PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT FOR AN APPARATUS
First Claim
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1. A protective circuit for an apparatus, comprising:
- an accelerometer having an output;
a microcontroller coupled to the output of the accelerometer;
a switch for controlling the apparatus coupled to an output of the microcontroller;
a load coupled to the switch; and
a power source coupled to the load and the switch.
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Abstract
The invention is directed towards a protective circuit for an apparatus including an accelerometer having an output and a microcontroller coupled to the output of the accelerometer. The protective circuit also includes a switch for controlling the apparatus coupled to an output of the microcontroller and a load coupled to the switch. A power source is coupled to the load and the switch. In operation the microcontroller is cable of sending a signal to the switch to turn of power to the load when a dangerous condition has occurred. Also, the invention is directed toward a method of controller an apparatus with the protective circuit.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A protective circuit for an apparatus, comprising:
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an accelerometer having an output; a microcontroller coupled to the output of the accelerometer; a switch for controlling the apparatus coupled to an output of the microcontroller; a load coupled to the switch; and a power source coupled to the load and the switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A protective circuit for an appliance, comprising:
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a two-axis MEMS accelerometer having a first axis in a y-direction and a second axis in an x-direction; a microcontroller coupled to an output of the two-axis MEMS accelerometer; a switch to turn on or off the small appliance coupled to an output of the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is configured to turn off the switch when the appliance is in a predetermined orientation for a predetermined period of time; a load coupled to the switch; and a power source coupled to the load and the switch. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of controlling an apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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periodically reading values from a MEMS accelerometer, wherein the values include a first gravitational measurement in a first direction and a second gravitational measurement in a second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction; comparing the first and second gravitational values with a previous first and second gravitational value; incrementing a no motion counter when the first and second gravitational values are within a first predetermined range of a previous first and second gravitational values; resetting the no motion counter to zero when the first and second gravitational values are within a second predetermined range of the previous first and second gravitational values; comparing the no motion counter to a predetermined first maximum no motion counter; comparing the first and second gravitational values with a predetermined first and second gravitational values when the no motion counter is greater than the maximum no motion counter; and sending a signal to turn off load to an apparatus when the first and second gravitational values are within a predetermined tolerance of the predetermined first and second gravitational values. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification