Google Inc.

Dialog Semiconductor Gmbh

Idt Europe Gmbh

Zentrum Mikroelektronik Dresden Ag

Eric Marschalkowski

Daniel Adam Warren

Andrew William Goldenson

Brian Mitchell Silverstein

Eden Sherry

Stefano Scaldaferri

Christian Wolf

Richard Schmitz

William Alan Saperstein

Chris M Young

Orville Buenaventura

Horst Knoedgen

Brian Jonathan Conner

Antonello Arigliano

Nathan Lentz

Timothy Lai

Jürgen Kernhof

Ed Lam

Rainer Krenzke

Pietro Gabriele Gambetta

Manfred Plankensteiner

John Stuart Malcolm

Richard Maria Schmitz

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for determining locations of an electronic device. In one aspect, a method is performed at a computing system having one or more processors and memory. The method includes obtaining device identification information for the electronic device; broadcasting a request based on the device identification information that the electronic device be enabled to transmit or reflect location information using a radar technique; receiving a signal from the electronic device, the signal indicating a location of the electronic device using a radar technique; and determining the location of the electronic device based on the received signal.

Systems, methods, and devices for utilizing radar with smart devices

A device may include a rectifier circuit providing a rectified DC signal, a rechargeable energy-storage element, and a power-management integrated circuit (PMIC). The PMIC may include a charging circuit for the rechargeable energy-storage element; a current-sensing circuit that measures a current provided by the rectified DC signal; a programmable current limit; a voltage-sensing circuit that measures a voltage on the rechargeable energy-storage element; and a controller that regulates the current provided to a DC output of the PMIC. the DC output of the PMIC may be regulated based at least in part on the current provided by the rectified DC signal; the programmable current limit; and the voltage on the rechargeable energy-storage element. The DC output of the PMIC may provide energy to a plurality of other energy-consuming subsystems on the device and to the charging circuit for the rechargeable energy-storage element.

Power management integrated circuit

A circuit for stealing power from an external system without interfering with a communication protocol may include wiring connectors configured to receive wires from the external system; a first voltage regulator to regulate a voltage on the plurality of wiring connectors at a plurality of voltage levels to encode a first multi-bit binary message according to the communication protocol to be sent to the external system; a current monitor to measure a plurality of current levels received through the plurality of wiring connectors and decode the plurality of current levels to determine a second multi-bit binary message sent from the external system according to the communication protocol; and a power converter that adjusts an amount of power stolen from the plurality of wiring connectors based at least in part on the voltage on the plurality of wiring connectors.

Communication circuit for 2-wire protocols between HVAC systems and smart-home devices

A doorbell chime bypass circuit includes a first node, a second node, and a bi-directional FET switch in series with the first node and the second current node. The bi-directional FET switch includes a first FET and a second FET in series, and is configured to cease conducting current between the first and second nodes when gate voltages of the first and second FETs are below a cut-off threshold. The bypass circuit further includes a sensing circuit configured to determine a level of current flowing through the bi-directional FET switch, and a switch controller configured to set the gate voltages of the first and second FETs to a level below the cut-off threshold when the sensing circuit senses that the level of current meets a doorbell press current threshold, causing the bi-directional FET switch to cease conducting current between the first and second nodes.

Doorbell chime bypass circuit

A circuit for stealing power from an external system without interfering with a communication protocol includes a plurality of wiring connectors configured to receive a plurality of wires, where the plurality of wiring connectors receive a plurality of current levels set by the external system according to the communication protocol; a first voltage regulator to regulate a voltage on the plurality of wiring connectors at a plurality of voltage levels according to the communication protocol; a current monitor to measure the plurality of current levels received through the plurality of wiring connectors; a second voltage regulator that provides a current-limiting output; and a power converter that optimizes an amount of power stolen from the plurality of wiring connectors based on the current-limiting output.

A smart-home device may include an energy-storage element that stores energy that is harvested from an environmental system and a solid state relay (SSR) switching integrated circuit (IC). The SSR switching IC may include switching elements that operate in a first state and a second state. The IC may also include a control circuit that causes the switching elements to operate in the first state to activate a function of the environmental system until the energy-storage element has dropped below a threshold. The control circuit may also cause the switching elements to operate in the second state and harvest energy from the environmental system, determine that a first time has elapsed since the switching elements began operating in the second state, and cause the one or more switching elements to again operate in the first state.

Smart-home device switching circuitry with integrated power stealing control

A smart-home device may include a solid state relay (SSR) switching integrated circuit (IC). SSR switching IC may include switching elements configured to open and close a connection between a power wire and a return wire of an environmental system; a voltage sensor that measures a voltage across the one or more switching elements; a current sensor that measures a current through the one or more switching elements; and a temperature sensor that measures a temperature near the one or more switching elements. The smart-home device may also include a wireless communication device that periodically receives voltage, current, or temperature data originating from the SSR switching IC and transmits the voltage, current, or temperature data to a device management server. The device management server may receive batches of voltage, current, or temperature data from a plurality of smart-home devices.

Smart-home device telemetry circuits for detecting electrical anomalies in a population of devices

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for determining locations of a plurality of electronic devices within a home. In one aspect, a method is performed at a computing system having one or more processors and memory. The method includes: (1) obtaining device identification information for a plurality of electronic devices; (2) broadcasting, via a standard wireless communication protocol, a request based on the device identification information that a particular electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices be enabled to transmit or reflect location information using a radar technique; (3) receiving a signal from the particular electronic device, the signal indicating a location of the particular electronic device using a radar technique; and (4) determining the location of the particular electronic device based on the received signal.

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for utilizing radar in smart devices. In one aspect, an electronic device includes: (1) circuit boards; (2) a housing encasing the circuit boards; (3) a communications module coupled to the circuit boards, including one or more antennas and configured for communicating with remote devices; (4) a radar module coupled to the circuit boards, configured for generating radar data for a home environment and including: (a) low power radar transmitters; and (b) radar receivers; (5) one or more processors mounted to one of the circuit boards, the processors configured to: (a) govern operation of the communications module and the radar module; (b) determine location and/or movement of detected objects in the home environment; and (c) detect anomalies associated with the detected objects; and (6) a power source coupled to the processors, the communications module, and the radar module.

A smart-home device may include a solid state relay (SSR) switching integrated circuit (IC). SSR switching IC may include switching elements configured to open and close a connection between a power wire and a return wire of an environmental system; a voltage sensor that measures a voltage across the one or more switching elements; a current sensor that measures a current through the one or more switching elements; and a temperature sensor that measures a temperature near the one or more switching elements. The smart-home device may also include a wireless communication device that periodically receives voltage, current, and temperature data originating from the SSR switching IC and transmits the voltage, current, and temperature data to a device management server. The device management server may receive batches of voltage, current, and temperature data from a plurality of smart-home devices.

A thermostat may include HVAC wire connectors that receive a call relay wire and a power return wire, switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire and a second operating state in which the connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire is interrupted. The thermostat may also include control circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate an HVAC function; detect an anomaly associated with measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching elements to continue to operate in the first operating state until a zero-crossing is detected; and then cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the second operating state.

Thermostat switching circuitry with overcurrent shutdown

A thermostat may include one or more processors and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) wire connectors configured to receive HVAC wires from an HVAC system, including a call relay wire connector and a power return wire connector. The thermostat may also include an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the one or more processors. The IC may include one or more solid-state switching elements for actuating at least one HVAC function through the call relay wire connector and the power return wire connector; a first input/output (I/O) pin coupled to the one or more solid-state switching elements; and a second I/O pin coupled to a substrate of the IC. The thermostat may further include a Schottky diode coupled between the first I/O pin and the second I/O pin, wherein the Schottky diode is external to the IC.

Thermostat switching circuitry with overcurrent protection

A switched power converter includes a power stage for generating an output voltage according to a switching signal and an input voltage via a switching element. The switching signal is generated by a variable timing generator which is controlled by a compensator. The pulses of the switching signal are generated on a 'need to have basis'. Hence, theses pulses may be generated independently of a PWM period. The pulses can be generated such that switching losses are minimized. A switching pattern can be matched to the load current pattern. Thus, the behavior of the compensator can be synchronized to a regular pattern of the load current. A high resolution variable timing generator may be employed.

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Inning, Germany

Eric Marschalkowski