Voice responsive in-wall device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10847174-B2
Application number	US-201816225249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Voice responsive in-wall devices are provided. In one example implementation, a power switch includes a housing mountable on or at least partially within a surface. The housing can have a front panel. The power switch can include an interface element disposed on the front panel and operable to receive a user input. The power switch can include a power interrupter operable to control power delivery to the powered load based at least in part on interaction with the interface element. The power switch can include one or more microphones operable to obtain audio input. The power switch can include one or more speakers configured to provide audio output. The power switch can include a communications interface operable to communicate data associated with the audio input over a communication link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power switch for controlling a powered load, the power switch comprising:
a housing mountable on or at least partially within a surface, the housing having a front panel;
an interface element disposed on the front panel, the interface element operable to receive a user input;
one or more microphones configured to receive audio input;
one or more speakers configured to provide audio output;
a communications interface operable to communicate data associated with the audio input over a communication link and receive responsive data associated with the audio input,
a power interrupter in electrical communication with the power switch and the powered load and operable to control power delivery to the powered load based at least in part on the responsive data associated with the audio input; and
wherein a gap is defined between an edge of the interface element and an edge of the front panel, the gap allowing audio output from the one or more speakers to emanate-from behind the interface element, and
wherein the power-switch is an in-wall power switch.

2. The power switch of claim 1 , further comprising a sound deflector disposed behind the interface element.

3. The power switch of claim 2 , wherein the sound deflector is disposed relative to the speaker to deflect the audio output from the one or more speakers away from the one or more microphones.

4. The power switch of claim 1 , wherein:
the front panel includes a first button and a second button; and
the one or more microphones includes a first microphone and a second microphone, the first microphone disposed in the first button, the second microphone disposed in the second button.

5. The power switch of claim 4 , wherein:
the first button is a pairing button; and
one or more processors of the power switch are configured to initiate a pairing process with a remote device upon user interaction with the first button.

6. The power switch of claim 4 , wherein the second button is an air gap switch.

7. The power switch of claim 4 , further comprising a Fresnel lens disposed between the first button and the second button.

8. The power switch of claim 7 , further comprising a passive infrared sensor disposed behind the Fresnel lens.

9. The power switch of claim 1 , further comprising a light indicator disposed behind the interface element.

10. The power switch of claim 9 , wherein the light indicator comprises a light ring having a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) light sources.

11. The power switch of claim 10 , wherein the light indicator further comprises a LED light source positioned at a center of the light ring.

12. The power switch of claim 11 , further comprising a light blocker positioned over the light ring, the light blocker comprising:
a body having a first plurality of segments and a second plurality of segments,
wherein the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments are arranged in an alternating manner to form a ring, and
wherein each segment of the second plurality of segments is positioned over a corresponding light emitting diode (LED) light source of the light ring.

13. The power switch of claim 12 , wherein a light transmissivity of each segment of the second plurality of segments is less than a light transmissivity of each segment of the first plurality of segments.

14. The power switch of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface comprises an antenna operable for RF communication in a first frequency band and a second frequency band.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Monteith Shawn
• Tetreault Michael
• Gould Daniel
• Kraus Nicholas

Classifications

• H04R1/028

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• H04R2201/028

  Structural combinations of loudspeakers with built-in power amplifiers, e.g. in the same acoustic enclosure (H04R2499/10 takes precedence; Single (sub)woofer with two or more satellite loudspeakers for mid- and high-frequency band reproduction driven via the (sub)woofer H04R2205/026) · CPC title

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title

• H04R2201/021

  Transducers or their casings adapted for mounting in or to a wall or ceiling · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title