Patent ID: 7475828

Claim:
A ventilation controller for controlling, at least in part, the fresh air ventilation that is provided by an HVAC system to an inside space of a home or building, wherein the HVAC system includes a fan to distribute air to the inside space and a heating and/or cooling source to selectively condition air that is provided to the inside space, the HVAC system further including one or more thermostats that can initiate normal system calls to the HVAC system to provide conditioned air to the inside space so that one or more set points are maintained in the inside space, the HVAC system further having a fresh air intake that can be opened and closed to selectively provide fresh air to the inside space, the ventilation controller comprising: a controller configured to be coupled to the HVAC system, the controller providing one or more control signals which when provided to the HVAC system, control at least in part, the opening and/or closing of the fresh air intake of the HVAC system, the controller also providing one or more control signals, which when provided to the HVAC system, control at least in part, the activation and/or deactivation of the fan of the HVAC system; and wherein the controller causes both the fresh air intake to be open and the fan to be activated for at least a first minimum ventilation time over a first longer period of time, wherein the time that both the fan is activated and the fresh air intake is open between normal system calls of the HVAC system is based, at least in part, on the time that both the fan is activated and the fresh air intake is open during normal system calls of the HVAC system.