Thermostat graphical user interface

• US 10,241,527 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M., Rogers, Matthew L., Sloo, David, Matas, Michael J., Plitkins, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stitt, Erik V
• Application Number:
  US13/356,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,618 Days
• Field of Search: 715810, 715764, 715855
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described, the thermostat having a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing intuitive navigation within a menuing system. In a first mode of operation, an electronic display of the thermostat displays a population of tick marks arranged in an arcuate arrangement including a plurality of background tick marks, a setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature, and an ambient temperature tick mark representing an ambient temperature, the setpoint temperature being dynamically changeable according to a tracked rotational input motion of a ring-shaped user interface component of the thermostat. In a second mode, the a plurality of user-selectable menu options is displayed in an arcuate arrangement along a menu option range area, and respective ones of the user-selectable menu options are selectively highlighted according to the tracked rotational input motion of the ring-shaped user interface component.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

displaying, on an electronic display of a thermostat device, a plurality of tick marks in a tick mark range area, wherein the plurality of tick marks includes a plurality of background tick marks representing a plurality of temperatures, a prominent ambient tick mark representing an ambient temperature, and a prominent setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature;

displaying a background color on the electronic display, wherein the displayed background color varies according to a type of call in effect, and wherein the type of call includes a heating call and a cooling call;

receiving input corresponding to a selection of a new setpoint temperature;

updating the prominent setpoint tick mark to represent the new setpoint temperature;

determining the type of call in effect;

updating the electronic display according to the new setpoint temperature, wherein updating includes displaying an animated sweep highlighting one or more tickmarks sequentially along the tick mark range area between the prominent ambient tick mark and the updated prominent setpoint tick mark, said animated tick sweep further characterized by a respective sequential unhighlighting of tick marks previously highlighted along the tick mark range area as subsequent tick marks are highlighted; and

concurrently displaying one or more background colors according to the type of call in effect.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the prominent setpoint tick mark to represent the new setpoint temperature comprises moving the prominent setpoint tick mark from a first setpoint tick mark representative of the setpoint temperature to a second setpoint tick mark representative of the new setpoint temperature.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a gradual decrease in intensity of the one or more background colors as a difference between the ambient temperature and the new setpoint temperature decreases.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a representation of an estimated time for the ambient temperature to reach the new setpoint temperature.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a numerical representation of the ambient temperature in close proximity to the prominent ambient temperature tick mark.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the tick mark range area is displayed along a circular outer area of the electronic display.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the electronic display, a plurality of user-selectable menu options arranged in an arcuate arrangement along a menu option range area; and

selectively highlighting respective ones of the plurality of menu options responsive to received input.

8. A computer implemented system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more non transitory computer readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

displaying, on an electronic display of a thermostat device, a plurality of tick marks in a tick mark range area, wherein the plurality of tick marks includes a plurality of background tick marks representing a plurality of temperatures, a prominent ambient tick mark representing an ambient temperature, and a prominent setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature;

displaying a background color on the electronic display, wherein the displayed background color varies according to a type of call in effect, and wherein the type of call includes a heating call and a cooling call;

receiving input corresponding to a selection of a new setpoint temperature;

updating the prominent setpoint tick mark to represent the new setpoint temperature;

determining the type of call in effect;

updating the electronic display according to the new setpoint temperature, wherein updating includes displaying an animated sweep highlighting one or more tickmarks sequentially along the tick mark range area between the prominent ambient tick mark and the updated prominent setpoint tick mark, said animated tick sweep further characterized by a respective sequential unhighlighting of tick marks previously highlighted along the tick mark range area as subsequent tick marks are highlighted; and

concurrently displaying one or more background colors according to the type of call in effect.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein updating the prominent setpoint tick mark to represent the new setpoint temperature comprises moving the prominent setpoint tick mark from a first setpoint tick mark representative of the setpoint temperature to a second setpoint tick mark representative of the new setpoint temperature.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further include displaying a gradual decrease in intensity of the one or more background colors as a difference between the ambient temperature and the new setpoint temperature decreases.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further include displaying a representation of an estimated time for the ambient temperature to reach the new setpoint temperature.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further include displaying a numerical representation of the ambient temperature in close proximity to the prominent ambient temperature tick mark.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the tick mark range area is displayed along a circular outer area of the electronic display.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further include:

displaying, on the electronic display, a plurality of user-selectable menu options arranged in an arcuate arrangement along a menu option range area; and

selectively highlighting respective ones of the plurality of menu options responsive to received input.

15. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a non transitory machine readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display, on an electronic display of a thermostat device, a plurality of tick marks in a tick mark range area, wherein the plurality of tick marks includes a plurality of background tick marks representing a plurality of temperatures, a prominent ambient tick mark representing an ambient temperature, and a prominent setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature;

display a background color on the electronic display, wherein the displayed background color varies according to a type of call in effect, and wherein the type of call includes a heating call and a cooling call;

receive input corresponding to a selection of a new setpoint temperature;

update the prominent setpoint tick mark to represent the new setpoint temperature;

determine the type of call in effect;

update the electronic display according to the new setpoint temperature, wherein updating includes displaying an animated sweep highlighting one or more tickmarks sequentially along the tick mark range area between the prominent ambient tick mark and the updated prominent setpoint tick mark, said animated tick sweep further characterized by a respective sequential unhighlighting of tick marks previously highlighted along the tick mark range area as subsequent tick marks are highlighted; and

concurrently display one or more background colors according to the type of call in effect.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein updating the prominent setpoint tick mark to represent the new setpoint temperature comprises moving the prominent setpoint tick mark from a first setpoint tick mark representative of the setpoint temperature to a second setpoint tick mark representative of the new setpoint temperature.

17. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to display a gradual decrease in intensity of the one or more background colors as a difference between the ambient temperature and the new setpoint temperature decreases.

18. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to display a representation of an estimated time for the ambient temperature to reach the new setpoint temperature.

19. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to display a numerical representation of the ambient temperature in close proximity to the prominent ambient temperature tick mark.

20. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the tick mark range area is displayed along a circular outer area of the electronic display.