Patent ID: 8701210

Claim:
A method for restricting access to a control unit in an environmental system, comprising identifying, by a processor, a selected lock level from a plurality of supported lock levels, wherein each supported lock level determines a corresponding set of features that are available to a user; configuring, by the processor, the control unit with the selected lock level, wherein only one lock level assigned to the control unit is activated at a time instance to restrict access to the control unit; when the selected lock level equals a first lock level, enabling a first set of features for the control unit, wherein at least one feature of the first set of features affects at least one of a controlled space temperature, a controlled space humidity, and a controlled space humidity; when the selected lock level equals a second lock level, enabling a second set of features for the control unit; when the selected lock level equals the first lock level, restricting a feature parameter within a first value; when the selected lock level equals the second lock level, restricting the feature parameter within a second value; reconfiguring the control unit with the different lock level only when a security sequence is entered; and accessing one of the first set of features when the selected lock level equals the first lock level without entering a security code.