Electrical power control and sensor module for a wireless system

• US 6,894,609 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Royal Thoughts LLC
• Original Assignee: Royal Thoughts LLC
• Inventors: Menard, Raymond J., Quady, Curtis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US09/907,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20030016129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/506, 340/507, 340/531, 340/538, 340/539.17, 340/3.1, 340/3.21
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A module having a switch, a processor, a motion detector and a wireless transceiver. The module controls the operation of an electrical load, such as a light, based on the switch position, programming executing on the processor, an output from the motion detector or an output signal from the transceiver. The module transmits information corresponding to the electrical load, switch position, programming and detected motion. In one embodiment, the module is battery powered. In various embodiments, the module includes an intercom, a high intensity siren, and a photosensor having an output as a function of an ambient light level. In one embodiment, the module is compatible with a wireless communication protocol such as is used with BLUETOOTH®.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical switch having a plurality of positions and adapted for coupling an electrical load to a power source;

a processor coupled to the switch;

a motion detector having a detector output and an optical input, the detector output coupled to the processor; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor, the transceiver adapted for wirelessly transmitting an outgoing signal based on the switch position and the detector output and adapted for wirelessly receiving an incoming signal for controlling power applied to the load from the power source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motion detector includes a passive motion detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motion detector includes a passive infrared motion detector.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is compatible with a cellular telephone communication protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is compatible with a pager communication protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is operable at a frequency of approximately 2.45 GHz.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is substantially compatible with standards under IEEE 802.15.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is substantially compatible with BLUETOOTH®

technical specification version 1.0.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a battery coupled to the processor, the motion detector and the transceiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the battery is rechargeable.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the battery is rechargeable from power available to the load.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an audio transducer coupled to the processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the audio transducer includes a siren.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the audio transducer includes a microphone and a speaker.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a photosensor having a photosensor output coupled to the processor and adapted for detecting an ambient light level.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor is adapted for controlling the load based on the detected ambient light level.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is adapted for generating data for generating a website.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the transceiver is adapted for transmitting the data.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the transceiver is adapted for receiving instructions for operating the load.

20. A method comprising:

providing a user operable switch having a plurality of positions and adapted for operating an electrical load on an electrical power network;

coupling the switch to a processor having programming for controlling the operating of the switch and for receiving switch position information;

coupling the processor to a wireless transceiver compatible with a network communication protocol; and

coupling the processor to a motion detector having an output based on a detected motion.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising assembling the switch, processor, transceiver and motion detector in a housing.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising programming the processor to operate the load based on the motion detector output.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising programming the processor to instruct the transceiver to transmit a command to arm a security system based on the motion detector output.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising programming the processor to instruct the transceiver to transmit a command to disarm a security system based on the motion detector output.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising programming the processor to receive instructions from the transceiver for operating the load.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising programming the processor to instruct the transceiver to transmit an alarm signal based on the motion detector output.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a photosensor adapted for coupling to the processor wherein the photosensor has a photosensor output based on an ambient light level.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a battery connector coupled to the processor, the transceiver and the motion detector.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a microphone coupled to the processor.

30. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a speaker coupled to the processor.