HVAC Controller Carousel Interface for Multi-Input Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional HVAC controllers lack intuitive user interfaces that allow for seamless navigation and control through multiple types of user inputs, such as rotations and touches, leading to a suboptimal user experience.
Innovation Solution
An HVAC controller with a digital user interface that transitions between carousel screens and details screens based on rotations and touches, enabling lateral and vertical scrolling, and automatically displays an idle screen after a period of inactivity, allowing for efficient navigation and control of temperature setpoints and other parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional HVAC controllers use traditional button or keypad interfaces, then the device complexity is low, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to lack of intuitive navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic carousel interface where screens automatically rotate and transition based on user interaction. The interface transforms from static display to dynamic scrolling carousel, allowing seamless navigation between different control screens (temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.) through rotational gestures, thereby improving ease of operation without significantly increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical screen structure with master screens and detail screens organized in a carousel sequence. This creates a dimensional navigation system where users can move laterally through different parameter screens and vertically into detailed settings, providing intuitive multi-dimensional control without complicating the physical device structure
2Loss of information
If HVAC controllers display all parameters simultaneously, then the information completeness is high, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to cluttered display
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the user interface into segmented carousel screens, each dedicated to specific parameters (temperature control, humidity control, air quality monitoring, system status). This segmentation allows comprehensive information display across multiple screens while maintaining clean, uncluttered individual screens, improving both information completeness and operational ease through organized navigation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a hierarchical information architecture with master overview screens and detailed parameter screens. Users can access comprehensive system information by navigating through the carousel sequence, while maintaining simple, focused displays at any given moment. This dimensional organization resolves the conflict between displaying all parameters and maintaining operational simplicity
3Adaptability or versatility
If HVAC controllers require manual navigation through multiple menus, then the adaptability is high, but the loss of time increases due to navigation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic automatic rotation of the carousel screens, which continuously cycles through different parameter displays. This periodic action allows users to access any control function by simply waiting for the desired screen to rotate into view, eliminating manual navigation steps while maintaining full adaptability through the continuous carousel sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-organizes all control functions and parameters in a predetermined carousel sequence, with frequently accessed controls positioned in optimal locations within the rotation cycle. This preliminary arrangement allows users to access any function with minimal navigation time, as the systematic organization ensures efficient access patterns without sacrificing control versatility
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a device can control one or more heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) components within a building and control a digital user interface. The device includes a dial, the digital user interface, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to scroll, in response to detecting a set of user inputs to one or both of the digital user interface and the dial, through a sequence of carousel screens for display on the digital user interface and display, on the digital user interface after a period of time following a most recent user input of the set of user inputs, a default carousel screen of the sequence of carousel screens. Additionally, the processing circuitry is configured to display, on the digital user interface, an idle screen corresponding to the default carousel screen of the sequence of carousel screens.