Smart-home hazard detector providing sensor-based device positioning guidance

• US 9,183,736 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sloo, David, Peterson, Kevin, Dixon, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US14/645,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20150254970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 244 Days
• Field of Search: 340628-632, 706/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/33 to fire, excessive heat or smoke
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/34 by opening air passages
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/75 for maintaining constant air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/02 by investigating impedance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/121 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity, of the fluid moisture content of the tested material G01N27/048
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array electrochemical electrode arrays G01N27/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 for CO, CO2
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/46 Extracting features or characteristics from the video content, e.g. video fingerprints, representative shots or key frames
• 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 17/117 by using a detection device for specific gases, e.g. combustion products, produced by the fire G08B17/103, G08B17/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 : responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 : Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 : Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 : Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 : Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 : Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/012 : using recorded signals, e.g. speech G08B25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 : using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 : Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/04 : Monitoring of the detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/145 : of fire detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 : Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/22 : Provisions facilitating manual calibration, e.g. input or output provisions for testing; Holding of intermittent values to permit measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/26 : by updating and storing reference thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 : using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 : using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 : using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 : Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 : indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 : based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 : for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 : Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 : Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 : by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 : Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

A particular smart hazard detector may itself function as a guide during a process of installation of the same at an installation location. Additionally, the installation location of the particular smart hazard detector may play a central role in how various settings of the smart hazard detector are defined and adjusted over time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a hazard detector, sensor or feature readings representative of at least one of position and orientation of the hazard detector as placed to a surface at a location within a structure;

determining, by the hazard detector, that the hazard detector is in at least one of an inadvisable position and an inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure based on the readings; and

generating, by the hazard detector, a signal representative of a user-perceptible cue to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the hazard detector, at least one of an audio cue and a visual cue based on the signal representative of the user-perceptible cue to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the hazard detector, the signal representative of the user-perceptible cue to a mobile device for presentation of a message thereby to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the hazard detector is within a prohibitive distance from one or more other surfaces at the location within the structure based on readings of a proximity sensor of the hazard detector.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the proximity sensor is selected from an ultrasonic sensor and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) time-of-flight range finder.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the hazard detector is in an unacceptable spatial orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure based on readings of an orientation sensor of the hazard detector.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a wireless signal strength detected by the hazard detector is within an unacceptable range based on the readings.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that at least one of a carbon monoxide detection feature, a smoke detection feature, an ALS (Ambient Light Sensor) detection feature, and an ambient temperature detection feature of the hazard detector is operating within an unacceptable range based on the readings.

9. A hazard detector, comprising:

at least one sensor or feature;

at least one processor, operatively coupled to the at least one sensor or feature; and

a memory operatively coupled with and readable by the at least one processor, and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to;

receive readings from the at least one sensor or feature representative of at least one of position and orientation of the hazard detector as placed to a surface at a location within a structure;

determine based on the readings that the hazard detector is in at least one of an inadvisable position and an inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure; and

generate a signal representative of a user-perceptible cue to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

10. The hazard detector of claim 9, further comprising at least one output device to output at least one of an audio cue and a visual cue based on the signal representative of the user-perceptible cue to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

11. The hazard detector of claim 9, further comprising a wireless network interface to transmit the signal representative of the user-perceptible cue to a mobile device for presentation of a message thereby to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

12. The hazard detector of claim 9, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

determine that at least one of a carbon monoxide detection feature, a smoke detection feature, an ALS (Ambient Light Sensor) detection feature, and an ambient temperature detection feature of the hazard detector is operating within an unacceptable range based on the readings.

13. The hazard detector of claim 9, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

determine that the hazard detector is within a prohibitive distance from one or more other surfaces at the location within the structure based on readings of a proximity sensor of the hazard detector;

determine that the hazard detector is in an unacceptable spatial orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure based on readings of an orientation sensor of the hazard detector; and

determine that a wireless signal strength detected by the hazard detector is within an unacceptable range based on the readings.

14. A hazard detector, comprising:

means for receiving sensor or feature readings representative of at least one of position and orientation of the hazard detector as placed to a surface at a location within a structure;

means for determining that the hazard detector is in at least one of an inadvisable position and an inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure based on the readings; and

means for generating a signal representative of a user-perceptible cue to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

15. The hazard detector of claim 14, further comprising:

means for outputting at least one of an audio cue and a visual cue based on the signal representative of the user-perceptible cue to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

16. The hazard detector of claim 14, further comprising:

means for transmitting the signal representative of the user-perceptible cue to a mobile device for presentation of a message thereby to indicate that the hazard detector is in at least one of the inadvisable position and the inadvisable orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure.

17. The hazard detector of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining that the hazard detector is within a prohibitive distance from one or more other surfaces at the location within the structure based on the readings.

18. The hazard detector of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining that the hazard detector is in an unacceptable spatial orientation as placed to the surface at the location within the structure based on the readings.

19. The hazard detector of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining that a wireless signal strength detected by the hazard detector is within an unacceptable range based on the readings.

20. The hazard detector of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining that at least one of a carbon monoxide detection feature, a smoke detection feature, an ALS (Ambient Light Sensor) detection feature, and an ambient temperature detection feature of the hazard detector is operating within an unacceptable range based on the readings.