Smart generator
AssigneeAlarm.com Incorporated
InventorColby Kevin Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques and systems are described for power generation management. A described technique includes receiving, by a controller, a request to activate a power generator, wherein the power generator is fuel-based; receiving, by the controller, one or more sensor inputs from one or more sensors situated at or nearby the power generator; using, by the controller, the one or more sensor inputs to detect human activity around the power generator; and controlling, by the controller, an activation of the power generator in response to the request based on whether human activity is detected around the power generator.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a controller, a request to activate a power generator;
- determining a battery level of a battery, wherein the battery and the power generator collectively provide energy to one or more devices;
- maintaining, by the controller, sensor data that was captured by one or more sensors physically located within a threshold distance of the power generator;
- in response to receiving the request to activate the power generator, determining, by the controller and using the sensor data, whether human activity is detected within an area that includes the power generator;
- and
- in response to determining that human activity is detected within the area that includes the power generator:
- controlling, by the controller, an activation of the power generator, the controlling comprising sending a command to commence the activation of the power generator;
- determining whether the battery level is in a critical range based on a critical level threshold;
- and
- after activating, reducing a power generation output of the power generator from a first non-zero output value to a second, lower non-zero output value when human activity is detected around the power generator and the battery level is not in the critical range.
A system comprising:
- a power generator;
- and
- a controller comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, from a device, a request to activate the power generator to generate power for the device;
- maintaining sensor data that was captured by one or more sensors physically located within a threshold distance of the power generator;
- and
- in response to receiving the request to activate the power generator:
- determining, using the sensor data, whether human activity is detected within an area that includes the power generator;
- and
- in response to determining that human activity is detected within the area that includes the power generator, controlling, by the controller, control an activation of the power generator, the controlling comprising:
- determining to delay activation of the power generator;
- and
- sending, to the device, a message that causes the device to delay power consumption.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising at least one program for execution by at least one processor of a device, the at least one program including instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform operations comprising:
- maintaining a plurality of fuel type profiles that were generated based on noise outputs of a power generator over time, each profile from the plurality of fuel type profiles for a corresponding different fuel type from a plurality of different fuel types;
- receiving a request to activate the power generator;
- maintaining sensor data that was captured by one or more sensors physically located within a threshold distance of the power generator;
- in response to receiving the request to activate the power generator:
- determining, using the sensor data, whether human activity is detected within an area that includes the power generator;
- and
- in response to determining that human activity is detected within the area that includes the power generator, sending, to a fuel selector included in the power generator, an instruction to cause the fuel selector to select, using the plurality of fuel type profiles, a fuel tank corresponding to a fuel type that is associated with reduced noise emissions compared to another, different fuel type from the plurality of different fuel types.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.