Thermostat facilitating user-friendly installation thereof

• US 10,151,501 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony Michael, Matsuoka, Yoky, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Sloo, David, Plitkins, Michael, Sharan, Rangoli, Ruff, Joseph Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Application Number:
  US15/595,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/39 Monitoring filter performance
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/40 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 : Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 : the criterion being a learning criterion
• 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 23/1902 : characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2416 : Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 : Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 : Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A thermostat includes a control unit, a plurality of connection ports, and a user interface operatively coupled to the control unit an having an electronic display. The control unit may be configured and programmed to operate the wire insertion sensing circuits to identify a set of the plurality of connection ports into which corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted; cause the electronic display to display a photograph of the plurality of connection ports as they actually appear to a user; and cause the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling an operation of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system having a plurality of HVAC wires for connection to the thermostat, each of the plurality of HVAC wires being associated with unique HVAC signal types, the thermostat comprising:

a control unit comprising at least one processor;

a plurality of connection ports, each of the plurality of connection ports being associated with a predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types, each of the plurality of connection ports being configured to receive one of the plurality of HVAC wires, and each of the plurality of connection ports having an associated wire insertion sensing circuit that identifies to the control unit a presence or absence of an inserted wire therein; and

a user interface operatively coupled to the control unit, the user interface comprising an electronic display;

wherein the control unit is configured and programmed to;

operate the wire insertion sensing circuits to identify a set of the plurality of connection ports into which corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted;

cause the electronic display to display a photograph of the plurality of connection ports as they actually appear to a user; and

cause the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the photograph of the plurality of connection ports comprises a photographic aerial view of the plurality of connection ports.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured and programmed to:

cause the electronic display to display a symbol next to each of the plurality of connection ports that identifies the associated predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the symbol next to each of the plurality of connection ports comprises a text description of the associated predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types.

5. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein causing the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted comprises:

causing the text description of the associated predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types to appear bold for each of the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein causing the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted comprises:

causing the electronic display to superimpose visual shading onto each of the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein causing the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted comprises:

causing the electronic display to superimpose a wire stub icon onto each of the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured and programmed to:

cause the user interface to receive an input from the user indicating whether the user agrees with the representation of which wires have been inserted.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the electronic display to display the photograph of the plurality of connection ports as they actually appear to the user in response to detecting an initial wire insertion after the thermostat receives sufficient power to operate the electronic display.

10. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein the electronic display is updated in real-time as the plurality of HVAC wires are inserted into the plurality of connection ports, such that the user can view the electronic display as the plurality of HVAC wires are inserted.

11. A method for controlling an operation of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system having a plurality of HVAC wires for connection to a thermostat, each of the plurality of HVAC wires being associated with unique HVAC signal types, the method comprising:

operating a thermostat to control the HVAC system, wherein the thermostat comprises;

a control unit comprising at least one processor;

a plurality of connection ports, each of the plurality of connection ports being associated with a predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types, each of the plurality of connection ports being configured to receive one of the plurality of HVAC wires, and each of the plurality of connection ports having an associated wire insertion sensing circuit that identifies to the control unit a presence or absence of an inserted wire therein; and

a user interface operatively coupled to the control unit, the user interface comprising an electronic display;

detecting, by the wire insertion sensing circuit, a set of the plurality of connection ports into which corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted;

causing, by the control unit, the electronic display to display a photograph of the plurality of connection ports as they actually appear to a user; and

causing, by the control unit, the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the photograph of the plurality of connection ports comprises a photographic aerial view of the plurality of connection ports.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing, by the control unit, the electronic display to display a symbol next to each of the plurality of connection ports that identifies the associated predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the symbol next to each of the plurality of connection ports comprises a text description of the associated predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein causing the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted comprises:

causing the text description of the associated predetermined one of the unique HVAC signal types to appear bold for each of the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted comprises:

causing the electronic display to superimpose visual shading onto each of the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted comprises:

causing the electronic display to superimpose a wire stub icon onto each of the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing, by the control unit, the user interface to receive an input from the user indicating whether the user agrees with the representation of which wires have been inserted.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the control unit causes the electronic display to display the photograph of the plurality of connection ports as they actually appear to the user in response to detecting an initial wire insertion after the thermostat receives sufficient power to operate the electronic display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the electronic display is updated in real-time as the plurality of HVAC wires are inserted into the plurality of connection ports, such that the user can view the electronic display as the plurality of HVAC wires are inserted.