Patent ID: 7156318

Claim:
A programmable thermostat system for controlling space conditioning equipment comprising: A) at least one environmental condition sensor providing an electrical signal indicative of the ambient temperature of a conditioned space in which said environmental condition sensor is situated; B) a transparent touch pad juxtaposed with a liquid crystal display to constitute a touch screen for interactive interface with a user; C) a processor, said processor including: 1) a central processing unit; 2) a real time clock; 3) a memory coupled to said central processing unit for storing program and data information; and 4) an input/output unit coupled between said processor and said touch screen for carrying out information transfer therebetween, said input/output unit further including: a) a sensor input coupled to each said environmental condition sensors for receiving said electrical signal therefrom; and b) a control output coupled to the space conditioning equipment for issuing control signals thereto; and D) a control program stored in said memory for causing said central processing unit to communicate through said input/output unit to selectively: 1) establish on said liquid crystal display: a) a representation of a first virtual button at a first predetermined position on the liquid crystal display; and b) a first legend indicative of a first control function of said thermostat, which first control function is for controlling a first space conditioning equipment component, which first control function is active when the first legend is viewable; 2) read the position on the touch pad juxtaposed with said first predetermined position on said liquid crystal display to determine if the representation of said first virtual button has been touched; 3) if the first virtual button has been touched: a) determining that the thermostat has been directed to control a second space conditioning equipment component; b) activating a second control function for controlling the second space conditioning equipment component; and c) displaying on said liquid crystal display a second legend indicative of said second control function of said thermostat, which second control function is for controlling the second space conditioning equipment component, which second control function is active when the second legend is viewable.