User friendly interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720585-B2
Application number	US-201615051509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2011
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The thermostat includes a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a sidewall extending between first and second ends, the second end being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted; a circular rotatable ring being user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat; and a circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a painted outer portion. The clear circular center portion permits a corresponding circular portion of a non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the painted outer portion masks a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create a circular graphical user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wall-mounted device for sensing an environmental condition in a home environment, said device comprising:
a body having a circular cross-section and a central axis, said central axis extending generally perpendicular to a wall when said device is wall-mounted, said body further having a wall-facing rear surface and a user-facing front surface;
an outer ring that laterally surrounds said body to form a circular lateral periphery of said device, said outer ring having an axis of rotation generally parallel to said central axis of said body, said outer ring being user-rotatable about said axis of rotation, the outer ring rotatably slides about the body of the wall-mounted device;
a user-facing display component configured to display information;
a user input component formed by at least said user-facing display component and said outer ring, said user input component being configured to be inwardly pressable along a direction generally parallel to said central axis of said body;
at least one environmental sensing component at least partially disposed within said body and configured to detect at least one environmental condition;
an audio device for outputting synthesized information that corresponds to said at least one environmental condition detected by said at least one environmental sensing component or said movement of said outer ring;
a communication component at least partially disposed within said body and configured for providing wired or wireless sensing or control-related communications;
a processing system in operative communication with said at least one environmental sensing component, said communication component, and said user input component, said processing system being programmed to interpret electrical signals outputted by an optical sensor and determine therefrom a rotational input that corresponds to movement of said outer ring;
wherein said processing system and said user input component are collectively configured such that each of a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation is provided, said first and second modes of operation being in effect at different times,
wherein, during said first mode of operation, an arrangement of selectable menu items is displayed on said user-facing display component, said rotational input of said outer ring causing different ones of said selectable menu items to become visually highlighted, a user selection of one of said selectable menu items being established by an inward pressing of said user input component while that selectable menu item is visually highlighted,
wherein, during said second mode of operation, visual information is displayed on said user-facing display component that is representative of a time value or a value representative of the environmental condition and rotation of said outer ring sets a user-defined environmental condition value, and
wherein, the wall-mounted device is operated based on the user selection of one of said selectable menu items.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said processing system and said user input component are collectively configured such that:
said inward pressing, during said second mode of operation, invokes said first mode of operation such that said arrangement of selectable menu items is displayed.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein,
after establishing said user selection of the one of said selectable menu items, said rotational input causes different ones of a range of count-down time values to be displayed via said user-facing display component; and
said inward pressing while one of said range of count-down time values is displayed starts a count-down.

4. A device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a wall-mountable back plate configured to detachably couple to said wall-facing rear surface so as to provide electrical power to said device.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein said processing system is further configured to store in memory a user-selected device name.

6. A device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a presence sensor that detects user presence, wherein said processing system, upon receiving from said presence sensor a signal indicating the user presence, activates said user-facing display component.

7. A device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a rechargeable battery component for providing power to at least said processing system and said user input component.

8. A method for using a wall-mounted device for sensing an environmental condition in a home environment, said method comprising:
detecting a rotational input motion of an outer ring that laterally surrounds a body of said device so as to form a circular lateral periphery of said device, said outer ring rotatably sliding around the body of the wall-mounted device, said body having a circular cross-section and a central axis, said central axis extending generally perpendicular to a wall when said device is wall-mounted, said body further having a wall-facing rear surface and a user-facing front surface, said outer ring having an axis of rotation generally extending generally parallel to said central axis of said body, said outer ring being user-rotatable about said axis of rotation for enabling said rotational input motion, said device having a user-facing display component, said user-facing display component and said outer ring forming a user input component, said user input component being configured to be inwardly pressable along a direction generally perpendicular to said rotational input motion, wherein at least one environmental sensing component is at least partially disposed within said body of said device, wherein said device includes an audio device for outputting synthesized information that corresponds to said at least one environmental condition detected by said at least one environmental sensing component or said movement of said outer ring; wherein said device includes a communication component configured for providing wired or wireless sensing or control-related communications, wherein said device includes a processing system in operative communication with said at least one environmental sensing component, said communication component, and said user input component, wherein said processing system and said user input component are collectively configured such that each of a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation is provided, said first and second modes of operation being in effect at different times;
during said first mode of operation,
highlighting, based on said rotational input motion of said outer ring, respective ones of an arrangement of selectable menu items displayed on said user-facing display component;
establishing a user selection of one of said selectable menu items upon detecting an inward pressing of said user input component while the one of said selectable menu items is highlighted; and

during said second mode of operation,
displaying, via said user-facing display component, visual information that is representative of a time value or a value representative of the environmental condition; and

operating the wall-mounted device based on the user selection of one of said selectable menu items.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said processing system and said user input component are collectively configured such that:
said inward pressing, during said second mode of operation, invokes said first mode of operation such that the arrangement of selectable menu items is displayed.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein,
after establishing said user selection of the one of said selectable menu items, displaying, based on said rotational input motion, respective ones of a range of c

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Fadell Anthony M
• Rogers Matthew L
• Sloo David
• Plitkins Michael
• Honjo Shigefumi
• Filson John B
• Matas Michael J
• Bould Fred
• Huppi Brian

Classifications

• F24F11/50 Primary

  characterised by user interfaces or communication · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

  Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R31/26

  Testing of individual semiconductor devices (testing of photovoltaic devices H02S50/10; testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment {H10P74/00}) · CPC title

• G06F3/02

  Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials · CPC title