Apparatuses, systems, and methods for detecting and reacting to exposure of an electronic device to moisture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016019773-A1
Application number	US-201514871105-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device includes a port for connecting the electronic device to other electronic devices and a moisture detector configured to detect an electrically conductive liquid in the first port. The moisture detector is configured to maintain a voltage on a first electrical contact of the port and to detect a short circuit between the first electrical contact and a second electrical contact of the port. The moisture detector determines that the electronic device has been exposed to an electrically conductive liquid if the monitor module detects the short circuit. The moisture detector may also put the electronic device into safe mode if it is exposed to an electrically conductive liquid.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a plurality of electronic components; a port for enabling communication between the electronic device and another device, the port including a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact; and a moisture detector configured to detect exposure of the port to an electrically conductive liquid, the moisture detector configured to:
maintain a voltage on the first electrical contact of the port;
detect a short circuit between the first electrical contact of the port and the second electrical contact of the port; and
in response to detecting the short circuit, determine that the port has been exposed to an electrically conductive liquid.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
determine a connection state of the port; and determine whether the port has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid based on a determination that the port is in an unconnected state.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
cause the electronic device to enter a safe mode in response to determining that the port has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
terminate communication between a power supply and at least some electronic components of the plurality of electronic components in response to determining that the port has been exposed to electrically conductive liquid.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
terminate communication between the power supply and all electronic components other than electronic components of the moisture detector.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
generate an alert that the port has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
generate the alarm in a manner perceivable by a user of the electronic device; or cause a display of the electronic device to visually indicate that the port has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

8 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
generate and transmit a message to a remote monitoring service.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
maintain a log module configured to log instances of the sensor module determining that the port has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
provide a user with one or more instructions for treating the electronic device following exposure of the port to the electrically conductive liquid.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is further configured to:
request user confirmation that the port has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protective coating on at least one electronic component within an interior of the electronic device.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the protective coating comprises a moisture-resistant coating.

14 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the port comprises a USB port, a proprietary port or a receptacle for an audio jack.

15 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detector is implemented by a port controller, a microcontroller and/or a processor of the electronic device.

16 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical contact of the port is a power electrical contact and the second electrical contact of the port is a ground electrical contact.

17 . A port for an electronic device, comprising:
a port for receiving a connector and including a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact; a moisture detector configured to:
monitor one or more properties of a moisture detection circuit, the moisture detection circuit including a first node comprising or in communication with the first electrical contact, the first node having a first voltage, and a second node comprising or in communication with the second electrical contact, the second node having a second voltage, the second voltage being different from the first voltage; and
identify a predetermined variation in at least one property of the one or more properties of the moisture detection circuit from a corresponding reference property to an extent characteristic of exposure of at least one of the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact to an electrically conductive liquid.

18 . The port of claim 17 , wherein the one or more properties of the moisture detection circuit comprise:
a current in the moisture detection circuit; a voltage in the moisture detection circuit; a resistance in the moisture detection circuit; or a frequency in the moisture detection circuit.

19 . The port of claim 17 , wherein the sensor module determines that at least one of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector of the port has been exposed to an electrically conductive liquid in response to a short circuit involving at least one of the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.

20 . The port of claim 17 , wherein the reference properties characteristic of exposure to an electrically conductive liquid are generated using a learning algorithm or system.

21 . The port of claim 17 , further comprising:
the moisture detection circuit, with the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact being at least partially exposed to an exterior of an electronic device of which the port is a part.

22 . A method for detecting exposure of a group of electrical contacts of an electronic device to moisture, comprising:
providing a first voltage to a first electrical contact of a plurality of electrical contacts in a port of an electronic device while the port is in an unconnected state; monitoring electrical activity at one or more of the plurality of electrical contacts; and determining that the electronic device has been exposed to an electrically conductive liquid upon sensing a short circuit at one or more of the plurality of electrical contacts.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein determining that the electronic device has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid comprises determining that the port has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

24 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
powering down one or more components of the electronic device in response to determining that the electronic device has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

25 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
creating an exposure model from electrical activity patterns of test electronic devices with one or more electrical contacts exposed to the electrically conductive liquid.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein determining that the electronic device has been exposed to the electrically conductive liquid comprises determining that the electrical activity pattern matches the exposu

Assignees

• Hzo Inc

Inventors

• Stevens Blake
• Sorenson Max

Classifications

• G01N27/048

  for determining moisture content of the material · CPC title

• G08B21/20 Primary

  responsive to moisture · CPC title

• H02H5/083

  responsive to the entry or leakage of a liquid into an electrical appliance (moisture alarm G08B21/20) · CPC title

• H03K17/94

  characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated · CPC title