IP Library › Granted Patent US 12699115
Granted Patent B2
US 12699115 · App. 18/603,001 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Electrostatic charge variation based power failure detection

Inventors: Federico Rizzardini (Settimo Milanese, IT); Lorenzo Bracco (Chivasso, IT)
Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
G01R15/165
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12699115
App. No.
18/603,001
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to devices and methods for performing power failure detection. A power failure is detected using an electrostatic charge variation sensor that measures variation of electrostatic charge in a surrounding environment. Power failure is detected wirelessly and without being directly connected to the power network. Further, the electrostatic charge variation sensor has low power consumption and allows for customization of detection sensitivity.

Claims (51)

1 . A device, comprising:

a sensor device including:

an electrostatic charge variation sensor including an electrode configured to receive a variation of electrostatic charge generated by a power source, the electrostatic charge variation sensor configured to generate an electrostatic charge variation measurement signal of the variation of electrostatic charge; and

a processor configured to:

filter the electrostatic charge variation measurement signal with a filter;

determine an envelope signal of the filtered electrostatic charge variation measurement signal;

detect a power failure of the power source based on the envelope signal and a threshold value; and

output a power failure flag in response to the power failure being detected; and

a host processor communicatively coupled to the sensor device, the host processor configured to determine the threshold value.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the filter is a high pass filter.

3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to detect the power failure of the power source in case an amplitude of the envelope signal is less than the threshold value.

4 . The device of claim 1 wherein the host processor is configured to determine the threshold value based on the envelope signal.

5 . The device of claim 4 wherein the host processor is configured to determine the threshold value based on a mean and a standard deviation of the envelope signal.

6 . The device of claim 4 wherein the host processor is configured to determine the threshold value based on a difference between a mean and a standard deviation of the envelope signal.

7 . The device of claim 1 wherein the host processor is configured to:

receive an instruction to determine the threshold value; and

determine the threshold value in response to the instruction being received.

8 . The device of claim 1 wherein the host processor is configured to transmit an alert to a user or sound an alarm in response to the power failure flag being outputted.

9 . The device of claim 1 wherein the host processor determines the threshold value in case no power failure is detected.

10 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by an electrode of an electrostatic charge variation sensor included in a sensor device, a variation of electrostatic charge generated by a power source;

generating, by the electrostatic charge variation sensor, an electrostatic charge variation measurement signal of the variation of electrostatic charge;

filtering, by a processor included in the sensor device, the electrostatic charge variation measurement signal with a filter;

determining, by the processor, an envelope signal of the filtered electrostatic charge variation measurement signal;

detecting, by the processor, a power failure of the power source based on the envelope signal and a threshold value; and

outputting, by the processor, a power failure flag in response to the power failure being detected.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the filter is a high pass filter.

12 . A device, comprising:

a sensor device including:

an electrostatic charge variation sensor including an electrode configured to receive a variation of electrostatic charge generated by a power source, the electrostatic charge variation sensor configured to generate an electrostatic charge variation measurement signal of the variation of electrostatic charge; and

a processor configured to:

filter the electrostatic charge variation measurement signal with a first filter;

determine an absolute signal of the filtered electrostatic charge variation measurement signal;

filter the absolute signal with a second filter different from the first filter; detect a power failure of the power source based on the filtered absolute signal and a threshold value; and

output a power failure flag in response to the power failure being detected; and

a host processor communicatively coupled to the sensor device, the host processor configured to determine the threshold value.

13 . The device of claim 12 wherein the first filter is a high pass filter, and the second filter is a band pass filter.

14 . The device of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to:

detect the power failure of the power source in case an amplitude of the filtered absolute signal is less than the threshold value; and

detect no power failure of the power source in case the amplitude of the filtered absolute signal is greater than another threshold value greater than the threshold value.

15 . The device of claim 14 wherein the host processor is configured to determine the threshold value and the another threshold value based on the filtered absolute signal.

16 . The device of claim 14 wherein the host processor is configured to determine the threshold value based on a difference between a mean and a standard deviation of the filtered absolute signal, and the another threshold value based on a sum of the mean and the standard deviation of the filtered absolute signal.

17 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by an electrode of an electrostatic charge variation sensor included in a sensor device, a variation of electrostatic charge generated by a power source;

generating, by the electrostatic charge variation sensor, an electrostatic charge variation measurement signal of the variation of electrostatic charge;

filtering, by a processor included in the sensor device, the electrostatic charge variation measurement signal with a first filter;

determining, by the processor, an absolute signal of the filtered electrostatic charge variation measurement signal;

filtering, by the processor, the absolute signal with a second filter different from the first filter;

detecting, by the processor, a power failure of the power source based on the filtered absolute signal and a threshold value; and

outputting, by the processor, a power failure flag in response to the power failure being detected.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the first filter is a high pass filter, and the second filter is a band pass filter.