GB2486642A - Motion sensitive mains adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

A motion sensitive mains operated adapter is plugged into a mains outlet and comprises a socket 1 for providing power to a load (e.g. an electrical appliance) and has a built-in motion sensor (e.g. microwave, passive infra-red (PIR), ultrasonic, sound) which automatically turns on the load and automatically turns off the load after a user-defined time if no movement is detected. The user-defined time may be adjustable via a timer 10 actuated by a potentiometer, key switch, rotary switch, touch switch, etc. The sensitivity of the motion sensor may also be adjusted. The turning on and off of the load may be via a mains rated electromechanical relay or solid state device. A switch 7 on the adapter device may select operation in three modes: power supplied to the load continuously; power is not supplied to the load; and power supply determined by the motion sensor. The status of the adapter device may be displayed using LED or LCD indicators 3, 4. The whole system may be controlled by a software program written within a microcontroller memory on a control circuit board 2. The adapter device may have any national plug and socket type.

Description

Description:

To fully understand the features and technicality, it is vital to be familiar with nearest similar product. We all know that standard mains socket provides easy access of electricity, generally with a provision of ON-OFF switch. This kind of sockets are widely used in powering domestic and industrial electrical appliances.

For example, following list is considered to be a household or domestic load; TV, Satellite receiver, DVD Recorder/player, Home theatre, AV equipments, Computers, Monitors, Printers, Fans, Heaters, Table lamps, Laundry machines, Phone/mobile chargers, or any thing in this nature that operates on the mains power.

The commercial or industrial load for example is, Soldering iron, Ventilator, Air conditioning, Battery charger, Lighting, Heater, Cooler, Air compressor, Boiler, Exhaust fan, LCD display, Photo copier, Lamination machines, Ovens, Grinding mills, Conveyor, PA system, advertising screen, projection lightings, reflective illuminating lights,

background lights, etc...

In general, we need mains socket almost every day and every where, some places for example are home, office, estate agent, shop, food counter, jeweller shop, hospital, retail outlet, etc...

However; we must realize that the power delivered by the socket to the load might not be necessary if we are not present nearby, e.g. you would not rnn a fan or a heater if you are not in the room, or why should estate agent keep the LCD screen and shading lights ON if there is no one to watch that? Or why a departmental store would project a beam of light even though no one is nearby at the dummy? Suppose you are keen to save energy, for that you might turn that fan or heater off when you leave the room, infect it is not possible to do so for multiple items several time a day. You will agree that most of us have tendency not switch off the TV set, instead we get used to put on the standby using remote control.

Commercially the problem is even larger than we thought. So many companies who keeps their machines and tools on a powered mode even though not required to be on standby during factory-off time, evenings and weekends. Classic examples are heaters, boilers, air-conditioner, ventilators, air-compressor, welding machines, vending machines, soldering irons, conveyors, PC monitors, lightings, water supply to automatic flush, the list could be endless.

What is the probtem? I must emphasize the global waste of electrical energy by ineffective control.

We have done so much to save energy, let me give you an example of a TV set, during last years we have cut-down 95% of the wastage on standby power. Have we achieved any thing? The answer is no! Because, comparatively we now have 95% more TVs in the world, two or three per household. That is just an example, I am not trying to prove anything.

The problem is, we are wasting ever more energy on standby than years gone by Due to the busy lifestyle majority of us have a tendency not to turn the non-productive-standby equipment OFF. Unwanted standby is always harmful to green environment.

Single TV or a monitor might not make an impact, but think of billion gadgets on standby...

flushing mega watts of electricity and tons of C02 in the atmosphere every houii Mind that we are paying for these wastage, either by inhaling carbon or by cash.

Let me give a simplest but realistic example; Tn just England only, there are over 50 million computer monitors, and over SOm TVs... so in total 100 million LCD screens are on standby. Practically they all consumes 0.SWatt energy per item per hour, implies the total = lOOmillion x 0.5W 50 Mega Watt per hour. Mostly they are on standby over 10 hours per day, so 500 Mega Watt energy is wasted every day in England only This produces 135'OOO Tons of C02 per year.

Now, using this invention can save over 50% of the unwanted wastage, that is nearly 70'OOO Tons of C02 reduced per year from just two popular items.

* We need to do every thing possible to reduce carbon footprint.

* We need to design environmentally friendly products.

* We need less and less products on standby * We need a design that can ZERO the standby wastage.

General evaluation: Most designer have thought of this and tried to make a product which is better in reducing standby power. Great examples are, a PIR motion sensor fitted in outdoor lighting, or a timer operated heater. TYs have standby but heaters don't. Lights might turn-off but fan won't. Monitors and printers will go on standby but will still consume power.

These energy guzzling monsters are thriving in most corners of the every house.

A simple solution: Imagine for instance, that, you have plugged your monitor, printer, mobile charger, fan/heater, desk lamp, bench multimeter, soldering iron and a laptop charger on to a muhi ganged electrical extension strip, which then is terminated on the wall to a single mains socket with switch. Assume that you are concern about environmental impact, so you would turn the mains switch OFF before you leave the office, and turn ON after you arrive at the desk. I understand you would be the ideal person who helps environment.

Now, think for a moment, you have forgot to turn OFF because you where in rush for a weekend get away What could you do? Is every one else in the world does bother about carbon footprint? Invention: Invention overcomes the problems, helps environment, and saves energy bills.

Invention is a complex electronics circuitry consists of logic microcontroller, power supply, microwave-motion sensor, switching devices, indicators, sockets, and user interfacing.

Behind the complexity, there is a very simple operating method, basically a user has a choice to set the invention in to one of three modes AUTO, Manual ON, or OFE Obviously the AUTO ON time period and sensitivity is also adjustable by user.

How it works? Intelligently, invention self-powers from a mains socket. Selected AUTO mode, now plug your electrical appliance/item in this invention, simple as that. It is ready to use for the life unless the operating mode is altered manually This invention has detector to sense your physical movements and human presence, as long as there is someone within the detection range, the invention will stay ON, there is also adjustable time delay provided to avoid too frequent interruptions. So, if you are not present nearby the invention, gadgets plugged in this invention will be totally tuned OFF. This will start saving electric bills straight away Then, once you returned in the detection zone or nearby the invention, the appliance will start working again, this will happen quietly and automatically It is obvious that invention is designed with full consideration of adjustable detection range and adjustable delay time.

In this example, I have chosen a microwave detector purely because is does not depend on the line-of-sight, and it can be used to detect obscured unseen movement.

Detait Operation of the Invention: Wastage of standby power will drastically be reduced by implementing this invention. This invention is now explained logically in association with figure 1, and corresponding reference numbers. The diagram in figure 1 is just an example. Various form or shape of the socket can be configured to allow various types of mains plug to be operated from this invention.

In the figure 1, item 1 is a mains socket where user can connect external load via appropriate plug, this socket consists of Live, Neutral and Earth sockets, actual design can be made to adopt various types of country-specific mains sockets.

Item 7 in figure 1 is a switch, which allows the external load to be electrically connected and disconnected. It has three modes of operation, OFF 7 in the centre, manually ON 8, and fully automatic motion sensitive SENSE 6 mode.

Item 2 in figure 1 is a control circuit board consists of a "Microwave" movement detection system, low-power supply, a programmable intelligent microcontroller, electro-mechanical relay, and other basic components. Microwave detector senses the presence of movement within a range and generates electrical pulses, this pulses are analysed by the microcontroller, a relay is controlled by microcontroller according to the pre-set time, hence a load is kept ON for fixed duration after the last movement/motion is detected.

Once the pre-set time elapses without any movement, the relay is turned OFF intelligently to save power. Next time when a motion is detected automatically the power is applied via relay.

Item 10 in the figure 1 allows user to adjust delayed OFF time, it can be programmable by user from 0 minutes to 2 hours, longer time settings is also possible. Item 11 allows setting the sensitivity of a microwave detector, the sensitivity range can be set from 1 cm to 20meter, higher range is also possible with slight modification to the circuit design. It is possible to include any of the available means to facilitate the inputs, selection or adjustment, e.g. rotary encoder type, potentiometer type, rotary switch, slider, push-button switch or the latest touch-sensitive type.

Item 3 and 4 in figure 1 are visual indicators, it shown here as red and green LED (Light Emitting Diode) indicator, for example; green indicates that the load will be controlled by sensor, which will tum automatically OFF once no movement is detected for prolonged time, this is truly GREEN Environmentally friendly. The red indicator is for example to indicate that the load forced to stay ON using the switch 8, here the invention will act just as normal mains socket.

Items 6, 7 and 8 in figure 1 represents three stages of a user selective operation switch; this switch can be soft-button or toggle type, it can also be possible to get interact with microcontroller. With elegance design it also possible to incorporate indicator and switches in a single device.

For additional feature, a LCD display can also be fitted to show design functionality. This invention can be made to operate either single or multiple sockets. It can also be made as a wall socket or extension lead.

Technical circuit diagram can now be understood using FIGURE 2 as follows. For a skilled person in this field, It is not necessary to explain how power supply works, so in a block rectangle it is shown that AC mains 240 V is stepped down to 12V DC secondary supply, a user replaceable protection fuse is provided to comply with most recent BS-EN Standards.

Now, we have 240V AC mains as well as isolated 12V auxiliary supply available. A connection after the fuse is give to the one side of a relay, other side of this relay is fed to the LOAD Socket to be made available to end user as a power socket. Depend on the status of the relay REL1 a power will be available at the out put LOAD SOCKET 2. Remember here that the relay REL1 is controlled by the Microcontroller U2.

Since there are vast varieties of sensors available widely in the market to be used as a motion detection, particularly microwave type, in the figure 2 Motion Detection Sensor is show in a single block, an adjustment of sensitivity can be done by VR2, power is supplied as +12 and +VCC with respect to Ground OV, a signal generated from this detection sensor is fed to the microcontroller.

Microcontroller U2 is programmed to perform specific tasks listed as follows, 1: Check the status of the input switches 51, S2 and S3 2: Check the pulses coming from the motion sensoii 3: Check the timing set by the rotary switch RS 1 4: Check the multiplier set by VR1 5: Check the signal received or light level from Photo sensor Dl 6: Monitor power supply voltage 8: Indicate LEDs Li, L2 or L3 9: Tumrelay ON or OFF 10: Sound buzzer BZ 1 if needed ii: Communicate to other circuit, e.g. LCD display Rotary switch RST forms a potential divider with resistor R4 and other resistor connected to particular pin of RS 1, the centre if the divider is fed to Analogue-to-Digital conversion port of the microcontroller U2, This voltage is analysed and compared with internal time-table. In short, higher the voltage, higher the period. For added time enhancement, a potential divider VR1 is also fixed, it can be programmed to take reading from VR1 and RS 1 and then decide the time-table.

Relay REL1 is powered from VCC and controlled via a N-MOSFET Ni, microcontroller provides the signal to the gate of MOSFET Ni. To supply the AC power to the load MOSFET Nl is turned ON to allow relay REL1 to stay ON.

In AUTO-SENSE mode the duration of ON time is determined by the rotary switch RS 1 and the microwave detection pulses. Indicator Li is illuminated to show the status.

In a continuous ON mode, i.e. manual mode, the relay is kept ON all the time, irrespective 205 of the pulses from motion sensor or rotary selling. Indicator L3 is illuminated.

During manual OFF mode, the relay is not tuned ON at all, Indicator L2 may be indicated to show the status.

210 Optional facility of standard multiple mains socket is provided for user to operate multiple load at the same time.

Circuit diagram, figures, symbols and block diagram shown here are not a private property, similar functionality may be obtained using different circuit configuration. Components 215 shown in the diagram are for general understanding, and can easily be replace by alternatives, e.g. relay can be replace by Thyristor, or rotary switch can be replaced by potentiometer, and finally input out method is also alternatively achievable by using capacitive tough sensors of a LCD/LED display 220 By inventing this motion sensitive extension plug and socket, I have tried to provide a product to this world for better, greener and economical future.

Claims (1)

1. Claims: 1: A mains operated plug and socket that has built in motion sensor for automatic turning ON the load, which turns automatically OFF after user defined time if no movement is detected.

   2: A motion sensitive plug and socket in claim 1 has microwave, PIR, ultra-sonic, 230 sound or any other kind of movement detection transducer-sensor.

   3: A sensor in claim 2 is fitted internally and also can be extended to mount externally 4: Invention is claim 1 can also be controlled by user interfacing switches.5: User defined time in claim 1 is adjustable by user using potentiometer, key switch, rotary switch, touch switch or similar inputs.235 6: Turning OF and OFF of the load in claim 1 is achieved via mains rated electromechanical relay or solid state device.7: A status of design in claim 1 can be displayed using LED or LCD indicators.8: Automation is claim 1, sensor in claim 2, user interfacing in claim 4, and display in claim 7 is centrally controlled by a software program written within 240 microcontroller memory.9: Entire invention can be presented in a UK, European, American, Indian or any other national standard plug and socket style.10: The invention in claim 1 is environmentally friendly, saves electricity, reduces carbon footprint, all of these are done within an enclosed box.