Round thermostat with flanged rotatable user input member and wall-facing optical sensor that senses rotation

• US 8,998,102 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M., Rogers, Matthew L., Sloo, David, Plitkins, Michael, Honjo, Shigefumi, Filson, John B., Matas, Michael J., Bould, Fred, Huppi, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US14/458,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20140346241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.C, 236/94, 700/276, 700/278
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/041 : Mountings in enclosures or in a particular environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 : Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/26 : Testing of individual semiconductor devices testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment H01L22/00; testing of photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 : characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 : characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 : to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 : the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/2454 : using photoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/27 : with sensing element responsive to radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/275 : with sensing element expanding, contracting, or fusing in response to changes of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 : Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 : Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 : by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 : Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 : Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 : with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 : by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 : using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 : Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/06 : Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 : Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems

Abstract

A sleek, low-profile wall-mountable thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a ring-shaped controller that rotates about a central axis, and an optical sensor directed away from the central axis and toward a radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped controller so as to accurately detect optical signals indicating controller'"'"'s rotational movement.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:

a housing having a frustum-shaped body having a circular cross-section and a central axis generally perpendicular to a wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the frustum-shaped body including a sidewall that extends along a length of the central axis between first and second ends of the frustum-shaped body, the first end of the frustum-shaped body being wall-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the second end of the frustum-shaped body being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the first end of the frustum-shaped body having a first diameter and the second end of the frustum-shaped body having a second, larger diameter, the sidewall including inside and outside surfaces, the inside surface defining an interior for housing components of the thermostat;

a processing system disposed within the interior of the housing;

an electronic display coupled to the processing system and disposed within the interior of the housing, the electronic display being adapted to display information to a user and having a generally circular appearance when viewed by the user;

a rotatable user input member mounted proximate the second end of the frustum-shaped body of the housing, the rotatable user input member having an axis of rotation generally perpendicular to the wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, wherein user rotation of the rotatable user input member results in user input for adjusting a temperature setting of the thermostat, the rotatable user input member having an inner portion extending radially inward with a surface that faces axially outward away from the wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted; and

an optical sensor mounted within the interior of the housing and positioned to face axially inward toward the wall so as to face the axially outward facing surface of the inner portion of the rotatable user input member, the optical sensor being configured to sense movement of said surface so as to detect rotational movement of the inner portion of the rotatable user input member and to generate electrical signals therefrom;

wherein the processing system is adapted and configured to detect user input for adjusting the temperature setting of the thermostat based on the electrical signals generated by the optical sensor.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the rotatable user input member rotatably slides about a bottom frame of the thermostat, the rotatable user input member having a lip or edge that is positioned within a groove of the bottom frame.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein a bearing surface of the bottom frame is greased or otherwise lubricated to smooth and dampen rotational movement of the rotatable user input member.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat includes a speaker and is configured to output synthesized audible ticks in correspondence with user rotation of the rotatable user input member.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein said generally circularly appearing electronic display is formed by (a) a circular cover centered on said central axis and being mounted proximate the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body, the circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a colored outer portion, and (b) a non-circular dot-matrix color display element mounted at a location between the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body and the circular cover, the clear circular center portion of the circular cover permitting a corresponding circular portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the colored outer portion of the circular cover masking a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create the circular appearance of the generally circularly appearing electronic display.

6. The thermostat of claim 5, further comprising a motion sensor that detects user presence, wherein the processing system, upon receiving from the motion sensor a signal indicating user presence, activates the non-circular dot-matrix color display element.

7. The thermostat of claim 6, further comprising:

a wall-mountable back plate configured to detachably couple to the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body so as to provide electrical power to the processing system and the non-circular dot-matrix color display element, the back plate including;

wire connectors configured to connect to HVAC control wires so as to send a control signal from the processing system to the HVAC system;

labels associated with the wire connectors to aid thermostat installation; and

a bubble level to aid in level wall mounting of the thermostat.

8. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:

a housing;

a processing system disposed within the housing;

an electronic display coupled to the processing system and mounted on the housing and adapted to display information to a user, the electronic display having a generally circular appearance when viewed by the user;

a rotatable user input member mounted on the housing so as to surround the electronic display and rotate about a central axis, the rotatable user input member having an inner portion extending radially inward with a surface that faces axially outward away from the wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted; and

an optical sensor mounted within the housing and positioned to face axially inward toward the wall so as to face the axially outward facing surface of the inner portion of the rotatable user input member, wherein the optical sensor senses movement of said surface so as to detect rotation of said rotatable user input member to detect user input to the thermostat.

9. The thermostat of claim 8, wherein the rotatable user input member rotatably slides about a bottom frame of the thermostat, the rotatable user input member having a lip or edge that is positioned within a groove of the bottom frame.

10. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein a bearing surface of the bottom frame is greased or otherwise lubricated to smooth and dampen rotational movement of the rotatable user input member.

11. The thermostat of claim 8, wherein the housing has a frustum-shaped body having a circular cross-section and a central axis generally perpendicular to the wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the frustum-shaped body including a sidewall that extends along a length of the central axis between first and second ends of the frustum-shaped body, the first end of the frustum-shaped body being wall-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the second end of the frustum-shaped body being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the first end of the frustum-shaped body having a first diameter and the second end of the frustum-shaped body having a second, larger diameter, the sidewall including inside and outside surfaces, the inside surface defining an interior for housing components of the thermostat;

and wherein the rotatable user input member is mounted proximate the second end of the frustum-shaped body, the rotatable user input member including an axis of rotation generally perpendicular to the wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, wherein user rotation of the rotatable user input member results in user input for adjusting a temperature setting of the thermostat.

12. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein the thermostat includes a speaker and is configured to output synthesized audible ticks in correspondence with user rotation of the rotatable user input member.

13. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein said generally circularly appearing electronic display is formed by (a) a circular cover centered on said central axis and being mounted proximate the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body, the circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a colored outer portion, and (b) a non-circular dot-matrix color display element mounted at a location between the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body and the circular cover, the clear circular center portion of the circular cover permitting a corresponding circular portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the colored outer portion of the circular cover masking a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create the circular appearance of the generally circularly appearing electronic display.

14. The thermostat of claim 13, further comprising a motion sensor that detects user presence, wherein the processing system, upon receiving from the motion sensor a signal indicating user presence, activates the non-circular dot-matrix color display element.

15. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein a brightness of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element is user-adjustable.

16. In a thermostat for controlling an HVAC system, a method for detecting user input comprising:

sensing, via an axially oriented optical sensor, movement of a surface of a radially extending inner portion of a rotatable user input member upon user rotation of the rotatable user input member, the axially oriented optical sensor being disposed within a housing of the thermostat and positioned axially outwardly relative to the inner portion so that the optical sensor faces said surface of the inner portion and faces a wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted;

generating electrical signals via the axially oriented optical sensor based on the sensed movement of said surface so as to sense rotational movement of the inner portion of the rotatable user input member;

processing said electrical signals via a processing system disposed within the housing, said processed electrical signals corresponding to an extent of user rotation of the rotatable user input member and to an adjustment of a temperature setting of the thermostat; and

displaying information to the user on a circular-appearing electronic display of the thermostat corresponding to the adjustment of the temperature setting of the thermostat, wherein said displaying comprises actuating one or more dot-matrix elements of a non-circular dot-matrix color display element mounted at a location that is axially outward relative to the inner portion of the rotatable user input member, the thermostat comprising a circular cover disposed axially outward relative to the non-circular dot-matrix color display element and having a clear circular center portion and a colored outer portion, the circular cover permitting a corresponding circular portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the colored outer portion of the circular cover masking an outer remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create the circular appearance of the circularly appearing electronic display.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sensing a proximal user presence using a passive infrared sensor positioned behind said circular cover in said thermostat; and

activating the non-circular dot-matrix color display element responsive to the sensed proximal user presence.

18. The method of 16, wherein said rotatable user input member rotatably slides about a bottom frame of the thermostat, and wherein said rotatable user input member has a lip or edge that is positioned within a groove of the bottom frame.

19. The method of 18, wherein a bearing surface of the bottom frame is greased or otherwise lubricated to smooth and dampen rotational movement of the rotatable user input member.

20. The method of 16, further comprising outputting synthesized audible ticks in correspondence with user rotation of the rotatable user input member.