Use of optical reflectance proximity detector in battery-powered devices

• US 9,741,240 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Holcombe, Wayne T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/234,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20160351046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/103 using a light emitting and receiving device
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/11 using an ionisation chamber for detecting smoke or gas
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/145 of fire detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

Various methods, systems, and devices for identifying a condition of a battery-powered device are presented. For example, a device may include a smoke detection sensor that detect smokes and, in response to detecting smoke, generate a smoke detection signal. The device may include test circuitry that tests an aspect of the battery-powered device. The device may include an audio output device that outputs a sound in response to the test circuitry determining a particular condition is present. The device may include a proximity detector that monitors for a wave movement of an object within a distance of the battery-powered device and generates a proximity detection signal when the proximity detector detects the wave movement performed by the object within the distance of the smoke detector device.

Claims

1. A battery-powered device, comprising:

test circuitry that performs a test on an aspect of the battery-powered device; and

a proximity detector that;

monitors for a hand being physically waved in a wave movement within a distance of the proximity detector; and

generates a proximity detection signal when the proximity detector detects the wave movement of the hand within the distance of the proximity detector, wherein

the proximity detection signal generated by the proximity detector causes an indication to be output by the battery-powered device based on the test performed by the test circuitry.

2. The battery-powered device of claim 1, wherein the aspect tested by the test circuitry is a battery charge level of the battery-powered device.

3. The battery-powered device of claim 1, wherein the battery-powered device is a smoke detector.

4. The battery-powered device of claim 3, further comprising:

an ionization smoke sensor, an optical smoke sensor, and alarm generation circuitry in communication with the ionization smoke sensor and the optical smoke sensor.

5. The battery-powered device of claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker, wherein the indication to be output is an auditory indication that is output via the speaker.

6. The battery-powered device of claim 5, further comprising:

a tone generator in communication with the speaker and the test circuitry, wherein the tone generator outputs a tone as the auditory indication to the speaker based on the test performed by the test circuitry.

7. The battery-powered device of claim 1, wherein the proximity detector monitors for the hand being physically waved within the distance of approximately six inches from the proximity detector.

8. The battery-powered device of claim 1, wherein the battery-powered device periodically outputs an auditory indication of a low charge when the low charge is detected by the test circuitry.

9. The battery-powered device of claim 1, wherein the battery-powered device outputs an auditory indication of the wave movement of the hand being detected by the proximity detector.

10. The battery-powered device of claim 1, wherein the battery-powered device comprises a 9 V direct current power supply circuit for powering the test circuitry.

11. A method for identifying a condition of a battery-powered device, the method comprising:

monitoring, by a proximity detector of the battery-powered device, for an object being waved in a wave movement within a distance of the proximity detector;

generating, by the proximity detector, a proximity detection signal in response to the wave movement being detected within the distance by the proximity detector;

determining, by test circuitry of the battery-powered device, the condition is present at the battery-powered device in response to the proximity detection signal; and

outputting, by the battery-powered device, an indication of the condition in response to the proximity detection signal and determining that the condition is present.

12. The method for identifying the condition of the battery-powered device of claim 11, the method further comprising:

outputting, by a speaker of the battery-powered device, a chirp at a periodic interval indicative of the condition.

13. The method for identifying the condition of the battery-powered device of claim 11, wherein the condition of the battery-powered device that is determined is a battery charge level of the battery-powered device.

14. The method for identifying the condition of the battery-powered device of claim 11, the method further comprising:

monitoring, by an ionization smoke sensor of the battery-powered device, for smoke; and

monitoring, by an optical smoke sensor of the battery-powered device, for smoke.

15. The method for identifying the condition of the battery-powered device of claim 14, the method further comprising:

outputting, by a speaker of the battery-powered device, an auditory indication based on smoke being detected by the ionization smoke sensor, the optical smoke sensor, or both.

16. The method for identifying the condition of the battery-powered device of claim 11, wherein outputting the indication of the condition comprises outputting an auditory indication via a speaker of the battery-powered device.

17. The method for identifying the condition of the battery-powered device of claim 11, wherein monitoring for the object being waved in the wave movement comprises monitoring within a distance of approximately six inches.

18. The method for identifying the condition of the battery-powered device of claim 11, the method further comprising:

outputting, by a speaker of the battery-powered device, an auditory indication of the wave movement of the object being detected by the proximity detector.

19. A smoke detector, comprising:

an ionization smoke sensor;

an optical smoke sensor;

alarm generation circuitry in communication with the ionization smoke sensor and the optical smoke sensor;

test circuitry that performs a test on an aspect of the smoke detector; and

a proximity detector that;

monitors for an object being physically waved in a wave movement within a distance of the proximity detector; and

generates a proximity detection signal when the proximity detector detects the wave movement of the object within the distance of the proximity detector, wherein;

the object is a hand; and

the proximity detection signal generated by the proximity detector causes an indication to be output by the smoke detector based on the test performed by the test circuitry.

20. The smoke detector of claim 19, wherein the aspect tested by the test circuitry is a battery charge level of the smoke detector.