A wall covering plate may be used in combination with a wall mountable connector and a thermostat that is designed to mate with the wall mountable connector. The wall covering plate may be configured to fit around the wall mountable connector and behind the thermostat. In some cases, for example, the wall covering plate may be configured such that the wall covering plate may be used with a wall mountable connector that is already installed and remains installed while the wall covering plate is installed.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat-source detection unit provided at the front of a housing. The heat-source detection unit includes an infrared sensor that detects a heat source in an air-conditioned space and a supporting member that supports the infrared sensor. The supporting member is rotated about an axis that extends in a vertical direction. Part of the infrared sensor that corresponds to the field of view thereof is exposed when the infrared sensor faces the air-conditioned space, and the part of the infrared sensor is concealed when the infrared sensor does not face the air-conditioned space.

Methods and devices for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system by a thermostat are provided. Input can be received from a user via a thermostat, the input being indicative of an adjustment of an HVAC-related setting. On a real-time basis, the HVAC-related setting that is being adjusted can be compared against a feedback criterion designed to indicate a circumstance under which feedback is to be presented to the user. The circumstance can be indicative of an achievement of a HVAC-related setting of a predetermined responsibility level with respect to an energy usage of the HVAC system. Upon a real-time determination that the feedback criterion is satisfied, visual feedback can be caused to be presented to the user in real-time. The real-time feedback can include a visual icon having a visual appeal corresponding to a desirability of the satisfaction of the feedback criterion.

An apparatus control system includes a metabolic amount measurement device measuring a metabolic amount, and an apparatus control device controlling a heating-cooling combination apparatus. A control content storage unit stores thermal sensations and control contents of the heating-cooling combination apparatus. The metabolic amount measured by the metabolic amount measurement device is inputted to an input unit. A metabolic amount storage unit stores a history of the metabolic amount inputted to the input unit before. A calculation unit calculates the thermal sensation using the metabolic amount inputted to the input unit. A correction unit corrects the thermal sensation calculated by the calculation unit using the history of the metabolic amount stored in the metabolic amount storage unit. An apparatus control unit controls the heating-cooling combination apparatus according to a control content stored in the control content storage unit in association with the thermal sensation corrected by the correction unit.

Systems and techniques are described for using thermal imaging to configure and/or augment temperature regulation operations within a property. In some implementations, a computing device obtains a thermal image of a region of a property. The thermal image identifies at least a surface within the region. A surface temperature of the surface is determined. An ambient temperature for the region is determined based at least on the surface temperature. The one or more temperature controls for the region are adjusted based at least on the ambient temperature.

An air conditioner and a control method thereof are provided. The air conditioner includes a sensor portion including at least one sensor, a controller including at least one control portion to control a function of the air conditioner, and at least one processor operatively connected to the sensor and the controller. The at least one processor is configured to obtain an airflow speed and indoor environmental data by the sensor portion while the air conditioner is operating, generate a first algorithm by applying the obtained airflow speed, the indoor environmental data, and pre-stored reference data to a second algorithm, and control operation of the air conditioner based on the generated first algorithm.

The disclosure relates to the command of a thermal device and more specifically a control box for such a device, comprising a communication interface with an energy and driving manager for receiving centralized operating settings from the manager defining, for this device, a centralized operating mode in which the device applies the aforementioned settings. The box furthermore comprises an interface for entry of local operating preferences, where the communication interface is arranged for communicating the operating preferences to the manager in order to change the centralized operating settings associated with the device based on the operating preferences.

An information processing system includes a processor configured to: acquire reservation information, the reservation information being information about a reservation of a booth; and make a determination regarding an improvement of an air environment by an improvement mechanism that improves the air environment provided inside the booth, on a basis of the acquired reservation information.

A thermal control apparatus and method are disclosed. The method includes: obtaining terminal status information of a terminal, where the terminal status information includes at least a terminal temperature parameter; obtaining environment status information and/or user status information, where the environment status information includes at least an environment temperature parameter and/or an environment humidity parameter, and the user status information includes at least one of a user body temperature parameter, a user electrocardiogram parameter, a user electroencephalogram parameter, or a user skin resistance parameter; and determining and executing a thermal control policy according to the terminal status information and either of or both of the environment status information and the user status information.

A controller for a Heating Ventilation or Air Conditioning system (HVAC system) such as a mini split system is disclosed for adding control features that incorporate an observed operational status and occupancy/motion detection utilizing control commands already provided as part of the HVAC system as manufactured.