USER SETUP FOR AN HVAC REMOTE CONTROL UNIT

• US 20090140064A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Schultz, David A., Koster, Chad W., Leen, Cary
• Granted Patent: US 8,167,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/51
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

An HVAC remote controller for use in an HVAC system is described. In some instances, the HVAC remote controller may include a wirelessly interface for communicating with one or more HVAC controllers and/or other HVAC devices. The HVAC remote controller may be configured to execute a user setup routine for entering user setup information, where the user setup routine may cause the HVAC remote controller to display a sequence of two or more user setup screens, sometimes at a common menu level rather than a sub-menu. Some or all of the two or more user setup screens may include, for example, a message center indicating a parameter or function to be set, one or more buttons for adjusting or selecting the parameter or function, and a next button to advance the user setup routine to a next screen in the sequence of user setup screens.

Claims

1. A portable wireless remote control unit for use in conjunction with an HVAC system, the wireless remote control unit comprising:

a wireless interface;

a user interface including a display;

a controller in communication with the wireless interface and the user interface, the controller configured to communicate with the HVAC system via the wireless interface;

the controller further configured to execute a user setup routine for entering user setup information, the user setup routine causing the controller to display on the display a sequence of two or more user setup screens, wherein each of the two or more user setup screens includes;

a message center that indicates a parameter or function to be set via the corresponding user setup screen;

one or more parameter adjustment/selection buttons for adjusting or selecting the parameter or function indicated in the message center; and

a next button to advance the user setup routine to a next screen in the sequence of user setup screens.

2. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein at least some of the sequence of two or more user setup screens include a back button for moving to a previous screen in the sequence of user setup screens.

3. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein at least some of the sequence of two or more user setup screens include a done button for exiting the user setup routine and moving to a home screen.

4. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the message center is configured to displays text messages.

5. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the message center is positioned adjacent to the next button.

6. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameter adjustment/selection buttons include a yes button and a no button.

7. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameter adjustment/selection buttons include an up button for adjusting a value of a parameter up, and a down button for adjusting the value of a parameter down.

8. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameter adjustment/selection buttons includes a connect button for connecting the portable wireless remote control unit to an external device via the wireless interface.

9. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more user setup screens relates to enabling and disabling a manual lock feature, wherein the manual lock feature, when enabled, requires the user to manually lock the user interface during subsequent operation of the portable wireless remote control unit.

10. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more user setup screens relates to enabling and disabling an automatic lock feature, wherein the automatic lock feature, when enabled, automatically locks the user interface under predetermined conditions during subsequent operation of the portable wireless remote control unit.

11. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more user setup screens relates to enabling and disabling a button click feature, wherein the button click feature, when enabled, causes the portable wireless remote control unit to emit a noise when a user activates a button of the user interface during subsequent operation of the portable wireless remote control unit.

12. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more user setup screens relates to enabling and disabling low backlight feature, wherein the low backlight feature, when enabled, causes the portable wireless remote control unit to produce a low backlight on the display during subsequent operation of the portable wireless remote control unit.

13. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more user setup screens relates to setting a temperature offset value, wherein the portable wireless remote control unit offsets a sensed temperature value by the temperature offset value to produce an offset sensed temperature value, and then displays the offset sensed temperature value on the display.

14. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 13, wherein the sensed temperature value is a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor in the portable wireless remote control unit.

15. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more user setup screens relates to removing an HVAC zone from the portable wireless remote control unit.

16. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen.

17. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 1, wherein the display is a fixed segment display screen.

18. A portable wireless remote control unit for use in conjunction with an HVAC system, the wireless remote control unit comprising:

a wireless interface;

a fixed segment touch screen display;

a controller in communication with the wireless interface and the fixed segment touch screen display, the controller configured to communicate with the HVAC system via the wireless interface;

the controller further configured to execute a user setup routine for entering user setup information, the user setup routine causing the controller to display on the a fixed segment touch screen display a sequence of two or more user setup screens, wherein each of the two or more user setup screens includes;

a message center that indicates a parameter or function to be set via the corresponding user setup screen;

one or more parameter adjustment/selection buttons for adjusting or selecting the parameter or function indicated in the message center; and

a next button to advance the user setup routine to a next screen in the sequence of user setup screens.

19. The portable wireless remote control unit of claim 18, wherein at least some of the sequence of two or more user setup screens include a back button for moving to a previous screen in the sequence of user setup screens.

20. A portable wireless remote control unit for use in conjunction with an HVAC system, the wireless remote control unit comprising:

a wireless interface;

a user interface including a display;

a controller in communication with the wireless interface and the user interface, the controller configured to communicate with the HVAC system via the wireless interface;

the controller further configured to load one or more parameters associated with the HVAC system via the wireless interface;

the controller further configured to display at least one of the received parameters on the display;

the controller further configured to allow a user to change one or more of the parameters that are displayed on the display, and to send the one or more changed parameters to the HVAC system via the wireless interface, wherein the HVAC system subsequently operates in accordance with the one or more changed parameters and/or settings; and

the controller further configured to execute a user setup routine for entering user setup information, the user setup routine causing the controller to display on the display a sequence of two or more user setup screens, wherein each of the two or more user setup screens includes;

a message center that indicates a parameter or function to be set via the corresponding user setup screen;

one or more parameter adjustment/selection buttons for adjusting or selecting the parameter or function indicated in the message center; and

a next button to advance the user setup routine to a next screen in the sequence of user setup screens.