An environmental control device (100, 200), such as a thermostat, is disclosed. The environmental control device (100, 200) has one or more terminals (104, 104a-104i) for connecting to an HVAC system (14) and performs over current management of the terminal (104, 104a-104i) when connected to the HVAC system (14).

A thermostat may include first and second solid-state switching elements coupled to a call relay wire connector and a power return wire connector. The switching elements may be configured to operate in a first state to make a connection between the call relay wire connector and the power return wire connector, and a second state in which the connection is interrupted. The thermostat may also include power monitoring circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first state to actuate an environmental control function, receive an indication that the switching elements should transition to the second state, at a first time after receiving the indication, turn off whichever of the first switching element and the second switching element receives AC current from the environmental control system at the first time; and at a second time after the first time, turn off the other of the switching elements.

An environmental control system includes at least one of a security monitoring system or a building automation control system. A thermostat is coupled to the at least one system, wherein the thermostat provides feedback as to output signals therefrom to evaluate functioning of the thermostat. The output signals would be coupled to a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.

An electric fan powered register booster for a forced air vent in a HVAC system where the booster is configured to stop operation when either of the following events has occurred: 1) the current temperature in the booster has regressed from a recent stored extreme temperature or 2) a predetermined setpoint temperature is between the current temperature and the stored extreme temperature.

A system and method are provided for controlling water temperature in a body of water. The temperature control system includes a processor, a user interface for receiving a desired temperature and a desired time for reaching the desired temperature, a sensor interface for receiving sensor information from one or more sensors, and an actuator interface for controlling a plurality of heat sources. The processor determines one or more optimal heat sources for heating the body of water to the desired temperature by the desired time. The processor controls the one or more optimal heat sources through the actuator interface and periodically polls the sensor interface to determine whether changes in the operating environment require additional or alternate heat sources to be activated to ensure that the body of water is heated to the desired temperature by the desired time.

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device of the present invention comprises a communication unit and a processor for receiving information on a refrigerator from the refrigerator through the communication unit, dividing an operation section of the refrigerator into an event section and a normal section on the basis of the received information, and determining whether the refrigerator is abnormal on the basis of a state of the refrigerator in the normal section or the event section among the received information. The event section includes a section from a time point when a door of the refrigerator is opened to a time point when the temperature of the refrigerator reaches a predetermined temperature after the door is closed, and the normal section includes a section from a time point when the temperature of the refrigerator reaches the predetermined temperature to a time point before the door is opened.

An auxiliary hardware box is described that can be installed at or near the HVAC system. The auxiliary box includes a large number of wiring terminals, for example 16 or more, for connecting to a relatively large number of HVAC control wires. The auxiliary box can include a “train map” type graphic display that is visible to the installer and provides a graphical indication as to which relays or switches are currently open and which are currently closed. A small sleek visually pleasing thermostat is also described that can be connected either directly to an HVAC system or to the auxiliary box, and can automatically detect an purpose the connected wires according to which it is connected to.

The air-conditioning control system includes an air-conditioning controller and a server. The air-conditioning controller is connected to an air-conditioning unit and controls the air-conditioning unit. The server is connected to the air-conditioning controller by a communication network. The air-conditioning controller includes a display unit and a control unit. The display unit displays an image that includes setting information required to connect an operating terminal and the air-conditioning controller via the server. The control unit causes the operating terminal to acquire the image displayed in the display unit by capturing the image using a camera provided in the operating terminal and to connect to the air-conditioning controller via the server, based on the setting information included in the acquired image.

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 air-conditioning system includes an air-conditioning apparatus, a user information input terminal, and a central management apparatus. The user information input terminal detects entrance of a user into a room and transmits an entrance-interlocking signal including user identification information for identifying the user to the central management apparatus. Upon receipt of the entrance-interlocking signal, the central management apparatus determines a control objective of the air-conditioning apparatus according to priority of user attribute of one or more users in the room and an energy saving level currently set, and cause the air-conditioning apparatus to perform an interlocking control in accordance with the determined control objective.