Thermostat with display screen and control dial having vertical and horizontal mounting configurations

Abstract

A temperature control apparatus for controlling operation of at least one temperature-modifying device includes a housing, a rotationally symmetrical display disposed within or on the housing, a rotary dial disposed on or partially in the housing and being rotatable with respect to the housing, and a controller configured to control operation of the at least one temperature modifying device in response to a comparison of a measured ambient temperature with a user-selected setpoint temperature, and present a menu on the display, from which the user is able to select, using the rotary dial, one of a plurality of orientations of the display with respect to the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]An embodiment of the present invention relates generally to a temperature control device, and more particularly, to a temperature control device having a display screen and control dial mountable in multiple orientations, all of which provide the same user experience.[0002]Digital programmable thermostats are common devices used to control the operation of heating and / or air conditioning systems in home or office buildings and other spaces requiring the regulation of air temperature. Often, such thermostats include an electronic display for providing the user with information related to operation. However, such thermostats are typically only mountable in one orientation (e.g., horizontal), which can cause problems when the mounting location, by way of shape, obstacles, wiring, or the like, makes the single orientation mounting difficult to achieve.[0003]The thermostat described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,306 was an attempt to provide a device...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a temperature control apparatus that allows users to control the operation of temperature-modifying devices. The apparatus includes a housing, a display, and a rotary dial. The display can be oriented in different directions for users to select a preferred orientation. The apparatus can be adjusted to control the temperature of the device based on the measured ambient temperature and the user-selected setpoint temperature. This allows for easy use of the temperature control apparatus in different usage scenarios.

Problems solved by technology

However, such thermostats are typically only mountable in one orientation (e.g., horizontal), which can cause problems when the mounting location, by way of shape, obstacles, wiring, or the like, makes the single orientation mounting difficult to achieve.

As a result, the user does not have the same experience using the thermostat in the horizontal configuration as in the vertical configuration.

A repositioning of the controls for the thermostat is not always intuitive, and the user may be disoriented by the change.

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