SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR REMOTELY INTERACTING WITH ITEMS PRESENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT FOR COMMUNICATING WITH COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20160231792A1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2Z Innovations Incorporated (EPIC Semiconductors, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: R2Z Innovations Incorporated (EPIC Semiconductors, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richter, Wolfgang, Zadeh, Faranak
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/102 for input of programme steps, i.e. setting up sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and a method for remotely interacting with an item in an electric field affected environment for communicating with a computing device. The system includes a host connected to an alternating current source of the environment, and one or more client units for interacting with each item of the environment. The host receives the command from the computing device, and further the host sends the command data via modulated electric field to the client unit. The client unit includes a sensing element to the sense the condition of the item, based on the command data received from the host, and the client unit further sends the feedback data to the computing device via the host controller. The client unit further includes acting elements for notifying the condition of the item.

Claims

1. A system for remotely interacting with one or more items present in an environment for communicating with a computing device, said system comprising:

a host connected to an alternating current source of the environment, comprising;

a converter for generating DC power from the AC power received from the alternating current source;

a generator for generating an electric field from contactlessly received DC power from the converter;

a demodulator for receiving and transmitting data from the computing device;

a host controller processes the data received from the demodulator, the host controller further generates a signal associated with an identification number on the basis of processed data for marking each item; and

a wireless interface for sending the processed data received from the host controller to the computing device; and

one or more client units for interacting with each item of the environment, the one or more client units comprising;

an electric field harvester for enhancing the electric field provided by the host, and the electric field harvester further stores DC power from the electric field;

a client controller for processing the signal received via the modulated electric field from the host controller, and further the client controller reads the identification number for each item received from the host controller; and

a sensing element for sensing a condition of the item based on the processed signal from the client controller,

wherein the client controller generates a feedback data associated with the sensed condition of the item, and the client controller sends the feedback data to the computing device via the host controller.

2. The client unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensing element comprising:

a flexible conductive foil wrapped around the item for conducting the induced electric field;

a ring electrode receives capacitvely coupled power from the electric field induced by the item; and

a floating electrode for floating the electric field received from the ring electrode to the ground.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a readable code unit placed on the sensing element for storing identification number of the item, wherein the communicating device reads the stored information inside the readable code unit for marking the item.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electric field harvester comprising:

a rectifier for generating a DC voltage corresponding to the electric field received from the surface of the sensing element; and

a buffer for storing the DC voltage.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the client controller comprising an instrumentation amplifier for measuring a current value of the item;

the instrumentation amplifier further configured to measure the condition of the item based on the measured current value of the item.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the client controller comprising an integrated analog digital modulating unit for modulating the alternating electric field with the identification number and the condition of the item.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the client unit further comprising:

a switch for switching operations of at least one of;

sensing element;

acting element; and

an interface for controlling the operations of the switch on receiving signal from the client controller.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing element further senses the information related to at least one of the:

proximity of a user;

temperature;

smoke; and

light corresponding to the item.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least an acting element for notifying the condition of the item based on the processed signal from the client controller.

10. A system for remotely interacting with one or more electric wires connected to an appliance for communicating with a computing device, said system comprising:

a host connected to an alternating current source of the appliance, comprising;

a converter for generating DC power from the received AC power from the alternating current source;

a generator for generating an electric field from contactlessly received DC power from the converter;

a demodulator for receiving and transmitting data from the computing device;

a host controller processes the data received from the demodulator, the host controller further generates a signal associated with an identification number for marking each electric wire; and

a wireless interface for sending the processed data received from the host controller to the computing device; and

one or more client units for interacting with each electric wire of the appliance, the one or more client units comprising;

an electric field harvester for enhancing the electric field provided by the host, and the electric field harvester further stores DC power from the electric field;

a client controller for processing the signal received via the modulated electric field from the host controller, and further the client controller reads the identification number for each electric wire received from the host controller; and

a sensing element for sensing a condition of the electric wire based on the processed signal from the client controller,

wherein the client controller generates a feedback data associated with the sensed condition of the electric wire, and the client controller sends the feedback data to the computing device via the host controller.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the sensing element comprising:

a flexible conductive foil wrapped around the electric wire for conducting the induced electric field;

a ring electrode receives capacitvely coupled power from the electric field induced by the electric wire; and

a floating electrode for floating the electric field received from the ring electrode to the ground.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the electric field harvester comprising:

a rectifier for generating a DC voltage corresponding to the electric field received from the surface of the sensing element; and

a buffer for storing the DC voltage.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the client controller comprising an instrumentation amplifier for measuring a current value of the electric wire;

the instrumentation amplifier further configured to measure the condition of the electric wire based on the current value of the electric wire.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the client controller comprising an integrated analog digital modulating unit for modulating the alternating electric field with the identification number and the measured condition of the electric wire.

17. The system according to claim 10, further comprising at least an acting element for notifying the condition of the electric wire based on the processed signal from the client controller.

18. A method for remotely interacting with electric wires connected to an appliance for communicating with a computing device, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a host to an alternating current source;

generating DC power by a converter using AC power received from the alternating current source;

generating electric field by a generator from contactlessly received DC power of the converter;

receiving and transmitting data from the computing device by a demodulator;

modulating the electric field and processing the data received from the demodulator by a host controller;

generating a signal and an identification number for marking each electric wire by the host controller;

interacting with one or more client units connected to the electric wire;

enhancing the electric field provided by the host within the environment by an electric field harvester;

storing the enhanced DC power in the electric field harvester;

processing the signal received by a client controller via the modulated electric field from the host controller;

reading the identification number received by the client controller for marking each electric wire;

sensing a condition of the electric wire by a sensing element based on the read identification number;

generating a feedback data for the host controller based on the sensed condition of the electric wire;

transmitting the feedback data received from the client controller to the computing device through the host controller.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of receiving the processed signal from said client controller for notifying the condition of the electric wires by one or more acting elements.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of emitting a notification signal on receiving signals from the client controller.