Smart security device with monitoring mode and communication mode

• US 9,846,479 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invent.ly LLC
• Original Assignee: Invent.ly LLC
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J., Meade, Daylyn M., Flood, Timothy P., Hallatt, Clive A., Jessup, Holden D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prifti, Aurel
• Application Number:
  US14/635,135
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 713320, 713324, 713323, 702 60, 320128
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

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;

an energy collector configured to provide a variable amount of power to said battery;

a wireless transceiver;

one or more sensors;

a processor configured to execute a plurality of instructions configured to (i) select one or a plurality of modes of operation and (ii) analyze a performance of said energy collector to adaptively-determined said variable amount of power generated by said energy collector; and

a memory configured to store said instructions, wherein (a) 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, (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, (iii) a monitoring mode in which said device monitors information from said one or more sensors and (iv) a communication mode in which said device communicates a plurality of messages to a remote device, and (b) said selection of one of said plurality of modes of operation comprises the steps of (i) conserving power by transitioning from said high-power mode of operation to said low-power mode of operation and (ii) determining whether information from said sensors crosses a threshold value, and (c) said wireless transceiver is configured to (i) receive one or more additional messages from an additional device and (ii) transmit said additional messages to said remote device.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said messages are comprised of information from said one or more sensors.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said messages are comprised of an attention message configured to indicate that said information monitored from said one or more sensors has crossed said threshold value.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprise at least one of sound sensors, vibration sensors and pressure sensors.

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

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

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is implemented as a security monitoring device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said wireless transceiver is configured to receive said instructions from said remote device.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said instructions received from said remote device are configured to implement at least one of a shut down and a deactivation of a function of said device.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein said instructions received from said remote device are configured to implement an activation of a function of said device.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein said instructions received from said remote device (i) provide configuration information to an output device attached to said battery and (ii) prevent said battery from supplying power to an external device.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said output device is at least one of a switch and a relay.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein said external device is an alarm.

14. The device according to claim 8, wherein said instructions received from said remote device are configured to shut off power from said battery to an external device drawing power from said battery.

15. 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.

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

17. 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.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has a higher available energy than said additional device.

19. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has a stronger signal strength with said remote device than said additional device.