Thermostat user interface

A system, comprising:

• a thermostat including:
• a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a central axis generally perpendicular to a wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the frustum-shaped shell body including a sidewall that extends along a length the central axis between first and second ends of the frustum-shaped shell body, the first end of the frustum-shaped shell body being wall-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the first end of the frustum-shaped shell body having a first diameter and the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body having a second, larger diameter, the sidewall including inside and outside surfaces, the inside surface defining an interior for housing components of the thermostat;
• a circular rotatable ring mounted proximate the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body, the circular rotatable ring including an axis of rotation generally perpendicular to a wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the circular rotatable ring configured to be user rotatable about the axis of rotation, wherein user rotation of the circular rotatable ring results in user input for adjusting a temperature setting of the thermostat;
• a circular cover mounted proximate the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body, the circular cover including a central axis generally perpendicular to a wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the circular cover includes a clear circular center portion surrounded by a painted outer portion;
• and
• a non-circular dot-matrix color display element mounted at a location between the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body and the circular cover, the clear circular center portion of the circular cover permits a corresponding circular potion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the painted outer portion of the circular cover masks a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create a circular graphical user interface, the non-circular dot-matrix color display element and the circular cover do not rotate with the circular rotatable ring;
• a processing system configured to control an HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of a measured ambient air temperature and a setpoint temperature value;
• a client application operable on a touch-screen device that is separate and apart from the thermostat, the client application configured to cause the touch-screen device to:
• display a graphical representation of a circular dial that is user actuable to select a setpoint temperature of the thermostat;
• display a background color having an orange shade when the thermostat is in a heating mode;
• display a background color having a blue shade when the thermostat is in a cooling mode;
• detect, based on user input received at the touch-screen display, a user-input motion inputted proximate the graphical representation that is user actuable to selected a setpoint temperature, wherein the detected user-input motion is a user swipe near a periphery of the graphical representation of the circular dial;
• determine a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion;
• output synthesized audible ticks via an audio-output device that correspond to the user swipe detected near the periphery of the graphical representation of the circular dial;
• display a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value;
• and
• wirelessly transmit data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, wherein the thermostat, upon receipt of data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, sends at least one control signal to the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of a measured ambient air temperature and the user-selected setpoint temperature value.

A method for remotely controlling a thermostat, the thermostat including a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a central axis generally perpendicular to a wall when the thermostat is wall-mounted, the thermostat further including a processing system, an electronic display, and a circular rotatable ring mounted proximate the second end of the frustum-shaped shell body, wherein user rotation of the circular rotatable ring results in user input for adjusting a setpoint temperature of the thermostat, the method comprising:

• displaying, on a touch-screen display of a touch-screen device that is separate and apart from the thermostat, a graphical representation of a circular dial that is user actuable to select a setpoint temperature of the thermostat;
• displaying, on the touch-screen display, a background color having an orange shade when the thermostat is in a heating mode;
• displaying, on the touch-screen display, a background color having a blue shade when the thermostat is in a cooling mode;
• detecting, based on user input received at the touch-screen display, a user-input motion inputted proximate the graphical representation of the circular dial that is user actuable to selected a setpoint temperature, wherein the detected user-input motion is a user swipe near a periphery of the graphical representation of the circular dial;
• determining a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion;
• displaying, on the touch-screen display, a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value;
• and
• wirelessly transmitting data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, wherein the thermostat, upon receipt of data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, sends at least one control signal to an HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of a measured ambient air temperature and the user-selected setpoint temperature value.