Horseshoe-Shaped Touch Interface for Intuitive Thermostat Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional thermostats lack an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface, failing to provide additional information such as outside weather conditions, which users find inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A programmable intelligent thermostat with a touch-screen display featuring a horseshoe-shaped temperature scale, heat and cool set-point controls, and integrated sensors that communicate via a wireless network, allowing users to adjust settings and receive weather information and maintenance reminders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional thermostat display is used, then the device structure is simple, but the user interface is not intuitive and lacks additional information display
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a horseshoe-shaped temperature scale design on the touch-screen display, using curved geometry to organize temperature controls along an arc rather than linear排列. This curved layout makes the interface more intuitive by naturally guiding user interaction from cold to hot settings, while maintaining visual clarity and ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional linear or grid-based thermostat controls to a radial/curved arrangement where temperature setpoints are positioned along circumferential edges of the horseshoe shape. This dimensional reorganization allows multiple controls to be accessed along the curve, creating a more intuitive spatial relationship between temperature values and their corresponding controls.
2Loss of information
If traditional thermostat controls are used, then the device is easy to manufacture, but users cannot access additional information such as weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single thermostat device, including temperature control, weather information display, maintenance reminders, and energy management. The touch-screen display serves as a universal interface that presents diverse information types (temperature readings, weather forecasts, system status) and controls (sliders, buttons, gestures) in a unified manner, eliminating the need for separate devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate functionalities—thermostat control, weather monitoring, and maintenance tracking—into one integrated system. The processing circuitry merges data from temperature sensors, wireless network weather data, and HVAC system diagnostics into a single user interface, allowing users to access all information and controls through one device rather than multiple separate systems.
3Ease of operation
If a touch-screen display with multiple controls is used, then user interaction is enhanced, but the interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the temperature control interface into distinct functional zones along the horseshoe shape: a heat set-point control section on one side, a cool set-point control section on the other side, and a central display area. This segmentation allows users to quickly locate and adjust only the relevant control (heating or cooling) without being overwhelmed by the entire interface, reducing cognitive load despite multiple available controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different interaction modes to different regions of the horseshoe-shaped interface. Dragging along circumferential edges adjusts temperature setpoints, while tapping specific areas may trigger different actions (e.g., confirming selection, accessing detailed information). This local differentiation allows each zone to have optimized interaction characteristics suited to its specific function, enhancing ease of use while managing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A thermostat includes a front housing, a rear housing interoperably coupled to the front housing, at least one sensor integrated with the front housing, a display integrated with the front housing, and processing circuitry interoperably coupled to the at least one sensor and the display. The display is a touch-screen display and is configured to demonstrate a user-interface screen. The user-interface screen comprises a horseshoe-shaped temperature scale, a heat set-point control, and a cool set-point control. The heat set-point control and the cool set-point control are positioned on the horseshoe-shaped temperature scale. The horseshoe-shaped temperature scale can be adjusted by dragging at least one of the heat set-point control and the cool set-point control along circumferential edges of the horseshoe-shaped temperature scale.