User interfaces for remote management and control of network-connected thermostats

• US 9,489,062 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Corcoran, Patrick B., Fadell, Anthony Michael, Sloo, David, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Crabtree, Thomas, Matas, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/317,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide user interface methods for interacting with and managing network-connected thermostats through a thermostat management system. The user interface method identifies a primary enclosure associated with a thermostat management account with the remaining enclosures deemed secondary enclosures. The user interface displays the primary enclosure using a primary enclosure selection appearing in a foreground area of the user interface as a house and adjacent to thermostat selections representing each of the network-connected thermostats installed in the primary enclosure. In a background area of the user interface, a primary weather visual incorporates images of various weather patterns reflecting both a weather pattern in the vicinity of the primary enclosure and an approximate time of day at the geographic location of the primary enclosure. Secondary enclosure selections are visually deemphasized on the user interface when compared with the primary enclosure selection displayed on the user interface.

Claims

1. A user interface method, comprising:

receiving, by a thermostat management system, occupancy data based on measurements made by a first occupancy sensor incorporated as part of a thermostat located at a primary enclosure and occupancy data based on measurements made by a second occupancy sensor incorporated as part of a thermostat located at a secondary enclosure;

receiving a selection of the primary enclosure chosen from a plurality of enclosures, the plurality of enclosures each being associated with a same thermostat management account;

displaying a primary enclosure graphical element for the selected primary enclosure adjacent to a first set of thermostat graphical elements on a user interface of a display device, each thermostat graphical element being associated with a thermostat located at the primary enclosure, wherein the primary enclosure graphical element includes a first indication of occupancy related to the primary enclosure, the occupancy being determined based on the occupancy data from the thermostat located at the primary enclosure;

displaying a secondary enclosure graphical element for an individual enclosure of the plurality of enclosures adjacent to the primary enclosure graphical element, the secondary enclosure graphical element being associated with a second set of thermostat graphical elements that each correspond to a thermostat located at the secondary enclosure wherein each thermostat graphical element upon display exhibits a particular numerical temperature representation that is also displayed by the respective thermostat at the secondary enclosure, wherein the secondary enclosure graphical element includes a second indication of occupancy related to the secondary enclosure, the second indication of occupancy being determined based on the occupancy data from the thermostat located at the secondary enclosure;

determining that a further selection of the secondary enclosure graphical element has been made through the user interface;

in response to the further selection of the secondary enclosure graphical element, displaying the second set of thermostat graphical elements for the secondary enclosure adjacent to the second enclosure graphical element and visually enlarging the secondary enclosure graphical element; and

in response to the further selection of the secondary enclosure, ceasing to display of the first set of thermostats elements for the primary enclosure and visually reducing display of the primary enclosure graphical element.

2. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the secondary enclosure graphical element appears to be behind the primary enclosure graphical element as displayed in the foreground area of the user interface.

3. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the primary enclosure graphical element is an image of a house configured for selection on the user interface.

4. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the secondary enclosure graphical element is an image of a house configured for selection on the user interface.

5. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the primary enclosure and the secondary enclosure are separate free-standing structures.

6. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the primary enclosure graphical element includes a weather visual that indicates a weather condition and wherein background lighting of the primary enclosure graphical element indicates an approximate time of day at a geographic location of the primary enclosure.

7. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein a thermostat graphical element associated with a thermostat of the plurality of thermostats is displayed in a color indicating a heating mode.

8. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the display of the plurality of thermostat graphical elements adjacent to the primary enclosure is based on receiving registration information at the plurality of thermostats located at the primary enclosure.

9. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein the first indication of occupancy includes displaying a portion of the primary enclosure graphical element in a different color than a remaining portion of the primary enclosure graphical element.

10. The user interface method of claim 1 wherein each thermostat graphical element of the second set of thermostat graphical elements is visually similar in shape, color, and numerical temperature representation as an electronic display on the respective thermostat located at the secondary enclosure.

11. A user interface method used on a computer device, comprising:

receiving occupancy data based on occupancy measurements made by a first occupancy sensor incorporated as part of a thermostat located at a primary enclosure and occupancy data based on occupancy measurements made by a second occupancy sensor incorporated as part of a thermostat located at a secondary enclosure;

receiving a selection of the primary enclosure chosen from a plurality of enclosures, the plurality of enclosures each being associated with a same thermostat management account;

displaying, on a user interface of a display device, a primary enclosure graphical element for the selected primary enclosure adjacent to a first set of thermostat graphical elements, each thermostat graphical element being associated with a thermostat located at the primary enclosure and having a numerical temperature representation as an electronic display on the respective thermostat located at the primary enclosure so that each thermostat graphical element of the first set of thermostat graphical elements upon display exhibits a particular numerical temperature representation that is also displayed by the respective thermostat at the primary enclosure, wherein;

the primary enclosure graphical element includes a first occupancy indication indicative of occupancy at the primary enclosure, the occupancy being determined based on the occupancy data from the thermostat located at the primary enclosure,

displaying a secondary enclosure graphical element for an individual enclosure of the plurality of enclosures adjacent to the primary enclosure graphical element, the secondary enclosure graphical element being associated with a second set of thermostat graphical elements that each correspond to a thermostat located at the secondary enclosure, wherein;

the secondary enclosure graphical element includes a second indication of occupancy related to the secondary enclosure, the second indication of occupancy being determined based on the occupancy data from the thermostat located at the secondary enclosure;

receiving a further selection of a thermostat graphical element corresponding to a thermostat of the first set of thermostat graphical elements;

displaying a heating and cooling schedule associated with the selected thermostat graphical element on a user interface of the computer device as one or more vertically stacked horizontal bars corresponding to one or more days in the heating and cooling schedule for the selected thermostat with a range of time in one day measured along a horizontal direction of each horizontal bar in the schedule; and

displaying a setpoint selection as a geometric shape located on one of the one or more vertically stacked horizontal bars with at least one temperature threshold indicated by a value displayed in the center of the geometric shape with a thermal preference for operating an HVAC system when the at least one temperature threshold measured by the selected thermostat is detected.

12. The user interface method of claim 11, wherein the geometric shape is a circle and the thermal preference is indicated by one or more colors associated with circle.

13. The user interface method of claim 12 wherein a circle with a red color indicates the thermal preference to turn on a heater in the HVAC system when the temperature detected is below the temperature threshold.

14. The user interface method of claim 12 wherein a circle with a blue color indicates the thermal preference to turn on an air conditioner in the HVAC system when the temperature detected is above the temperature threshold.

15. The user interface method of claim 11 used on the computer device for interacting with a schedule for heating and cooling schedule, further comprising:

receiving, on the computer device, a horizontal bar selection of one horizontal bar corresponding to one day in the schedule and at a time interval corresponding to a range of time along a horizontal length of the one horizontal bar, wherein the time interval does not already have a setpoint for making a thermal change; and

adding a setpoint at the time interval corresponding to the time interval of the one horizontal bar and a thermal preference and temperature threshold for operating the HVAC system when the temperature threshold in the area of the thermostat is detected.

16. The user interface method of claim 11 used on the computer device for interacting with a schedule for heating and cooling schedule, further comprising:

receiving a horizontal bar selection of one horizontal bar corresponding to one day in the schedule and at a time interval selected along a horizontal length of the one horizontal bar, wherein the time interval already has a setpoint for making a thermal change and the selection further indicates to delete the setpoint; and

deleting a setpoint at the time interval corresponding to the time interval of the one horizontal bar.

17. The user interface method of claim 11 used on the computer device for interacting with a schedule for heating and cooling schedule, further comprising:

receiving a horizontal bar selection of one horizontal bar corresponding to one day in the schedule and at a time interval corresponding to a range of time along a horizontal length of the one horizontal bar, wherein the time interval already has a setpoint for making a thermal change and the horizontal bar selection further indicates to modify the setpoint; and

modifying a setpoint at the time interval corresponding to the time interval of the one horizontal bar, wherein the modification may include one or more changes including a change in a thermal preference and a change temperature threshold for operating the HVAC system.

18. A user interface method comprising:

displaying a primary enclosure graphical element for the selected primary enclosure adjacent to a first set of thermostat graphical elements on a user interface of a display device, each thermostat graphical element being associated with a thermostat located at the primary enclosure, wherein the primary enclosure graphical element includes a first indication of occupancy related to the primary enclosure, the occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by a first occupancy sensor incorporated as part of the thermostat located at the primary enclosure;

displaying a secondary enclosure graphical element adjacent to the primary enclosure graphical element, the secondary enclosure graphical element being associated with a thermostat located at the secondary enclosure, wherein the secondary enclosure graphical element includes a second indication of occupancy related to the secondary enclosure, the second indication of occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by a second occupancy sensor incorporated as part of the thermostat located at the secondary enclosure;

retrieving, for the primary enclosure and the secondary enclosure, weather information corresponding to a first location of the primary enclosure and a second location of the secondary enclosure from a network-accessible weather service, wherein the weather information is further based on the first location and the second location being associated with the thermostat management account; and

simultaneously displaying, in association with the primary enclosure graphical element for the primary enclosure, a primary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the primary enclosure and, in association with the secondary enclosure graphical element for the secondary enclosure, a secondary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the secondary enclosure.

19. The user interface method of claim 18 wherein the secondary enclosure graphical element is located adjacent to the secondary visual weather indication, the secondary visual weather indication further indicating an approximate time of day at the geographic location of the secondary enclosure, the secondary weather visual being visible when the primary enclosure graphical element is selected.

20. The user interface method of claim 18 wherein the secondary enclosure graphical element appears to be behind the primary enclosure graphical element as displayed in the foreground area of the user interface.

21. The user interface method of claim 18 wherein the primary enclosure graphical element and the secondary enclosure graphical element are images of houses configured for selection on the user interface.

22. The user interface method of claim 18 wherein the primary enclosure and the secondary enclosure are separate free-standing structures.

23. The user interface method of claim 18 wherein background lighting of the primary enclosure graphical element indicates an approximate time of day at the geographic location of the primary enclosure.

24. The user interface method of claim 18 wherein the first indication of occupancy includes displaying a portion of the primary enclosure graphical element in a different color than a remaining portion of the primary enclosure graphical element.

25. The user interface method of claim 18 wherein each thermostat graphical element of the first set of thermostat graphical elements is visually similar in shape, color, and numerical temperature representation as an electronic display on the respective thermostat located at the first enclosure.

26. A system for managing network-connected thermostats, the system comprising:

a thermostat management system comprising one or more thermostat management servers and one or more thermostat databases;

a first thermostat located at a primary enclosure, the first thermostat comprising;

a first occupancy sensor; and

a first network interface for communicating with the thermostat management system;

a second thermostat located at a secondary enclosure, the second thermostat comprising;

a second occupancy sensor; and

a second network interface for communicating with the thermostat management system; and

a smartphone comprising one or more processors that execute a thermostat access client, the thermostat access client comprising processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors of the smartphone, cause the smartphone to;

output for display a primary enclosure graphical element adjacent to a first set of thermostat graphical elements on a user interface, each thermostat graphical element being associated with a thermostat located at the primary enclosure, wherein;

a thermostat graphical element of the first set of thermostat graphical elements is associated with the first thermostat; and

the primary enclosure graphical element includes a first indication of occupancy related to the primary enclosure, the occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by the first occupancy sensor and retrieved by the smartphone from the thermostat management system;

output for display a secondary enclosure graphical element for an individual enclosure of the plurality of enclosures adjacent to the primary enclosure graphical element, the secondary enclosure graphical element being associated with the second thermostat located at the secondary enclosure, wherein;

the secondary enclosure graphical element includes a second indication of occupancy related to the secondary enclosure, the second indication of occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by the second occupancy sensor and retrieved by the smartphone from the thermostat management system;

retrieve, for the primary enclosure and the secondary enclosure, weather information corresponding to a first location of the primary enclosure and a second location of the secondary enclosure from a network-accessible weather service, wherein the weather information is further based on the first location and the second location being associated with the thermostat management account; and

simultaneously output for display, in association with the primary enclosure graphical element for the primary enclosure, a primary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the primary enclosure and, in association with the secondary enclosure graphical element for the secondary enclosure, a secondary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the secondary enclosure.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the thermostat access client further comprises processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors of the smartphone, cause the smartphone to display the first indication of occupancy as a portion of the primary enclosure graphical element in a different color than a remaining portion of the primary enclosure graphical element.

28. A mobile device for managing network-connected thermostats, the mobile device comprising:

one or more processors that execute a thermostat access client, the thermostat access client comprising processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors of the mobile device, cause the mobile device to;

output for display a primary enclosure graphical element for the selected primary enclosure adjacent to a first set of thermostat graphical elements on a user interface, each thermostat graphical element being associated with a thermostat located at a primary enclosure, wherein;

the primary enclosure graphical element includes a first indication of occupancy related to the primary enclosure, the first indication of occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by a first occupancy sensor incorporated as part of a first thermostat located at the first enclosure;

output for display a secondary enclosure graphical element adjacent to the primary enclosure graphical element, the secondary enclosure graphical element being associated with a second thermostat located at the secondary enclosure, wherein;

the secondary enclosure graphical element includes a second indication of occupancy related to the secondary enclosure, the second indication of occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by a second occupancy sensor incorporated as part of the second thermostat located at the secondary enclosure;

retrieve, for the primary enclosure and the secondary enclosure, weather information corresponding to a first location of the primary enclosure and a second location of the secondary enclosure from a network-accessible weather service, wherein the weather information is further based on the first location and the second location being associated with the thermostat management account; and

simultaneously output for display, in association with the primary enclosure graphical element for the primary enclosure, a primary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the primary enclosure and, in association with the secondary enclosure graphical element for the secondary enclosure, a secondary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the secondary enclosure.

29. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein the thermostat access client further comprises processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors of the mobile device, cause the mobile device to display the first indication of occupancy as a portion of the primary enclosure graphical element in a different color than a remaining portion of the primary enclosure graphical element.

30. A thermostat user-interface server, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

cause a primary enclosure graphical element for the selected primary enclosure to be displayed adjacent to a first set of thermostat graphical elements on a user interface of a remote computerized device, each thermostat graphical element being associated with a thermostat located at a primary enclosure, wherein;

the primary enclosure graphical element includes a first indication of occupancy related to the primary enclosure, the occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by a first occupancy sensor of a first thermostat located at the primary enclosure;

cause a secondary enclosure graphical element to be displayed adjacent to the primary enclosure graphical element on the user interface of the remote computerized device, the secondary enclosure graphical element being associated with a second thermostat located at a secondary enclosure, wherein;

the secondary enclosure graphical element includes a second indication of occupancy related to the secondary enclosure, the second indication of occupancy being determined based on occupancy measurements made by a second occupancy sensor of the second thermostat;

provide, for the primary enclosure and the secondary enclosure, weather information corresponding to a first location of the primary enclosure and a second location of the secondary enclosure, wherein the weather information is further based on the first location and the second location being associated with the thermostat management account; and

cause, in association with the primary enclosure graphical element for the primary enclosure, display of a primary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the primary enclosure and, in association with the secondary enclosure graphical element for the secondary enclosure, display of a secondary visual weather indication indicative of the retrieved weather information for the secondary enclosure at the remote computerized device.