Smart-home device switching circuitry with integrated power stealing control
US10819148B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 18, 2017 |
| Grant date | Oct 27, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 10, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M7/06
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A smart-home device may include an energy-storage element that stores energy that is harvested from an environmental system and a solid state relay (SSR) switching integrated circuit (IC). The SSR switching IC may include switching elements that operate in a first state and a second state. The IC may also include a control circuit that causes the switching elements to operate in the first state to activate a function of the environmental system until the energy-storage element has dropped below a threshold. The control circuit may also cause the switching elements to operate in the second state and harvest energy from the environmental system, determine that a first time has elapsed since the switching elements began operating in the second state, and cause the one or more switching elements to again operate in the first state.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.