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

• US 8,744,629 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• 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: Wallaert, Timothy E., Pavlak, Thomas G., Thorson, Timothy H., Mirza, Muhammad Ali, Devineni, Suresh Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US12/603,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• 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

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. A programs tab and a home tab are also provided. The indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.

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 and a relative humidity (“

RH”

) bar for setting a relative humidity, a first side of said RH bar displaying a current indoor relative humidity level with use of a first indicia and a second side of said RH bar displaying a current indoor humidify or dehumidify setpoint with a use of a second indicia, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints;

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 can 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.

2. The program screen of claim 1, wherein the settings employ a slider between the maximum comfort setting to the maximum energy savings of the selection.

3. The indoor humidity tab of claim 1, wherein the humidity screen allows users to have different humidity levels during different periods of a day.

4. The humidity screen of claim 3, wherein the periods include at least one of:

a) waking;

b) leaving;

c) returning; and

d) sleep.

5. The humidity screen of claim 3, wherein a humidity status and a relative humidity are both presented on a same screen.

6. The humidity screen of claim 1, wherein said first side of said RH bar is a left side of said RH bar and said second side of said RH bar is a right side of said RH bar.

7. The indoor humidity screen of claim 1, wherein the first indicia and the second indicia are a triangle.

8. 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 and a relative humidity (“

RH”

) bar for setting a relative humidity, a first side of said RH bar displaying a current indoor relative humidity level with use of a first indicia and a second side of said RH bar displaying a current indoor humidify or dehumidify setpoint with a use of a second indicia, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints;

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 can program at least one of;

i) a time;

ii) temperature setpoints;

iii) heating/cooling setpoints; and

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

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.

9. The indoor humidity screen of claim 8, wherein the first indicia and the second indicia are a triangle.

10. The program screen of claim 8, wherein the settings employ a slider between the maximum comfort setting to the maximum energy savings of the selection.

11. The indoor humidity tab of claim 8, wherein the humidity screen allows users to have different humidity levels during different periods of a day.

12. The humidity screen of claim 8, wherein said first side of said RH bar is a left side of said RH bar and said second side of said RH bar is a right side of said RH bar.

13. The indoor humidity screen of claim 8, wherein the first indicia and the second indicia are a triangle.

14. A method for operating an HVAC interface having a plurality of tabs, comprising:

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

providing an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity and a relative humidity (“

RH”

) bar for setting a relative humidity, a first side of said RH bar displaying a current indoor relative humidity level with use of a first indicia and a second side of said RH bar displaying a current indoor humidify or dehumidify setpoint with a use of a second indicia, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints;

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

providing 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;

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

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

a) time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints;

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

invoking one of the screens.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the programs tab further includes providing a fan mode.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the humidity screen allows users to have different humidity levels during different periods of a day.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said first side of said RH bar is a left side of said RH bar and said second side of said RH bar is a right side of said RH bar.