Comfort Controller Schedule Switching Using Stored Weekly Presets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Climate control systems lack the ability to easily switch between user-defined schedules and quickly revert to previous settings, limiting user flexibility and convenience in managing temperature settings.
Innovation Solution
A wireless-capable comfort controller that allows users to select from multiple stored weekly schedules with daily time slots and temperature set points, enabling easy switching and storage of schedules using a computing device for seamless replacement of existing schedules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users manually reprogram climate control schedules, then customization is possible, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-stores multiple complete weekly schedules in memory, allowing users to quickly switch between pre-defined schedules without manually reprogramming them each time. This preliminary preparation of schedule options resolves the contradiction by making customization immediate through pre-computed alternatives.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and stores copies of weekly schedules in memory, allowing users to select from multiple pre-saved schedule variations. Instead of reprogramming from scratch, users can copy and activate pre-existing schedule templates, dramatically reducing the time required to switch between different climate control patterns.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple schedule options are provided, then user flexibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the schedule management functionality into a separate, dedicated module within the comfort controller. By isolating the schedule storage and switching logic from the main climate control operations, the system provides multiple schedule options without significantly increasing the overall device complexity. The extracted schedule manager handles the complexity internally while presenting a simple user interface.
3Ease of operation
If schedule switching is enabled, then user convenience improves, but risk of errors in schedule application increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that confirm when a schedule has been successfully switched and applied. The comfort controller provides status information to the user interface, allowing users to verify that the intended schedule is now active. This feedback loop reduces errors by ensuring that schedule switching operations are completed correctly and as intended.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of systems and methods for facilitating scheduling of comfort controllers such as thermostats. In an exemplary embodiment, a comfort controller is operable to control one or more configurations of a climate control system for providing climate control in a structure. The comfort controller is operable in accordance with a user-selected one of a plurality of stored weekly schedules for operation of the one or more configurations, where each of the plurality of stored weekly schedules provides a plurality of daily time slots and temperature set points, and is based on user-specifications, and where the user-selected weekly schedule is wirelessly received by and completely replaces a current operating weekly schedule on the comfort controller.