HVAC Controls or Controllers Including Alphanumeric Displays

• US 20150187050A1
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Vie, David L., Heller, John J., Moran, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0065 Control members, e.g. levers or knobs B60H1/00985 takes precedence
• 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: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/32 with means for controlling the display position see provisionally G09G5/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of controls for heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning systems. In an exemplary embodiment, a control for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning system includes an alphanumeric display and one or more input device. A processor of the control is configured to receive a user input through the input device(s), and in response to the user input, reorient a display of a message relative to the alphanumeric display.

Claims

1. A control for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning system, the control comprising:

an alphanumeric display;

one or more input device; and

a processor configured to;

receive a user input through the one or more input device; and

in response to the user input, reorient a display of a message relative to the alphanumeric display.

2. The control of claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric display comprises a multiple-segment LED display.

3. The control of claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric display comprises a LED dot matrix display.

4. The control of claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric display comprises (a) three seven-segment light-emitting diode (LED) displays or (b) a 64-dot LED dot matrix display.

5. The control of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more input device comprises one or more push buttons; and

the processor is configured to rotate the display of the message by an angle of rotation selected via at least one of the one or more push buttons.

6. The control of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to reorient the display of the message by 180 degrees relative to the alphanumeric display.

7. The control of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to rotate the message for display on the alphanumeric display by one or more angle increments.

8. The control of claim 1, wherein the user input is in response to a menu option displayed on the alphanumeric display.

9. The control of claim 1, comprised by one or more of the following:

a furnace control, an air conditioning control, a heat pump control, an air handler control, an integrated control, and a unitary control.

10. A control for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning system, the control comprising:

one or more light-emitting diode (LED) displays operable for displaying alphanumeric characters; and

a plurality of two-position switches;

the two-position switches configured to be operable for changing an orientation of a display of a message on the one or more LED displays.

11. The control of claim 10, wherein:

the one or more light-emitting diode (LED) displays comprises at least two multiple-segment light-emitting diode (LED) displays and/or a dot matrix display; and

/or

the plurality of two position switches comprises at least two momentary push buttons; and

/or

an orientation of a message for display on the multiple-segment LED displays is changeable in accordance with user input.

12. The control of claim 10, comprised by one or more of the following:

a furnace control, an air conditioning control, a heat pump control, an air handler control, an integrated control, and a unitary control.

13. A method of controlling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning system, the method performed by a processor of a control including an alphanumeric display, the method comprising:

receiving a user input;

determining a response to the user input; and

implementing the determined response, the implementing including changing an orientation of a message relative to the alphanumeric display.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a message on the alphanumeric display in accordance with the changed orientation.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising displaying a message on the alphanumeric display to indicate a current message orientation relative to the alphanumeric display.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the alphanumeric display includes one or more of the following;

a multiple-segment display, three seven-segment light-emitting diode (LED) displays, and a dot matrix display; and

/or

the control includes or is included in one or more of the following;

a furnace control, an air conditioning control, a heat pump control, an air handler control, an integrated control, and a unitary control.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of two-position switches comprises a left key and a right key, and the method includes determining a display orientation angle based on one or more signals from the left key and/or right key.