Automatically limiting power consumption by devices using infrared or radio communications

A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes the at least one processing device:

• to detect, via at least one photodiode of an emitting sensor, one or more signals output by a user device within a predetermined proximity;
• to automatically transition, via utilizing at least one transistor connected to the at least one photodiode, and in response to detecting the one or more signals, the emitting sensor from a first power-consumption state to a second power-consumption state, wherein the first power-consumption state represents less power consumption than does the second power-consumption state, wherein the at least one transistor comprises a gate turn-off thyristor comprising at least one radio signal transistor, and wherein automatically transitioning the emitting sensor from the first power-consumption state to the second power-consumption state comprises activating the gate turn-off thyristor;
• to transmit one or more signals in response to transitioning the emitting sensor from the first power-consumption state to the second power-consumption state;
• and
• subsequent to transmitting the one or more signals, to automatically transition, via utilizing the at least one transistor, the emitting sensor from the second power-consumption state to the first power-consumption state after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed during which no signals were detected via the at least one photodiode, wherein automatically transitioning the emitting sensor from the second power-consumption state to the first power-consumption state comprises deactivating the gate turn-off thyristor.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory;
• the at least one processing device being configured:
• to detect, via at least one photodiode of an emitting sensor, one or more signals output by a user device within a predetermined proximity;
• to automatically transition, via utilizing at least one transistor connected to the at least one photodiode, and in response to detecting the one or more signals, the emitting sensor from a first power-consumption state to a second power-consumption state, wherein the first power-consumption state represents less power consumption than does the second power-consumption state, wherein the at least one transistor comprises a gate turn-off thyristor comprising at least one radio signal transistor, and wherein automatically transitioning the emitting sensor from the first power-consumption state to the second power-consumption state comprises activating the gate turn-off thyristor;
• to transmit one or more signals in response to transitioning the emitting sensor from the first power-consumption state to the second power-consumption state;
• and
• subsequent to transmitting the one or more signals, to automatically transition, via utilizing the at least one transistor, the emitting sensor from the second power-consumption state to the first power-consumption state after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed during which no signals were detected via the at least one photodiode, wherein automatically transitioning the emitting sensor from the second power-consumption state to the first power-consumption state comprises deactivating the gate turn-off thyristor.