User friendly interface for control unit

In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:

• displaying a plurality of background tick marks arcuately arranged within a range area on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device, said electronic display and said body each being rounded in shape;
• displaying a setpoint tick mark on the electronic display within the range area such that the setpoint tick mark is more prominently visible to the user than the background tick marks, the setpoint tick mark representing a setpoint temperature;
• displaying a numerical representation of the setpoint temperature in a central location on the rounded electronic display;
• and
• displaying on the rounded electronic display a background color having a bluish shade when the device is calling for cooling from the HVAC system.

In a programmable device for controlling an HVAC system, a method for interacting with a user of the programmable device, comprising:

• displaying a visible portion of a schedule plot on an electronic display that is centrally mounted on a body of the programmable device, the schedule plot having a time axis and including a plurality of programmed setpoints disposed at respective locations along the time axis;
• receiving input from the user by user rotation of a rotatable ring surrounding the electronic display;
• progressively changing the visible portion of the schedule plot in response to the received input;
• and
• displaying a stationary cursor overlaid on the displayed visible portion of the schedule plot, the cursor being representative of a time value by virtue of its location along the time axis of the schedule plot;
• wherein the changing the visible portion includes moving the schedule plot in a direction of the time axis relative to the stationary cursor such that a progression of time intervals is represented on the electronic display as a function of the received user input;
• wherein each said programmed setpoint has an effective time that is characterized by the location of the programmed setpoint along said time axis, and wherein each said programmed setpoint further has a temperature value that is characterized by the location of the programmed setpoint along a temperature axis of the schedule plot.

A programmable device for controlling an HVAC system comprising:

• an electronic display positioned inside an outer ring that is user rotatable to generate rotation input and user pressable along a direction of an axis of rotation of the outer ring to generate press input;
• and
• a processor adapted and configured to drive the electronic display responsive to rotation input generated by user rotation of the outer ring and press input generated by user pressing of the outer ring,
• wherein the processor is programmed to cause the electronic display to show recent energy usage performance information for a succession of recent historical time intervals that appear on the electronic display according to rotation input generated by user rotation of the outer ring.