THERMOSTAT USER INTERFACE

摘要

A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described, the thermostat having a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing ready access to, and intuitive navigation within, a menuing system capable of receiving a variety of different types of user settings and/or control parameters. For some embodiments, the thermostat comprises a housing, a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user, a processing system configured to identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, and an electronic display coupled to the processing system. An interactive thermostat menuing system is accessible to the user by an inward pressing of the ring-shaped user interface component. User navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system is achievable by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component.

主权项

1. A thermostat comprising:
a housing having an electronic display disposed thereon; a rotatable user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user; a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled to the rotatable user interface component and to the electronic display, the processing system being configured to identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, the processing system being further configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving an ambient air temperature, the processing system being still further configured to be in operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value; wherein said processing system, said electronic display, and said rotatable user interface component are collectively configured such that each of a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation is provided, said first and second modes of operation being in effect at different times; wherein, during said first mode of operation, information is displayed on said electronic display that is representative of said setpoint temperature value as identified by said processing system according to said tracked rotational input motion of the user; wherein, during said second mode of operation, an arrangement of selectable menu items is displayed on said electronic display that are selectable by one or more tracked rotational input motions of the user and one or more user confirmation inputs; wherein said thermostat further comprises an infrared sensor disposed within said housing and operably coupled to said processing system, said infrared sensor for sensing a relatively close presence of a user to the thermostat; and wherein said processing system is configured to maintain said electronic display in an off state during an absence of the sensed relatively close presence of the user to the thermostat, said processing system being configured to automatically turn on the electronic display responsive to the sensing by said infrared sensor of the relatively close presence of the user to the thermostat.