An HVAC system comprising; an indoor unit having a control operable to communicate characteristic information of said indoor unit to a central control, an outdoor unit having a control operable to communicate characteristic information of said outdoor unit to said central control; and said central control communicating with said indoor unit and said outdoor unit, and said central control receiving said characteristic information from said indoor unit and said outdoor unit, and determining an optimal control strategy for said indoor unit and said outdoor unit based upon said reported characteristic information, said central control storing a plurality of optimal control strategies, and selecting a particular one of said optimal control strategies to utilize based upon the particular characteristic information reported from said indoor unit and said outdoor unit; and wherein said indoor unit is one of a furnace and a heater/fan combination, and said outdoor unit is done of an air conditioner and a heat pump. view more

The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said central control is mounted in a thermostat.

The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said characteristic information from said indoor and said outdoor units comes to said central control over a single data bus.