Selective electrical coupling based on environmental conditions

• US 9,213,327 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leeo, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leeo, Incorporated
• Inventors: Gettings, Adam M., Stevens, Andrew G., Hovland, Bjorn H., Zheng, Yi, Ivers, Lucas, Joshi, Nina S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US14/334,533
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/19, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 700/300, 713/300, 713/310, 713/320
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

An environmental monitoring device that includes a switching mechanism is described. During operation of the environmental monitoring device, the switching mechanism such as a switch) selectively electrically couples a first electrical-connection node and a second electrical-connection node. For example, using the switching mechanism, an electronic device that is electrically coupled to the first electrical-connection node may be selectively electrically coupled to a second electronic device that is electrically coupled to the second electrical-connection node. The selective electrical coupling may be based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device. Moreover, a sensor mechanism in the environmental monitoring device may provide sensor data based on the one or more measurements. Alternatively, an antenna and an interface circuit in the environmental monitoring device may receive the sensor data from a third electronic device.

Claims

1. An environmental monitoring device, comprising:

a first electrical-connection node configured to electrically couple to an electronic device;

a second electrical-connection node configured to electrically couple to a second electronic device;

a switching mechanism, electrically coupled to the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node which during operation of the environmental monitoring device selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node to selectively provide power from the first electrical-connection node via the second electrical-connection node based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition;

a sensor mechanism that, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, provides sensor data based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition; and

a control mechanism, electrically coupled to the switching mechanism and the sensor mechanism which during operation of the environmental monitoring device provides a control signal to the switching mechanism to selectively electrically couple the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition other than lighting conditions in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device, wherein the selective electrical coupling includes impedance values between an upper impedance value corresponding to an open state of the switching mechanism and a lower impedance value corresponding to a closed state of the switching mechanism; and

wherein the control signal corresponds to a grey-scale value that, when applied to the switching mechanism, specifies a current impedance value.

2. The environmental monitoring device of claim of 1, wherein the control signal dynamically adapts the power provided via the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition.

3. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor mechanism includes one of:

a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an acoustic sensor, a fire-detection sensor, a load-monitoring sensor, and a motion sensor.

4. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor mechanism includes an acoustic sensor and the environmental condition includes a sound in the external environment;

and

wherein, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, the control mechanism selectively electrically decouples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node when the sound exceeds a threshold value and selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node when the sound is less than the threshold value.

5. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a fire-detection sensor and the environmental condition includes presence of fire;

and

wherein, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, the control mechanism selectively electrically decouples the first electrical-connection node from the second electrical-connection node when the presence of fire is detected.

6. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a load-monitoring sensor and the environmental condition includes an electrical characteristic associated with one of:

the electronic device, and the second electronic device; and

wherein, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, the control mechanism selectively electrically decouples the first electrical-connection node from the second electrical-connection node when the electrical characteristic indicates a standby operating mode for the one of;

the electronic device, and the second electronic device.

7. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a load-monitoring sensor and the environmental condition includes an electrical characteristic associated with one of:

the electronic device, and the second electronic device; and

wherein, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, the control mechanism selectively electrically decouples the first electrical-connection node from the second electrical-connection node when the electrical characteristic indicates a safety concern.

8. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the selective electrical coupling includes series current-limited coupling between the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node.

9. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the first electrical-connection node corresponds to a first electrical standard having a first root-mean-square voltage and the second electrical-connection node corresponds to a second electrical standard having a second root-mean-square voltage.

10. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the environmental monitoring device further comprises a third electrical-connection node electrically coupled to the switching mechanism;

and

wherein the control signal further selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the third electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition.

11. The environmental monitoring device of claim 10, wherein the selective electrical coupling of the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node and the selective electrical coupling of the first electrical-connection node and the third electrical-connection node are independent of each other.

12. The environmental monitoring device of claim 10, wherein the selective electrical coupling of the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node and the selective electrical coupling of the first electrical-connection node and the third electrical-connection node depend on each other.

13. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna;

an interface circuit, electrically coupled to the antenna and the control mechanism, which, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, communicates with a third electronic device that is separate from the environmental monitoring device, wherein the communication includes an identifier of the third electronic device;

wherein, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, the control mechanism selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the identifier.

14. The environmental monitoring device of claim 13, wherein, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, control mechanism selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on a predefined preference of an individual associated with the identifier.

15. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna;

an interface circuit, electrically coupled to the antenna and the control mechanism, which, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, communicates with a third electronic device that is separate from the environmental monitoring device, wherein the communication includes a preference of an individual;

wherein, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, the control mechanism selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the preference.

16. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with an environmental monitoring device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to selectively electrically couple a first electrical-connection node and a second electrical-connection node, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for obtaining one or more measurements of an environmental condition other than lighting conditions in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device; and

instructions for providing a control signal to a switching mechanism in the environmental monitoring device to selectively electrically couple the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition,

wherein the selective electrical coupling includes impedance values between an upper impedance value corresponding to an open state of the switching mechanism and a lower impedance value corresponding to a closed state of the switching mechanism;

wherein the control signal corresponds to a grey-scale value that, when applied to the switching mechanism, specifies a current impedance value; and

wherein the selective electrical coupling selectively provides power from the first electrical-connection node via the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the obtaining involves receiving sensor data based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition from a sensor mechanism in the environmental monitoring device.

18. A control-mechanism-implemented method for selectively electrically coupling a first electrical-connection node and a second electrical-connection node in an environmental monitoring device, wherein the method comprises:

obtaining one or more measurements of an environmental condition other than lighting conditions in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device; and

using the control mechanism in the environmental monitoring device, providing a control signal to a switching mechanism in the environmental monitoring device to selectively electrically couple the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition,

wherein the selective electrical coupling includes impedance values between an upper impedance value corresponding to an open state of the switching mechanism and a lower impedance value corresponding to a closed state of the switching mechanism;

wherein the control signal corresponds to a grey-scale value that is applied to the switching mechanism to specify a current impedance value; and

wherein the selective electrical coupling selectively provides power from the first electrical-connection node via the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition.