WO2023209516A1

WO2023209516A1 - Building automation device and method

Info

Publication number: WO2023209516A1
Application number: PCT/IB2023/054090
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marco Razeto
Original assignee: Marco Razeto
Priority date: 2022-04-29
Filing date: 2023-04-21
Publication date: 2023-11-02

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (2) and a method for automating a building, wherein said device (2) comprises an input (21) that can be connected to a button line (BL) of a timer (1), power accumulation means (22) configured for absorbing a first electric current (I1) through said input (21), activation means (25, 26, 27) configured for generating an activation signal indicating that an electric load (L) needs to be activated, processing means (24) adapted to absorb a second electric current (I2) and configured for a) detecting said first and second electric currents (I1, I2), b) determining an absorption threshold on the basis of said activation signal, c) generating a switching signal if said first and second electric currents (I1, I2) have an intensity that exceeds said absorption threshold, wherein said switching signal increases the absorption of current from the power accumulation means (22).

Description

TITLE : "BUILDING AUTOMATION DEVICE AND METHOD"

DESCRIPTION :

The present invention relates to a device and a method for automating a building, particularly for automating the lighting of a building .

As is known, reducing the consumption of electric energy in home and/or of fice buildings has now become o f paramount importance . A non-negligible part of the electric energy consumption of such buildings is due to lighting of common areas ( e . g . stairwells ) , which, having a vertical development , require quite a large numbers o f l ighting points that are very often left on for a long time, even when not all of them are actually necessary ( e . g . when a person is not going up to the last floor and, therefore , uses less time to reach his/her flat than the estimated maximum time ) .

In order to be able to reduce the consumption of electric energy, therefore , it is absolutely necessary to keep the lighting points active only as long as strictly necessary by means of an automatic control system configured for detecting the presence of a person in a portion of the bui lding, and to turn on the lighting points available in that portion only when actually required .

To do so , new cables have to be laid, preferably within plastic sheaths requiring masonry work, thus making the installation of an automation system rather di f ficult in some buildings , such as , for example , historical buildings often including frescoed walls , where the execution of any masonry work is subj ect to restrictions enforced by competent protection authorities .

The present invention aims at solving these and other problems by providing a device for automating a building .

Furthermore , the present invention aims at solving these and other problems by providing a method of building automation . The basic idea of the present invention is to use a building automation device (preferably shaped as a button for activating lighting points) powered by a button line of a timer (from which a current having an intensity below a threshold, preferably in the range of 50 milliamperes and 150 milliamperes, can be absorbed without causing the activation of the load controlled by said timer) , wherein said device comprises power accumulation means (e.g. a capacitor, a supercapacitor, a battery, or the like) and processing means (e.g. a CPU, or the like) configured for executing the following steps:

- detecting a first electric current, absorbed by the accumulation means from the button line, and a second current, absorbed by the processing means;

- determining an absorption threshold on the basis of an activation signal received from activation means (e.g. a button, a network interface, a human presence detector, or the like) , wherein said activation signal indicates that an electric load, e.g. a light, needs to be activated;

- generating a switching signal if said first electric current and/or said second electric current have an intensity that exceeds said absorption threshold, wherein said switching signal configures control means (e.g. a direct-current static relay comprising a P-type MOSFET, or the like) to increase the absorption of at least a portion of said second electric current from the power accumulation means .

This avoids that a peak of absorption by the processing means (e.g. due to an increased clock frequency necessary to execute one or more scheduled tasks) might cause an accidental activation of the loads managed by the timer. In fact, the current absorbed by the processing means may vary greatly over time, since the executed instructions may activate different operating modes ( e . g . di f ferent clock frequencies ) depending on the tasks that have to be carried out by said processing means .

It is thus possible to supply power to a device comprising processing means through a button line of a timer without having to lay a dedicated power supply line .

It must be pointed out that the present disclosure advantageously permits connecting more than one device to the same button line . In fact , as the number of devices increases , the variance of the current intensity absorbed from said button line will increase as well . The present disclosure permits setting a certain value for the maximum absorption of each device , thereby allowing the use of a large number o f devices ( e . g . up to 10-30 devices ) comprising processing means without the timer being accidentally triggered .

It must also be pointed out that this invention improves the energetic ef ficiency of the whole lighting system, because it makes it advantageously possible to have said devices execute tasks requiring high power absorption when the activation signal indicates that the load controlled by the timer needs to be activated; in fact , an increased absorption through the button l ine , such as to cause the activation o f the timer , can be generated by raising the absorption threshold and increasing the computational load on the processing means and/or the power absorption by the power accumulation means . This increases the amount of electric energy absorbed from the button line , which can be used for supplying power to the processing means of the devices according to the invention .

Further advantageous features of the present invention will be set out in the appended claims .

These features as well as further advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as shown in the annexed drawings , which are provided herein merely by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

- Fig. 1 shows a partial electric diagram of a lighting system that comprises a device for automating a building according to the invention;

- Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the processing means comprised in the device of Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 shows a flow chart of a method of building automation according to the invention.

In this description, any reference to "an embodiment" will indicate that a particular configuration, structure or feature is comprised in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, expressions such as "in an embodiment" and the like, which may be found in different parts of this description, will not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, any particular configuration, structure or feature may be combined as deemed appropriate in one or more embodiments. The references below are therefore used only for simplicity's sake, and shall not limit the protection scope or extension of the various embodiments.

With reference to Fig. 1, the following will describe a lighting system S of a building, which system comprises a timer 1, (at least) one device 2 for automating said building according to the invention, at least one electric load L (e.g. a light, a bell, a stairlift call button, a lift call button, or the like) , which provides a service within the building.

The timer 1 is of a type well known in the art; such device comprises switching means 11 (e.g. a relay and a delay circuit controlling said relay) and at least four contact poles 11A, 1 IB, 11C, 1 ID, each one electrically connected to said switching means 11, and preferably comprises a terminal to which a wire can be connected.

More in detail, the switching means 11 are configured to ensure electric continuity for a predetermined time interval between the f irst contact pole 11A and the second contact pole 11B when the current circulating between the third contact pole 11C and the fourth contact pole 11D exceeds an intensity threshold, which is typically in the range of 50 mA and 150 mA. This was originally designed to supply power to at least one position light comprised in a button ( not shown in the drawings ) , which is typically installed along stairs of a building, without activating the load controlled by the timer ( typically a light ) . In a well-known configuration, the position light is connected in parallel with said button, whereas the poles of said l ight and of said button are connected to the third contact 11C and to the fourth contact 11D, respectively, so that when the button is pressed the current flowing across the third contact 11C and the fourth contact 11D will exceed said intensity threshold and will activate the load controlled by the timer for the predetermined time .

As will be further described below, the device 2 comprises an input 21 that comprises a first contact pole 21A and a second contact pole 21B .

The lighting system S is powered by a power supply line SL, preferably a single-phase one , which comprises a phase conductor P carrying a phase and a neutral conductor N carrying a neutral , wherein said phase and said neutral preferably come from an electric distribution network; such lighting system comprises also the following elements :

- a first wire W1 that comprises a first portion, whose ends are respectively connected to the phase conductor P and to the first contact pole 11A of the timer 1 , and a second portion, whose ends are respectively connected to the second contact pole 11B of the timer 1 and to a first pole of said at least one load L ;

- a second wire W2 , whose ends are respectively connected to the neutral conductor N and to a second pole of said at least one load L;

- a third wire W3 that comprises a first portion, whose ends are respectively connected to the first contact pole 21A of the device 2 and to the third contact pole 11C of the timer 1, and a second portion, whose ends are respectively connected to the fourth contact pole 11D of the timer 1 and to the neutral conductor N;

- a fourth wire W4, whose ends are respectively connected to the phase conductor P and to the second contact pole 21B of the device 2.

In this example, a four-wire distribution scheme (W1-W4) is used, i.e. the timer 1 is configured to interrupt the phase that supplies power to said at least one load L, which remains always connected to the neutral . As an alternative to the above-described four-wire distribution scheme, it is possible to use a three-wire scheme (i.e. with the timer configured to interrupt the neutral that supplies power to said at least one load L, which remains always connected to the phase) or another type of scheme, without however departing from the teachings of the present invention.

The device 2 according to the invention comprises the following elements:

- the input 21, which can be connected to a button line BL of a timer 1, wherein said button line BL preferably comprises the first portion of the third wire W3 and the fourth wire W4;

- power accumulation means 22 (e.g. a capacitor, a supercapacitor, a battery, or the like) connected to said input 21 and configured for absorbing a first electric current II (converted into direct current) from said input 21;

- activation means (e.g. a pressure contact, a sensor, a network interface, or the like, which will be further described below) configured for generating an activation signal indicating that an electric load L needs to be activated;

- control means 23 connected between said input 21 and said accumulation means 22, and capable of either allowing or interrupting a flow of electric current;

- processing means 24 (e.g. a CPU, a microcontroller, or the like) in communication with said activation means and adapted to absorb a second electric current 12 through said control means 23, and wherein said processing means are configured for controlling said control means 23 as will be described below;

- detection means 28,29 configured for detecting said first electric current (II) and said second electric current (12) , e.g. a pair of resistors having a known resistance value (e.g. 0.1 Ohm) , each one of which is connected to an analogue-to-digital converter in turn connected to (or comprised in) said processing means 24, and configured for detecting a voltage drop across said resistor.

Furthermore, the device 2 preferably comprises also a power supply unit 20 (which comprises, for example, a four-diode bridge and at least one electrolytic capacitor) comprising a pair of input poles connected to the input 21, and configured for converting an alternating current flowing through the input 21 into a direct current that is supplied to the power accumulation means 22 and to the processing means 24. To do so, the power supply unit 20 is positioned upstream of the control means 23 and comprises also a positive pole and a negative pole, the latter being connected to the negative supply poles of the power accumulation means 22 and of the processing means.

The control means 23 preferably comprise the following elements :

- a resistor comprising a first pole and a second pole, the latter being connected to the negative pole of the power supply unit 20;

- a P-type MOSFET (P channel) , which comprises three terminals known as drain, source and gate, wherein the drain is connected to the positive pole of the power supply unit 20, the source is connected to the positive supply poles of the accumulation means 22 and of the processing means 24, and the gate is connected to the first pole of the resistor.

In order to check the voltage drop generated by the control means 23, the processing means 24 comprise an output connected to the first pole of the resistor, wherein said output is voltage-controlled, so that the processing means can check the voltage difference between the MOSFET' s drain and gate, and hence check the current flowing between the drain and the gate .

It is nevertheless possible to use control means 23 of different types (e.g. transistors, GTO thyristors, or the like) , without however departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Also with reference to Fig. 2, the processing means 24 of the device 2 preferably comprise the following components:

- computing means 241, e.g. one or more CPUs, which control the operation of the device 2, preferably in a programmable manner, through the execution of suitable instructions;

- volatile memory means 242, e.g. a random access memory RAM, in communication with the computing means 241, wherein said volatile memory means 242 store at least instructions that can be read by the computing means 241 when the device 2 is in an operating condition; non-volatile memory means 243, preferably a Flash memory or the like, in signal communication with the computing means 241 and with the volatile memory means 242, wherein said non-volatile memory means 243 store a set of instructions implementing at least a method of building automation according to the invention;

- reception means 244, preferably one or more general purpose input/output (GPIO) ports, a I²C interface or the like, configured for detecting the activation signal indicating that the electric load L needs to be activated, which signal is received from the activation means, which will be further described below;

- input/output (I/O) means 245, which may be used, for example, in order to connect the processing means 24 to the control means 23 and/or to the detection means 28,29, and/or to a programming terminal configured for writing instructions (which the computing means 241 will have to execute) into the memory means 242,243; such input/output means 245 may comprise, for example, a USB, FireWire, RS232, RS485, IEEE 1284 adapter, one or more general purpose input/output (GPIO) ports, or the like;

- a communication bus 247 allowing information to be exchanged among the computing means 241, the volatile memory means 242, the non-volatile memory means 243, the reception means 244 and the input/output means 245.

As an alternative to the communication bus 247, the computing means 241, the volatile memory means 242, the nonvolatile memory means 243, the reception means 244 and the input/output means 245 may be connected by means of a star architecture .

Also with reference to Fig. 3, when the device 2 is in an operating configuration, said device 2 is preferably configured for executing a set of instructions implementing the method according to the invention, which comprises the following phases:

- a detection phase, wherein detection occurs, via the detection means 28,29, of the first electric current II absorbed by the power accumulation means 22 through the input 21, and the second electric current 12 absorbed by the processing means 24 through the control means 23;

- a processing phase, wherein an activation threshold is determined, by said processing means 24, on the basis of the activation signal received from the activation means, wherein said signal indicates that an electric load L needs to be activated;

- a control phase, wherein a switching signal is generated if a combination of said first electric current II and said second electric current 12 (e.g. the algebraic sum of a pair of values representing the intensity of said currents) has an intensity that exceeds said absorption threshold, wherein said switching signal is adapted to increase, via the control means 23, the absorption of at least a portion of said second electric current (12) from the power accumulation means 22, e.g. by generating a signal imposing on the gate of the MOSFET of the control means 23 an electric potential that is almost identical to the electric potential of the drain of the MOSFET of the control means 23 (i.e. the positive pole of the power supply unit 20) , so as to reduce or interrupt the flow of current through the control means 23 and hence reduce or interrupt the current flowing through the input 21.

This avoids that a peak of absorption by the processing means 24 (e.g. due to an increased clock frequency necessary to execute one or more scheduled tasks) might cause an accidental activation of the loads L managed by the timer 1. In this manner, it is possible to automate the building without having to lay a dedicated power supply line. In combination with the above, the activation means preferably comprise sensor means 25 capable of detecting a human presence in a surrounding space, preferably sensors that are sensitive to the infrared radiations of the human body, such as, for example, an infrared-sensitive diode, a volumetric sensor, an infrared-sensitive camera associated with a recognition device (e.g. an Edge TPU™ processor manufactured by Google®) that implements a neural network trained to detect the presence of a human body within a space based on at least one thermographic image representing a person within said space, or the like. In other words, said sensor means 25 are configured for executing the following steps :

- sensing a human presence in a space surrounding said device 2;

- generating the activation signal when they detect said human presence.

This makes it possible to activate the loads L managed by the timer 1 without requiring human intervention. In this way, the building can be automated without requiring the laying of a dedicated power supply line.

As an alternative to or in combination with the above, the device 2 preferably comprises also a brightness sensor (e.g. a photoresistor, a photodiode, or the like) configured for generating a brightness signal representative of a level of brightness in a space of the building in which said device 2 has been positioned, and wherein said processing means 24 are preferably configured for detecting (during the detection phase) said brightness signal via the input means 245 (e.g. an analogue-to-digital converter) , and for determining the absorption threshold (during the processing phase) also on the basis of said brightness signal, e.g. keeping said absorption threshold at a "low" level (which cannot activate the timer 1) when the brightness level exceeds a brightness threshold, which can preferably be set either manually (e.g. by means of a screw or a knob associated with a variable resistor, which is connected to a GPIO port of the input means 245) or remotely (e.g. by means of a message formatted according to the MQTT protocol) , i.e. when it is not necessary to turn on the lights.

This avoids any unnecessary activation of the loads L, which preferably comprise lights. It is thus possible to automate the building without having to lay a dedicated power supply line .

As an alternative to or in combination with the above, the activation means may comprise a button 26 (preferably comprising a signalling LED connected in parallel) or a switch configured for generating the activation signal when actuated (i.e. when it is temporarily closed or when it is stably opened or closed) , wherein said button 26 or said switch is preferably connected to the processing means 24 via the reception means, e.g. a GPIO port.

Thus, the loads L managed by the timer 1 can be activated in the traditional manner (i.e. by pressing a button or a switch) ; however, the device 2 is added, which can advantageously be configured for executing building automation tasks (e.g. remote activation or the like) . In this way, the building can advantageously be automated without requiring the laying of a dedicated power supply line.

As an alternative to the above, the button 26 may preferably be connected in parallel with the input 21; moreover, the processing means 24 may be configured for detecting the activation signal, via the detection means 28,29, when said first electric current II is almost null without the switching signal having been generated. In fact, the actuation of the button 26 temporarily eliminates the potential difference between the contact poles 21A, 21B. This makes it advantageously possible to activate the load L (controlled by the timer 1) by means of the button 26 even when said device 2 is defective or not (fully) operative. Thus, automation of the building can be achieved while keeping the fault tolerance level unchanged compared with a lighting system currently known in the art, and without requiring the laying of a dedicated power supply line for the device 2.

In combination with the above, the device 2 preferably comprises also a container (not shown in the annexed drawings) , in which all of its components can be housed, and which is so shaped as to be compatible with a modular mounting system (often available in standard sizes) , i.e. having a shape that permits fitting said device 2 into a supporting frame that can be coupled to an electric box (e.g. a 503E box or the like) .

This will make it possible to easily integrate the device 2 into an existing electric installation. The building can thus be automated without requiring the laying of any dedicated power supply line.

As an alternative to or in combination with the above, the activation means comprise a first network interface 27 of the wireless type, preferably a network interface operating in accordance with a standard of the IEEE 802.11 (also known as WiFi™) or 802.16 (also known as WiMax™) families, which allows the device 2 to communicate with a remote computer over a data network, preferably a public or private one, such as, for example, the Internet or a local area network, or the like.

More in detail, said first network interface 27 is configured for executing the following steps:

- receiving activation data (e.g. a packet) transmitted by a remote computer, e.g. a home automation server, a user equipment, or the like;

- generating the activation signal upon reception of said activation data, e.g. by writing a value into the volatile memory means 242.

It is thus possible, by inserting the device 2 in an existing lighting system, to activate the load L remotely or to supervise the activations of the load L (e.g. in order to monitor the power consumption and/or the number of activation cycles of said load L) . The building can thus be automated without laying a dedicated power supply line.

In addition or as an alternative to the first network interface 27, the activation means of the device 2 may comprise a second network interface of the conveyed-wave type (also known as "powerline") connected to the input 21 and configured for executing the following steps:

- receiving activation data transmitted by a remote computer;

- generating the activation signal upon reception of said activation data.

This will produce the same effects already mentioned above with reference to the first network interface 27, while however also permitting automation of the building in areas where a wireless data network is unavailable, e.g. because a Wi-Fi™ access point cannot be installed due to the presence of frescoes, marbles or other valuable materials on the walls and/or on the ceiling, and/or because an area of the building (e.g. an underground reservoir re-qualified for use as a cellar) does not allow for effective radio-wave coverage. Thus, the building can be automated without requiring the laying of a dedicated power supply line.

In addition to the above, by employing the device 2 comprising one or more network interfaces 27 it is possible to create an intercom and/or video intercom system that comprises, in addition to the device 2, the following elements :

- at least one intercom and/or video intercom keyboard; - at least one intercom and/or video intercom terminal placed in communication with said intercom and/or video intercom keyboard through the first network interface 27 or the second network interface of said device 2 ; for example , by configuring the terminal and the keyboard for using a VoIP protocol , such as the S IP protocol or the like, using said device 2 as an access point and/or gateway, which can be connected to at least one second device 2 .

Furthermore , said first network interface and/or said second network interface are configured for receiving the activation data from said at least one keyboard and/or said terminal , thus permitting the load L to be activated by the timer 1 , e . g . when the keyboard i s actuated by a person and/or when the terminal sends the front-door opening command, and/or the like .

This makes it possible to implement a digital intercom and/or video intercom system, preferably based on the Internet Protocol ( IP ) . The building can thus be automated without laying a dedicated power supply line and a dedicated cable for the (video ) intercom system .

As an alternative to or in combination with the above , the lighting system S preferably comprises a plurality of devices 2 according to the invention . In order to facil itate and speed up the configuration of said devices 2 , each device may be configured to determine the absorption threshold autonomously . In more detail , the processing means 24 of each device 2 are preferably configured for executing the following steps :

- determining a maximum current that can be supplied by the timer 1 , e . g . when pressing the button 26 , by means of a current sensor positioned in series with the button 26 and connected to said processing means 24 ;

- determining a number of devices 2 that are connected to the button line BL, e . g . by executing a set of instructions implementing an adjacent-node search algorithm;

- determining the absorption threshold also on the basis of said maximum current and said number of devices (in addition to the activation signal) ; for example, when no activation signal is received, the absorption threshold can be calculated as the algebraic ratio between a value representing an intensity of said maximum current and said number of devices, wherein the result thus obtained is multiplied by a normalization factor of 0.1 to 1.0.

This will allow an electrician to install the devices 2 according to the invention (e.g. after removing the previously installed luminous buttons) without having to worry about configuring the absorption thresholds of each individual device 2; in this respect, it must be pointed out that an incorrect configuration of the absorption thresholds will result in the timer 1 activating the load L when not requested. In this way, the building can be automated without requiring the laying of a dedicated power supply line.

Of course, the example described so far may be subject to many variations.

Some of the possible variants of the invention have been described above, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art that other embodiments may also be implemented in practice, wherein several elements may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. The present invention is not, therefore, limited to the above-described illustrative examples, but may be subject to various modifications, improvements, or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without however departing from the basic inventive idea, as specified in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. Device (2) for automating a building, characterized in that it comprises

- an input (21) that can be connected to a button line (BL) of a timer ( 1 ) ,

- power accumulation means (22) connected to said input (21) and configured for absorbing a first electric current (II) through said input (21) ,

- activation means (25,26,27) configured for generating an activation signal indicating that an electric load (L) needs to be activated,

- control means (23) connected between said input (21) and said accumulation means (22) , and capable of either allowing or interrupting a flow of electric current,

- processing means (24) in communication with said activation means (25,26,27) , adapted to absorb a second electric current (12) through said control means (23) , and configured for controlling said control means (23) ,

- detection means (28,29) configured for detecting said first electric current (II) and said second electric current (12) , wherein said processing means (24) are configured for

- detecting, via said detection means (28,29) , said first electric current (II) and said second electric current (12) ,

- determining an absorption threshold on the basis of said activation signal,

- generating a switching signal if a combination of said first electric current (II) and said second electric current (12) has an intensity that exceeds said absorption threshold, wherein said switching signal configures the control means (23) to increase the absorption of at least a portion of said second electric current (12) from the power accumulation means (22) .

2. Device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the activation means comprise sensor means (25) configured for

- sensing a human presence in a space surrounding said device ( 2 ) , and

- generating the activation signal when said human presence is detected.

3. Device (2) according to claims 1 or 2, comprising also a brightness sensor configured for generating a brightness signal representative of a level of brightness in a space of the building where said device (2) has been positioned, and input means (245) connected to said brightness sensor, and wherein said processing means (24) are also configured for

- detecting, via the input means (245) , said brightness signal, and

- determining said absorption threshold also on the basis of said brightness signal.

4. Device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the activation means comprise a button (26) or a switch configured for generating, when actuated, the activation signal .

5. Device (2) according to claim 4, wherein the button (26) is connected in parallel with the input (21) , and wherein the processing means (24) are configured for detecting the activation signal, via the detection means (28,29) , when said first electric current (II) is almost null without said switching signal having been generated.

6. Device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a container so shaped that said device (2) can be fitted into a supporting frame that can be coupled to an electric box.

7. Device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the activation means comprise a first network interface (27) of the wireless type, which is configured for

- receiving activation data transmitted by a first remote computer,

- generating the activation signal upon reception of said activation data.

8. Device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the activation means comprise a second network interface of the conveyed-wave type, connected to the input (21) and configured for

- receiving activation data transmitted by a second remote computer,

- generating the activation signal upon reception of said activation data.

9. Intercom and/or video intercom system, comprising

- at least one device (2) according to claims 7 or 8,

- an intercom and/or video intercom keyboard, and

- at least one intercom and/or video intercom terminal in communication with said intercom keyboard through the first network interface or the second network interface of said at least one device (2) , and wherein said first network interface and/or said second network interface are configured for receiving the activation data from said keyboard and/or said at least one terminal.

10. Method of building automation, characterized in that it comprises a. a detection phase, wherein detection occurs, via detection means (18,29) , of a first electric current (II) absorbed by power accumulation means (22) through an input (21) that can be connected to a button line (BL) of a timer (1) , and a second electric current (12) absorbed by processing means (24) through control means (23) connected between said input means (21) and said accumulation means (22) and capable of either allowing or interrupting a flow of electric current, b. a processing phase, wherein an absorption threshold is determined, by said processing means (24) , on the basis of an activation signal indicating that an electric load (L) needs to be activated, and c. a control phase, wherein a switching signal is generated if a combination of said first electric current (II) and said second electric current (12) has an intensity that exceeds said absorption threshold, wherein said switching signal is adapted to increase, via the control means (23) , the absorption of at least a portion of said second electric current (12) from the power accumulation means (22) .

11. Computer program product loadable into the memory of a device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and comprising a portion of software code for the execution of the phases of the method according to claim 10.