A controller of an air-conditioning system includes a feedback control unit configured to generate a state quantity command from a control parameter and a difference between a target value of a room temperature and a measured room temperature and control the room temperature to the target value on the basis of the state quantity command, a control target heat characteristic model calculation unit configured to calculate a parameter of a model regarding a heat characteristic of a control target from at least a state quantity regarding an amount of heat supplied to the control target or the state quantity command, and the measured room temperature during normal operation, and a control parameter determination unit configured to determine the control parameter by using the parameter and a formula derived from the model regarding the heat characteristic of the control target.

A cyber-life electronic commerce and system control device is disclosed having a three dimensional or other image of an area stored on a server. An operating exchange interfaces with the image to enable an individual to manipulate virtual control elements within the operating exchange. A visible light embedded communication system is used as the backbone to communicate commands from the operating exchange to a building operating system control item in order to alter the setting or status of a building operating system. The operating exchange may also be used by a consumer to virtually explore a cyber-retail location and to engage in commercial activities.

A server electric power management apparatus 40 comprises a controller 43 configured to instruct multiple pieces of equipment 10 to use a first operation pattern for controlling the equipment 10, so as to achieve a desired operation result by mutual cooperation of the multiple pieces of equipment 10. The controller 43 changes the operation pattern used in the multiple pieces of equipment 10 from the first operation pattern to a second operation pattern, when a target equipment to be stopped is stopped. the second operation pattern is an operation pattern controlling the multiple pieces of equipment 10 other than the target equipment to be stopped to allow an operation result achieved by the mutual cooperation of the multiple pieces of equipment other than the target equipment to be stopped to approach to a desired operation result.

Systems and methods for sequencing HVAC equipment of an HVAC system using data recorded in situ to build a model capable of making predictions about equipment efficiency and using that information, in combination with predictions about building load, to produce an operational sequence for the HVAC equipment that promotes an improved or optimized overall energy efficiency for the HVAC system. In one embodiment, the process is automated and utilizes Bayesian computational models or algorithms to generate an initial sequence. The process reduces engineering hours and may advantageously provide a means to predict potential sequencing problems for similar types of HVAC equipment.

The invention relates to a system comprising a seat (10) and a mobile terminal that are or can be connected to one another in order to transmit data, wherein the seat (10) comprises at least one electromechanical actuator (22, 24, 26, 28) and/or at least one sensor element (32, 34, 36, 38), the mobile terminal is designed to receive inputs from a user and control the at least one actuator (22, 24, 26, 28) on the basis of these inputs and/or to receive and process data collected by the at least one sensor element (32, 34, 36, 38), and the seat (10) and the mobile terminal are each provided with at least one communication means (44), which are designed to wirelessly transmit data between the seat (10) and the mobile terminal. The invention also relates to a corresponding method.

A system for controlling a plurality of appliances is disclosed. The appliances comprise a plurality of controllers in communication with a mobile device. Each of the controllers is configured to receive an instruction from the mobile device corresponding to a selected mode of a plurality of modes and apply the selected mode among the plurality of appliances as a selected global setting of a plurality of available global settings. The controller is further operable to activate an appliance specific control routine for each of the plurality of appliances based on the selected global setting and control each appliance based on the appliance specific control routine. The appliance specific control routine comprises a plurality of controls configured control an operation of each of the appliances causing the operation to conform to the selected mode.

A control method comprises: receiving from a first vehicle, first information including a first required amount of the energy source; receiving from a second vehicle, second information including a second required amount of the energy source; and determining, when a total sum of required amounts of the energy source received from two or more vehicles including the first vehicle and the second vehicle is larger than a remaining amount in a storage reservoir, i) a first reserved supply amount of the energy source for the first vehicle, wherein the first reserved supply amount is smaller than the first required amount, and ii) a second reserved supply amount of the energy source for the second vehicle. The second reserved supply amount is determined within a range where a total sum of the first reserved supply amount and the second reserved supply amount does not exceed the remaining amount.

A thermostat configuration system includes a first thermostat having a processor, a transceiver, a storage area and a control button. The processor generates configuration data for the first thermostat and stores the configuration data in the storage area of the first thermostat. The processor then causes the configuration data to be transmitted to multiple target devices using the transmitter, including at least a second thermostat.

Disclosed are a method of controlling a self-service washing machine, and a terminal and a system utilizing same. The method includes: outputting position information and state information of at least one peripheral washing machine; acquiring a target washing machine selected by a user; sending a reservation request to a server, wherein the reservation request includes a target time period and an identifier of the target washing machine input by the user so as to enable the server to schedule the target washing machine to provide a washing function for the user in the target time period; and receiving and outputting a reservation result fed back by the server.

According to an example, in a method for managing environmental conditions in a structure, environmental data may be received in a computing device from an environmental condition monitoring device. The computing device may compute a score corresponding to the environmental condition in the structure based upon the received environmental data. In addition, the computing device may determine an environmental condition management operation with respect to the environmental conditions in the structure based upon the computed score.