Dynamic input selection for power-stealing smart-home devices
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsDaniel Adam Warren, Michael Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A smart-home device may include a plurality of wire connectors configured to receive a plurality of signals from an environmental system; a plurality of diodes configured to receive the plurality of signals from the plurality of wire connectors, wherein at least two of the plurality of diodes have different voltage drops; and a power-stealing circuit that is configured to receive outputs of the plurality of diodes and to steal power through one of the plurality of wire connectors that is determined at least in part by the different voltage drops.
Claims20
A smart-home device comprising:
- a plurality of wire connectors configured to receive a plurality of signals from an environmental system;
- a plurality of diodes configured to receive the plurality of signals from the plurality of wire connectors, wherein at least two of the plurality of diodes have different voltage drops;
- and
- a power-stealing circuit that is configured to receive outputs of the plurality of diodes and to steal power through one of the plurality of wire connectors that is determined at least in part by the different voltage drops.
A method of selecting a power-stealing source in a smart-home device, the method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of signals through a plurality of wire connectors from an environmental system;
- sending the plurality of signals through a plurality of diodes, wherein at least two of the plurality of diodes have different voltage drops;
- and
- combining outputs from the plurality of diodes as an input into a power-stealing circuit, wherein the power-stealing circuit steals power through one of the plurality of wire connectors that is determined at least in part by the different voltage drops.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.