Smart security device with status communication mode

• US 9,727,115 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invent.ly LLC
• Original Assignee: Invent.ly LLC
• Inventors: Meade, Daylyn M., Flood, Timothy P., Hallatt, Clive A., Jessup, Holden D., Brown, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prifti, Aurel
• Application Number:
  US14/635,248
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 702 60, 713320, 713323, 713324, 705 80, 3405452, 34042613, 340506
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A device comprising a processor, an energy source, one or more sensors, a wireless transceiver and a memory. The memory may comprise instructions for selecting one of a plurality of modes of operation. The modes of operation may comprise (i) a low-power mode in which the device consumes less than a pre-determined or an adaptively-determined amount of power and the device has less than full functionality and (ii) a high-power mode in which the device consumes more than the pre-determined or the adaptively-determined amount of power and the device has more functionality than in the low-power mode. The instructions for selecting one of the modes of operation may comprise (i) instructions for conserving power by transitioning from the high-power mode to the low-power mode and (ii) instructions for activating the wireless transceiver to transmit a message with information from the sensors to a remote device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a battery;

a wireless transceiver;

a plurality of sensors configured to generate information, wherein a sound sensor generates sound information and a vibration sensor generates vibration information;

a processor configured to execute a plurality of instructions;

a memory configured to store said instructions as received from a remote device, wherein (a) said instructions received from said remote device when executed are configured to select one of a plurality of modes of operation based on said information,

(b) said plurality of modes of operation comprise (i) a low-power mode of operation in which said device consumes less than a pre-determined or adaptively-determined amount of power and said device has less than full functionality and (ii) a high-power mode of operation in which said device consumes more than said pre-determined or adaptively-determined amount of power and said device has more functionality than in said low-power mode, (c) said selection of one of said plurality of modes of operation based on said information comprises the steps of (i) monitoring said vibration information from said vibration sensor and (ii) determining whether said vibration information from said sensors crosses a variable threshold value and (d) said instructions received from said remote device when executed are further configured to (i) operate said device in said high-power mode and (ii) perform an activation and deactivation of said sound sensor in response to said vibration information crossing said variable threshold value; and

an energy collector configured to provide a variable amount of power to said battery, wherein said processor is further configured to analyze a performance of said enemy collector to adaptively-determined said variable amount of power generated by said enemy collector.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said activation further comprises supplying power from said battery to an external device.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said external device is implemented as a security device configured to immediately inform said remote device of an intruder.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein

said external device is implemented as an alarm.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said information monitored from said sensors further comprises an amount of energy stored in said battery.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said information monitored from said sensors further comprises a current being drawn from said battery.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein

said wireless transceiver is configured to receive said instructions from said remote device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to send messages to said remote device to indicate that (i) said device continues to operate correctly and (ii) a communication link between said device and said remote device is intact.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is configured to communicate with said remote device during a communication window in time.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said communication window is based on a periodic duty-cycle.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said periodic duty-cycle is synchronized between said device and said remote device.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein said processor is further configured to combine a plurality of messages into a combined message while not in communication with said remote device.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to send said combined message to said remote device during said communication window in time.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device consumes (i) less than said variable amount of said power generated by said energy collector while in said low-power mode of operation and (ii) more than said variable amount of said power generated by said energy collector while in said high-power mode of operation.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is self-powered from said energy collector and said battery.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to adjust a current draw from said energy collector to maximize said variable amount of power generated by said energy collector.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein said wireless transceiver is configured to (i) receive additional sensor information from an additional device and (ii) transmit said additional sensor information to said remote device.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said device has a higher available energy than said additional device.

19. The device according to claim 17, wherein said device has a stronger signal strength with said remote device than said additional device.