Configurable wall module system

• US 9,285,134 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bray, William J., Jhawar, Ankur, Kasper, Gary P., Laberge, Jason C., Andrzejewski, Jakub, Wacker, Paul C., Ghule, Siddharth, Gutha, Stalin, Johnson, Bruce S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chuang, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US11/957,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,014 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/864, 715/810, 715/717, 715/740, 715/817, 715/818, 715/702, 715/764, 700/83, 700/278, 700/16, 700/65, 700/276, 700/299, 165/200
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/102 for input of programme steps, i.e. setting up sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25092 Customized control features, configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

A configurable wall module having selectable home screens, custom menu navigation, and incorporating functional design. The display utilizes fixed segments. menu navigation and configuration which may be facilitated with soft keys having indicative labels associated with them. The parameters may be accessed from categories by soft keys via two-level menu navigation. Certain parameter value and setpoint entries may be effected with up/down keys. Module configuration may be performed by a user. To provide such user capability, the module may be programmed and configured by an installer with a software configuration tool used in connection with the building automation system associated with the module.

Claims

1. A wall mounted structure space module configured to control indoor environmental conditions through an HVAC system, the module comprising:

a display for providing a home screen configuration of a single mode of the wall mounted structure space module, wherein;

the display includes one or more different areas for displaying information at predefined locations using one or more fixed segments and/or symbols, wherein each fixed segment and symbol has a separate and distinct fixed position on the display independent of the home screen configuration displayed on the display; and

the display is associated with one or more soft keys, each soft key having a separate and distinct fixed location on the display wherein the soft keys include one or more labels, wherein each of the one or more labels is one of the fixed segments and has a separate and distinct fixed location in the soft key on the display;

a processor connected to the display; and

one or more sensors, for providing one or more HVAC system related parameters about an indoor space, connected to the processor; and

wherein the wall mounted structure space module has a user mode and an installer mode;

wherein one or more HVAC system related parameters can be changed at the wall mounted structure space module when in the user mode,

wherein a quantity of HVAC system related parameters that can be changed at the wall mounted structure space module is customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure a plurality of preconfiqured home screen configurations and parameter types of HVAC system related parameters that can be changed at the wall mounted structure space module are customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the plurality of preconfiqured home screen configurations;

wherein the plurality of preconfigured home screen configurations are preloaded on the wall mounted structure space module; and

wherein the home screen configuration of the single mode of the wall mounted structure space module is selected on the wall mounted structure space module from the plurality of preconfigured home screen configurations preloaded to and located on the wall mounted structure space module for the single mode and wherein the selected preconfigured home screen configuration has a parameter configuration layout that is modified at the wall mounted structure space module by interacting with the display when in the installer mode and displays information at predetermined locations using the fixed segments and/or symbols of the display by selectively enabling and/or disabling desired fixed segments and/or symbols and selectively displays a label of the one or more labels at its distinct and fixed location on the display in each of one or more of the one or more soft keys.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the wall mounted structure space module is programmed and/or configured with a software configuration tool in connection with a building automation system to provide the wall mounted structure space module with customized access to the building automation system.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein a space module configuration is selectable from one or more predefined space module configurations.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein control of the space module is configurable.

5. The module of claim 1,

wherein permission to access the installer mode and/or the user mode is customizable.

6. The module of claim 5, wherein an amount of information permitted to be viewed by a user is customizable.

7. The module of claim 1,

wherein:

the installer mode is for programming the wall mounted structure space module with a software configuration tool in connection with a building automation system; and

programming permitted by the user mode is determined at the installer mode.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the building automation system comprises:

a controller connected to the space module and the HVAC system.

9. The module of claim 1, wherein the wall mounted structure space module comprises one or more soft keys connected to the processor.

10. The module of claim 9, wherein:

an occupancy status is selectable at the wall mounted structure space module via the one or more soft keys; and

/or

a fan status is selectable at the wall mounted structure space module via the one or more soft keys.

11. The module of claim 9, wherein:

each soft key is positioned offset from and adjacent to the display; and

each soft key of the one or more soft keys has a label displayed on the display, where the label indicates an action if the soft key is pressed.

12. The module of claim 9, wherein:

the one or more HVAC system related parameters are classified in one or more categories; and

the one or more HVAC system related parameters are accessed from one or more categories by pressing the one or more soft keys via two-level navigation.

13. The module of claim 12, wherein in absence of a configured or selected two-level navigation menu, a default two-level navigation menu is provided.

14. The module of claim 9, further comprising:

up and down keys; and

wherein;

the HVAC system related parameters are selectable at the wall mounted structure space module from a category with the one or more soft keys; and

the HVAC system related parameters are adjustable with the up and down keys.

15. The module of claim 1, wherein:

the display comprises one or more labels;

each of the one or more labels is a one-or-more-character label; and

each character of the label comprises one or more fixed display segments.

16. A method for operating a wall mounted thermostat module comprising:

providing a display having one or more fixed segments and/or symbols, wherein each of the one or more fixed segments or symbols are fixed at predetermined separate and distinct locations on the display independent of a screen displayed on the display and are capable of being selectively enabled or disabled;

providing one or more soft keys associated with the display, wherein each of the one or more soft keys include two or more labels at separate and distinct fixed locations within the soft key and each of the two or more labels are capable of being selectively enabled or disabled;

sensing one or more environment control parameters with one or more sensors of the wall mounted thermostat module;

loading a group of two or more preconfigured home screens for a single mode onto the wall mounted thermostat module, wherein the wall mounted thermostat module has an installer mode and a user mode;

when in the installer mode, selecting by interacting with the display of the wall mounted thermostat module a preconfigured home screen from the loaded group of two or more preconfigured home screens for the single mode;

modifying a preconfiguration of parameters on the selected preconfigured home screen by interacting with the display when in the installer mode;

selectively enabling and/or disabling the one or more fixed segments and/or symbols of the display based on the modified preconfiguration of parameters on the selected preconfigured home screen;

selectively enabling and/or disabling the two or more labels of the soft keys based on the modified preconfiguration of parameters on the selected preconfigured home screen;

displaying the modified preconfigured home screen of a single mode for showing at least one value and/or setpoint of the one or more environment control parameters on a display of the wall mounted thermostat module;

wherein the displayed preconfigured home screen displays one or more soft keys operable from the displayed preconfigured home screen on the display of the wall mounted thermostat module; and

wherein the one or more environment control parameters that can be changed at wall mounted thermostat module is customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the group of two or more preconfigured home screens and parameter types of the one or more environment control parameters that can be changed at the wall mounted thermostat module are customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the group of two or more preconfigured home screens.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the preconfigured home screen is selected from the group of two or more preconfigured home screens by pressing one or more soft keys; and

each of the one or more soft keys has a label displayed on the display for indicating an action if the soft key is pressed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the one or more parameters are in one of one or more categories;

a category is selected from the one or more categories for viewing by pressing one or more soft keys; and

a parameter is selected from the category for viewing and/or editing by pressing one or more soft keys and/or up and down keys.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the wall mounted thermostat module is situated in a building and connected to a building automation system; and

the building automation system in conjunction with the wall mounted thermostat module is for controlling environmental conditions in the building.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising programming and/or configuring the wall mounted thermostat module with a configuration tool;

and

wherein the configuration tool is a software configuration tool having access to the building automation system.

21. A control system including a wall mounted device used to monitor and control an indoor environment, the control system comprising:

one or more sensors for indicating one or more values of one or more indoor environment parameters sensed by the one or more sensors;

a display of the wall mounted device for showing a preconfigured home screen of a mode of the control system, wherein the wall mounted device has a user mode and an installer mode;

a processor connected to the one or more sensors and the display;

one or more soft keys selectable and operable from the shown preconfigured home screen, wherein each of the one or more soft keys are located at a predetermined location on the shown preconfigured home screen;

one or more labels associated with the one or more soft keys for indicating what appears on the screen if the one or more soft keys are pressed, wherein each of the one or more labels is located in a separate, distinct, and fixed predetermined location within the soft key;

up and down keys configured on the wall mounted device;

one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints selectable by the one or more soft keys and adjustable by the up and down keys; and

one or more fixed segment characters in the shown preconfigured home screen for displaying a value of the one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints when the wall mounted device is in the user mode; and

one or more fixed segment symbols in the shown preconfigured home screen are for displaying information about the one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints when the wall mounted device is in the user mode; and

wherein;

each of the one or more fixed segment characters and the one or more fixed segment symbols are located at separate and distinct fixed locations on the display independent of the shown preconfigured home screen displayed on the display and are capable of being selectively enabled and/or disabled by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the shown preconfigured home screen and a plurality of additional preconfigured home screens;

the additional preconfigured home screens of the wall mounted device are preloaded and stored on the wall mounted device for selection and parameter layout modification at the wall mounted device in lieu of the shown preconfigured home screen on the display by interacting with the display when in the installer mode;

the additional preconfigured home screens are downloaded to the wall mounted device; and

a quantity of the one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints that can be changed at the wall mounted device is customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the shown preconfigured home screen and the plurality of additional preconfigured home screens and parameter types of the one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints that can be changed at the wall mounted device are customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the shown preconfigured home screen and the plurality of additional preconfigured home screens.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a CO2 sensor and/or one or more other sensors.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

an occupancy status selectable by the one or more soft keys; and

a fan status selectable by the one or more soft keys.

24. A control system including a wall mounted structure space module configured to monitor and control an indoor environment through an HVAC system, the control system comprising:

one or more sensors for indicating one or more values of one or more indoor environment parameters sensed by the one or more sensors;

a display of the wall mounted structure space module for showing a home screen configuration of a mode of the control system, wherein the wall mounted space structure module has an installer mode and a user mode;

a processor connected to the one or more sensors and the display;

one or more soft keys selectable and operable from the shown home screen configuration when the wall mounted structure space module is in the user mode, wherein each of the soft keys have a separate, distinct, and fixed predefined position within the display independent of the screen displayed on the display;

one or more labels associated with the one or more soft keys for indicating what appears on the the shown home screen configuration if the one or more soft keys are pressed when the wall mounted structure space module is in the user mode, wherein each of the one or more labels have a different and fixed predefined position within the soft key independent of the shown home screen configuration displayed on the display and each of the one or more labels are selectively displayed;

up and down keys configured on the wall mounted structure space module;

one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints selectable by the one or more soft keys and adjustable by the up and down keys;

one or more fixed segment characters in the home screen configuration for displaying a value of the one or more parameters and/or setpoints when the wall mounted structure space module is in the user mode, where each of the one or more fixed segment characters have a separate, distinct, and fixed position within the display independent of the shown home screen configuration displayed on the display;

one or more fixed symbols in the shown home screen configuration for displaying the status of one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints when the wall mounted structure space module is in the user mode, wherein each of the one or more fixed symbols are selectively displayed at different and fixed locations within the display independent of the shown home screen configuration displayed on the display;

wherein;

additional home screen configurations of the wall mounted structure space module are preloaded onto and stored on the wall mounted structure space module and the preloaded additional home screen configurations stored on the wall mounted structure space module can be selected when the wall mounted structure space module is in an installer mode by interacting with the display of the wall mounted structure space module in lieu of the shown home screen configuration on the display;

the shown home screen configuration and the additional home screen configurations have a preconfigured parameter configuration layout and are downloaded to the wall mounted structure space module from a configuration tool;

a quantity of the one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints that can be changed at the wall mounted structure space module is customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the shown home screen configuration and the additional home screen configurations and parameter types of the one or more indoor environment parameters and/or setpoints that can be changed at the wall mounted structure space module are customizable by interacting with the display when in the installer mode to configure the shown home screen configuration and the additional home screen configurations; and

the wall mounted structure space module is configured to selectively modify a parameter configuration layout of the shown home screen configuration and the additional home screen configurations of the wall mounted structure space module by interacting with the display and selectively enabling and/or disabling the display of one or more of the labels within the soft keys, one or more of the fixed segment characters and one or more of the fixed symbols when the wall mounted structure space module is in the installer mode.