BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to thermostats and more particularly to the improved control of a building or space's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system through the use of a multi-function thermostat.

A thermostat is, in general, a component of an HVAC control system. Traditional thermostats sense the temperature of a system and control components of the HVAC in order to maintain a setpoint. A thermostat may be designed to control a heating or cooling system or an air conditioner. Thermostats are manufactured in many ways, and use a variety of sensors to measure temperature and other desired parameters of a system.

Conventional thermostats are configured for one-way communication to connected components, and to control HVAC systems by turning on or off certain components or by regulating flow. Each thermostat may include a temperature sensor and a user interface. The user interface typically includes a display for presenting information to a user and one or more user interface elements for receiving input from a user. To control the temperature of a building or space, a user adjusts the setpoint via the thermostat's user interface.

SUMMARY

One implementation of the present disclosure is a thermostat for a building. The thermostat includes a halo light emitting diode (LED) system including one or more LEDs configured to emit light and a halo diffuser structured around at least a portion of an outer edge of the thermostat. The halo diffuser is configured to diffuse the emitted light of the one or more LEDs around at least the portion of the outer edge of the thermostat. The thermostat includes a processing circuit configured to receive one or more data streams, determine whether the one or more data streams indicate a building emergency condition, and operate the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system to indicate the building emergency condition to a user.

In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to determine a thermostat condition that requires user input and operate the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system to indicate the thermostat condition to the user.

In some embodiments, the halo LED system further includes one or more waveguides, each of the one or more waveguides is associated with one of the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system. In some embodiments, each of the one or more waveguides is configured to transmit the light emitted from one of the one or more LEDs to the halo diffuser. In some embodiments, each of the one or more waveguides is coupled to the halo diffuser at a first end of the one or more waveguides and is proximate one of the one or more LEDs at a second end of the one or more waveguides.

In some embodiments, the thermostat includes an enclosure including a front portion and a back portion. In some embodiments, the halo diffuser is coupled to the front portion and the back portion and is located between the front portion and the back portion.

In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to operate the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system to indicate the emergency condition to the user by operating the one or more LEDs in a pattern to indicate one or more emergency response directions to the user prompting the user to perform a user response to the emergency condition.

In some embodiments, operating the one or more LEDs in the pattern to indicate the one or more emergency response directions comprises activating the one or more LEDs sequentially to indicate an emergency navigation direction.

In some embodiments, the thermostat includes a display screen. In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to operate the display screen to display one or more emergency response directions in response to a determination that the one or more data streams indicate the emergency condition.

In some embodiments, the one or more data streams include a building data stream generated by a building management system and a weather data stream generated by a weather server. In some embodiments, the thermostat includes a communication interface configured to receive the building data stream from the building management system via a network and the weather data stream from the weather server via the network. In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to cause the display screen to display non-emergency information based on the building data stream, determine whether the weather data stream indicates an emergency weather condition, and override the display of the non-emergency information by causing the display screen to indicate the one or more emergency response directions in response to a determination that the weather data stream indicates the emergency weather condition.

In some embodiments, the one or more emergency response directions include a building map and one or more evacuation directions, wherein the one or more evacuation directions include at least one of one or more directions to a building exit or one or more directions to an emergency shelter in the building. In some embodiments, causing the display screen to display the one or more emergency response directions includes causing the display screen to display the building map and the one or more evacuation directions.

In some embodiments, the one or more emergency response directions include an arrow indicating a route through the building for the user to follow. In some embodiments, causing the display screen to display the one or more emergency response directions includes causing the display screen to display the arrow.

In some embodiments, the arrow includes a first portion and an arrow border surrounding the first portion. In some embodiments, the first portion is a first color and the arrow border is a second color different than the first color.

Another implementation of the present disclosure is a display device for a building. The display device includes a halo light emitting diode (LED) system including one or more LEDs configured to emit light, a halo diffuser structured around at least a portion of an outer edge of the thermostat, wherein the halo diffuser is configured to diffuse the emitted light of the one or more LEDs around at least the portion of the outer edge of the thermostat, and one or more waveguides, wherein each of the one or more waveguides is configured to transmit light from one of the one or more LEDs to the halo diffuser. The display device includes a processing circuit configured to operate the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system to indicate a building emergency condition to a user.

In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to receive one or more data streams, determine whether the one or more data streams indicate the building emergency condition, and operate the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system to indicate the building emergency condition to the user.

In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to determine a display device condition that requires user input and operate the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system to indicate the display device condition to the user.

In some embodiments, each of the one or more waveguides are coupled to the halo diffuser at a first end of the one or more waveguides and is proximate to one of the one or more LEDs at a second end of the one or more waveguides.

In some embodiments, the display device includes an enclosure including a front portion and a back portion. In some embodiments, the halo diffuser is coupled to the front portion and the back portion and is located between the front portion and the back portion.

In some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to operate the one or more LEDs of the halo LED system to indicate the emergency condition to the user by operating the one or more LEDs in a pattern to indicate one or more emergency response directions to the user prompting the user to perform a user response to the emergency condition.

In some embodiments, operating the one or more LEDs in the pattern to indicate the one or more emergency response directions comprises activating the one or more LEDs sequentially to indicate an emergency navigation direction.

Another implementation of the present disclosure is a controller for a building. The controller includes a halo light system including one or more lighting components configured to emit light and a halo diffuser structured around at least a portion of an outer edge of the controller, wherein the halo diffuser is configured to diffuse the emitted light of the one or more lighting components around at least the portion of the outer edge of the controller. The controller includes a display device configured to display information to a user. The controller includes a processing circuit configured to receive one or more data streams, determine whether at least one of the one or more data streams indicate a building emergency condition, operate the one or more lighting components of the halo light system to indicate the building emergency condition to the user, and operate the display device to display the building emergency condition to the user.

In some embodiments, a halo LED system further comprises one or more waveguides, wherein each of the one or more waveguides is associated with one of one or more LEDs of the halo LED system, wherein each of the one or more waveguides is configured to transmit light from one of the one or more LEDs to the halo diffuser, wherein each of the one or more waveguides is coupled to the halo diffuser at a first end of the one or more waveguides and is proximate to one of the one or more LEDs at a second end of the one or more waveguides.

Another implementation of the present disclosure is a thermostat for a building with an area light system and an occupancy sensor. The thermostat includes one or more LEDs configured to emit light in a direction toward a floor area beneath the thermostat. The thermostat is configured with a processing circuit configured to cause the one or more LEDs to emit the light towards the floor in response to an indication using data from an occupancy sensor that a user has approached the thermostat.

In some embodiments, the processing circuit of the occupancy sensor of the thermostat for a building with an area light system comprises one of more of a processor module, a memory module, an LED module, an occupancy sensor module, an occupancy sensor, an input interface, and output interface.

In some embodiments, the thermostat for a building with an area light system and occupancy sensor further comprises an area light system including a halo light system including one or more lighting components configured to emit light in an area in proximity to the thermostat and in a direction toward a floor area beneath the thermostat and a halo diffuser structured around at least a portion of an outer edge of the thermostat, wherein the halo diffuser is configured to diffuse the emitted light of the one or more lighting components around at least the portion of the outer edge of the thermostat

