System for automatic decommissioning of network participants based on pressure applied to compression element within the device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9569331-B2
Application number	US-201514955195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Jul 18, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a memory device in which the state of the memory may be set by a mechanical action, with or without mains power present. The memory state may be detected by a microcontroller. The state for the memory device may be reset by a microcontroller. The microcontroller may be external to an apparatus containing the memory device, adjacent to or within the apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
detecting insertion of a device into an appliance based upon a circuit within the device being closed due to pressure applied to a compression element within the device;
based upon detecting the insertion of the device into the appliance, commissioning the device into a computer network;
subsequent to commissioning the device into the computer network, causing a physical state of a mechanism within the device to change from a first physical state to a second physical state; and
detecting removal of the device from the appliance based upon the physical state of the mechanism changing from the second physical state; and
based upon detecting the removal of the device from the appliance, decommissioning the device from the computer network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compression element comprises a spring.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compression element comprises a moveable shaft.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compression element comprises a deformable member.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is unresponsive to changes in electrical power supplied to the device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting insertion of the device into an appliance comprises detecting the insertion using at least one component selected from the group consisting of: a pin, a magnetic device, and a thermal resistive element.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a commissioning signal to the device, the commissioning signal causing the device to change to the second physical state.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing network information about the device to a network controller; and
receiving a commissioning signal from the network controller.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein commissioning the device into the network is performed responsive to receiving the commissioning signal from the network controller.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a data structure including data identifying the device.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing the data structure to the network in which the device is commissioned.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, subsequent to commissioning the device in the network:
maintaining, in a memory of the device, an indication that the device is commissioned in the network.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, subsequent to commissioning the device in the network and prior to decommissioning the device from the network:
receiving, by a microcontroller in the device, an instruction from the network to operate the device; and
automatically operating the device according to the instruction.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a light bulb, and wherein the instruction specifies a brightness at which to illuminate the light bulb.

15. A system comprising:
a device comprising a circuit configured to be closed due to pressure applied to a compression element within the device;
an appliance configured to receive the device; and
a processor configured to:
based upon detecting the insertion of the device into the appliance, commission the device into a computer network;
detect removal of the device from the appliance based upon a physical state of a mechanism of the device changing from a first state to a second state; and
based upon detecting the removal of the device from the appliance, decommissioning the device from the computer network.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the compression element comprises a component selected from the group consisting of: a spring, a moveable shaft, and a deformable member.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mechanism is unresponsive to changes in electrical power supplied to the device.

18. The system of claim 15 , at least one of the device and the appliance further configured to:
provide network information about the device to a network controller; and
receive a commissioning signal from the network controller.

19. The system of claim 15 , the device configured to, subsequent to being commissioned in the network:
maintain, in a memory of the device, an indication that the device is commissioned in the network.

20. The system of claim 15 , the device further comprising a microcontroller configured to automatically operate the device according to an instruction received from the network.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the device comprises a light bulb, and wherein the instruction specifies a brightness at which to illuminate the light bulb.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Sleator Michael

Classifications

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• Y10T29/49004

  including measuring or testing of device or component part · CPC title

• H01H36/00

  Switches actuated by change of magnetic field or of electric field, e.g. by change of relative position of magnet and switch, by shielding · CPC title

• G06F11/3006

  where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50) · CPC title

• H01H37/00

  Thermally-actuated switches · CPC title