THERMOSTAT WITH USER INTERFACE FEATURES

• US 20170075568A1
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Bentz, Jedidiah O., Rigg, Brian D., Gillette, Theresa N., Tasker, Tom R., McCune, Tyler, Uerkvitz, John W., Atchison, Shaun B., Middleton, Daniel S., Noor, Aneek Muhammad
• Granted Patent: US 10,769,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0003 characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0383 Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 : by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 : Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 : Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 : Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 : Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 : for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/08 : Use of distortion metrics or a particular distance between probe pattern and reference templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 : Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 : for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A thermostat for a building space includes an electronic display, a frame, a touch sensitive interface, and a processing circuit. The touch-sensitive interface has a first portion that overlays the electronic display and a second portion that overlays the frame. The touch-sensitive interface is configured to receive touch-based input via both the first portion and the second portion. The processing circuit is configured to define one or more locations within the second portion that correspond to touch-sensitive buttons. The locations of the touch-sensitive buttons are customizable and can be changed by a user. The thermostat further including at least one of a sticker and a skin that covers at least part of the second portion and visually marks the locations of the touch-sensitive buttons.

Claims

1. A thermostat for a building space, the thermostat comprising:

an electronic display;

a frame;

a touch-sensitive interface having a first portion that overlays the electronic display and a second portion that overlays the frame, wherein the touch-sensitive interface is configured to receive touch-based input via both the first portion and the second portion;

a processing circuit configured to define one or more locations within the second portion that correspond to touch-sensitive buttons, wherein the locations of the touch-sensitive buttons are customizable and can be changed by a user; and

at least one of a sticker and a skin that covers at least part of the second portion and visually marks the locations of the touch-sensitive buttons.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to define the one or more locations within the second portion that correspond to the touch-sensitive buttons by receiving the one or more locations from the user.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the locations of the touch-sensitive buttons are changed by the user through at least one of a web-based application and a mobile application, wherein the web-based application and the mobile application are communicatively coupled to the processing circuit.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the web-based application and the mobile application are configured to generate a digital file comprising a design for at least one of the sticker and the skin that mark the location of the touch-sensitive buttons.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to generate a digital file comprising a design of at least one of the sticker and the skin.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured associate the touch-based input to the location of the touch sensitive-button when the touch sensitive-button receives the touch-based input.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive buttons are configured to receive at least one of a direct touch and a touch movement.

8. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein touch movement comprises at least one of:

a swipe up;

a swipe down;

a swipe right; and

a swipe left.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the sticker and skin comprise symbols that mark the location of the touch-sensitive buttons, the symbols comprising at least one of:

a button symbol;

a user defined symbol; and

a manufacturer defined logo.

10. A method for sensing touch-based input with a thermostat, the method comprising:

receiving the touch-based input via both a first portion of a touch-sensitive interface and a second portion of the touch-sensitive interface, wherein the first portion overlays an electronic display of the touch-sensitive interface and the second portion overlays a frame of the touch-sensitive interface;

defining one or more locations of touch-sensitive buttons within the second portion of the electronic display, wherein the locations of the touch-sensitive buttons are customizable and can be changed by a user; and

visually marking the locations of the touch-sensitive buttons on the second portion of the touch-sensitive interface using at least one of a sticker and a skin.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein defining the one or more locations within the second portion of the electronic display corresponding to touch-sensitive buttons comprises at least one of:

receiving the locations from the touch-sensitive interface;

receiving the locations from a mobile application; and

receiving the locations from a web-based application.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the touch-based input via the second portion of the touch-sensitive interface comprises associating the touch-based input to the touch sensitive-button.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the touch-sensitive buttons are configured to detect at least one of a direct touch and a touch movement.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises detecting a touch movement, the touch movement comprising at least one of:

a swipe up;

a swipe down;

a swipe right; and

a swipe left.

15. A thermostat for a building space, the thermostat comprising:

an electronic display;

a frame;

a touch-sensitive interface having a first portion that overlays the electronic display and a second portion that overlays the frame, wherein the touch-sensitive interface is configured to receive touch-based input via both the first portion and the second portion;

a skin that covers at least part of the second portion and visually marks locations of one or more touch-sensitive buttons on the second portion; and

a processing circuit configured to;

define one or more locations within the second portion that correspond to the touch-sensitive buttons; and

detect at least one of a direct touch and a touch movement based on user input provided via the second portion of the touch-sensitive interface.

16. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to associate touch-based input of the touch sensitive-button to the location of the touch sensitive-button.

17. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein the touch movement comprises at least one of:

a swipe up;

a swipe down;

a swipe right; and

a swipe left.

18. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein the processing circuit is configured to define the one or more locations within the second portion that correspond to the touch-sensitive buttons by receiving the locations of the touch-sensitive buttons from at least one of:

the touch-sensitive interface;

a mobile application; and

a web-based application.

19. The thermostat of claim 18, wherein at least one of the web-based application and the mobile application are configured to generate a digital file comprising a design for the skin.

20. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein the skin comprises symbols that visually mark the location of the touch-sensitive buttons, wherein the symbols comprise at least one of:

a button symbol;

a user defined symbol; and

a manufacturer defined logo.