Remote control of a smart home device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920946-B2
Application number	US-201514868325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2011
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A system including a thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The system includes a thermostat including a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a circular rotatable ring, which is user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat. The system further includes a client application that is operable on a touch-screen device separate from the thermostat, that displays a graphical representation of a circular dial, that detects a user-input motion proximate the graphical representation, that determines a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion, that displays a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, and that wirelessly transmits to the thermostat data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of interfacing with a user for controlling a home system, the method comprising:
displaying, on a touch-screen display of a remote electronic device, a movable graphical symbol indicative of a first value implemented by a smart-home controller that controls the home system, wherein:
the remote electronic device is remote from the smart-home controller and the home system;

detecting, by the remote electronic device on the touch-screen display, a touch-and-drag gesture representative of user manipulation of the movable graphical symbol;
determining, by the remote electronic device, a second value based on the detected touch-and-drag gesture;
displaying, on the touch-screen display of the remote electronic device, the movable graphical symbol in a position indicative of the second value;
altering, by the remote electronic device, a defined amount of time for waiting in response to detecting more than a threshold number of changes to the first value within a threshold period of time;
in response to the touch-and-drag gesture, waiting, by the remote electronic device, for the defined amount of time such that there is a relatively high likelihood that the second value is desired by the user, wherein the defined amount of time is between 0.5 seconds and 5 seconds; and
after waiting for the defined amount of time, wirelessly transmitting, by the remote electronic device, data representative of the second value for implementation by the smart-home controller.

2. The method of interfacing with the user for controlling the home system of claim 1 , wherein the moveable graphical symbol is presented on a disk-like circular object on the touch-screen display of the remote electronic device.

3. The method of interfacing with the user for controlling the home system of claim 1 , wherein the home system is a resource-consuming system.

4. The method of interfacing with the user for controlling the home system of claim 3 , wherein the smart-home controller is a thermostat and the resource-consuming system is an HVAC system.

5. The method for interfacing with the user for controlling the home system of claim 1 , wherein the moveable graphical symbol is presented by the touch-screen display concurrently with a numerical value corresponding to a position of the moveable graphical symbol.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F24F11/54

  using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers · CPC title

• G05D23/1905

  associated with tele control · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F24F11/62 Primary

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title