WIRELESS TRANSCEIVER

• US 20140203943A1
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 9,357,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/628
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/04 by breaking of glass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A low cost, robust, wireless sensor that provides an extended period of operability without maintenance is described. The wireless sensors are configured to communicate with a base unit or repeater. When the sensor unit detects an anomalous ambient condition (e.g., smoke, fire, water, etc.) the sensor communicates with the base unit and provides data regarding the anomalous condition. The sensor unit receives instructions to change operating parameters and/or control external devices.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A system for monitoring and reporting on environmental conditions within a building, comprising:

a base unit communicatively coupled to a sensor unit including a smoke sensor, the base unit being operable to;

communicate with one or more components of the system using both wireless communication and power line communication,

receive, from the sensor unit via the wireless communication, an emergency condition indicator indicating the existence of an emergency condition, the emergency condition indicator being generated by and communicated from the sensor unit in response to the sensor unit detecting, via the smoke sensor, an amount of smoke within the building that is outside of a threshold value for smoke; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to the base unit and a user device located outside of the building, the computing device being operable to;

receive, from the base unit, information indicative of the emergency condition in response to and after the base unit receives the emergency condition indicator from the sensor unit; and

communicate, to the user device and via the Internet, a notification of the emergency condition in response to and after receiving, from the base unit, the information indicative of the emergency condition.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the sensor unit includes a location identifier that identifies a location of the sensor unit within the building;

the base unit is operable to;

receive the location identifier when the emergency condition indicator is generated by and communicated from the sensor unit; and

communicate the location identifier to the computing device; and

the computing device is operable to;

receive the location identifier from the base unit, and

communicate, to the user device and via the Internet, information indicative of the location of the sensor unit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the sensor unit includes a carbon monoxide sensor;

the base unit is further operable to receive, from the sensor unit, a carbon monoxide emergency condition indicator, the carbon monoxide emergency condition indicator indicating that a level of carbon monoxide detected by the carbon monoxide sensor is outside of a threshold value for carbon monoxide; and

the computing device is further operable to receive, from the base unit, information indicative of the carbon monoxide emergency condition, and communicate a notification of the carbon monoxide emergency condition to the user device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor unit further includes:

a controller coupled to one or more sensors for sensing at least one environmental condition of the building, the one or more sensors including the smoke sensor; and

a transceiver coupled to the controller and operable to wirelessly communicate with the base unit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor unit is capable of operating in:

a low-power mode during which the controller operates with the one or more sensors to sense the at least one environmental condition of the building and the transceiver is disabled such that it does not transmit data; and

an alert mode during which the controller operates with the one or more sensors to sense the at least one environmental condition of the building and the transceiver is enabled to facilitate wireless communication with the base unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor unit is configured to operate in the alert mode during the existence of the emergency condition and to operate in the low-power mode when the emergency condition is non-existent.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor unit further includes a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the base unit is operable to wirelessly communicate with the sensor unit at a frequency of substantially 900 MHz.

10. A method for monitoring and reporting on environmental conditions within a building, comprising:

receiving, with a base unit configured to communicate using both wireless communication and power line communication, an emergency condition indicator indicating the existence of an emergency condition, the emergency condition indicator being generated by and communicated from a sensor unit in response to the sensor unit detecting, via a smoke sensor, an amount of smoke within the building that is outside of a threshold value for smoke;

generating, in response to and after receiving the emergency condition indicator from the sensor unit, a notification of the emergency condition; and

communicating the notification of the emergency condition, via the Internet, to a user device located outside of the building.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a current operating status of the sensor unit from the sensor unit; and

communicating information indicative of the current operating status to the user device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising

wirelessly receiving, from the sensor unit, battery condition information indicative of a condition of a battery of the sensor unit;

and

communicating, to the user device and via the Internet, the battery condition information.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising wirelessly communicating, to the sensor unit, one or more control commands for controlling an operation of the sensor unit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more control commands include a self-diagnostic command that causes the sensor unit to run a self-diagnostic and report results thereof

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, from the sensor unit, information indicative of the results of the self-diagnostic.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more control commands include a command instructing the sensor unit to operate in a low-power mode or an alert mode.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, from the sensor unit, a carbon monoxide emergency condition indicating that a detected level of carbon monoxide is outside of a threshold value for carbon monoxide.

18. A system for monitoring and reporting on environmental conditions within a building, comprising:

means for receiving, with a base unit configured to communicate using both wireless communication and power line communication, an emergency condition indicator indicating the existence of an emergency condition, the emergency condition indicator being generated by and communicated from a sensor unit in response to the sensor unit detecting, via a smoke sensor, an amount of smoke within the building that is outside of a threshold value for smoke;

means for generating, in response to and after receiving the emergency condition indicator from the sensor unit, a notification of the emergency condition; and

means for communicating the notification of the emergency condition, via the Internet, to a user device located outside of the building.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for altering operation of a temperature control system in response to the emergency condition indicator generated by and communicated from the sensor unit, the temperature control system being configured to alter a temperature inside of the building.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for receiving a current operating status of the sensor unit from the sensor unit; and

means for communicating information indicative of the current operating status to the user device.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for wirelessly communicating, to the sensor unit, one or more control commands for controlling an operation of the sensor unit.

22-25. -25. (canceled)