That's the problem with modern patents. What you're seeing is their implementation of their patents. Another company might make a massively better design, but tread on their overly broad patent that is vaguely written for just that reason.

Well, to be fair, Honeywell at least has the virtue of working and being solid about it[1]. They do seemed to have learned something with the Lyric.

1) I guess the possibility of being sued by a large number of contractors and building owners tends to focus the mind.

No, my point is that with all the patents they hold, no one can enter the market to compete with them.

Yeah, but if they've got a patent on using a knob on a thermostat, and changing it remotely, and getting power from the wall. It's pretty hard to produce a competing product that doesn't infringe.