An adaptable climate control method for controlling a thermal climate within a confined space based on thermal and/or physiological features of one or more occupants of the confined space is provided. The method includes receiving thermal images of a plurality of target areas from the occupants, identifying a plurality of interesting points of the received thermal images, and isolating the interesting points to construct thermal maps of the target areas. Thermal features of the occupants are determined using the respective thermal maps and the thermal features are used to construct thermal feature vectors for the occupants. Physiological features from physiological sensors can also be added as elements of the thermal feature vectors to form integrated vectors. The thermal feature vectors and/or integrated vectors are classified using a classifiers and at least a portion of the thermal climate of the confined space is adjusted based on the classification of the vectors.

An air conditioning control device controls an air conditioning apparatus capable of changing an air environment of a target space. The air conditioning control device includes a first information grasping unit and a control unit. The first information grasping unit grasps a predetermined comfort-related value relating to comfort of a subject. The control unit controls the air conditioning apparatus so as to satisfy a predetermined discomfort condition based on the comfort-related value grasped by the first information grasping unit. An air conditioning apparatus includes the air conditioning control device.

Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.

An environmental equipment control apparatus for controlling a plurality of types of environmental equipment includes a grasping unit that grasps current physical and mental state information of the user, environmental situation information, and target relationship information representing a relationship between a target physical and mental state and a current physical and mental state; learning control plan output means that outputs a control change plan for each of combinations of the plurality of types of environmental equipment in accordance with the current physical and mental state information, the environmental situation information, and the target relationship information; and a selection control unit that selects one control plan from among a plurality of control plans output by the learning control plan output means and executes the one control change plan. The learning control plan output means learns to update a method for specifying the control plan to be output.

There is described a system and method for high ventilation using outdoor air in an indoor area comprising an HVAC unit and a controller. The HVAC unit includes at least one damper and a fan. The controller detects an activation of an emergency purge mode, adjusts the at least one air damper to allow a maximum of outside air to flow through the HVAC unit without circulating return air, and establishes a fan speed of the fan for maximum outside airflow through the HVAC unit. The controller also modifies the fan speed of the fan based on an occupant comfort criteria without regard to energy efficiency of the HVAC unit. The fan speed is modified based on a delta enthalpy of the HVAC unit and a nominal capacity of the HVAC unit.

Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.

An electronic device may include: a first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature of body skin; a second temperature sensor configured to measure a second temperature at a position spaced apart from the body skin; and a processor configured to estimate skin heat loss based on the first temperature and the second temperature, and to determine a target ambient temperature for controlling an ambient temperature based on the first temperature and the skin heat loss.