System and method of use for a user interface dashboard of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

• US 8,655,490 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pavlak, Thomas Gerard, Jennings, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US12/603,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 705/412, 380/201
• 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 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts

Abstract

The disclosure provides systems and methods of use of an HVAC graphical interface dashboard. In various embodiments the dashboard includes a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen. The dashboard also includes an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen interprets a percentage of humidity for a user. A programs tab and a home tab are also provided. A button of the dashboard turns a color, such as an inverse color, when it is touched.

Claims

1. An HVAC graphical interface dashboard, comprising:

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen which is configured to program at least one of;

a) a time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions,

wherein a button of the dashboard changes color when it is touched, said change of color is an inversion of color, and the button of the program screen remains inverted after the button of the program screen is touched, unless the button is an up-down arrow, in which case, the up-down arrow button reverts to the up-down arrow button'"'"'s non-inverted color when not touched.

2. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein a program schedule is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being pressed for a set period of time:

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints.

3. The dashboard of claim 1, further comprising allowing a user to select an item through an employment of text as a button to select the text.

4. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.

5. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the help screen displays settings depending upon a screen displayed before the help tab is activated.

6. An HVAC graphical interface dashboard, comprising:

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen which is configured to program at least one of;

a) a time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints;

wherein a program schedule of the program tab is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being invoked for a set period of time;

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions, and

wherein a button of the dashboard changes a color when it is touched, said change of color is an inversion of color, and the button of the program screen remains inverted even after the button of the program screen is touched, unless the button is an up-down arrow, in which case, the up-down arrow button reverts to the up-down arrow button'"'"'s non-inverted color when not touched.

7. The dashboard of claim 6, wherein a program schedule is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being pressed for a set period of time:

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints.

8. The dashboard of claim 6, further comprising allowing a user to select an item through an employment of text as a button to select the text.

9. The dashboard of claim 6, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.

10. The dashboard of claim 6, wherein the help screen displays settings depending upon a screen displayed before the help tab is activated.

11. An HVAC system including a graphical interface dashboard and at least one coupled device, comprising:

the dashboard, including;

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances a user to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein pressing the programs tab invokes a programs screen which is configured to program at least one of;

i) a time;

ii) temperature setpoints;

iii) heating/cooling setpoints;

wherein a program schedule of the program tan is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being pressed for a set period of time;

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated;

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances a user to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions;

the at least one coupled device selected from the group including;

a) an air handler;

b) a furnace;

c) an evaporator coil;

d) a condenser coil; and

e) a compressor;

wherein the at least one coupled device is viewable from at least one of the tabs, and

wherein a button of the dashboard turns an inverse color when it is touched, and the button of the program screen remains inverted even after the button of the program screen is touched, unless the button is an up-down arrow, in which case, the up-down arrow button reverts to the up-down arrow button'"'"'s non-inverted color when not touched.

12. The dashboard of claim 11, wherein a program schedule is divided into a plurality of time zones wherein, upon a time a time zone being pressed for a set period of time:

a) a temperature setpoint for that time period is deactivated,

b) a display of the deactivated setpoints of the deactivated time period appears dim relative to a display of the time period'"'"'s setpoints before deactivation; and

c) the deactivated time period'"'"'s setpoints appear dimmer relative to an active time period'"'"'s setpoints.

13. The dashboard of claim 11, further comprising allowing a user to select an item through an employment of text as a button to select the text.

14. The dashboard of claim 11, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.