Smart-home device switching circuitry with integrated power stealing control

This invention describes a smart-home device that can power itself by briefly "stealing" electricity from the system it controls, like a thermostat or a light switch. It uses a special electronic switch and a small battery to activate a function, then quickly recharges the battery without interrupting the main function of the system. The claims specifically narrow this to a recharge time so short that the controlled system's operation is not noticeably affected.