US 9,151,510 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Leen, Cary
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradford, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US12/323,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20090140057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

An HVAC remote controller for use in an HVAC system is described. In some instances, the HVAC remote controller may include a wireless interface for communicating with one or more HVAC controllers and/or other HVAC devices. The HVAC remote control unit may be configured to display two or more option on a display, wherein the user may be allowed to select one of the two or more options resulting in a selected option. The HVAC remote control unit may display a visual cue for the selected option that visually distinguishes the selected option from the remaining options. The visual cue may include a different border for the selected option than the remaining options and/or a marker within or adjacent to the border. It is also contemplated that a similar visual cue may be used in conjunction with an HVAC controller display, if desired.

Claims

1. A portable wireless remote control unit for use in conjunction with an HVAC system, the wireless remote control unit comprising:

a hand-held portable housing;

a wireless interface disposed within the portable housing;

a temperature sensor disposed within the portable housing;

a touch screen display secured to the portable housing and accessible from outside of the portable housing;

a controller in communication with the wireless interface and with the touch screen display, the controller configured to communicate with the HVAC system via the wireless interface;

the controller further configured to simultaneously display two or more selectable options on the display with each of the two or more selectable options having a border that defines a button having an interior region on the touch screen display, wherein the user is allowed to select one of the two or more selectable options by touching a corresponding defined button resulting in a selected option, wherein the controller displays a different border around at least part of the interior region of the button for the selected option than for the remaining ones of the two or more selectable options to visually distinguish the selected option from the remaining ones of the two or more selectable options, and wherein for the selected option, the interior region of the corresponding button is visually distinguishable from both the border and the different border; and

wherein the controller further displays a marker within the confines of the different border of the selected option to further visually distinguish the selected option from the remaining two or more selectable options.

2. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the marker is a dot.

3. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 2, wherein the dot is positioned adjacent the top left corner of the button of the selected option.

4. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the different border for the selected option is a highlighted border relative to the remaining ones of the two or more selectable options.

5. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the touch screen display is a fixed segment touch screen display.

6. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the touch screen display is a dot matrix touch screen display.

7. An HVAC system including one or more controllable HVAC components, the HVAC system comprising:

a wall mountable thermostat configured to provide one or more control signals to the one or more HVAC components, the wall mountable thermostat including;

a first temperature sensor;

a wireless interface; and

a display;

a portable hand-held remote control unit, the portable hand-held remote control unit comprising;

a controller;

a second temperature sensor;

a display; and

a wireless interface for communicating with the wall mountable thermostat via the wireless interface of the wall mountable thermostat wherein

the controller of the portable hand-held remote control unit simultaneously displays two or more options on the display of the portable hand-held remote control unit, wherein the user is allowed to select one of the two or more options resulting in a selected option, the two or more options including a first selectable option corresponding to selection of the wall mountable thermostat that when selected by a user causes the HVAC system to be controlled to a temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor of the wall mountable thermostat, and a second selectable option corresponding to the portable hand-held remote control unit that when selected by a user causes the HVAC system to be controlled to a temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor of the portable hand-held remote control unit, wherein the controller of the portable hand-held remote control unit displays a visual cue for the selected option that visually distinguishes the selected option from the remaining ones of the two or more options, wherein the visual cue includes a highlighted border around the selected option and a marker displayed in or adjacent the highlighted border.

8. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 7, wherein the marker includes a dot positioned inside the highlighted border.

9. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 7, wherein the visual cue includes a marker displayed in or adjacent the selected option.

10. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 9, wherein the marker includes a dot.

11. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 7, wherein each of the two or more options include a border.

12. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 7, wherein the display is a fixed segment display.

13. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 7, wherein the display is a dot matrix display.

14. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 7, wherein the display is a touch screen display.

15. An HVAC controller comprising:

a display;

a controller in communication with the display;

the controller configured to display a plurality of selection options on the display including a first selection option corresponding to a heating mode, a second selection option corresponding to a cooling mode and a third selection option corresponding to an off mode, wherein each of the selection options includes an interior region defined at least in part by a border, the interior region and border defining the selection option on the display, wherein the controller changes the border to visually indicate that the selection option has been selected by a user; and

wherein the controller further provides a marker within the confines of the border to indicate that the selection option has been selected by a user.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 15, wherein the controller highlights the border to indicate that the selection option has been selected by a user.

17. The HVAC controller of claim 15, wherein the controller changes the border from a un-bolded border to a bolded border to indicate that the selection option has been selected by a user.

18. An HVAC controller comprising:

a display;

a controller in communication with the display; and

the controller is configured to display a selection option on the display, wherein the selection option includes a border defining the selection option on the display, wherein the controller changes the border and adds a marker within or adjacent to the changed border to indicate that the selection option has been selected by a user.

19. The HVAC controller of claim 18, wherein the marker includes a dot.