Abstract: An appliance for conditioning air of an associated room and an associated method for controlling an air conditioner are disclosed, the controller selectively adjusting operation of the air conditioning appliance based on historical operating data. The controller adjusts a set-point of the appliance for a preselected period of time in response to the historical operating data of the appliance when the appliance operates in an energy savings mode. The controller is configured to receive and process data relating to the rate of change in the temperature. Further, an override feature may be included to maintain operation of the appliance in a normal operation mode if ambient temperature reaches a predetermined threshold value. Another feature is that the controller determines whether the compressor has been operational less than a preselected period of time and, if so, the compressor is operated until such time period has elapsed.

Abstract: A system includes a meter, one or more sensors, a room air conditioner (RAC) comprising one or more power-consuming features/functions and a controller configured to control the one or more power-consuming features/functions. The system further includes an accessory computing device coupled with the RAC, the meter, and the one or more sensors. The accessory computing device is configured to receive and process a signal, and in response to the signal, instruct the RAC to operate in a particular operating mode. The particular operating mode may be an energy-management mode.

Abstract: An appliance and method for enabling a consumer to easily override a low energy mode of an appliance to enable a feature or function of the appliance not typically available in the low energy mode. When an appliance or device is in an energy savings mode, multiple consumer requests for a given feature or function within a prescribed period of time can operate to override the energy savings mode and permit operation of the feature and/or function.

Abstract: An electric heating module for a room air conditioning system and methods are presented in which the duty cycle of the electric heater banks are controlled to limit the inrush current during the startup phase of the heater or to supplement the heat generated by the heat pump when the heat capacity of the heat pump nears the heat loss of the room being heated.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a hybrid heating system that includes a heat pump and a gas heater is disclosed. Peak demand or pricing information is received from gas and electric utilities, and outdoor ambient temperature data is also fed to a smart hybrid thermostat. A controller processes this data and calculates overall efficiency of operating the heat pump versus the gas heater by accessing stored performance data relating to the heat pump in memory.

Abstract: An appliance for conditioning air of an associated room and an associated method for controlling an air conditioner are disclosed, the controller selectively adjusting operation of the air conditioning appliance based on historical operating data. The controller adjusts a set-point of the appliance for a preselected period of time in response to the historical operating data of the appliance when the appliance operates in an energy savings mode. In one arrangement, the controller is configured to receive and process data regarding whether the appliance has been operating over a predetermined time period before a utility demand state signal is received. The controller is configured to receive and process data relating to similar time periods of operation, and more particularly may include receiving data from the last two consecutive days where similar time periods of those days are analyzed. The controller may be configured to receive and process data relating to the rate of change in the temperature.

Abstract: An conditioner system includes a housing having an upper opening and a lower opening, and a sealed refrigeration system supported by the housing for providing cold air in a cooling mode. Additionally, a heater is disposed in the housing for providing warm air in a warming mode. An adaptive airflow control unit is disposed in the housing and is configured to discharge the cold air from the upper opening in order to transmit the cold air upward and high in an environment of the air conditioner system in the cooling mode and to discharge the warm air from the lower opening in order to transmit the warm air downward and low in the environment in the warming mode.

Abstract: An electric heating module for a room air conditioning system and methods are presented in which the duty cycle of the electric heater banks are controlled to limit the inrush current during the startup phase of the heater or to supplement the heat generated by the heat pump when the heat capacity of the heat pump nears the heat loss of the room being heated.

Abstract: A method and interface for controlling a display monitor through a multi-channel coupler detects a type of the display monitor and selects a channel plan defining a connectivity between the channels of the coupler, based on the type of the display monitor. The channel plan defines a connectivity between the channels of the coupler and a plurality of display control signals. Each channel of the coupler is connected in accordance with the selected channel plan. The display types can be for example analog or digital. The method and apparatus can be used to drive two analog display monitors from a DVI-I compliant interface.

Abstract: The computer motherboard-mounted card such as a dual-head graphics card has two I/O connectors and two footprints positioned one behind the other for accommodating two different output types. A right-angle, vertical edge, I/O connector mounted in a selected one of the two footprints. The I/O connector can be selectively connected to a farther one of the two footprints from a vertical edge of the computer card and be provided with a correspondingly horizontally elongated body.

Abstract: Provides an apparatus and method for displaying dual Digital Visual Interface (DVI) displays simultaneously, with independent images, by using a Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) serializer with dual channels and one clock. Also provides an apparatus and method allowing either two low-resolution displays or one high-resolution display to be driven by a reduced circuit.