Granted Patent B2

US 12,572,988 · App. 17/332,482 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Inventors: Jedidiah O. Bentz (Wichita, KS); Brian D. Rigg (Douglass, KS); Theresa N. Gillette (Wichita, KS); Tom R. Tasker (Andover, KS); Tyler McCune (El Dorado, KS); John W. Uerkvitz (Valley Center, KS); Shaun B. Atchison (Wichita, KS); Daniel S. Middleton (Wichita, KS); Aneek Muhammad Noor (Wichita, KS); William P. Alberth, Jr. (Prairie Grove, IL); Joseph R. Ribbich (Waukesha, WI)

Assignee: Johnson Controls Light Commercial IP GmbH

G06Q50/06F24F1/0003F24F11/30G05B15/02G05B19/042G06F3/017G06F3/0481G06F3/04845G06F3/04847G06F3/0488G06F3/04883G06F3/04886G06F3/167G06Q20/102G06Q20/127G06Q20/145G06V40/10G06V40/172G07F17/0014H04B5/20H04B5/70H04W4/80F24F11/58F24F2110/10F24F2120/10G05B2219/2642G06F3/04817G06F3/0484G06F2203/0383G06F2203/04803G06Q50/01G10L17/08H04L12/2816H04L51/52

Abstract

Claims (59)

1 . A device for use with an HVAC system of a building space at a first geographic location comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive service provider information from a remote source at a second geographic location different than the first geographic location via a wireless network connection;

an electronic display configured to display the service provider information; and

a processing circuit configured to:

cause the electronic display to display the service provider information;

receive, via the communications interface, an indication to update the service provider information from the remote source;

receive, via the communications interface and in response to the indication, second service provider information from the remote source, wherein the second service provider information is an update replacing the service provider information; and

cause the electronic display to display the second service provider information on the electronic display,

wherein at least one of the service provider information or the second service provider information comprises a plurality of advertisements;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to select a selected advertisement from the plurality of advertisements based on a heating and cooling schedule of a thermostat, and

wherein the selected advertisement includes at least a portion of the second service provider information.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the display device is a thermostat of the building space.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive the service provider information from a dealer; and

receive the second service provider information from a second dealer in response to a contract between the dealer and the second dealer ending.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive the service provider information via the communications interface when a thermostat is first installed in the building space.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the service provider information comprises customized branding, the customized branding comprising a dealer RSS feed.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive, via the communications interface, the second service provider information when a dealer creates new branding, wherein the second service provider information comprises the new branding.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to collect revenue information and serve the revenue information to a dealer via the communications interface, the revenue information comprising at least one of:

number of service calls placed;

number of technician visits to the building space associated with a thermostat;

advertising revenue; and

equipment and parts purchased.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to:

cause the electronic display to display a user interface element for placing a phone call with a dealer;

detect a user interacting with the user interface element;

place the phone call to the dealer via the communications interface in response to a detection of the user interacting with the user interface element; and

transmit, via the communications interface, communications between the user and the dealer using at least one of a microphone and a speaker of a thermostat in response to the phone call being placed.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to facilitate the phone call with the dealer via voice over Internet, wherein the network connection comprises a connection to the Internet.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the electronic display to display the service provider information in response to one or more events, the one or more events comprising:

a first detection that a threshold time has passed since the service provider information was last displayed.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the electronic display to display the service provider information in response to one or more events, the one or more events comprising a first detection that a user is adjusting settings in the device for a time longer than a predetermined amount of time.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to cause the electronic display to display the second service provider information on the electronic when a dealer associated with the second service provider is within a predefined distance of the device.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to repeatedly cause the electronic display to display the second service provider information on the electronic at a first rate based on a first status of the HVAC system and cause the electronic display to display the second service provider information on the electronic at a second rate based on a second status of the HVAC system different than the first status.

14 . A method comprising:

causing, by a processing circuit, an electronic display of an HVAC device at a first geographic location to display service provider information, wherein the service provider information is received by the processing circuit via a communications interface and a wireless network connection from a remote source at a second geographic location different than the first;

receiving, by the processing circuit via the communications interface, an indication to update the service provider information from the remote source receiving, by the processing circuit via the communications interface and in response to the indication, second service provider information from the remote source, wherein the second service provider information is an update replacing the service provider information; and

causing, by the processing circuit, the electronic display to display the second service provider information on the electronic display,

wherein the service provider information comprises a plurality of advertisements;

wherein the method further comprises selecting, by the processing circuit, a selected advertisement from the plurality of advertisements based on a heating and cooling schedule of a thermostat for operating building equipment,

wherein the selected advertisement includes at least a portion of the second service provider information.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the device is a thermostat of a building space.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by the processing circuit, the service provider information from a dealer; and

receiving, by the processing circuit, the second service provider information from a second dealer in response to a contract between the dealer and the second dealer ending.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the service provider information comprises customized branding, the customized branding comprising at least one of:

a dealer phone number;

a dealer address;

dealer store hours;

a dealer RSS feed; or

a dealer logo.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving, by the processing circuit via the communications interface, the second service provider information when a dealer creates new branding, wherein the second service provider information comprises the new branding.

19 . The method of claim 14 , causing, by the processing circuit, the electronic display of the device to display the service provider information responsive to one or more events, the one or more events comprising at least one of:

a first fault occurring in a thermostat;

a second fault occurring in equipment connected to the thermostat;

a first detection that maintenance is due for the thermostat;

a second detection that maintenance is due for the equipment connected to the thermostat;

a third detection that a threshold time has passed since the service provider information was last displayed; and

a fourth detection that a user is adjusting settings in the thermostat for a time longer than a predetermined amount of time.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (16)

References Cited (400)