Abstract: A battery life monitoring approach for a power transformation powered system. “Signature profiling” and “power metering” may deal with statistically significant edge cases. Relative to product resources, a battery management module (BMM) may use software services from a “phantom module”, “power broker” and other low level board support package (BSP) software, such as A2D, time bases and memory R/W in order to execute routines needed for successful deployment of the product. The memory resources should be volatile and non-volatile memory resources to fulfill the needs of a fully functional power transformation BMM system.

Abstract: An HVAC controller such as a thermostat may include a housing having an aperture formed within the housing and a proximity sensor that is disposed within the housing proximate the aperture. The proximity sensor may include a sense die that has a first IR detector and a second IR detector, and a lens element disposed in front of the sense die. The lens element may be shifted to one side to preferentially direct incident IR energy to the first IR detector at the expense of the second IR detector. An IR energy transparent element may be disposed in front of the lens element, and may include a portion that fits into and seals the aperture formed within the housing. A controller may be configured to receive an electrical signal from the proximity sensor indicating an approach of an individual towards the thermostat, and in response, wake-up a user interface.

Abstract: A programmable controller for homes and/or buildings and their related grounds, such as thermostat, that has a display and an external interface. The external interface may be use for uploading electronic images and/or other information from an external data source, and may use the uploaded electronic images and/or other information for programming and/or updating the controller and/or for viewing the electronic images and/or other information on the display of the controller.

Abstract: A programmable controller for homes and/or buildings and their related grounds, such as thermostat, that has a display and an external interface. The external interface may be use for uploading electronic images and/or other information from an external data source, and may use the uploaded electronic images and/or other information for programming and/or updating the controller and/or for viewing the electronic images and/or other information on the display of the controller.

Abstract: A communication rate between a cloud-based server and an HVAC controller located within a building may be controlled based on the amount of power available at the HVAC controller. The cloud-based server may notify a user if the amount of power available at the HVAC controller is determined to be low.

Abstract: A circuit for ensuring ultra-low power relay switching to control an AC load and extend a battery's lifetime. A control circuit may be designed to work where power is provides at very low duty cycle in that the on-time of applied voltage is quite short compared to its off-time. During the on-time, power such as that from a battery may be consumed to drive the circuit but overall such consumption of power is almost miniscule, for instance, a few microamperes or less from a three volt battery. An input FET may drive a pair switching FETs that provide pulses to a transformer which provides a ramp of voltage that remains above zero volts to a pair of AC switch FETs. An output of the AC switch may go to operate relays of a wire saver for operating one or more thermostats.

Abstract: An operation alteration of a network attached thermostat to control power usage. Control wires for a heating and air conditioning system may be connected to a thermostat control circuit configured to control the system. A power extraction circuit may be coupled to the control wires configured to extract power from the control wires. The power may be put into a storage device. The power may be provided to the thermostat control circuit and a WiFi radio module. The radio module may provide a network connection for the thermostat. Circuitry and techniques may be provided to reduce power usage by the thermostat components.

Abstract: An HVAC controller may be controlled in response to a natural language audio message that is not recognizable by the HVAC controller as a command, where the natural language audio message is translated into a command recognizable by the HVAC controller. The HVAC controller may be a thermostat including a housing that houses a temperature sensor, a microphone, and a controller. The controller may identify a trigger phrase in an audio stream provided by the microphone. In response to identifying the trigger phrase, the controller initiates processing of the audio stream to identify a command following the trigger phrase and to generate a command understandable by the thermostat that instructs the controller to perform the identified command. The controller then executes the generated command understandable by the thermostat. A user may communicate with the thermostat via the microphone of the thermostat and/or a remote device having a microphone.

Abstract: A power transformation system having a power stealing mode for powering a device indirectly through an electrical load connected to a power source and also has a characterization mode. The transfer of energy from the power source via the load may go undetected. The system may store energy from the load in an ultra or super capacitor. This energy may be used to power Wi-Fi and various thermostat applications, among other things, associated with HVAC and building automation and management systems. Energy from the load may be supplemented or substituted with energy from a battery and/or a buck converter. In the characterization mode, the system may obtain data relative to power usage of a load and determine a profile to identify one or more components and their operating conditions.

Abstract: A power transformation system for powering a device indirectly through an electrical load connected to a power source. The transfer of energy from the power source via the load may go undetected. The system may store energy from the load in an ultra or super capacitor. This energy may be used to power Wi-Fi and various thermostat applications, among other things, associated with HVAC and building automation and management systems. Energy from the load may be supplemented or substituted with energy from a battery and/or a buck converter.

Abstract: A power transformation system having a power stealing mode for powering a device indirectly through an electrical load connected to a power source and also has a characterization mode. The transfer of energy from the power source via the load may go undetected. The system may store energy from the load in an ultra or super capacitor. This energy may be used to power Wi-Fi and various thermostat applications, among other things, associated with HVAC and building automation and management systems. Energy from the load may be supplemented or substituted with energy from a battery and/or a buck converter. In the characterization mode, the system may obtain data relative to power usage of a load and determine a profile to identify one or more components and their operating conditions.

Abstract: A programmable controller for homes and/or buildings and their related grounds, such as thermostat, that has a display and an external interface. The external interface may be use for uploading electronic images and/or other information from an external data source, and may use the uploaded electronic images and/or other information for programming and/or updating the controller and/or for viewing the electronic images and/or other information on the display of the controller.

Abstract: A programmable controller for homes and/or buildings and their related grounds, such as thermostat, that has a display and an external interface. The external interface may be use for uploading electronic images and/or other information from an external data source, and may use the uploaded electronic images and/or other information for programming and/or updating the controller and/or for viewing the electronic images and/or other information on the display of the controller.

Abstract: An HVAC controller is described that is configured to be more intuitive and user friendly to program and operate than convention HVAC controllers. In some instances, the HVAC controller may include a touch screen interface that provides greater flexibility in displaying information to the user and/or soliciting information from the user.

Abstract: The present invention, in illustrative embodiments, includes methods and devices for reducing power consumption in a thermostat by adjusting pulse levels (duration and/or voltage) that are used to control an HVAC relay in light of variations of ambient conditions or other relay conditions. In some illustrative embodiments, an ambient condition is observed using existing thermostat features, such as, for example, a temperature sensor, and used to adjust pulse parameters.

Abstract: A switch state assurance mechanism of a power stealing circuit for connection to a thermostatically controlled or other kind of operational system. The mechanism may be an interface for the power stealing circuit to the operational system. A switch or relay of the mechanism may have several states but have an appropriate state for a given status of the power stealing circuit and the operational system. The switch or relay may have a latching characteristic relative to its states. The mechanism may have a detection circuit and a drive circuit connected to the relay, and a control circuit connected to the detection circuit and the drive circuit. The mechanism may check the relay state and change the relay to a desired state. The mechanism may be incorporated in other circuits beside a power stealing circuit.

Abstract: A HVAC controller for controlling the comfort level of at least a portion of a building is described. In one illustrative embodiment, an HVAC controller for controlling the comfort level of at least a portion of a building by activating and deactivating one or more HVAC components is provided. The HVAC controller may include a special purpose save a wire terminal that provides a multiplexed or otherwise encoded control signal. The HVAC controller may be configured to multiplex, for example, two or more of a call for heat (W) signal, a call for cool (Y) signal, and/or a call for fan (G) signal onto the special purpose save a wire terminal of the HVAC controller. This may free up a wire in a four wire installation to carry, for example, a common (C) signal. A demultiplexer module may be provided adjacent to the one or more HVAC components to demultiplex the multiplexed control signal.

Abstract: An HVAC controller is described that is configured to be more intuitive and user friendly to program and operate than convention HVAC controllers. In some instances, the HVAC controller may include a touch screen interface that provides greater flexibility in displaying information to the user and/or soliciting information from the user.

Abstract: A power stealing system having a switch and a circuit that takes power from equipment to operate control electronics. The system may be such that power stealing occurs while the equipment is not powered to avoid disruption or false signals in the electronics or equipment. The circuit may convey taken power to a storage device. The electronics may be powered by the storage device. The storage device may have a capacitor, a rechargeable battery, a non-chargeable battery, a solar cell, fuel cell, line power, and/or the like.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for coupling an HVAC controller to an HVAC system are provided. In several embodiments, a sub-base is provided allowing an HVAC controller to be coupled to a printed wire board to allow, in some cases, modification of the HVAC controller function. The sub-base may include a plurality of terminals, each terminal having a contact mating feature for receiving a pin of an HVAC controller, a terminal block location for receiving an end of a wire, and a transformation pin-out adapted to couple to a printed wire board, with the contact mating feature, the terminal block location, and the transformation pin-out being electrically coupled together. In one embodiment, an HVAC controller is modified to allow a controller adapted for use with a single fuel system to control dual fuel system.