Environmental control system retrofittable with multiple types of boiler-based heating systems

A boiler control device flexibly adapted for retrofit use with multiple types of boiler-based heating systems, the boiler control device comprising:

• a radio that is compatible with a radio of a thermostat device, wherein the radio communicates with the radio of the thermostat device in a paired connection;
• first wiring terminals for receiving mains AC voltage wires;
• power conversion circuitry for converting a relatively large AC voltage received from the first wiring terminals to a relatively low DC voltage;
• second wiring terminals coupled to the power conversion circuitry for outputting the relatively low DC voltage;
• third wiring terminals for coupling the boiler control device to a boiler-based heating system;
• and
• signal decoding circuitry coupled to the second wiring terminals for sensing coded control signals delivered from the thermostat device to the boiler control device, if available;
• wherein said boiler control device is configured to:
• in a first boiler control device configuration in which wires from the thermostat device are not present in the second wiring terminals, receive the control signals from the thermostat device using the radio and selectively couple the first wiring terminals to the third wiring terminals according to the control signals to thereby selectively control activation of the boiler-based heating system;
• and
• in a second boiler control device configuration in which wires from the thermostat device are present in the second wiring terminals, receive the coded control signals from the thermostat device through the second wiring terminals, decode the coded control signals, and selectively couple the first wiring terminals to the third wiring terminals according to the coded control signals to thereby selectively control activation of the boiler-based heating system.

A thermostat device flexibly adapted for retrofit use with multiple types of boiler-based heating systems, the thermostat device comprising:

• a user interface;
• a processor;
• a memory;
• a temperature sensor;
• a first radio of a first type for relatively high data rate communications;
• a second radio of a second type for relatively low data rate communications;
• first wiring terminals for receiving, if available, wires from a boiler control device;
• second wiring terminals for receiving, if available, wires from an external power supply;
• and
• signal encoding circuitry coupled to said first wiring terminals and said processor for applying coded control signals to said first wiring terminals;
• wherein said thermostat device is configured to:
• in a first thermostat device configuration in which wires are not present in the first wiring terminal, receive electrical power from the second wiring terminals and provide coded control signals to boiler control device using said second radio;
• and
• in a second thermostat device configuration in which wires are present in the first wiring terminals, receive electrical power from the first wiring terminals and provide the coded control signals to the boiler control device through said first wiring terminals using said signal encoding circuitry.