Battery-powered device having a battery and loud sound detector using passive sensing
AssigneeRoost, Inc.
InventorsRoel Peeters, James Blackwell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A communication device comprises a processing circuit having at least two modes, a sleep mode and an awake mode, a wireless communications circuit that can wirelessly send a message as to whether an alarm has been triggered, and a passive sensor, powered by audio signals impinging on the passive sensor, that provides at least an approximation of an audio signal to the processing circuit so as to cause the processing circuit to switch between the at least two modes. The communication device can be housed in a housing sized to fit into a battery compartment.
Claims17
A device contained in a housing sized to fit into a battery compartment, the device comprising:
- a processing circuit having at least two modes, a sleep mode and an awake mode;
- and
- a sensor that provides a mode signal to the processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to switch from the sleep mode to the awake mode, the sensor being in proximity to an alarm sound generator when contained in the battery compartment, wherein the sensor is able to generate the mode signal using power from sound waves produced by the alarm sound generator, and wherein the processing circuit has a first awake submode and a second awake submode, wherein the first awake submode corresponds to the processing circuit being awakened as a result of a potential alarm signal and the second awake submode corresponds to the processing circuit being awakened as a result of a periodic wake-up.
A method of sensing and communicating an alarm condition, the method comprising:
- having a sound sensor placed in proximity to an alarm sound generator, wherein the proximity is such that the sound sensor receives sound waves produced by the alarm sound generator to trigger an alarm signal;
- triggering a processing circuit to switch from a sleep mode to an awake mode in response to the alarm signal from the sound sensor, wherein the processing circuit is configured to have, in addition to the sleep mode and the awake mode, an alarm mode in which the processing circuit has determined that an alarm is occurring, wherein the processing circuit has a first awake submode and a second awake submode, wherein the first awake submode corresponds to the processing circuit being awakened as a result of a potential alarm signal and the second awake submode corresponds to the processing circuit being awakened as a result of a periodic wake-up;
- and
- initiating a wireless communication to send a message if the processing circuit is in the alarm mode.
A device comprising:
- a housing adapted to fit within a battery compartment of an alarm device;
- a processing circuit having at least four modes, the four modes including at least (a) a sleep mode, (b) a first awake submode that corresponds to the processing circuit being awakened as a result of a potential alarm signal, (c) a second awake submode that corresponds to the processing circuit being awakened as a result of a periodic wake-up, and (d) an alarm mode in which the processing circuit has determined, after monitoring the alarm signal, that cause of being awakened was a real alarm;
- and
- a sensor contained within the housing, powered by audio signals from an alarm sound generator impinging on the sensor, adapted to provide a mode signal to the processing circuit so as to cause the processing circuit to switch from the sleep mode to the first awake submode, wherein the alarm sound generator is contained in the alarm device, the battery compartment of the alarm device within proximity of the alarm sound generator to allow the audio signals impinging on the sensor to provide the mode signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.