Patent ID: 7703694

Claim:
A thermostat for controlling a climate control system, comprising: a network interface for establishing an internet connection with a website of a remote service provider; a microprocessor for controlling the operation of a climate control system, the microprocessor being in communication with the network interface for periodically establishing an internet connection via the network interface and receiving user-specified information from a website of a remote service provider that maintains a user-profile in which the user can tailor or select the information that the user would like to have sent to the user's thermostat from the remote service provider in the form of a text message, which information comprises weather information including the day's forecasted temperature; and a display device having a plurality of characters each of which comprise segments that allow for displaying a variety of alpha-numeric characters, the display device being responsive to the microprocessor for displaying at least a portion of the text message received, which text message includes the user-specified information including the day's forecasted temperature received via the network controller from the remote service provider.