HVAC controls and controllers including alphanumeric displays
View Patent ↗Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of controls for heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning systems. In an exemplary embodiment, a control for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning system includes an alphanumeric display and one or more input device. A processor of the control is configured to receive a user input through the input device(s), and in response to the user input, reorient a display of a message relative to the alphanumeric display.
1. A method of controlling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) appliance, the method comprising:
a HVAC appliance control displaying, on an alphanumeric display of the HVAC appliance control, a plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, the menu options further including an option user-selectable for rotating the displaying on the alphanumeric display;
the HVAC appliance control receiving a user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the displaying;
the HVAC appliance control determining a response to the user input; and
the HVAC appliance control implementing the determined response by rotating the displaying from a first display orientation to a second display orientation.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a message on the alphanumeric display in accordance with the changed orientation.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
before displaying the plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, displaying a message on the alphanumeric display to indicate a current message orientation relative to the alphanumeric display.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alphanumeric display includes one or more of the following: a multiple-segment display, three seven-segment light-emitting diode (LED) displays, and a dot matrix display.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HVAC appliance control includes one or more of the following: a furnace control, an air conditioning control, a heat pump control, an air handler control, an integrated control, and a unitary control.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a plurality of two-position switches of the control includes first and second keys for indicating directions in which to change message orientation, and
the method comprises determining a display orientation angle based on one or more signals from the first key and/or second key.
7. A method of controlling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) appliance, the method comprising:
a HVAC appliance control displaying, on an alphanumeric display of the HVAC appliance control, a plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, the menu options further including an option user-selectable for rotating the displaying of a message on the alphanumeric display;
the HVAC appliance control receiving a user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the displaying;
the HVAC appliance control determining a response to the user input; and
the HVAC appliance control implementing the determined response by rotating the displaying from a first display orientation to a second display orientation.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the message on the alphanumeric display in accordance with the changed orientation.
9. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
before displaying the plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, displaying the message on the alphanumeric display to indicate a current message orientation relative to the alphanumeric display.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the alphanumeric display includes one or more of the following: a multiple-segment display, three seven-segment light-emitting diode (LED) displays, and a dot matrix display.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the HVAC appliance control includes one or more of the following: a furnace control, an air conditioning control, a heat pump control, an air handler control, an integrated control, and a unitary control.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
a plurality of two-position switches of the appliance control includes first and second keys for indicating directions in which to change message orientation, and the method comprises determining a display orientation angle based on one or more signals from the first key and/or second key.
13. A method of controlling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) appliance, the method comprising:
a HVAC appliance control sequentially displaying, on an alphanumeric display of the HVAC appliance control, a plurality of menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters whereby to configure the HVAC appliance control to control an HVAC appliance, the menu options further including an option user-selectable for rotating the displaying on the alphanumeric display;
the HVAC appliance control receiving a user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the subsequent displaying;
the HVAC appliance control determining a response to the user input; and
the HVAC appliance control implementing the determined response by rotating the subsequent displaying from a first display orientation to a second display orientation.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein, after displaying one or more of the menu options user-selectable therefrom for entering operational parameters, the HVAC appliance control receives the user input indicating selection of the option for rotating the displaying.