Sensor Noise Floor Exclusion for Connected Home Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing use of wireless technology in connected home systems, such as smart homes, leads to a higher radio frequency noise floor, which can degrade signal quality and render sensor devices non-operational, potentially leaving areas unprotected and undetected by the main controller.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a sensor device that monitors radio frequency noise and temporarily excludes itself from monitoring by the controller when the noise exceeds a threshold, sending messages to resume monitoring once the noise returns below the threshold, ensuring continuous system availability and alerting the monitoring center if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless technology is used to replace landline connections in security systems, then system vulnerability to severed landlines is eliminated, but the system becomes vulnerable to radio frequency noise floor increase and signal quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of RF noise by having sensor devices monitor noise levels and automatically exclude themselves from monitoring when noise exceeds thresholds. This transforms the noise problem into a controlled operational state where sensors temporarily disengage, preventing false alarms while maintaining system reliability. The harmful noise condition is converted into a trigger for adaptive operational changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by having sensor devices continuously monitor RF noise levels and use this information to dynamically adjust their operational state. When noise exceeds the threshold, sensors send notifications to the controller and exclude themselves from monitoring. When noise returns to acceptable levels, sensors resume monitoring. This closed-loop feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by adapting system behavior to noise conditions.
2Productivity
If sensor devices continue monitoring in high noise environments, then monitoring coverage is maintained, but false alarms increase and system reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making sensor device operational status adaptive rather than static. Sensors dynamically adjust their monitoring state based on real-time RF noise conditions. When noise exceeds the threshold, sensors transition to an excluded state; when noise returns to acceptable levels, sensors resume monitoring. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining coverage and preventing false alarms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter of sensor devices based on RF noise threshold levels. The system monitors noise floor changes and adjusts sensor operational status accordingly. This parameter change approach allows the system to maintain monitoring coverage under normal conditions while automatically reducing coverage during high-noise periods to prevent false alarms, thus resolving the contradiction.
3Reliability
If sensor devices are excluded from monitoring during high RF noise, then false alarms are prevented, but monitoring coverage is reduced in those areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through temporary exclusion of sensor devices during high-noise periods followed by resumption of monitoring when noise levels normalize. This periodic on-off monitoring approach prevents false alarms during problematic periods while maintaining coverage during normal conditions. The temporary nature of exclusion ensures that monitoring coverage is restored once RF noise conditions improve.
Data Source
AI summary
Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for limiting service availability when a sensor device is non-operational due to a noise floor change. According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a connected home system includes a controller device configured to monitor a plurality of sensor devices deployed within a premises, and a sensor device of the plurality of sensor devices. The sensor device can monitor radio frequency (“RF”) noise in a radio environment associated with the premises. The radio environment is associated with an RF noise floor. The sensor device can determine whether the radio frequency noise exceeds a noise threshold. In response to determining that the RF noise exceeds the noise threshold, the sensor device can cause the controller device to exclude the sensor device from being monitored by the controller device until the RF noise returns to below the noise threshold.