Thermostat control using touch sensor gesture based input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart thermostats need to be more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing while providing advanced features like remote control and occupancy sensing, but existing designs often compromise on ease of interaction and appearance.
Innovation Solution
A smart thermostat with a capacitive touch strip and a reflective cover that allows for gesture-based interaction and occupancy sensing using radar, integrated with a processing system for controlling the HVAC system and displaying information through an electronic display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a smart thermostat includes wireless network connectivity and cloud-based communication capabilities, then remote control functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermostat is designed with multi-functionality by integrating wireless network interface, cloud communication capabilities, local display functions, and sensor integration into a single device. This allows the thermostat to perform multiple functions including remote control via mobile applications, occupancy detection, ambient light sensing, and electronic display, thereby improving versatility while managing complexity through unified design
2Shape
If a smart thermostat uses a reflective cover to improve aesthetics, then appearance is improved, but radar sensor detection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reflective cover is designed with spatially varying properties: it is reflective in visible light wavelengths to provide aesthetic mirror-like appearance, but transparent or transmissive in radio wave frequencies to allow radar signals to pass through for occupancy detection. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between aesthetic appearance and sensor functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is constructed as a composite material structure that combines optical reflectivity with radio wave transparency. This composite design allows the cover to simultaneously achieve aesthetic appearance through visible light reflection while maintaining occupancy detection capability by allowing radar waves to penetrate through the material
3Ease of operation
If a smart thermostat implements gesture-based touch interaction, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermostat replaces traditional mechanical buttons and switches with a capacitive touch strip that detects gestures through electrical field changes. This substitution allows for simplified user interaction through intuitive gestures such as sliding to adjust temperature, while the touch strip integrates seamlessly into the housing without adding significant mechanical complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances user interaction with a seamless, gesture-based interface and occupancy sensing, improving the user experience while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing design and efficient control of heating and cooling systems.
Implementation Method 1
A smart thermostat can include a capacitive touch strip, housed by the thermostat housing, that senses a plurality of gestures
Implementation Method 2
A smart thermostat can include a radar sensor, housed by the thermostat housing, that detects occupancy within an environment of the smart thermostat through the reflective cover positioned within the rounded front aperture of the thermostat housing by emitting electromagnetic radiation and receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation
Implementation Method 3
A smart thermostat can include a radar sensor, housed by the thermostat housing, that detects occupancy within an environment of the smart thermostat through the reflective cover positioned within the rounded front aperture of the thermostat housing by emitting electromagnetic radiation and receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation
Implementation Method 4
The reflective cover can have a reflectivity sufficient to produce a mirrored effect when viewed
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of smart thermostats are presented herein. A smart thermostat can include a thermostat housing defining a rounded front aperture and having a sidewall. The smart thermostat can include a capacitive touch strip that senses a plurality of gestures. The smart thermostat can include an electronic display. The electronic display may be caused to display icons arranged in a graphical arc. The smart thermostat may include a reflective cover positioned such that the electronic display is viewed through the reflective cover.