CONTROLLER INTERFACE WITH MULTIPLE DAY PROGRAMMING

• US 20070016311A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Thomson, Ian, Amundson, John, Ferguson, Colin, Wolfbauer, James, Boll, Jeff, Schwendinger, Paul, Mcleod, George, Takach, Eugene, Bergman, Gabriel, Readio, Philip, Stoner, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/19
• 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: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A controller equipped with a user interface having multiple-day programming capabilities, including methods of programming such devices, are disclosed. The user interface may include one or more menus or screens that can be used to program a schedule for one or more selected days during the week. An illustrative method of programming the controller may include the steps of entering a scheduling routine, selecting multiple days for schedule modification, changing the schedule parameters for one or more periods during the selected days, and then exiting the scheduling routine.

Claims

1. A method for operating a programmable controller, wherein the programmable controller is adapted to control one or more pieces of equipment in accordance with a schedule, the schedule having a number of days and one or more time periods for each of at least some of the days, and wherein one or more control parameters are associated with each of the time periods, the method comprising:

selecting a time period;

changing one or more of the control parameters that are associated with the selected time period across two or more of the of the days, resulting in a changed schedule; and

operating the programmable controller in accordance with the changed schedule.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the schedule includes seven days.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each day has four time periods.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the number of days includes four time periods.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the four time periods include a wake time period, a leave time period, a return time period and a sleep time period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more of the control parameters includes a set point.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the set point includes a heat temperature set point.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the set point includes a cool temperature set point.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

selecting the two or more days for which the one or more of the control parameters that are associated with the selected time period are changed.

10. A method for operating a programmable controller that includes a user interface, wherein the programmable controller is adapted to control one or more pieces of equipment in accordance with a schedule, the schedule having a number of days and one or more time periods for each of at least some of the days, and wherein one or more control parameters are associated with each of the time periods, the method comprising:

selecting a time period of the schedule using the user interface of the programmable controller;

entering a control parameter value using the user interface of the programmable controller;

using the entered control parameter value for the selected time period on two or more of the days of the schedule when subsequently operating the programmable controller.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the entered control parameter value is used for the selected time period on all of the days of the schedule.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

selecting the two or more days of the schedule for which the entered control parameter value is used for the selected time period.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the schedule includes seven days.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each day has four time periods.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the number of days includes four time periods.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the four time periods include a wake time period, a leave time period, a return time period and a sleep time period.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the control parameter value is a set point.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the set point includes a heat temperature set point.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the set point includes a cool temperature set point.

20. A programmable controller adapted to control one or more pieces of HVAC equipment, the programmable controller comprising:

a schedule having a number of days and one or more time periods for each of at least some of the days, wherein one or more control parameters are associated with each of the time periods of the schedule;

a memory for storing the schedule, wherein the programmable controller is adapted to read the schedule from the memory and control the one or more pieces of HVAC equipment in accordance with the schedule;

a user interface, the user interface adapted to enable a user to select a time period of the schedule, and further to enable a user to enter a control parameter value;

after the time period is selected and the control parameter is entered via the user interface, the programmable controller is adapted to store in the memory the entered control parameter value for the selected time period on two or more of the days of the schedule, resulting in a changed schedule; and

the programmable controller further adapted to subsequently control the one or more pieces of HVAC equipment in accordance with the changed schedule.

22. The programmable controller of claim 21 wherein the schedule includes seven days.

23. The programmable controller of claim 22 wherein each day has four time periods.

24. The programmable controller of claim 21 wherein each of the number of days includes four time periods.

25. The programmable controller of claim 24 wherein the four time periods include a wake time period, a leave time period, a return time period and a sleep time period.

26. The programmable controller of claim 21 wherein the control parameter value is a set point value.

27. The programmable controller of claim 26 wherein the set point includes a heat temperature set point.

28. The programmable controller of claim 26 wherein the set point includes a cool temperature set point.

29. The programmable controller of claim 21 wherein the user interface is further adapted to enable a user to select the two or more days for which the entered control parameter will be applied during the selected time period.