Simplified schedule programming of an HVAC controller
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HVAC controllers lack intuitive and user-friendly interfaces for managing programmable schedules, making it difficult for users to efficiently view and edit schedule parameters, which can lead to suboptimal control of heating and cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
An HVAC controller with a touchscreen interface that allows users to navigate through a linearly ordered series of screens to display and edit schedule periods, enabling concurrent display and selection of multiple schedule parameters for easy editing and navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users navigate through multiple screens to view and edit schedule parameters, then the interface becomes more comprehensive, but the operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The schedule parameters are segmented into different categories (temperature settings, timing parameters, operational modes) and organized across multiple screens. Each screen presents a specific subset of parameters, allowing comprehensive control while maintaining visual clarity and reducing cognitive load on any single display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the user interface by organizing parameters across multiple screens that can be navigated sequentially. This transforms a potentially cluttered single-screen interface into a multi-dimensional navigation experience, where depth (number of screens) replaces width (number of parameters per screen).
2Loss of information
If multiple schedule parameters are displayed concurrently, then information completeness improves, but display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display interface is segmented into multiple screens, each dedicated to specific groups of schedule parameters. This segmentation allows all parameters to be made visible across the complete set of screens while maintaining a clean, organized layout on each individual screen, avoiding information overload.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system is made dynamic through user-navigable screens that can be switched between. This allows the interface to adapt its content based on user needs, presenting different parameter sets on different screens while maintaining a consistent, manageable display format on each screen.
Data Source
AI summary
An HVAC controller may be configured to control one or more HVAC components within an HVAC system. The HVAC controller may include a user interface, such as but not limited to a touchscreen display, that enables a user to view and/or manipulate settings within the HVAC controller including but not limited to parameters within a programmable schedule. In some cases, the HVAC controller may provide the user with a better user experience when viewing or editing the programmable schedule.