HVAC CONTROLLER HAVING A PARAMETER ADJUSTMENT ELEMENT WITH A QUALITATIVE INDICATOR

• US 20090143916A1
• 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: Erickson, Peter, Amundson, John, Boll, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/62 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

An HVAC controller is described that is configured to be more intuitive and user friendly to program and operate than convention HVAC controllers. In some instances, the HVAC controller may include a touch screen interface that provides greater flexibility in displaying information to the user and/or soliciting information from the user.

Claims

1. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system, the HVAC controller comprising:

a touch screen dot matrix display;

a controller in communication with the touch screen dot matrix display, the controller configured to operate an algorithm that at least partially controls the one or more components of the HVAC system, the algorithm including an operating parameter; and

the controller configured to display on the touch screen dot matrix display a parameter adjustment element for use in adjusting the operating parameter, the parameter adjustment element including an indicator that provides a qualitative indication for at least the current setting of the operating parameter.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the indicator that provides the qualitative indication for the current setting of the operating parameter indicates a comfort zone for the operating parameter.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the parameter adjustment element further indicates the quantitative value of the current setting of the operating parameter.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 3, wherein the parameter adjustment element further indicates an allowed range for the operating parameter.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the parameter adjustment element further indicates an allowed range for the operating parameter.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein the parameter adjustment element indicates a numerical value of the current setting of the operating parameter.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the parameter adjustment element includes a slider control as well as the indicator that provides the qualitative indication for the current setting of the operating parameter, the slider control permitting a user to alter a value of the operating parameter by moving the slider between a left end and a right end of the slider control.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 7, wherein the slider control includes a horizontal bar and a slider button that is slidable on the horizontal bar.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 8, wherein a user may lower the value of the operating parameter by moving the slider button to the left, and raise the value of the operating parameter by moving the slider button to the right.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 9, wherein the slider button may be moved left and right by a user touching the slider button on the touch screen dot matrix display and dragging the slider button to the left and to the right.

11. The HVAC controller of claim 9, wherein the slider control further comprises a left arrow disposed near the left end of the slider control and a right arrow disposed near the right end of the slider control, and the slider button may be moved right by a user pressing the right arrow and left by the user pressing the left arrow.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 8, wherein slider button displays the value of the operating parameter.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 7, wherein the operating parameter comprises indoor humidity.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 13, wherein the indicator that provides a qualitative indication for the current setting of the operating parameter includes a first label “

Dry”

, a second label “

Comfort Zone” and

a third label “

Wet”

.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 14, wherein the second label is located near the center of the slider control, the first label is located to the left of the second label, and the third label is located to the right of the second label.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 7, wherein the operating parameter comprises window energy efficiency.

17. The HVAC controller of claim 16, wherein the indicator that provides a qualitative indication for the current setting of the operating parameter includes a first label “

Less Efficient” and

a second label “

More Efficient”

.

18. The HVAC controller of claim 17 wherein the first label is located left of the second label along the slider control.

19. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system, the HVAC controller comprising:

a touch screen dot matrix display;

a controller in communication with the touch screen dot matrix display, the controller configured to operate an algorithm that at least partially controls the one or more components of the HVAC system, the algorithm including an operating parameter; and

the controller configured to display on the touch screen dot matrix display a parameter adjustment element for use in adjusting the operating parameter, the parameter adjustment element including a first indicator that includes a numerical value for the current setting of the operating parameter, and a second indicator that provides a qualitative indication for a range of values of the operating parameter.

20. The HVAC controller of claim 19, wherein the second indicator includes at least two labels, where each label corresponds to subset of the range of values of the operating parameter, and each label provides a different qualitative indication for the corresponding subset of the range of values of the operating parameter.

21. A method for aiding in adjusting an operating parameter of an HVAC controller, comprising:

display a parameter adjustment element on a display, the parameter adjustment allowing a user to adjust a current setting of the operating parameter within an allowed range; and

displaying an indicator that provides a qualitative indication to the user for at least the current setting of the operating parameter.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

displaying a quantitative value of the current setting of the operating parameter.