External Activation of Quiescent Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024430133-A1
Application number	US-202418827479-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 6, 2024
Priority date	Sep 8, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

After installation, a device may be not yet powered. It may be awakened by receiving a flash of light of sufficient frequency and amplitude. After waking, the device decodes the message to determine its next action, and, upon request sends an authentication message. This enables a single user action to wake the device up and set it up with networking credentials. The same process may be used to wake the device outside of a normal sleep-wake cycle.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A device capable of external activation comprising:
a light detection circuit adapted to receive a light signal from a light source; a high pass filter coupled to the light detection circuit that when receiving light of at least a given intensity produces a spike; a power manager chip coupled to the light detection circuit that upon receipt of the spike enables power to a microcontroller; a component capable of inhabiting:
a detection state in which:
a spike is detected; and
when a spike is found, a spike counter is incremented;

a timer that measures a time between spikes; wherein the time between spikes exceeds an END OF WORD length, the spike counter is cleared; and
wherein when the spike counter reaches a wakeup threshold then subsequent spikes and delay lengths are interpreted as a transmitted message.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup threshold is of sufficient length to allow the microcontroller to boot.

3 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising the component capable of inhabiting:
receiving an out-of-bound authentication request; and wherein out-of-bound authentication request is a last letter sent in a last message.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted message is in modified morse code.

5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein in the modified morse code a DOT is a time between spikes of 1 time duration.

6 . The device of claim 4 , wherein in the modified morse code a DASH is a time between spikes of 3 time durations.

7 . The device of claim 4 , wherein in the modified morse code an END OF PART OF A LETTER is a the time between spikes of 1 time duration.

8 . The device of claim 4 , wherein in the modified morse code an END OF WORD is a the time between spikes of 9 time durations.

9 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the time between spikes of one time duration is between 8 ms and 10 ms.

10 . The device of claim 2 , further comprising the device capable of inhabiting receiving an out-of-bound authentication request; and wherein the out-of-bound authentication request is a last letter sent in a last message.

11 . A device with a microcontroller, memory, and transmitter comprising:
a light detection circuit operationally able to receive a light signal from a light source, and operationally able to use the light signal to signal a power management circuit;
the power management circuit operationally able to boot up the microcontroller;
the microcontroller operationally able to scan the light signal for a message; and
the transmitter operationally able to transmit at least a portion of the message;
wherein an END OF LETTER is a signal of 5 time durations; and an END OF WORD is a signal of 9 time durations.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the message is encoded in modified morse code and wherein a DOT is a signal of one time duration.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein a DASH is a signal of 3 time durations.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein one time duration comprises a time between 8 ms and 10 ms.

15 . The device of claim 14 , further comprising the device capable of inhabiting:
receiving an out-of-bound authentication request; and wherein the out-of-bound authentication request is a last letter sent in a last message.

16 . A method implemented by a device with one or more computers with memory, one or more processors, a light detection circuit, and a transmitter comprising:
receiving a light signal by the light detection circuit;
the light detection circuit passing the light signal to a filter, the filter producing a series of spikes of at least a threshold intensity when the light signal is of sufficient intensity, the spikes a multiple of a base time apart;
reading a message upon a receipt of one of the series of spikes; and
wherein an END OF LETTER is a signal of 5 time durations; and an END OF WORD is a signal of 9 time durations.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the message is encoded in modified morse code, and wherein in the modified morse code a DOT is a signal of one time duration and a DASH is a signal of three time durations.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the message is two letters encoded in modified morse code and a third authentication letter in modified morse code.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising receiving an out-of-bound authentication request; and wherein out-of-bound authentication request is a last letter sent in a last message.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein a delay of one time duration is between 7 ms and 11 ms.

Assignees

• Passivelogic Inc

Inventors

• Preciado Marciano Carter
• Sleight Sterling Thomas
• Fillingim Jeremy

Classifications

• H04L9/3234

  involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853) · CPC title

• H04L12/12 Primary

  Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof · CPC title

• H04L15/24 Primary

  Apparatus or circuits at the receiving end · CPC title