Moisture detection response

• US 9,800,713 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HzO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: HzO, Inc.
• Inventors: Dempster, James Douglas, Maynard, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/539,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Configuration of detection of physical conditions in and/or around a communication apparatus is described. Further, configuration of an action responsive to the detection of physical conditions, or changes in physical conditions, is described. The communication apparatus may output a user notification in response to a moisture detection notification. A user interface of the communication apparatus may receive a user response. Further actions may be then taken based on the user response to the user notification. Alternatively or in addition, an end-user may predetermine a set of actions to be performed in response to the moisture event. Further, a respective set of actions may be specified for several possible severity levels or thresholds values of the moisture detection.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a moisture sensor configured to generate a moisture event based on detection of moisture and to generate a moisture notification based on a set of parameter values;

a drop sensor comprising an accelerometer configured to detect a drop event of the communication apparatus and to generate a drop notification in response to detecting the drop event;

a sensor response control component configured to receive the moisture event and the drop notification from the accelerometer and, in response, generate a user notification; and

a user interface configured to output the user notification and to receive a user response, wherein the sensor response control component is further configured to shut down at least one of the communication apparatus or a subsystem of the communication apparatus based on the user response.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the sensor response control component is further configured to:

monitor time elapsed since the output of the user notification; and

shut down the at least one of the communication apparatus or the subsystem of the communication apparatus in response to the time elapsed exceeding a preset value.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein, the sensor response control component is further configured to:

shut down the communication apparatus based on the user response including a first user response; and

shut down the subsystem of the communication apparatus and continue operation of rest of the communication apparatus based on the user response including a second user response.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a first power source; and

a second power source configured to provide power to the subsystem of the communication apparatus; and

wherein, the sensor response control component is further configured to disconnect the second power source based on the user response including the second user response.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sensor response control component is further configured to continue operation of the first power source based on the user response including the second user response.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first power source is configured to provide power to a central processor of the communication apparatus.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 6, wherein the moisture sensor response control component is further configured to switch source of power of the moisture sensor from the second power source to the first power source in response to the user response including the second user response.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the moisture event is a first moisture event indicative of an increase in moisture, and wherein:

the moisture sensor is configured to generate a second moisture event indicative of a decrease in the moisture; and

the sensor response control component is further configured to receive the second moisture event and, in response, enable the subsystem of the communication apparatus that was shut down based on the user response to the first moisture event.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of a communication apparatus, a set of user-specified parameter values of a moisture sensor of the communication apparatus;

configuring, by a sensor response control component, the moisture sensor with the set of parameter values;

generating a drop notification from a second sensor;

receiving, by the sensor response control component, the drop notification from the second sensor, wherein receiving the drop notification from the second sensor comprises receiving a drop notification from an accelerometer of the communication apparatus;

generating, by the moisture sensor a moisture notification based on the set of parameter values; and

configuring, by the sensor response control component, an action responsive to the moisture notification and the drop notification.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of parameter values is a first set of parameter values, the method further comprising:

configuring, by the sensor response control component, the moisture sensor either with the first set of parameter values or a second set of parameter values depending on the drop notification from the second sensor; and

generating, by the moisture sensor, the moisture notification based on the second set of parameter values.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of parameter values comprises at least one of a moisture level, an interrogation rate, or a sensitivity.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

configuring, by the sensor response control component, an action responsive to the moisture notification generated by the moisture sensor, wherein configuring the action comprises;

receiving, via the user interface, a threshold moisture condition, wherein;

in response to receipt of the moisture notification and the threshold moisture condition being met, the communication apparatus is shut down, and

in response to receipt of the moisture notification and the threshold moisture condition not being met, a user response is requested.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein configuring the action further comprises:

selecting, via the user interface, a subsystem of the communication apparatus, wherein operation of the subsystem is continued in response to the moisture notification.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the subsystem selected is a communication subsystem of the communication apparatus.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein configuring the action further comprises:

enabling, via the user interface, data associated with the moisture notification to be shared with a manufacturer of the communication apparatus.

16. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor, the non-transitory computer storage medium comprising:

instructions executable to configure, via a user interface, a setting associated with moisture detection in a communication apparatus, the setting based on a set of parameter values, and a second setting associated with a drop event generated by a drop sensor comprising an accelerometer;

instructions executable to output, via the user interface, a user notification in response to the moisture detection and the drop event;

instructions executable to receive, via the user interface, a user selection in response to the user notification; and

instructions executable to disconnect a first power source of the communication apparatus and continue operation of a second power source of the communication apparatus based on the user selection.

17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16 further comprising instructions executable to disconnect the first power source of the communication apparatus and disconnect the second power source of the communication apparatus based on the user selection.

18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the settings comprise a severity level of the moisture detection, and the non-transitory computer storage medium further comprising instructions executable to configure, via the user interface, an action responsive to the moisture detection based on the severity level of the moisture detection, wherein the configuration of the action comprises selection of a set of operations of the communication apparatus to be disabled in response to the moisture detection having a first severity level.

19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the configuration of the action further comprises identification of a second severity level in response to which the communication apparatus is shut down without the user notification.