Patent ID: 8280536

Claim:
A thermostat comprising: a housing; a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user; a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled to the ring-shaped user interface component, the processing system being configured to dynamically identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, the processing system being further configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving an ambient air temperature, the processing system being still further configured to be in operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value; and an electronic display coupled to the processing system and configured to dynamically display information representative of the identified setpoint temperature value; and wherein said ring-shaped user-interface component is further configured to be inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of an axis of rotation of the rotational input motion; wherein said processing system, said electronic display, and said ring-shaped user interface component are collectively configured such that (i) an interactive thermostat menuing system is accessible to the user, and (ii) a user navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system is achievable by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component.