Power management in line powered hazard detection systems
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsIan C. Smith, Daniel Adam Warren, Scott Mullins, Brian Jonathan Conner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hazard detection systems according to embodiments described herein are operative to provide failsafe safety detection features and user interface features using circuit topology and power budgeting methods that minimize power consumption. The safety detection features can monitor environmental conditions (e.g., smoke, heat, humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, radon, and other noxious gasses) in the vicinity of the hazard detection system associated and alarm occupants when an environmental condition exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Claims22
A line powered hazard detection system, comprising:
- an AC-to-DC converter coupled to and operative to provide power to a power bus;
- a backup battery power source coupled to and operative to provide power to the power bus;
- and
- a plurality of power-consuming components operative to consume power supplied to the power bus, the power-consuming components comprising at least one processor, at least one sensor for detecting at least one of smoke, heat, and carbon-monoxide, first wireless communications circuitry characterized by relatively low power consumption and configured to wirelessly communicate according to a first protocol characterized by relatively low data rates, and second wireless communications circuitry characterized by relatively high power consumption and configured to wirelessly communicate according to a second protocol characterized by relatively high data rates,
- wherein the system is selectively powered by power provided by the AC-to-DC converter or the backup battery power source, and wherein when the system is powered by the backup battery power source, a power budgeting scheme is enforced that imposes run-time constraints that limit operation of the system to ensure the system reliably operates for a minimum period of time.
A method for operating a line powered hazard detection system, the system including a backup battery power source, the method comprising:
- enabling a first set of features when the system is receiving line power, the first set of features comprises operating at least one hazard safety sensor;
- enabling a second set of features when the system is not receiving line power and the backup battery source meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, the second set of features comprises operating the at least one hazard safety sensor;
- and
- enabling a third set of features when the system is not receiving line power and the backup battery source falls below the predetermined threshold, the third set of features comprises operating the at least one hazard safety sensor,
- wherein the second set of features consumes less power than the first set of features, and the third set of features consumes less power than the second set of features.
A line powered hazard detection system, the system operative to function according to any one of a plurality of different modes, the system comprising:
- an AC-to-DC converter coupled to and operative to provide power to a power bus;
- a backup battery power source coupled to and operative to provide power to the power bus;
- a plurality of power-consuming components comprising at least one processor and at least one sensor for detecting at least one of smoke, heat, and carbon-monoxide;
- line power detection circuitry that detects whether the system is receiving line power, wherein when the system is receiving line power, the system operates in a line powered state and when the system is not receiving line power, the system operates in a non-line powered state;
- and
- a power budgeting module operative to manage power consumed by the system by assigning run-time constraints to each one of the plurality of different modes, wherein the run-time constraints limit how long the system can operate in each mode, and wherein the power budgeting module calculates the run-time constraints for each mode based at least on whether the system is in the line powered state or non-line powered state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.