Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120130547 | THERMOSTAT USER INTERFACE - A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described, the thermostat having a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing ready access to, and intuitive navigation within, a menuing system capable of receiving a variety of different types of user settings and/or control parameters. For some embodiments, the thermostat comprises a housing, a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user, a processing system configured to identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, and an electronic display coupled to the processing system. An interactive thermostat menuing system is accessible to the user by an inward pressing of the ring-shaped user interface component. User navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system is achievable by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component. | 05-24-2012 |
20120147571 | PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD RADIO-FREQUENCY SHIELDING STRUCTURES - Electrical components such as integrated circuits may be mounted on a printed circuit board. To prevent the electrical components from being subjected to electromagnetic interference, a radio-frequency shielding structure may be mounted over the electrical components. The radio-frequency shielding structure may be formed from a printed circuit that includes a ground plane such as a flex circuit or rigid printed circuit board that includes at least one blanket layer of metal. The printed circuit board to which the electrical components are mounted may include a recess in which the electrical components are mounted. Additional components may be mounted to the interior and exterior surface of the radio-frequency shielding structure. The radio-frequency shielding structure may be formed from a flex circuit that has slits at its corners to accommodate folding. | 06-14-2012 |
20120179300 | STRATEGIC REDUCTION OF POWER USAGE IN MULTI-SENSING, WIRELESSLY COMMUNICATING LEARNING THERMOSTAT - In a multi-sensing, wirelessly communicating learning thermostat that uses power-harvesting to charge an internal battery, methods are disclosed for ensuring that the battery does not become depleted or damaged while at the same time ensuring selected levels of thermostat functionality. Battery charge status is monitored to determine whether the present rate of power usage needs to be stemmed. If the present rate of power usage needs to be stemmed, then a progression of performance levels and/or functionalities are scaled back according to a predetermined progressive power conservation algorithm. In a less preferred embodiment, there is a simple progressive shutdown of functionalities turned off in sequence until the desired amount of discharge stemming is reached. Battery charge preservation measures are also described for cases when an interruption of external supply power used to recharge the battery is detected. | 07-12-2012 |
20120239207 | THERMOSTAT USER INTERFACE - A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described, the thermostat having a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing ready access to, and intuitive navigation within, a menuing system capable of receiving a variety of different types of user settings and/or control parameters. For some embodiments, the thermostat comprises a housing, a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user, a processing system configured to identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, and an electronic display coupled to the processing system. An interactive thermostat menuing system is accessible to the user by an inward pressing of the ring-shaped user interface component. User navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system is achievable by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component. | 09-20-2012 |
20130027897 | PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD RADIO-FREQUENCY SHIELDING STRUCTURES - Electrical components such as integrated circuits may be mounted on a printed circuit board. To prevent the electrical components from being subjected to electromagnetic interference, a radio-frequency shielding structure may be mounted over the electrical components. The radio-frequency shielding structure may be formed from a printed circuit that includes a ground plane such as a flex circuit or rigid printed circuit board that includes at least one blanket layer of metal. The printed circuit board to which the electrical components are mounted may include a recess in which the electrical components are mounted. Additional components may be mounted to the interior and exterior surface of the radio-frequency shielding structure. The radio-frequency shielding structure may be formed from a flex circuit that has slits at its corners to accommodate folding. | 01-31-2013 |
20130173064 | USER-FRIENDLY, NETWORK CONNECTED LEARNING THERMOSTAT AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A user-friendly, network-connected learning thermostat is described. The thermostat is made up of (1) a wall-mountable backplate that includes a low-power consuming microcontroller used for activities such as polling sensors and switching on and off the HVAC functions, and (2) separable head unit that includes a higher-power consuming microprocessor, color LCD backlit display, user input devices, and wireless communications modules. The thermostat also includes a rechargeable battery and power-stealing circuitry adapted to harvest power from HVAC triggering circuits. By maintaining the microprocessor in a “sleep” state often compared to the lower-power microcontroller, high-power consuming activities, such as learning computations, wireless network communications and interfacing with a user, can be temporarily performed by the microprocessor even though the activities use energy at a greater rate than is available from the power stealing circuitry. | 07-04-2013 |
20140266669 | DEVICES, METHODS, AND ASSOCIATED INFORMATION PROCESSING FOR SECURITY IN A SMART-SENSORED HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security objectives. | 09-18-2014 |
20140345845 | THERMOSTAT USER INTERFACE - An occupancy sensing electronic thermostat is described that includes a thermostat body, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a passive infrared sensor for measuring infrared energy and an infrared energy directing element formed integrally with a front surface of the thermostat body. The passive infrared sensor may be positioned behind the infrared energy directing element such that infrared energy is directed thereonto by the infrared energy directing element. The thermostat may also include a temperature sensor and a microprocessor programmed to detect occupancy based on measurements from the passive infrared sensor. | 11-27-2014 |
20140346241 | Round Thermostat with Flanged Rotatable User Input Member and Wall-Facing Optical Sensor that Senses Rotation - A sleek, low-profile wall-mountable thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a ring-shaped controller that rotates about a central axis, and an optical sensor directed away from the central axis and toward a radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped controller so as to accurately detect optical signals indicating controller's rotational movement. | 11-27-2014 |
20140358293 | THERMOSTAT USER INTERFACE - A thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The thermostat includes a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a sidewall extending between first and second ends, the second end being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted; a circular rotatable ring being user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat; and a circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a painted outer portion. The clear circular center portion permits a corresponding circular portion of a non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the painted outer portion masks a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create a circular graphical user interface. | 12-04-2014 |
20140358297 | THERMOSTAT USER INTERFACE - A user-friendly, network-connected learning thermostat is described. The thermostat is made up of (1) a wall-mountable backplate that includes a low-power consuming microcontroller used for activities such as polling sensors and switching on and off the HVAC functions, and (2) separable head unit that includes a higher-power consuming microprocessor, color LCD backlit display, user input devices, and wireless communications modules. The thermostat also includes a rechargeable battery and power-stealing circuitry adapted to harvest power from HVAC triggering circuits. By maintaining the microprocessor in a “sleep” state often compared to the lower-power microcontroller, high-power consuming activities, such as learning computations, wireless network communications and interfacing with a user, can be temporarily performed by the microprocessor even though the activities use energy at a greater rate than is available from the power stealing circuitry. | 12-04-2014 |
20140365019 | THERMOSTAT USER INTERFACE - A system including a thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The system includes a thermostat including a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a circular rotatable ring, which is user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat. The system further includes a client application that is operable on a touch-screen device separate from the thermostat, that displays a graphical representation of a circular dial, that detects a user-input motion proximate the graphical representation, that determines a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion, that displays a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, and that wirelessly transmits to the thermostat data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature. | 12-11-2014 |
20150070181 | DETECTOR UNIT WITH MULTIPLE INTEGRATED SENSING SYSTEMS AND VISUALLY PLEASING HOUSING - According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters. | 03-12-2015 |
20150097686 | Smart Home Hazard Detector With Integrated Conditional Lighting - Various embodiments of hazard detectors are presented. A hazard sensor may be present that detects the presence of a hazardous condition. A light sensor may be present that detects an ambient brightness level. A motion sensor may be present that detects motion of a user. A light may be present that is capable of outputting light. A processing system may receive an indication of the ambient brightness level in the ambient environment of the hazard detector from the light sensor. The processing system may determine that the ambient brightness level is less than a threshold brightness. The processing system may receive information indicative of the user moving in the ambient environment of the hazard detector. The processing system may cause the light to illuminate based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness and the user moving in the ambient environment of the hazard detector. | 04-09-2015 |
20150097958 | SMART-HOME SECURITY SYSTEM WITH KEYPAD DEVICE RESISTANT TO ANOMALOUS TREATMENT - Security keypad device for detecting tampering includes a keypad, a high power wireless module for communicating data via a local area network, a low power wireless module communicating data via a personal area network, and a cellular module for communicating data via a wide area network. The device further includes an active infrared position sensor comprising of a light source for emitting infrared light and an infrared sensor for detecting reflected infrared light. The active infrared position sensor is configured to sense the position of the device based on detecting the reflected infrared light. The device further includes an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration forces and a processor. The processor is configured to determine that the position of the device changed based on positional data from the active infrared position sensor or acceleration data from the accelerometer. | 04-09-2015 |
20150100618 | HAZARD DETECTION UNIT FACILITATING USER-FRIENDLY SETUP EXPERIENCE - A method for establishing a pairing between a hazard detector and an online account may include instantiating an application on a mobile computing device and receiving a first code from a central server. The application may receive a second code from printed material associated with the hazard detector. The hazard detector may broadcast a Wi-Fi access point, and the application may join the Wi-Fi access point. The application can be authenticated by the hazard detector using the second code, and the application can receive an identity of a home Wi-Fi network from a user. The application can then transmit the identity of the home Wi-Fi network to the hazard detector. The hazard detector can use the home Wi-Fi network to access the Internet and transmit the first code to the central server, where the central server can use the first code in completing the pairing process. | 04-09-2015 |
20150109104 | SMART INVITATION HANDLING AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-23-2015 |
20150109112 | OCCUPANT NOTIFICATION OF VISITOR INTERACTION WITH A DOORBELL AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-23-2015 |
20150109128 | VISITOR FEEDBACK TO VISITOR INTERACTION WITH A DOORBELL AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-23-2015 |
20150112885 | LIMITED ACCESS INVITATION HANDLING AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-23-2015 |
20150116106 | HANDLING VISITOR INTERACTION AT A SMART-HOME IN A DO NOT DISTURB MODE - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116107 | INITIALLY DETECTING A VISITOR AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116108 | VISITOR OPTIONS AT AN ENTRYWAY TO A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116109 | INTERACTING WITH A DETECTED VISITOR AT AN ENTRYWAY TO A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-30-2015 |
20150120015 | AUTOMATED HANDLING OF A PACKAGE DELIVERY AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-30-2015 |
20150120596 | ROUTING OPTIMIZATION FOR PACKAGE DELIVERY TO A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-30-2015 |
20150120598 | TRACKING OF A PACKAGE DELIVERY TO A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 04-30-2015 |
20150127712 | HANDLING SECURITY SERVICES VISITOR AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 05-07-2015 |
20150145643 | SECURE HANDLING OF UNSUPERVISED PACKAGE DROP OFF AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 05-28-2015 |
20150154850 | LEVERAGING NEIGHBORHOOD TO HANDLE POTENTIAL VISITOR AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 06-04-2015 |
20150156030 | HANDLING SPECIFIC VISITOR BEHAVIOR AT AN ENTRYWAY TO A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 06-04-2015 |
20150156031 | ENVIRONMENTAL SENSING WITH A DOORBELL AT A SMART-HOME - This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives. | 06-04-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110013461 | NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE - For data erase from an electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory cell, the following operations are performed: an erase operation to apply an erase pulse voltage to a memory cell for data erase, an erase verify operation to verify whether data erase is completed, and a step-up operation to increase the erase pulse voltage by a certain step-up voltage if data erase is not completed. A control unit controls voltages so that at least a first erase pulse voltage initially generated in the erase operation has a longer rise time than that of a second erase pulse voltage generated subsequent to the first erase pulse voltage. | 01-20-2011 |
20120072648 | NONVOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE - A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in accordance with an embodiment includes: a memory cell array having electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cells; and a control unit. The control unit performs control of repeating a write operation, a write verify operation, and a step-up operation, the write verify operation being an operation to verify whether data write is completed or not, and the step-up operation being an operation to raise the write pulse voltage if data write is not completed. The control unit, during the write operation, raises a first write pulse voltage with a first gradient, and then raises a second write pulse voltage with a second gradient, thereby executing the write operation, the first write pulse voltage including at least a write pulse voltage generated at first, the second write pulse voltage being generated after the first write pulse voltage, and the second gradient being larger than the first gradient. | 03-22-2012 |
20120106257 | NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE - For data erase from an electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory cell, the following operations are performed: an erase operation to apply an erase pulse voltage to a memory cell for data erase, an erase verify operation to verify whether data erase is completed, and a step-up operation to increase the erase pulse voltage by a certain step-up voltage if data erase is not completed. A control unit controls voltages so that at least a first erase pulse voltage initially generated in the erase operation has a longer rise time than that of a second erase pulse voltage generated subsequent to the first erase pulse voltage. | 05-03-2012 |
20120269001 | NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE - A non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a memory cell array and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control a repeat of an erase operation, an erase verify operation, and a step-up operation. The control unit is configured to perform a soft-programming operation of setting the memory cells from an over-erased state to a first threshold voltage distribution state when, in a series of erase operations, the number of erase voltage applications is more than a first number and less than a second number (the first number10-25-2012 | |
20120281477 | SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array includes a plurality of cell units each composed of a plurality of memory cells which are arranged at intersections of a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines and whose current paths are connected in series and select transistors each connected to either end of the series connection, a voltage generator circuit which generates a voltage applied to the memory cell array, and a control circuit which controls the memory cell array and the voltage generator circuit. | 11-08-2012 |
20120281487 | SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cell units which are arranged at intersections of a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines and whose current paths are connected in series, a voltage generator circuit which generates a voltage to be applied to the memory cell array, and a control circuit which controls the memory cell array and the voltage generator circuit. The control circuit, when writing data into the memory cell array, performs control so as to apply a first write pass voltage to unselected word lines in the memory cell units and, after a selected word line has reached a write voltage, further apply a voltage to the unselected word lines until a second write pass voltage higher than the first write pass voltage has been reached. | 11-08-2012 |
20130058171 | SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE - A semiconductor storage device has a plurality of memory cells each having a control gate that are formed on a well. The semiconductor storage device has a control circuit that applies a voltage to the well and the control gates. | 03-07-2013 |
20130148430 | NONVOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE - A non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to one embodiment includes: a cell array; and a data writing unit that repeatedly executes a write loop including a programming operation of applying a program voltage to a selected word line and a passage voltage to non-selected word lines during writing of data, in which, when a difference between the passage voltage used in an n-th write loop and the passage voltage used in an n+1-th write loop is expressed as ΔVn and when a condition of L06-13-2013 | |
20130229873 | NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE - A non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a memory cell array and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control a repeat of an erase operation, an erase verify operation, and a step-up operation. The control unit is configured to perform a soft-programming operation of setting the memory cells from an over-erased state to a first threshold voltage distribution state when, in a series of erase operations, the number of erase voltage applications is more than a first number and less than a second number (the first number09-05-2013 | |
20130301359 | NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE - For data erase from an electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory cell, the following operations are performed: an erase operation to apply an erase pulse voltage to a memory cell for data erase, an erase verify operation to verify whether data erase is completed, and a step-up operation to increase the erase pulse voltage by a certain step-up voltage if data erase is not completed. A control unit controls voltages so that at least a first erase pulse voltage initially generated in the erase operation has a longer rise time than that of a second erase pulse voltage generated subsequent to the first erase pulse voltage. | 11-14-2013 |
20140254282 | NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE - For data erase from an electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory cell, the following operations are performed: an erase operation to apply an erase pulse voltage to a memory cell for data erase, an erase verify operation to verify whether data erase is completed, and a step-up operation to increase the erase pulse voltage by a certain step-up voltage if data erase is not completed. A control unit controls voltages so that at least a first erase pulse voltage initially generated in the erase operation has a longer rise time than that of a second erase pulse voltage generated subsequent to the first erase pulse voltage. | 09-11-2014 |