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US 11,113,941 B2Granted
Ambient light sensor in a hazard detector and a method of using the same
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorsMatthew J. Buchholz, Ken Mott, Bill Chandler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating an alarm device including a processor and a light detector, the method including for operating the light detector to sample a light intensity within an interior space a plurality of times to produce a plurality of light intensity measurements, operating the processor to determine a light intensity value, wherein the light intensity value is based upon the plurality of light intensity measurements, and operating the processor to decide whether a night cycle can be determined based on the light intensity values.
Claims24
A method of operating a hazard detector, the hazard detector including a processor operably coupled to a light detector, and a memory, the method comprising:
- operating the light detector to sample a light intensity within an enclosed space a plurality of times during a first predetermined interval to produce a first plurality of light intensity measurements;
- operating the processor to determine a first light intensity value for the first pre-determined interval, wherein the first light intensity value is based upon the first plurality of light intensity measurements produced during the first predetermined interval;
- operating the light detector to sample the light intensity within the enclosed space a plurality of times during a second predetermined interval to produce a second plurality of light intensity measurements;
- operating the processor to determine a second light intensity value for the second pre-determined interval, wherein the second light intensity value is based upon the second plurality of light intensity measurements produced during the second predetermined interval;
- and
- operating the processor to establish a night cycle having a start time associated with the first light intensity value and an end time associated with the second light intensity value;
- wherein operating the processor to establish the night cycle comprises determining whether a difference between a highest light intensity value (HLIV) of the first light intensity value and the second light intensity value and a lowest light intensity value (LLIV) of the first light intensity value and the second light intensity value is greater than or equal to a minimum light threshold.
4 more elements
A hazard detector comprising:
- a processor and a memory;
- a light detector operably coupled to the processor, the light detector configured to sample a light intensity within an interior space a plurality of times to produce a plurality of light intensity measurements;
- one or more programs stored in said memory and configured to be executed by said processor, wherein said programs are configured to:
- determine a first light intensity value for a first pre-determined interval, wherein the first light intensity value is based upon a first plurality of the light intensity measurements;
- determine a second light intensity value for a second pre-determined interval, wherein the second light intensity value is based upon a second plurality of the light intensity measurements;
- and
- establish a night cycle based on a darkness threshold, the first light intensity value, and the second light intensity value, the night cycle having a start time associated with the first light intensity value and an end time associated with the second light intensity value;
- wherein the programs are configured to establish the night cycle comprising determining whether a difference between a highest light intensity value (HLIV) of the first light intensity value and the second light intensity value and a lowest light intensity value (LLIV) of the first light intensity value and the second light intensity value is greater than or equal to a minimum light threshold.
5 more elements
A hazard detector comprising:
- a processor;
- a light detector operably coupled to the processor, the light detector configured to produce light intensity measurements;
- and
- a memory including one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, wherein the programs are configured to:
- determine a first light intensity value for a first pre-determined interval, wherein the first light intensity value is based upon a first plurality of the light intensity measurements;
- determine a second light intensity value for a second pre-determined interval, wherein the second light intensity value is based upon a second plurality of the light intensity measurements;
- determine a start time of a night cycle if the first light intensity value is below a darkness threshold;
- determine an end time of the night cycle if the second light intensity value is above the darkness threshold;
- establish a night cycle having the start time and the end time if the difference between the end time and the start time is greater than or equal to a predetermined darkness duration;
- and
- adjust an operation of the hazard detector during the night cycle;
- wherein establishing the night cycle comprises determining whether a difference between a highest light intensity value (HLIV) of the first light intensity value and the second light intensity value and a lowest light intensity value (LLIV) of the first light intensity value and the second light intensity value is greater than or equal to a minimum light threshold.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.