Abstract: A building monitoring system includes a first sensor configured to detect a first condition in the space, a second sensor configured to detect a second condition in the space, and a robotic sentinel. The robotic sentinel includes a memory for storing one or more rules each configured to identify an alert condition for the space based on the first and/or second conditions in the space, a communications module configured to communicate with a remote device over a network, and a controller operatively coupled to the sensors, the memory, and the communications module. The controller is configured to apply the one or more rules to the first and second detected conditions in the space to identify one or more alert conditions and determine what action is required by the robotic sentinel, and if action is required, command the robotic sentinel to travel to a location of the alert condition.

Abstract: In some examples, a pressure reducing valve includes a valve body defining a defining a flow path and a restricting element within the flow path. A sensing element is configured to modify a position of the restricting element in the flow path. A pressure chamber is configured to transmit a force to the sensing element based on the pressure of a fluid within the pressure chamber. An energy accumulator is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber. The pressure reducing valve includes control circuitry configured to enable a fluid to flow into or discharge from the pressure chamber to alter the pressure in the pressure chamber.

Abstract: An HVAC control system is provided that is configured to prompt a user to indicate whether or not they are comfortable under current environmental conditions. In some instances the HVAC control system may be configured to prompt the user to provide additional information regarding other factors that may affect their comfort. The HVAC control system may use the information collected from the user to control an HVAC system to achieve and/or maintain an environmental condition within a building at a level at which the user is expected to be comfortable.

Abstract: A water heater control system comprising a temperature sensor, an anode rod, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a temperature from the temperature sensor and apply a voltage and/or current to the anode rod. A mounting bracket mates with a spud of a water heater and provides a conduit space for conductors providing connectivity among the controller, temperature sensor, and anode rod. The mounting bracket may provide mechanical support for the anode rod and the temperature sensor. The mounting bracket may comprise a housing mechanically supporting and surrounding the controller.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a control device configured to control the distribution of conditioned air, or liquid, to a space inside a building. In some examples, the control device may be a wall mounted switch, similar to a light switch, inside or near the space. Operating the switch may send signals to control the position of a vent, or a valve, to allow or prevent conditioned air, or liquid, from changing the environment of the space in the building.

Abstract: Disclosed systems and methods can include capturing the sequence of images of a monitored region that includes a sub-region of interest, processing the sequence of images using heuristics and rules of an artificial intelligence model to identify the plurality of discrete parts that are associated with a type of a unified entity, and processing the sequence of images using the heuristics and the rules of the artificial intelligence model to virtually link together a group of the plurality of discrete parts that correspond to a specific embodiment of the unified entity that is present in the sub-region of interest, wherein the heuristics and the rules of the artificial intelligence model can be developed from a training process that includes the artificial intelligence model receiving sample images delineating exemplary discrete parts on exemplary embodiments of the unified entity.

Abstract: A system that allows a contractor to remotely monitor and/or interact with its customers' building control systems, such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and analyze information obtained from the building control systems over time. Such a system may help the contractor monitor and diagnosis customer building control systems, setup service calls, achieve better customer relations, create more effective marketing opportunities, as well as other functions. In some cases, the disclosed system may include a controller that analyzes data from HVAC systems, determines a thermal model of a space environmentally controlled by an HVAC system, and provides an energy audit of the space that is environmentally controlled by the HVAC system. The controller may output a result of the energy audit to a user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that can include a doorbell device receiving a request signal to enter a region associated with the doorbell device from a remote control device and, responsive thereto, accessing a list identifying which of a plurality of authorized users are located within the region, identifying one of the plurality of authorized users associated with the remote control device, determining whether the list indicates that the one of the plurality of authorized users is located within the region, and determining whether to transmit a disarm command signal to a control panel device or an activation signal to an access control device based on whether the list indicates that the one of the plurality of authorized users is located within the region, wherein entries on the list can correspond to historical use of the doorbell device or the control panel device to enter and exit the region.

Abstract: A Heating, Ventilation, and/or Air Conditioning (HVAC) controller configured to control at least part of an HVAC system of a building. The HVAC controller may include a user interface and a controller. In response to a selection by a user at the user interface, the controller may assemble and present via the user interface an output that encodes settings in a machine readable form. The controller may display the encoded settings on the display with fixed segments of a fixed segment display. An application program code on a remote device may be utilized to capture the displayed fixed segments that encode the settings in an image. The captured image of fixed segments may be decoded at the remote device or may be sent to a remote computing device for processing and/or decoding.

Abstract: A server acts as an event analyzer for a home security or monitoring system. The server receives a signal from a remote third-party server, the signal including data relating to a condition detected by a device at a premises. The server determines whether the remote third-party server corresponds to a preexisting third-party server registration. The server determines whether the device corresponds to a preexisting device registration. When the remote third-party server is determined to correspond to the preexisting third-party server registration and the device is determined to correspond to the preexisting device registration, the server determines whether the condition detected by the device at the premises is an alarm condition. When the condition detected by the device at the premises is determined to be the alarm condition, the server transmits an alarm signal to a central monitoring station.

Abstract: A device that includes a pressure sensor that adds dynamic pressure sensing capability to a furnace. In some examples the device may include a relay and other circuitry to replace the single-setpoint pressure switch used to sense the operation of an inducer fan. The pressure sensor may measure the pressure from the inducer fan and send a signal to the other circuitry, such as a microcontroller. The other circuitry may determine when the pressure from the inducer fan reaches a predetermined threshold and allow the main gas valve of the furnace to open. The other circuitry may be configured to set the pressure sensor to a variety of predetermined pressure thresholds, and thereby replace multiple pressure switches. In some examples, the other circuitry may record pressure values received from the pressure sensor over time and provide performance data, as well as other signals or indicators.

Abstract: A wireless thermostat may be associated with a user account of an external web service that may facilitate remote access and/or control of the wireless thermostat. A remote device may be used to access a user's account hosted by the external web service. The wireless thermostat may be identified to the external web service and associated with the user's account by one or more unique identifiers previously delivered to the remote device from the wireless thermostat.

Abstract: In some examples, a device can control an HVAC system within a building. The device includes a memory configured to store an actual configuration of the HVAC system and processing circuitry operably coupled to the memory. The processing circuitry is configured to determine which field wires connect a terminal to the HVAC system. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine an actual configuration of the HVAC system based on which field wires connect the terminal to the HVAC system and determine a geographic location of the HVAC controller or of the device. The processing circuitry is configured to determine that the actual configuration includes an irregularity based on the determined geographic location and generate an output in response to determining that the actual configuration includes an irregularity.

Abstract: Power stealing circuitry to provide power to a controller for an environmental control system. The power stealing circuitry may include a first circuit, to steal power when a load for a stage is switched off, e.g. de-energized. The power stealing circuitry may include a second circuit, e.g., a power trickle circuit, to steal power when the load is switched on, e.g., energized. The load may include a furnace, electrical heating element, heat pump, humidifier, electrostatic filter, air conditioning unit and so on. In some examples, the environmental control system may have one or many stages, each with a separate load. The controller may include power stealing circuitry for each stage of the environmental control system. In other words, the controller may include a first circuit and a second circuit for each stage of a multi-stage environmental control system.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and computer-readable media for providing integrative comfort a structure are described herein. One method includes determining a comfort preference associated with a user of a mobile device, the comfort preference including a plurality of aspects of physical comfort, storing the comfort preference in a memory, and modifying a respective operation of a plurality of connected devices in a portion of a structure to provide the comfort preference in the portion of the structure responsive to a distance between the mobile device and the portion of the structure being less than a particular threshold.

Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring a status of a building comprising a first sensor configured to detect a first condition in the space and a second sensor configured to detect a second condition in the space is disclosed. The system may further comprise a memory for storing one or more rules each configured to identify one or more issues in the space based on the first and/or second conditions in the space and a communications module configured to communicate with a remote device over a network. A controller may be configured to apply the one or more rules to the first and second detected conditions in the space to identify the one or more issues and provide a notification to the remote device via the communications module.

Abstract: This disclosure is related to devices, systems, and techniques for controlling a temperature of water contained by a water tank. A controller includes a user interface configured to receive one or more user inputs indicative of a request to set a control parameter of the controller and communication circuitry configured to receive, from a user device, an electronic signal. Additionally, the controller includes processing circuitry configured to identify, from the electronic signal, one or more first data packets that include a request to disable an ability to change, based on the one or more user inputs received by the user interface, the control parameter of the controller and in response to receiving the one or more first data packets, disable the ability to change the control parameter of the controller.

Abstract: Systems and methods for building and using a false alarm predicting model to determine whether to alert a user and/or relevant authorities about an alarm signal from a security system are provided. Such systems and methods can include a learning module receiving the alarm signal and additional information associated with the alarm signal, using the false alarm predicting model to process a combination of the alarm signal and the additional information to determine whether the combination represents a false alarm or a valid alarm, and transmitting a status signal indicative of whether the combination represents the false alarm or the valid alarm to an automated dispatcher module, and the automated dispatcher module using the status signal to automatically determine whether to alert the user and/or the relevant authorities about the alarm signal.