Wall-Mounted Smart Switches and Outlets for Use in Building Wiring for Load Control, Home Automation, and/or Security Purposes

• US 20160110977A1
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Umbrela Smart Inc.
• Original Assignee: Umbrela Smart Inc.
• Inventors: Qureshi, Salman, Fernandes, Filipe, Ramchandar, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/884,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20160110977A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19639 Details of the system layout
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/01 also rotatable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/014 Slide selector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/016 Lever; Rocker
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/00 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the relay and designed to obtain desired operating characteristics or to provide energising current
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 49/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of relays or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/30 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/121 in plain walls
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• 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: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 : Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 : Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances

Abstract

Nodes installed at various locations throughout a building each include a wall-mounted unit supported by an in-wall electrical box, a connection inside said in-wall electrical box between the wall-mounted unit and said mains-power wiring system of the building, and a power line communications transceiver by which the nodes can communicate through said connection to the mains-power wiring system, and at least sensor operable to detect home intrusion events. Each node is configured to, in response to a detection of a home intrusion event by said node, activate a local alarm-responsive action at said node that detected the home intrusion event, and also send out an alarm signal for triggering additional alarm-responsive actions at the other nodes. The sensor(s) include a microphone operable to capture audible events, through which the node can recognize home intrusions events and verbal commands for voice-activated functions, and perform alarm-related or control-related functions accordingly.

Claims

1. A security system for a building, the security system comprising:

a plurality of nodes installed at various locations throughout the building;

each node comprising;

a wall-mounted unit supported by an in-wall electrical box of a mains-power wiring system of the building;

a connection inside said in-wall electrical box between the wall-mounted unit and said mains-power wiring system of the building;

a power line communications transceiver by which the node can communicate with the other nodes of the system through said connection to the mains-power wiring system of the building;

at least sensor operable to detect home intrusion events;

wherein each node is configured to, in response to a detection of a home intrusion event by said node, activate a local alarm-responsive action at said node that detected the home intrusion event, and also send out an alarm signal via said power line communications transceiver for triggering additional alarm-responsive actions at said other nodes.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the nodes comprises a local camera on said wall mounted unit to record video and/or images of a local environment in which the wall mounted unit resides, and said one of the nodes is configured to activate the local camera thereof in response to detection of a home intrusion event by said one of the nodes, and also in response to receipt of the alarm signal from any other node.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor of each node comprises a microphone for detecting audible home intrusion events, and each node is configured to record audio from said microphone in response to detection of a home intrusion event by said node, and also in response to receipt of the alarm signal from any other node.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the nodes comprises at least one switch to which a lighting device is connected for powering of said lighting device by the mains-power wiring of the building when said switch is activated, and each of said at least some of the nodes is configured to activate said switch in response to detection of a home intrusion event by said node.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each of said at least some of the nodes is configured to also activate said switch in response to receipt of the alarm signal from any other node.

6. The system of any one claim 1 wherein each node comprises a module that is mounted to the electrical box, said module comprising the power line communication transceiver and defining the connection to the mains-power wiring inside the electrical box, and wherein the wall-mounted unit comprises the at least one sensor, is mounted indirectly to the electrical box by the module, and is powered by said module.

7. A wall mountable security system device comprising:

at least one bracket fastenable to an in-wall electrical box of a mains-power wiring system of a building to support the device on said in-wall electrical box;

wire connection terminals for establishing connections to power lines of said mains-power wiring system of the building;

a power line communications transceiver by which the device can communicate with the other like devices through said power lines;

at least sensor operable to detect home intrusion events; and

a local processor and computer local readable memory coupled thereto on which statements and instructions are stored for execution by the processor in order to process signals from said at least one sensor, and in response to a detected home intrusion event, activate a local alarm-responsive action of said device and send out an alarm signal via said power line communications transceiver for triggering additional alarm-responsive actions by said other like devices.

8. An electronic system for use in a building, the electronic system comprising:

a plurality of nodes installed at various locations throughout the building;

each node comprising;

a wall-mounted unit supported by an in-wall electrical box of a mains-power wiring system of the building;

a connection inside said in-wall electrical box between the wall-mounted unit and said mains-power wiring system of the building;

a power line communications transceiver by which the node can communicate with the other nodes of the system through said connection to the mains-power wiring system of the building;

a microphone operable to capture audible events.

9. The electronic system of claim 8 wherein each node is operable to detect verbal commands from among the audible events captured by the microphone, and to perform a responsive action based on said verbal commands, whereby verbal control over output actions of the system is enabled from each and every room of the building in which one or more of the nodes are installed.

10. The electronic system of claim 8 wherein each node is operable to detect home intrusion events from among the audible events captured by the microphone, and to activate alarm signals in response to said detected home intrusion events.

11. The electronic system of claim 10 wherein each node is configured to transmit alarm signals to said other nodes in response to said home instruction events and thereby trigger alarm responsive events at said other said other nodes.