[OpenTRV-dev] Feedback Mechanisms.

[Jack Kelly]

I would propose that feedback and control at the TRV is essential for wider
acceptance by the rest of the family.

These suggestions might be best held back until a subsequent iteration of
the design but here's my ideal UI... (and these really are just
suggestions... I'm certainly not trying to write a specification or set of
requirements!)

*Buttons*

Some specific local controls I'd propose (these are controls I wish my
existing TRVs had):

   - Increase / decrease current target temp (without changing the schedule)
   - Temporarily modify the local schedule:
      - A local "boost" button to turn heat on in increments of X minutes
      (e.g. one press turns on heat for 30 minutes.  Two presses for
60 minutes.
      Three presses for 90 minutes etc...).  The target temperature
defaults to a
      user-definable "warm" temperature but this can be overridden using the
      increase / decrease temp control.
      - A local "advance" button to jump to the next scheduled mode (or if
      we're currently in "boost" mode then pressing "advance" cancels
the "boost"
      mode)
   - Child lock / unlock  (if locked and someone tries to use it then a
   sentence of text should scroll across the screen explaining how to unlock:
   this will help guests / relatives / forgetful adults.  If a kid is old
   enough to read scrolling text they they're old enough to defeat any trivial
   unlocking mechanism!)

I'd propose that all "advanced" programming (setting daily schedules etc)
can be done over a smart phone / web interface.

*Display*

In terms of what to display... the 2 existing electronic TRVs that I've
tested basically only display the current target temperature and current
time.  This is useless.  I already *know* the target temperature (I
programmed the damn thing!) and I have multiple devices telling me the time
(my watch, my phone, my laptop etc...)  Instead I think it would be useful
to display:

* The current *actual* temp and target temp (if there isn't space to
display both then switch between them every 10 seconds or something like
that)
* Time until the current mode is scheduled to change

And a bunch of boolean flags:
* Whether the radiator valve is opened or closed
* Whether the TRV is calling for heat from the boiler.
* Whether we're in an "override" mode (boost / advance)
* Whether the battery is almost dead.

A backlight would be ideal (I often have to tinker with the TRV in my
daughter's room while she's asleep).

As I said, the above is just my "ideal" UI.  I completely accept that this
stuff might not be relevant for the current design iteration (where the
priority is to get stuff working with a bare minimum of features).

Thanks,
Jack
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.opentrv.org.uk/pipermail/opentrv-dev/attachments/20130322/be3f9d40/attachment-0001.html>