Visual and auditory user notification methods for smart-home hazard detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9836953-B2
Application number	US-201615218899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Hazard detector for providing a pre-alarm of a developing hazardous condition can include a detection module that detects a hazard level of smoke or carbon monoxide, a light source that generates light, a speaker that generates an audible sound, a horn that generates an audible alarm that a higher volume than the speaker, and a processing module. The processing module can receive the detected hazard level and compare it with the pre-alarm threshold and the emergency threshold. The processing module can determine that the hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold and cause an audible pre-alarm speech to be generated via the speaker that warns of the developing hazardous condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hazard detector for providing a pre-alarm of a hazardous condition, the hazard detector comprising:
a hazard sensor that measures a hazard level, the hazard sensor measuring at least one of smoke and carbon monoxide (CO);
a storage module configured to store a pre-alarm threshold, the pre-alarm threshold being less than an emergency threshold;
a light source that generates light;
a speaker that generates audible sound;
a user interface module in communication with a processing module, the user interface module being configured to receive user input;
a horn that generates an audible alarm at a higher volume than the speaker; and
the processing module in communication with the hazard sensor, the storage module, the light source, the speaker, and the horn, the processing module being configured to:
compare the measured hazard level with the pre-alarm threshold,
compare the measured hazard level with the emergency threshold,
determine that the measured hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and that the measured hazard level is less than the emergency threshold,
generate audible pre-alarm speech via the speaker in response to determining that the measured hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold,
activate the light source in response to determining that the measured hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold,
receive the user input from the user interface module, and
stop generating the audible pre-alarm speech in response to receiving the user input.

2. The hazard detector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a high power wireless communication module in communication with the processing module, the high power wireless communication module being configured to transmit and receive data wirelessly via a local area network; and
a low power wireless communication module in communication with the processing module, the low power wireless communication module being configured to transmit and receive data wirelessly via a mesh network.

3. The hazard detector of claim 2 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:
cause a first hazard event to be transmitted to a computer server system via the high power wireless communication module and the local area network, the first hazard event indicating the detection of the hazard level that is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold; and
cause a second hazard event to be transmitted to one or more smart devices via the low power wireless communication module and the mesh network, the second hazard event indicating the detection of the hazard level that is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold.

4. The hazard detector of claim 2 , wherein:
the light source generates light in at least: a first color, a second color, and a third color;
the light source is activated in the second color in response to determining that the measured hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold; and
the light source is activated in the third color in response to determining that the measured hazard level is greater than the emergency threshold.

5. The hazard detector of claim 1 , wherein the light source outputs light to create a visual halo effect.

6. The hazard detector of claim 5 , wherein the visual halo effect is output by the light source in a plurality of colors, the color selected from the plurality of colors based on an illumination state of the hazard detector.

7. The hazard detector of claim 6 , wherein the illumination state of the hazard detector is selected from a plurality of illumination states by the processing module of the hazard detector and the plurality of illumination states define a plurality of light animation effects.

8. The hazard detector of claim 1 , wherein the user interface module includes a motion detector, and wherein the user input is a wave motion that is detected by the motion detector.

9. The hazard detector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a humidity sensor in communication with the processing module,
wherein the processing module is further configured to:
receive a reading from the humidity sensor indicating an increase in humidity level, and
increase the pre-alarm threshold in response to receiving the reading.

10. The hazard detector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat sensor in communication with the processing module,
wherein the processing module is further configured to:
receive a reading from the heat sensor indicating a rate of increase in temperature that is greater than a heat rate threshold, and
decrease the pre-alarm threshold in response to the reading being greater than the heat rate threshold.

11. The hazard detector of claim 1 , wherein the processing module comprises a high power processor and a low power processor, wherein the high power processor is in communication with the speaker, and the low power processor is in communication with the horn.

12. A method for providing a pre-alarm notification, the method comprising:
detecting a first hazard level, the first hazard level indicating an amount of at least one of smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) present at a hazard detector;
comparing the first hazard level with an emergency threshold;
determining that the first hazard level is less than the emergency threshold;
comparing the first hazard level with a pre-alarm threshold, the pre-alarm threshold being less than the emergency threshold;
determining that the first hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold;
activating a light source that generates light in response to determining that the first hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold;
outputting, via a speaker, an audible pre-alarm speech in response to determining that the first hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold, the audible pre-alarm speech including content that warns of the detected first hazard level;
receiving user input via a user interface module of the hazard detector; and
stopping generation of the audible pre-alarm speech in response to receiving the user input.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting a second hazard level;
comparing the second hazard level with the emergency threshold;
determining that the second hazard level is greater than the emergency threshold;
activating a horn that generates an audible alarm in response to determining that the second hazard level is greater than the emergency threshold, the audible alarm being louder than the audible pre-alarm speech; and
activating the light source that generates light in response to determining that the second hazard level is greater than the emergency threshold, the light being a different color than the light generated in response to determining that the first hazard level was greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the audible pre-alarm speech indicates a location of the hazard detector and a type of hazard of the first hazard level detected by the hazard detector.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting a first message indicative of a hazard event to a remote computer server system via a local area wireless network and a high power wireless communication module of the hazard detector, the hazard event indicating the detection of the first hazard level that is greater than the

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Fadell Anthony M
• Rogers Matthew L
• Sloo David
• Veron Maxime
• Le Guen Sophie
• Webb Nicholas

Classifications

• H05B45/20

  Controlling the colour of the light · CPC title

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H04L12/2818

  from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007) · CPC title

• G08B29/185

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