HUMIDITY-ACTIVATED VENTILATION SYSTEM SWITCH
First Claim
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1. A humidity-activated switch comprising:
- a humidity sensor capable of detecting a current ambient humidity value;
a microcontroller operatively connected to said humidity sensor and configured so as to receive said current ambient humidity value detected by said humidity sensor; and
a connection for connecting said microcontroller to a power source;
wherein said microcontroller is configured so as to;
store a baseline humidity value;
receive said current humidity value from said humidity sensor;
compare said current humidity value with said stored baseline humidity value; and
periodically replace said stored baseline humidity value with said current ambient humidity value detected by said humidity sensor; and
wherein said switch is configured so as to be automatically activated if said current ambient humidity value exceeds said stored baseline humidity value by a predefined amount.
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Abstract
A humidity-activated switch comprising a humidity sensor and a microcontroller, wherein the switch may be automatically activated and/or deactivated in response to detected ambient humidity.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A humidity-activated switch comprising:
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a humidity sensor capable of detecting a current ambient humidity value; a microcontroller operatively connected to said humidity sensor and configured so as to receive said current ambient humidity value detected by said humidity sensor; and a connection for connecting said microcontroller to a power source; wherein said microcontroller is configured so as to;
store a baseline humidity value;
receive said current humidity value from said humidity sensor;
compare said current humidity value with said stored baseline humidity value; and
periodically replace said stored baseline humidity value with said current ambient humidity value detected by said humidity sensor; andwherein said switch is configured so as to be automatically activated if said current ambient humidity value exceeds said stored baseline humidity value by a predefined amount. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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19. A humidity-activated switch comprising:
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a humidity sensor capable of detecting a current ambient humidity value; a microcontroller operatively connected to said humidity sensor and configured so as to receive said current ambient humidity value detected by said humidity sensor; and a connection for connecting said microcontroller to a power source; wherein said microcontroller is configured so as to; store a baseline humidity value; periodically receive said current ambient humidity value following a first recurring waiting period; replace said stored baseline humidity value with each periodically received current ambient humidity value if said current humidity value does not exceed said stored baseline value by a predefined amount; automatically activate said switch if said current ambient humidity value exceeds said stored baseline value by said predefined amount; periodically receive said current ambient humidity value, when said switch has been automatically activated, following a recurring second waiting period; automatically deactivate said switch, when said switch has been automatically activated, if said current ambient humidity value is less than a predefined value; and replace said stored baseline humidity value with said current ambient humidity value after said switch is deactivated. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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26. A method comprising:
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providing an oscillator circuit having a frequency which is determined by ambient humidity; providing a microcontroller unit operatively connected to said oscillator circuit; driving a clock signal of said microcontroller unit by said oscillator circuit, wherein said microcontroller processes instructions at a speed governed by said clock signal; providing an A/C line signal to said microcontroller unit, said A/C line signal including signal transitions; counting the number of microcontroller instructions occurring over a fixed number of signal transitions; calculating said frequency of said oscillator circuit based on the counted number of microcontroller instructions; and determining ambient humidity based on said calculated frequency. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification