Electrical hub including current sensor

• US 10,126,342 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, Douglas C., Marino, Anthony John, Gelfond, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Natalini, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US14/850,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20170052838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 307 36- 42
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/00 Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere measuring superconductive properties G01R33/1238; testing or measuring semiconductors or solid state devices during manufacture H01L22/00; testing line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/00 Automatic systems in which deviations of an electric quantity from one or more predetermined values are detected at the output of the system and fed back to a device within the system to restore the detected quantity to its predetermined value or values, i.e. retroactive systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36

Abstract

A method and system provides current, from an electrical hub, to a device. The method and system further receives, at the electrical hub, an indication that the device is in a first configuration state of a plurality of configuration states. An example includes detecting, at the electrical hub, a detected current value of the current sent to the device. Processes include determining, at the electrical hub, whether to generate an error indication based on a comparison of the detected current value and a first reference value or range of values associated with the first configuration state.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a power input connector configured to receive power from a power supply;

a device having a plurality of components associated with the device;

a power output connector configured to supply power to the device;

a current sensor coupled to the power output connector;

a communications interface; and

a processor configured to;

receive, via the communication interface, a first indication that the device is in a first configuration state corresponding to a first operation of a plurality of operations executable by the device, wherein the first configuration state is one of a plurality of configuration states each corresponding to one of the plurality of operations, wherein each configuration state is associated with a different set of the plurality of components and a corresponding expected current value or an expected range of current values;

receive, via the communication interface, a second indication that the first configuration state has transitioned into a second configuration state corresponding to a second operation of the plurality of operations;

receive, after the transition to the second configuration state, a current value from the current sensor;

determine that an error has occurred with regard to the device based on a comparison of the current value received from the current sensor and an expected current value or an expected range of current values associated with the second configuration state; and

generate an indication of the determined error.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second current value from the current sensor; and

determine whether to generate an error indication based on a comparison of the second current value and a second expected current value or a second range of expected current values.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second communication interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to output first signals that drive a first set of components of a second device while the device is in the first configuration state, and wherein the device is configured to output second signals that drive a second set of the components of the second device while the device is in the second configuration state.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first signals correspond to a first audio demonstration, the second signals correspond to a second audio demonstration, and each of the components of the first set of components is a speaker.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing reference values corresponding to each of the plurality of configuration states.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to output an error indication in response to determining that a difference between the expected current value and the received current value exceeds a threshold.

8. A method of operating an electric hub, comprising:

providing current, from the electrical hub, to a device, wherein the device has a plurality of components associated with the device;

receiving, via a communication interface, a first indication that the device is in a first configuration state corresponding to a first operation of a plurality of operations executable by the device, wherein the first configuration state is one of a plurality of configuration states each corresponding to one of the plurality of operations, wherein each configuration state is associated with a different set of the plurality of components and a corresponding expected current value or an expected range of current values;

receive, via the communication interface, a second indication that the first configuration state has transitioned into a second configuration state corresponding to a second operation of the plurality of operations;

detecting, after the transition to the second configuration state, a current value of a current sent to the device;

determining that an error has occurred with regard to the device based on a comparison of the detected current value and a first expected current value or a first expected range of current values associated with the second configuration state; and

generating an indication of the determined error.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying an inoperable component of a second device by comparing a difference between the first expected current value and the detected current value to an expected current draw of the inoperable component.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the inoperable component is identified based on the difference between the first expected current value and the detected current value being less than a threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first expected current value or the first expected range of values corresponds to an expected amount of current to be drawn by the device when the device operates according to the first configuration state.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting, at the electrical hub, a second detected current value of the current; and

determining whether to generate an error indication based on the second detected current value and a second expected current value or a second expected range of values associated.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining expected current values associated with the plurality of configuration states based on current values detected during normal operation of the electrical hub and the device.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing second current to another device, the second current distinct from the current sent to the device;

detecting, at the electrical hub, a second detected current value of the second current sent to the other device; and

determining whether to generate an error indication based on a comparison of the second detected current value and a second expected current value or a second range of values.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating the first expected current value or first expected range of values associated with the first configuration state to an updated expected current value or updated expected range of values.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executed by a processor to perform operations for operating an electric hub, the operations including:

receiving, via a communication interface, a first indication at the electrical hub while the electrical hub provides a current to a device, wherein the device has a plurality of components associated with the device, the first indication indicating that the device is in a first configuration state corresponding to a first operation of a plurality of operations executable by the device, wherein the first configuration state is one of a plurality of configuration states each corresponding to one of the plurality of operations, wherein each configuration state is associated with a different set of the plurality of components and a corresponding expected current value or an expected range of current values;

receiving, via the communication interface, a second indication that the device has transitioned to a second configuration state corresponding to a second operation of the plurality of operations;

detecting after the transition to the second configuration state, a current value of a current sent to the device;

determining that an error has occurred with regard to the device based on comparing the detected current value and an expected current value or an expected range of current values associated with the second configuration state; and

generating an indication of the determined error.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a third indication at the electrical hub while the electrical hub provides a third current to the device; and

detecting, at the electrical hub a detected current value of the third current sent to the device.