Sensor communications by vibrations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11258627-B2
Application number	US-202017096550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2020
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

In an example implementation, a sensor communication system includes a sensor to sense a condition and to include the condition in a message formatted in a communication protocol. The system includes a vibration actuator placed in contact with a building structure and operatively coupled to the sensor. The vibration actuator is to transmit the formatted message through the building structure as a vibration pattern, and an accelerometer is to detect the vibration pattern. A receiver hub coupled to the accelerometer is to decipher the condition from the vibration pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor communication device, comprising:
a sensor operatively coupled to a vibration actuator to provide a message to the vibration actuator; and
the vibration actuator placed in contact with a structure to generate a vibration pattern through the structure based on the message received by the sensor.

2. The sensor communication device of claim 1 , wherein the vibration pattern is receivable by accelerometers coupled to the structure.

3. The sensor communication device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a sense element selected from the group consisting of a smoke sense element, a carbon monoxide sense element, a window sense element, a door sense element, a moisture sense element, a temperature sense element, a motion sense element, a light sense element, a wind sense element, and combinations thereof.

4. The sensor communication device of claim 1 , wherein the message is generated utilizing a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of ZigBee, Z-wave, WiFi, Bluetooth, Insteon, Itron, RadioRA2, and Morse code.

5. The sensor communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a second vibration actuator in contact with the structure and operatively coupled to a receiver hub, the second vibration actuator to transmit an acknowledgement of receipt message through the structure as a second vibration pattern.

6. The sensor communication device of claim 1 , wherein the vibration pattern is generated according to a communication protocol.

7. The sensor communication device of claim 1 , wherein the message describes a condition detected by the sensor.

8. A sensor communication device, comprising:
an accelerometer placed in contact with a structure to detect a message encoded by a vibration pattern generated by a vibration actuator in contact with the structure; and
a receiver hub operatively coupled to the accelerometer to decipher the message based on the vibration pattern.

9. The sensor communication device of claim 8 , wherein the accelerometer comprises a micro electrical-mechanical systems device formed on a single monolithic integrated circuit.

10. The sensor communication device of claim 8 , further comprising a separate vibration actuator in contact with the structure and operatively coupled to the receiver hub.

11. The sensor communication device of claim 10 , wherein the separate vibration actuator generates a different vibration pattern through the structure based on an acknowledgement of receipt message.

12. The sensor communication device of claim 8 , wherein the message is deciphered by the receiver hub based on a communication protocol and a unique sensor identifier is deciphered by the receiver hub based on the communication protocol.

13. A sensor communication system, comprising:
a sensor device to generate a message indicating a condition formatted in a communication protocol;
a vibration actuator, placed in contact with a structure and operatively coupled to the sensor device, to transmit the formatted message through the structure as a vibration pattern;
an accelerometer to detect the vibration pattern; and
a receiver hub operatively coupled to the accelerometer to decipher the condition from the vibration pattern.

14. The sensor communication system of claim 13 , wherein:
the sensor device utilizes the communication protocol to format the message to contain the condition and a unique identifier of the sensor device; and
a bridge device that utilizes the communication protocol to determine the condition and unique identifier from the formatted message.

15. The sensor communication system of claim 14 , further comprising a bridge device that utilizes the communication protocol to determine the condition and unique identifier from the formatted message.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Campbell Robert

Classifications

• H04L2012/284

  characterised by the type of medium used · CPC title

• H04B11/00

  Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G08B29/185

  Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system · CPC title

• H04L12/283 Primary

  Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network · CPC title

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title