Selective electrical coupling based on environmental conditions

摘要

An environmental monitoring device that includes a switching mechanism is described. During operation of the environmental monitoring device, the switching mechanism such as a switch) selectively electrically couples a first electrical-connection node and a second electrical-connection node. For example, using the switching mechanism, an electronic device that is electrically coupled to the first electrical-connection node may be selectively electrically coupled to a second electronic device that is electrically coupled to the second electrical-connection node. The selective electrical coupling may be based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device. Moreover, a sensor mechanism in the environmental monitoring device may provide sensor data based on the one or more measurements. Alternatively, an antenna and an interface circuit in the environmental monitoring device may receive the sensor data from a third electronic device.

主权项

1. An environmental monitoring device, comprising:
a first electrical-connection node configured to electrically couple to an electronic device; a second electrical-connection node configured to electrically couple to a second electronic device; a switching mechanism, electrically coupled to the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node which during operation of the environmental monitoring device selectively electrically couples the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node to selectively provide power from the first electrical-connection node via the second electrical-connection node based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition; a sensor mechanism that, during operation of the environmental monitoring device, provides sensor data based on one or more measurements of an environmental condition; and a control mechanism, electrically coupled to the switching mechanism and the sensor mechanism which during operation of the environmental monitoring device provides a control signal to the switching mechanism to selectively electrically couple the first electrical-connection node and the second electrical-connection node based on the one or more measurements of the environmental condition other than lighting conditions in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device, wherein the selective electrical coupling includes impedance values between an upper impedance value corresponding to an open state of the switching mechanism and a lower impedance value corresponding to a closed state of the switching mechanism; and wherein the control signal corresponds to a grey-scale value that, when applied to the switching mechanism, specifies a current impedance value.