System and method for hvac system schedule generation based on user defined comfort level inputs

Abstract

A system and method for generating a schedule for a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system based on user-defined comfort level inputs. The HVAC system includes an HVAC controller that includes an HVAC system interface usable to control one or more of the one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system and a user interface. The user interface is configured to display a comfort indication element in a comfort challenge that indicates a present comfort profile temperature set point. The comfort indication element is usable by a user of the local computing device to adjust the present comfort profile temperature set point. The HVAC controller is further configured to update a comfort profile schedule as a function of the updated present comfort profile temperature set point. Additional embodiments are described herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system comprising: one or more HVAC components;
 an HVAC controller communicatively coupled to the one or more HVAC components;   and   a local computing device communicatively coupled to the HVAC controller, wherein the local computing device is configured to:   initiate, via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application presently executing on the local computing device, a comfort challenge, wherein to initiate the comfort challenge comprises to operate in a seasonal challenge mode, wherein to operate in the seasonal challenge mode comprises to not display any numerical references indicative of temperature levels on the GUI;   display, via the GUI, a comfort indication element, wherein the comfort indication element is a GUI element that indicates a present comfort profile temperature set point and is usable by a user of the local computing device to select a present comfort level relative to the present comfort profile temperature set point;   update, in response to a determination that the present comfort level selected by the user is different than the present comfort profile temperature set point, the present comfort profile temperature set point to a value associated with the present comfort level selected by the user via the comfort indication element;   transmit a message to the HVAC controller that includes the updated present comfort profile temperature set point, wherein the message is usable to initiate an operational action by the HVAC controller on at least one of the one or more HVAC components; and   update a comfort profile schedule as a function of the updated present comfort profile temperature set point, wherein the comfort profile schedule defines an HVAC system control schedule usable by the HVAC controller to enforce temperature thresholds via the one or more HVAC components.   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the local computing device is communicatively coupled to the HVAC controller via one of a local area network or a personal area network. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the local computing device is further configured to provide a notification to the HVAC controller that indicates the HVAC controller is to operate in the seasonal challenge mode, and wherein the notification is usable to indicate that the receiver of the notification is not to display any numerical references indicative of temperature levels and humidity levels while in the seasonal challenge mode. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the comfort indication element includes an indicator and a plurality of ticks, wherein the plurality of ticks include a center tick and an evenly distributed number of ticks on each side of the center tick, wherein each of the ticks is representative of an associated temperature set point relative to the center tick, and wherein the center tick is representative of the present comfort profile temperature set point. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC system of  claim 4 , wherein having determined that the present comfort level selected by the user is different than the present comfort profile temperature set point comprises to receive an indication that the user adjusted the indicator one or more ticks away from the center tick. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC system of  claim 4 , wherein each of the ticks to the right of the center tick represents a one degree Fahrenheit decrement relative to the number of ticks between the respective tick and the center tick and wherein each of the ticks to the left of the center tick represents a one degree Fahrenheit increment relative to the number of ticks between the respective tick and the center tick. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the local computing device is further configured to display, via the GUI and after an elapsed period of time, a proposed comfort profile schedule for the seasonal challenge mode, wherein the proposed comfort profile schedule identifies an optional HVAC system control schedule selectable by the user for use by the HVAC controller to enforce temperature thresholds via the one or more HVAC components. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the local computing device is further configured to (i) determine whether the updated present comfort profile temperature set point has been reached and (ii) prompt the user, via the GUI that includes the comfort indication element, to indicate a new present comfort level relative to the updated present comfort profile temperature set point. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the local computing device is communicatively coupled to the HVAC controller via a remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device is communicatively coupled to each of the local computing device and the HVAC controller via a wide area network. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC system of  claim 9 , wherein to transmit the message to the HVAC controller that includes the updated present comfort profile temperature set point comprises to transmit the message to the remote computing device for storage of the updated present comfort profile temperature set point and subsequent transmission to the HVAC controller. 
     
     
         11 . A method for generating a schedule for a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system based on user-defined comfort level inputs, the HVAC system comprising an HVAC controller communicatively coupled to one or more HVAC components and a local computing device communicatively coupled to the HVAC controller, the method comprising:
 initiating, via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application presently executing on the local computing device, a comfort challenge, wherein initiating the comfort challenge comprises operating in a seasonal challenge mode, and wherein operating in the seasonal challenge mode comprises not displaying any numerical references indicative of temperature levels and humidity levels on the GUI;   displaying, via the GUI, a comfort indication element, wherein the comfort indication element is a GUI element that indicates a present comfort profile temperature set point and is   usable by a user of the local computing device to select a present comfort level relative to the present comfort profile temperature set point;   updating, by the local computing device and in response to determining that the present comfort level selected by the user is different than the present comfort profile temperature set point, the present comfort profile temperature set point to a value associated with the present comfort level selected by the user via the comfort indication element;   transmitting, by the local computing device, a message to the HVAC controller that includes the updated present comfort profile temperature set point, wherein the massage is usable to initiate an operational action by the HVAC controller on at least one of the one or more HVAC components; and   updating, by the local computing device, a comfort profile schedule as a function of the updated present comfort profile temperature set point wherein the comfort profile schedule defines an HVAC system control schedule usable by the HVAC controller to enforce temperature thresholds via the one or more HVAC components.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the local computing device is communicatively coupled to the HVAC controller via one of a local area network or a personal area network. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising providing, by the local computing device, a notification to the HVAC controller that indicates the HVAC controller is to operate in the seasonal challenge mode, and wherein the notification is usable to indicate that the receiver of the notification is not to display any numerical references indicative of temperature levels and humidity levels while in the seasonal challenge mode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein displaying the comfort indication element includes displaying an indicator and a plurality of ticks, wherein the plurality of ticks include a center tick and an evenly distributed number of ticks on each side of the center tick, wherein each of the ticks is representative of an associated temperature set point relative to the center tick, and wherein the center tick is representative of the present comfort profile temperature set point. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining that the present comfort level selected by the user is different than the present comfort profile temperature set point comprises receiving an indication that the user adjusted the indicator one or more ticks away from the center tick. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the ticks to the right of the center tick represents a one degree Fahrenheit decrement relative to the number of ticks between the respective tick and the center tick and wherein each of the ticks to the left of the center tick represents a one degree Fahrenheit increment relative to the number of ticks between the respective tick and the center tick. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising displaying, via the GUI and after an elapsed period of time, a proposed comfort profile schedule for the seasonal challenge mode, wherein the proposed comfort profile schedule identifies an optional HVAC system control
 schedule selectable by the user for use by the HVAC controller to enforce temperature thresholds via the one or more HVAC components.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining whether the updated present comfort profile temperature set point has been reached; and   prompting, via the GUI that includes the comfort indication element, the user to indicate a new present comfort level relative to the updated present comfort profile temperature set point.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the local computing device is communicatively coupled to the HVAC controller via a remote computing device, and wherein the remote computing device is communicatively coupled to each of the local computing device and the HVAC controller. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) controller for generating a schedule for an HVAC system based on user-defined comfort level inputs, the HVAC controller comprising:
 an HVAC system interface usable to enable communicative coupling to one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system; and   a user interface to:   initiate, via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application presently executing on the user interface, a comfort challenge, wherein to initiate the comfort challenge comprises to operate in a seasonal challenge mode, wherein to operate in the seasonal challenge mode comprises to not display any numerical references indicative of temperature levels on the GUI;   display, via the GUI, a comfort indication element, wherein the comfort indication element is a GUI element that indicates a present comfort profile temperature set point and is usable by a user of the local computing device to select a present comfort level relative to the present comfort profile temperature set point;   update, in response to a determination that the present comfort level selected by the user is different than the present comfort profile temperature set point, the present comfort profile temperature set point to a value associated with the present comfort level selected by the user via the comfort indication element;   transmit a message to one or more of the one or more HVAC components, wherein the message includes the updated present comfort profile temperature set point, and wherein the message is usable to initiate an operational action by the receiving one or more HVAC components; and   update a comfort profile schedule as a function of the updated present comfort profile temperature set point, wherein the comfort profile schedule defines an HVAC system control schedule usable by the HVAC controller to enforce temperature thresholds via the one or more HVAC components.   
     
     
         22 .- 30 . (canceled)