IP Library Granted Patent US 11,441,801
Granted Patent B2
US 11,441,801 · App. 16/842,585 · Granted Sep 13, 2022

Access door detection using a humidity sensor

Inventors: Tarik Khoury (Brno, CZ); Michal Sicner (Brno, CZ); Pavel Marak (Brno, CZ)
Assignee: Ademco Inc.
F24F11/30F24F3/14F24F11/526G05D22/02F24F2110/20F25B2700/02F25D2700/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,441,801
App. No.
16/842,585
Granted
Sep 13, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A humidifier device includes an output device, an atomizer enclosure having a first opening that is operable to be open and closed and a second opening, an atomizer within the atomizer enclosure configured to produce moisture and to output the moisture through the second opening of the atomizer enclosure, a humidity sensor configured to sense humidity levels, and control circuitry configured to control the atomizer and to determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open. The output device is configured to, in response to determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure is open, output an alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open.

Claims (67)

1. A humidifier device comprising:

an atomizer enclosure having a first opening that is operable to be open and closed and a second opening;

an atomizer within the atomizer enclosure configured to produce moisture and to output the moisture through the second opening of the atomizer enclosure;

a humidity sensor configured to sense humidity levels; and

control circuitry configured to:

control the atomizer; and

determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open; and

an output device configured to, in response to determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, output an alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open.

2. The humidifier device of claim 1 , wherein:

the humidifier further comprises an electronics enclosure that encloses the control circuitry and the humidity sensor,

wherein the humidity sensor is configured to sense the humidity levels within the electronics enclosure.

3. The humidifier device of claim 2 , further comprising:

an electronic control board within the electronics enclosure, wherein the control circuitry and the humidity sensor are disposed on the electronic control board.

4. The humidifier device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an access door configured to cover the first opening of the atomizer enclosure,

wherein to determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the access door of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, and

wherein to output the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, the output device is further configured to, in response to determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the access door for the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, output the alert indicative of the access door being open.

5. The humidifier device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a removable cover configured to cover the first opening of the atomizer enclosure,

wherein to determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the removable cover for the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being removed from the first opening of the atomizer enclosure, and

wherein to output the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, the output device is further configured to, in response to determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the removable cover being removed from the first opening of the atomizer enclosure, output the alert indicative of the removable cover being removed from the first opening of the atomizer enclosure.

6. The humidifier device of claim 1 , wherein to determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether a humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds the threshold, determine that the humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor is indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open.

7. The humidifier device of claim 1 , wherein to determine whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open, the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether a rate of increase in the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the rate of increase in the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds the threshold, determine that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open.

8. The humidifier device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether a humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds the threshold, shut down the humidifier device.

9. The humidifier device of claim 1 , wherein:

the output device comprises a display; and

to output the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, the display is configured to display information indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open.

10. The humidifier device of claim 1 , wherein:

the output device comprises a speaker; and

to output the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open, the speaker is configured to output audio indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open.

11. A method comprising:

producing, by an atomizer within an atomizer enclosure of a humidifier device, the atomizer enclosure having a first opening that is operable to be open and closed and a second opening, moisture that flow out of the second opening of the atomizer enclosure;

sensing, by a humidity sensor of the humidifier device, humidity levels:

determining, by control circuitry of the humidifier device, whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open; and

in response to the control circuitry determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, outputting, by an output device of the humidifier device, an alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the humidifier device further comprises an electronics enclosure that encloses the control circuitry and the humidity sensor; and

the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor comprises the humidity levels within the electronics enclosure.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the control circuitry and the humidity sensor are disposed on an electronic control board within the electronics enclosure.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

determining, by the control circuitry, whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises determining, by the control circuitry, whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of an access door for the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open; and

in response to the control circuitry determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, outputting, by the output device, the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises in response to the control circuitry determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the access door for the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, outputting, by the output device, the alert indicative of the access door of the atomizer enclosure being open.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

determining, by the control circuitry, whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises determining, by the control circuitry, whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of a removable cover for the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being removed from the first opening of the atomizer enclosure; and

in response to the control circuitry determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open, outputting, by the output device, the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises in response to the control circuitry determining that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the removable cover being removed from the first opening of the atomizer enclosure, outputting, by the output device, the alert indicative of the removable cover being removed from the first opening of the atomizer enclosure.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining, by the control circuitry, whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises:

determining, by the control circuitry, whether a humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds the threshold, determining, by the control circuitry, that the humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor is indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining, by the control circuitry, whether the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises:

determining, by the control circuitry, whether a rate of increase in the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the rate of increase in the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds the threshold, determining, by the control circuitry, that the humidity levels sensed by the humidity sensor are indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining, by the control circuitry, whether a humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the humidity level sensed by the humidity sensor exceeds the threshold, shutting down, by the control circuitry, the humidifier device.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the output device comprises a display; and

outputting, by the output device, the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises displaying, by the display, information indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the output device comprises a speaker; and

outputting, by the output device, the alert indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure being open comprises outputting, by the speaker, audio indicative of the first opening of the atomizer enclosure of the humidifier device being open.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 12, 2025
From: ADEMCO INC.
To: RESIDEO LLC
Reel/Frame 071546/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2022
From: BRK BRANDS, INC.; ADEMCO INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 059571/0686 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2020
From: KHOURY, TARIK; SICNER, MICHAL; MARAK, PAVEL
To: ADEMCO INC.
Reel/Frame 052756/0936 →