Building automation controller with rear projecting light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9587848-B2
Application number	US-201414565320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

An HVAC controller may include a housing that is mountable on a vertical surface and a printed circuit board that is disposed within the housing. The printed circuit board may include a light source operably secured to the printed circuit board. A light guide may be secured relative to the printed circuit board such that light from the light source enters the light guide and propagates along the light guide. The light guide includes a light input pocket configured to receive light from the light source, a bifurcated inlet section optically coupled to the light input pocket, a light guide body extending from the bifurcated inlet section, and an output surface extending along a rear facing surface of the light guide body such that light exiting the output surface is projected onto the vertical surface to which the housing is mountable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An HVAC controller comprising:
a housing mountable on a vertical surface;
a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, the printed circuit board including a light source operably secured to the printed circuit board;
a light guide secured relative to the printed circuit board such that light from the light source enters the light guide and propagates along the light guide, the light guide comprising:
a light input pocket configured to receive light from the light source;
a bifurcated inlet section optically coupled to the light input pocket;
a light guide body extending from the bifurcated inlet section; and
an output surface extending along a rear facing surface of the light guide body such that light exiting the output surface is projected onto the vertical surface to which the housing is mountable.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises an LED.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a selectable colored LED.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , wherein the light guide further comprises a recess formed adjacent the bifurcated inlet section in order to reduce bright spots and to direct light into the light guide body.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , further comprising a reflective coating disposed on at least a portion of the light guide.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing includes a side surface extending away from the vertical surface to which the housing is mountable, wherein the side surface of the housing defines a circular cross sectional outer shape;
the light guide body has an annular shape that extends along and inside of the side surface of the housing; and
the light guide body has a height in a direction transverse to the output surface of the light guide that varies from a maximum proximate the bifurcated inlet section to a minimum at a point distant the bifurcated inlet section.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , wherein the light input pocket comprises a compound curved surface facing the light source, and wherein at least part of the light source is positioned within the light input pocket.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , wherein the light guide body is secured to the housing, with the output surface of the light guide facing the vertical surface to which the housing is mountable.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 1 , wherein the bifurcated inlet section includes a first leg curving in a first direction and a second leg curving in a second opposite direction.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 9 , wherein the light guide body includes a first light guide body portion optically coupled to the first leg and a second light guide body portion optically coupled to the second leg.

11. An HVAC controller comprising:
a housing mountable on a vertical surface;
a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, the printed circuit board including a first light source operably secured on a first region of the printed circuit board and a second light source operably secured on a second region of the printed circuit board, wherein the second region is spaced from the first region;
a light guide secured relative to the printed circuit board such that light from the first light source and light from the second light source enters the light guide and propagates through the light guide, the light guide comprising:
a first light input pocket configured to receive light from the first light source;
a first inlet section optically coupled to the first light input pocket;
a second light input pocket configured to receive light from the second light source;
a second inlet section optically coupled to the second light input pocket;
a light guide body including a first leg extending along a first path between the first inlet section and the second inlet section, and a second leg extending in a second path between the first inlet section and the second inlet section; and
an output surface directing light rearward and onto the vertical surface upon which the HVAC controller is mountable.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 11 , wherein the first light source and the second light source each comprise an LED.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 11 , wherein the housing has a circular cross-sectional outer shape, and the light guide body has an annular shape that extends inside and along an outer perimeter of the housing, and the light guide body has a volume that decreases from the first inlet section and the second inlet section towards a region intermediate between the first inlet section and the second inlet section.

14. A method of operating an HVAC controller that controls one or more HVAC components, the HVAC controller having two or more different operating states, the method comprising:
identifying a first operating state of the HVAC controller from the two or more different operating states;
identifying a first color assigned to the first operating state, wherein at least two of the two or more different operating states have different assigned colors; and
projecting the first color rearward and onto a surface upon which the HVAC controller is mountable while shielding the first color from being projected forward and away from the surface.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying a second operating state of the HVAC controller, following the first operating state, wherein the second operating state is different from the first operating state;
identifying a second color that is assigned to the second operating state, wherein the second color is different from the first color; and
projecting the second color rearward and onto the surface upon which the HVAC controller is mountable while shielding the second color from being projected forward and away from the surface.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first operating state corresponds to the HVAC controller causing an HVAC heating component to be energized.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second operating state corresponds to the HVAC controller causing an HVAC cooling component to be energized.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a third operating state corresponds to the HVAC controller not causing either the HVAC heating component or the HVAC cooling component to be energized, and wherein in the third operating state, not projecting any color rearward and onto the surface upon which the HVAC controller is mountable.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein projecting the first color comprises projecting an annular light ring on the surface upon which the HVAC controller is mountable.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the annular light ring is substantially circumferentially uniform in intensity.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Adamik Petr
• Gonzalez Richard
• Marak Pavel
• Novotny Josef

Classifications

• F21V23/005

  the substrate is supporting also the light source · CPC title

• H04W4/021 Primary

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H02G3/10

  for surface mounting on a wall · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title