Honeywell Files Lawsuit Alleging Patent Infringement by Nest Labs; Follows Similar Litigation Against Other Manufacturers

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nest Labs, Inc. in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The lawsuit alleges infringement of seven Honeywell patents related to its thermostat technology.

The patents are related to, among other things, simplified methods for operating and programming a thermostat including the use of natural language, user interfaces that facilitate programming and energy savings, a thermostat's inner design, an electric circuit used to divert power from the user's home electrical system to provide power to a thermostat, and controlling a thermostat with information stored in a remote location.