Selective electrical coupling based on environmental conditions

A computer-program product for use in conjunction with an environmental monitoring device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to selectively electrically couple a first electrical-connection node and a second electrical-connection node, the computer-program mechanism including:

• instructions for receiving sensor data, from a sensor mechanism in the environmental monitoring device, based on the one or more measurements of an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device, wherein the environmental condition corresponds to power consumption by an electronic device that is separate from the environmental monitoring device, and that is electrically coupled to the second electrical-connection node, wherein the environmental condition is associated with a power-up transient signal of the electronic device, and wherein the power-up transient signal includes a time-varying power consumption with a programmed sequence of approximately discrete values that specify an identifier of the electronic device;
• and
• instructions for determining a predefined preference based on the identifier;
• instructions for providing a control signal to a switching mechanism in the environmental monitoring device to selectively electrically couple the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition and the predefined preference.

A control-mechanism-implemented method for selectively electrically coupling a first electrical-connection node and a second electrical-connection node in an environmental monitoring device, wherein the method comprises:

• receiving sensor data, from a sensor mechanism in the environmental monitoring device, based on the one or more measurements of an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device, wherein the environmental condition corresponds to power consumption by an electronic device that is separate from the environmental monitoring device, and that is electrically coupled to the second electrical-connection node, wherein the environmental condition is associated with a power-up transient signal of the electronic device and wherein the power-up transient signal includes a time-varying power consumption with a programmed sequence of approximately discrete values that specify an identifier of the electronic device;
• determining a predefined preference based on the identifier;
• and
• using the control mechanism in the environmental monitoring device, providing a control signal to a switching mechanism in the environmental monitoring device to selectively electrically couple the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition and the predefined preference.