Method and apparatus for power and temperature control of compartments within a personal communication structure (PCS)

• US 10,270,918 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CityBridge LLC
• Original Assignee: Civiq Smartscapes, LLC
• Inventors: Bowers, Kyle Robert, Shah, Parag Naginlal
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/352,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20170111520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 340 57, 340 551, 340 591, 340 58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths

Abstract

Techniques and apparatus for controlling the distribution of power (e.g., current) and the temperature to individually accessible compartments enclosing subsystems of a personal communication structure (PCS) is described. The PCS includes a power distribution and temperature controller subsystem, including thermal sensors adapted to generate and transmit temperature measurement data to the temperature controller, which controls fans/blowers. The power distribution subsystem senses and controls the current delivered to the individually accessible compartments.

Claims

1. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

a display compartment at least partially enclosing at least one display subsystem;

an electronics compartment at least partially enclosing an electronics subsystem;

a communications compartment at least partially enclosing a network communications subsystem, wherein each of the display, electronics, and communications compartments are individually accessible;

a power distribution and temperature controller subsystem to control power delivered to and an operating temperature of each compartment; and

a plurality of at least one of fans and blowers disposed within and adapted to circulate a fluid to at least one individually accessible compartment,

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem selectively controls a speed of any of the plurality of at least one of fans and blowers.

2. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the display compartment at least partially encloses a pair of display subsystems.

3. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the electronics compartment at least partially encloses the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem.

4. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the electronics subsystem comprises at least one of a backup power source, an energy storage device, a maintenance subsystem, and a network and service switch subsystem.

5. The PCS of claim 4, wherein when the energy storage device is used, the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to circulate a heated fluid generated by current drawn from at least one of a power source, the backup power source, and the energy storage device to a compartment.

6. The PCS of claim 5, wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to control a heat-generated device electrically coupled to at least one of the power source, the backup power source, and the energy storage device to heat the heated fluid.

7. The PCS of claim 6, wherein the heat-generating device is selected from the group consisting of a heater, a heating coil, and a resistor bank.

8. The PCS of claim 1 further comprising a user interface compartment at least partially enclosing a user interface subsystem.

9. The PCS of claim 8, wherein the user interface subsystem comprises at least one of a wireless communication subsystem.

10. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the network communications subsystem is selected from the group consisting of a wireless access point, a radio access node, an antenna, a small cell operable to communicate with a 3G mobile network, a small cell operable to communicate with a 4G mobile network, and a small cell operable to communicate with an LTE mobile network.

11. The PCS of claim 1 further comprising an air intake compartment at least partially enclosing an air intake subsystem.

12. The PCS of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of thermal sensors disposed in each individually accessible compartment and adapted to generate and transmit temperature measurement data to the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem.

13. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to power on a discrete subsystem once the discrete subsystem'"'"'s compartment has reached an optimal operating temperature.

14. The PCS of claim 13, wherein, before powering on a next compartment in a power on sequence, the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem performs at least one operation selected from the group consisting of:

waiting for a predetermined period of time, allowing a subsystem current to reach steady state, and allowing an optimal operating temperature to be reached.

15. The PCS of claim 13, wherein the subsystem compartment'"'"'s optimal operating temperature is within an optimal temperature regime for the discrete subsystem.

16. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem can prioritize power delivered to one compartment over another compartment.

17. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem can control backup power to at least one compartment in the event of a mains loss.

18. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to limit power to a discrete subsystem in a compartment containing the discrete subsystem during a time period.

19. The PCS of claim 1, wherein a plurality of at least one of fans and blowers is disposed within and adapted to circulate a fluid to at least one individually accessible compartment.

20. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to at least one of limit power to and maintain power off to a discrete subsystem once a compartment containing the discrete subsystem has reached a temperature limit.

21. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

a display compartment at least partially enclosing at least one display subsystem;

an electronics compartment at least partially enclosing an electronics subsystem;

a communications compartment at least partially enclosing a network communications subsystem, wherein each of the display, electronics, and communications compartments are individually accessible;

a power distribution and temperature controller subsystem to control power delivered to and an operating temperature of each compartment,

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to at least one of limit power to and maintain power off to a discrete subsystem once a compartment containing the discrete subsystem has reached a temperature limit, and

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem can limit power to the discrete subsystem for at least one of a predetermined period of time and until the compartment has reached a second temperature limit.

22. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

a display compartment at least partially enclosing at least one display subsystem;

an electronics compartment at least partially enclosing an electronics subsystem;

a communications compartment at least partially enclosing a network communications subsystem, wherein each of the display, electronics, and communications compartments are individually accessible;

a power distribution and temperature controller subsystem to control power delivered to and an operating temperature of each compartment,

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to at least one of limit power to and maintain power off to a discrete subsystem once a compartment containing the discrete subsystem has reached a temperature limit, and

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem can maintain power off to the discrete subsystem for at least one of a predetermined period of time and until the compartment has reached a second temperature limit.

23. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

a display compartment at least partially enclosing at least one display subsystem;

an electronics compartment at least partially enclosing an electronics subsystem;

a communications compartment at least partially enclosing a network communications subsystem, wherein each of the display, electronics, and communications compartments are individually accessible;

a power distribution and temperature controller subsystem to control power delivered to and an operating temperature of each compartment,

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to power on a discrete subsystem once the discrete subsystem'"'"'s compartment has reached an optimal operating temperature,

wherein the subsystem compartment'"'"'s optimal operating temperature is within an optimal temperature regime for the discrete subsystem, and

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to limit power to the discrete subsystem once the power supply has reached a power threshold.

24. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

a display compartment at least partially enclosing at least one display subsystem;

an electronics compartment at least partially enclosing an electronics subsystem;

a communications compartment at least partially enclosing a network communications subsystem, wherein each of the display, electronics, and communications compartments are individually accessible;

a power distribution and temperature controller subsystem to control power delivered to and an operating temperature of each compartment,

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem is structured and arranged to power on a discrete subsystem once the discrete subsystem'"'"'s compartment has reached an optimal operating temperature,

wherein the subsystem compartment'"'"'s optimal operating temperature is within an optimal temperature regime for the discrete subsystem; and

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem can limit power to the discrete subsystem via a remote server running a computer program.

25. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

a display compartment at least partially enclosing at least one display subsystem;

an electronics compartment at least partially enclosing an electronics subsystem;

a communications compartment at least partially enclosing a network communications subsystem, wherein each of the display, electronics, and communications compartments are individually accessible;

a power distribution and temperature controller subsystem to control power delivered to and an operating temperature of each compartment,

wherein the power distribution and temperature controller subsystem can control airflow volume to a designated compartment based on an amount of power delivered to the designated compartment.