HVAC controls and controllers including alphanumeric displays

• US 9,830,887 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Vie, David L., Moran, Michael J., Heller, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US15/230,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20160343353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0065 Control members, e.g. levers or knobs B60H1/00985 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/32 with means for controlling the display position see provisionally G09G5/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of controls for heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning systems. In an exemplary embodiment, a control for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning system includes an alphanumeric display and one or more input device. A processor of the control is configured to receive a user input through the input device(s), and in response to the user input, reorient a display of a message relative to the alphanumeric display.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) appliance, the method comprising:

a HVAC appliance control displaying, on an alphanumeric display of the HVAC appliance control, a plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, the menu options further including an option user-selectable for rotating the displaying on the alphanumeric display;

the HVAC appliance control receiving a user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the displaying;

the HVAC appliance control determining a response to the user input; and

the HVAC appliance control implementing the determined response by rotating the displaying from a first display orientation to a second display orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a message on the alphanumeric display in accordance with the changed orientation.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

before displaying the plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, displaying a message on the alphanumeric display to indicate a current message orientation relative to the alphanumeric display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric display includes one or more of the following:

a multiple-segment display, three seven-segment light-emitting diode (LED) displays, and a dot matrix display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC appliance control includes one or more of the following:

a furnace control, an air conditioning control, a heat pump control, an air handler control, an integrated control, and a unitary control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of two-position switches of the control includes first and second keys for indicating directions in which to change message orientation, and

the method comprises determining a display orientation angle based on one or more signals from the first key and/or second key.

7. A method of controlling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) appliance, the method comprising:

a HVAC appliance control displaying, on an alphanumeric display of the HVAC appliance control, a plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, the menu options further including an option user-selectable for rotating the displaying of a message on the alphanumeric display;

the HVAC appliance control receiving a user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the displaying;

the HVAC appliance control determining a response to the user input; and

the HVAC appliance control implementing the determined response by rotating the displaying from a first display orientation to a second display orientation.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the message on the alphanumeric display in accordance with the changed orientation.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising:

before displaying the plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, displaying the message on the alphanumeric display to indicate a current message orientation relative to the alphanumeric display.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the alphanumeric display includes one or more of the following:

a multiple-segment display, three seven-segment light-emitting diode (LED) displays, and a dot matrix display.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the HVAC appliance control includes one or more of the following:

a furnace control, an air conditioning control, a heat pump control, an air handler control, an integrated control, and a unitary control.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

a plurality of two-position switches of the appliance control includes first and second keys for indicating directions in which to change message orientation, and the method comprises determining a display orientation angle based on one or more signals from the first key and/or second key.

13. A method of controlling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) appliance, the method comprising:

a HVAC appliance control sequentially displaying, on an alphanumeric display of the HVAC appliance control, a plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, the menu options further including an option user-selectable for rotating the displaying on the alphanumeric display;

the HVAC appliance control receiving a user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the subsequent displaying;

the HVAC appliance control determining a response to the user input; and

the HVAC appliance control implementing the determined response by rotating the subsequent displaying from a first display orientation to a second display orientation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, after displaying one or more of the menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters, the HVAC appliance control receives the user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the displaying.