Patent ID: 8305172

Claim:
A method comprising: identifying a state of a magnet position sensor, wherein the state of the magnetic position sensor is dependent upon a position of a first magnet that provides mechanical actuation of a switch; wherein the first magnet is disposed in a movable arm that sheers across a fixed arm when moved, and wherein a second magnet is disposed in the fixed arm, the first magnet having a first magnetic field that projects out from the movable arm and the second magnet having a second magnetic field that projects out from the fixed arm; and wherein the first and second magnetic fields are substantially directed toward each other and repel each other, and wherein sheering the movable arm across the fixed arm requires application of a force to the movable arm sufficient to overcome the magnetic repulsion of the first and second magnetic fields; and triggering a system mode based on the identified state of the magnet position sensor, a first system mode activating a normal power mode corresponding to a structure being occupied and a second system mode activating a low power mode corresponding to the structure being unoccupied.