Selective electrical coupling based on environmental conditions

• US 9,372,477 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• 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): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/334,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

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, selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node;

a sensor mechanism that provides sensor data based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device, wherein the environmental condition corresponds to power consumption by one of;

the electronic device, and the second electronic device, wherein the environmental condition is associated with a power-up transient signal of one of;

the electronic device, and the second electronic device, and wherein the power-up transient signal includes a time-varying power consumption with a programmed sequence of approximately discrete values that specify an identifier of one of;

the electronic device, and the second electronic device;

an antenna;

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

a control mechanism, electrically coupled to the switching mechanism, the sensor mechanism and the interface circuit, which, during operation, determines a predefined preference based on the identifier, and 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 and the predefined preference.

2. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition includes energy consumption, which corresponds to the power consumption.

3. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition indicates, during a time interval, usage of one of:

the electronic device, and the second electronic device.

4. The environmental monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition indicates a duration of usage of one of:

the electronic device, and the second electronic device.

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

the electronic device, and the second electronic device.

6. The environmental monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the electrical characteristic includes one of:

a current, a voltage, a phase relative to at least a reference signal, a quality factor, a harmonic of a fundamental frequency, a resonance frequency, a time constant, and noise.

7. The environmental monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the discrete values include two power-consumption levels.

8. The environmental monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the discrete values include multiple power-consumption levels.

9. The environmental monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the electrical characteristic corresponds to one of:

a pulse-code modulation sequence, a quadrature-modulation sequence, and a DC-balanced sequence.

10. The environmental monitoring device of claim 5, wherein, during operation, 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.

11. The environmental monitoring device of claim 10, wherein the safety concern includes one of:

a risk of electric shock, a short circuit, and a fire hazard.

12. The environmental monitoring device of claim 5, wherein, during operation, the control mechanism determines information associated with one of the electronic device and the second electronic device based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition during operation of the one of the electronic device and the second electronic device.

13. The environmental monitoring device of claim 12, wherein, during operation, the control mechanism associates a user with the determined information based a predefined list of electronic devices of the user.

14. The environmental monitoring device of claim 13, wherein the selective electrical coupling of the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node is based on a predefined preference of the user.

15. The environmental monitoring device of claim 12, wherein the information includes one of:

a type of electronic device, a model of electronic device, a brand of electronic device, and a unique identifier of the one of the electronic device and the second electronic device.

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 receiving sensor data, from a sensor mechanism in the environmental monitoring device, based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device, wherein the environmental condition corresponds to power consumption by an electronic device that is separate from the environmental monitoring device, and that is electrically coupled to the second electrical-connection node, wherein the environmental condition is associated with a power-up transient signal of the electronic device, and wherein the power-up transient signal includes a time-varying power consumption with a programmed sequence of approximately discrete values that specify an identifier of the electronic device; and

instructions for determining a predefined preference based on the identifier;

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 and the predefined preference.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the environmental condition indicates, during a time interval, usage of the electronic 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:

receiving sensor data, from a sensor mechanism in the environmental monitoring device, based on the one or more measurements of an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device, wherein the environmental condition corresponds to power consumption by an electronic device that is separate from the environmental monitoring device, and that is electrically coupled to the second electrical-connection node, wherein the environmental condition is associated with a power-up transient signal of the electronic device, and wherein the power-up transient signal includes a time-varying power consumption with a programmed sequence of approximately discrete values that specify an identifier of the electronic device;

determining a predefined preference based on the identifier; 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 and the predefined preference.