Thermostat with electronic image display

• US 9,081,393 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Lunacek, Michael G., Amundson, John B., Juntunen, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHECHTMAN, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/047,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/62 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: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• 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

Abstract

A programmable controller for homes and/or buildings and their related grounds, such as thermostat, that has a display and an external interface. The external interface may be use for uploading electronic images and/or other information from an external data source, and may use the uploaded electronic images and/or other information for programming and/or updating the controller and/or for viewing the electronic images and/or other information on the display of the controller.

Claims

1. A programmable thermostat for controlling a climate control system of a building, the programmable thermostat comprising:

a housing that is configured to house a communication interface, a programmable controller, and a user interface;

wherein the communication interface is configured to establish communication with an external data source to enable the upload of an electronic image file from the external data source to the thermostat, wherein the electronic image file stores a digital still photographic image;

wherein the programmable controller is configured to create and/or change a schedule for operating at least part of the climate control system, and to generate control signals for controlling at least part of the climate control system, wherein the programmable controller includes a memory that receives the electronic image file uploaded via the communication interface; and

wherein the user interface is configured for interacting with a user of the thermostat, the user interface comprising a display having a display area, the display responsive to the programmable controller and for displaying one or more thermostat parameter and for displaying the digital still photographic image uploaded from the external data source, wherein the digital still photographic image covers greater than 25% of the display area, and wherein the programmable controller automatically displays the digital still photographic image after a time of no user interaction with the user interface of the thermostat.

2. The programmable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is configured to receive a signal from an environmental sensor and to control at least part of the climate control system in response to the signal.

3. The programmable thermostat of claim 1 wherein the programmable controller causes the digital still photographic image to be displayed on the display without requiring prompting by a user of the thermostat to do so.

4. The programmable thermostat of claim 1 wherein the programmable controller causes the digital still photographic image to be displayed as a background image on the display with one or more thermostat parameters displayed on top of at least parts of the digital still photographic image.

5. The programmable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is configured to simultaneously display the digital still photographic image and at least one thermostat parameter.

6. The programmable thermostat of claim 1 wherein the digital still photographic image covers all of the display area of the display.

7. The programmable thermostat of claim 2, wherein the environmental sensor is positioned in the housing.

8. A programmable thermostat for controlling a climate control system of a building, the programmable thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a communication interface, a programmable controller, a temperature sensor, and a user interface housed by the housing;

wherein the communication interface is configured to establish communication with an external data source to enable the upload of an electronic image file from the external data source to the thermostat, wherein the electronic image file stores a digital still photographic image;

wherein the programmable controller is configured to create and/or change a schedule for operating at least part of the climate control system, and to generate control signals for controlling at least part of the climate control system;

wherein the temperature sensor is in operative communication with the programmable controller, the temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature that is used by the programmable controller to control at least part of the climate control system; and

wherein the user interface is configured for interacting with a user of the thermostat, the user interface comprising a display having a display area, the display responsive to the programmable controller and displaying one or more thermostat parameter and displaying the digital still photographic image uploaded from the external data source, wherein the digital still photographic image covers greater than 25% of the display area.

9. The programmable thermostat of claim 8 wherein the electronic image file stores a single discrete digital still photographic image for display.

10. The programmable thermostat of claim 8 wherein the programmable controller causes the digital still photographic image to be displayed on the display without requiring prompting by a user of the thermostat to do so.

11. The programmable thermostat of claim 8 wherein the programmable controller automatically displays the digital still photographic image after a time of no user interaction with the user interface of the thermostat.

12. The programmable thermostat of claim 8 wherein the programmable controller causes the display to display the digital still photographic image so as to cover all of the display area.

13. The programmable thermostat of claim 8, wherein the communication interface is configured to establish communication with an external data source to enable the upload of two or more electronic image files from the external data source to the thermostat, wherein the two or more electronic image files each store a digital still photographic image, and wherein the programmable controller causes the display to display the digital still photographic image of each of the two or more electronic image files.

14. The programmable thermostat of claim 13, wherein the programmable controller is configured to cause the display to display the digital still photographic images of each of the two or more electronic image files in sequence.

15. The programmable thermostat of claim 14, wherein the programmable controller is configured to cause the display to display a first digital still photographic image of a first one of the two or more electronic image files for a first period of time, after which the programmable controller causes the display to automatically replace the first digital still photographic image with a second digital still photographic image of a second one of the one or more electronic image files.

16. The programmable thermostat of claim 15, wherein the programmable controller is configured to add a transition effect between the display of the first digital still photographic image and the display of the second digital still photographic image.

17. The programmable thermostat of claim 8, wherein the programmable controller is configured to simultaneously display the digital still photographic image and at least one thermostat parameter on the display.

18. A programmable thermostat for controlling a climate control system of a building, the programmable thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a communication interface contained within the housing, the interface configured to communicate with an external data source to enable the upload of an electronic image file from the external data source to the thermostat, wherein the electronic image file stores a digital still photographic image;

a programmable controller contained within the housing, the programmable controller configured to create and/or change a schedule for operating at least part of the climate control system, and to generate control signals for controlling at least part of the climate control system, wherein the programmable controller includes a memory that receives the electronic image file uploaded via the interface;

a temperature sensor in operative communication with the programmable controller;

a user interface contained within the housing but viewable from outside of the housing, the user interface configured for interacting with a user of the thermostat, the user interface comprising a display having a display area, the display responsive to the programmable controller and displaying one or more thermostat parameter and displaying the digital still photographic image uploaded from the external data source, wherein the digital still photographic image covers greater than 25% of the display area; and

wherein the programmable controller automatically displays the digital still photographic image after a time of no user interaction with the user interface of the thermostat.

19. The programmable thermostat of claim 18 wherein the programmable controller causes the digital still photographic image to be displayed as a background image on the display with one or more thermostat parameters displayed on top of at least parts of the digital still photographic image.

20. The programmable thermostat of claim 18, wherein the programmable controller is configured to simultaneously display the digital still photographic image and at least one thermostat parameter.

21. The programmable thermostat of claim 18 wherein the digital still photographic image, when displayed, covers all of the display area of the display.