Activity sensing in the home has a variety of important applications, including healthcare, entertainment, home automation, energy monitoring and post-occupancy research studies. Many existing systems for detecting occupant activity require large numbers of sensors, invasive vision systems, or extensive installation procedures. Disclosed is an approach that uses a single plug-in sensor to detect a variety of electrical events throughout the home. This sensor detects the electrical noise on residential power lines created by the abrupt switching of electrical devices and the noise created by certain devices while in operation. Machine learning techniques are used to recognize electrically noisy events such as turning on or off a particular light switch, a television set, or an electric stove. The system has been tested to evaluate system performance over time and in different types of houses. Results indicate that various electrical events can be learned and classified with accuracies ranging from 85-90%.

Detecting actuation of electrical devices using electrical noise over a power line

An integrated circuit can have a first substrate supporting a magnetic field sensing element and a second substrate supporting another magnetic field sensing element. The first and second substrates can be arranged in a variety of configurations. Another integrated circuit can have a first magnetic field sensing element and second different magnetic field sensing element disposed on surfaces thereof.

Arrangements for an integrated sensor

Embodiments related to magnetic current sensors, systems and methods. In an embodiment, a magnetic current sensor integrated in an integrated circuit (IC) and housed in an IC package comprises an IC die formed to present at least three magnetic sense elements on a first surface, a conductor, and at least one slot formed in the conductor, wherein a first end of the at least one slot and at least one of the magnetic sense elements are relatively positioned such that the at least one of the magnetic sense elements is configured to sense an increased magnetic field induced in the conductor proximate the first end of the at least one slot.

Magnetic field current sensors

A current sensor is provided for non-invasively measuring electrical current in an electrical conductor. The current sensor includes a housing having a Hall effect device and circuitry for transmitting a signal indicative of the current flowing through the electrical conductor. The current sensor includes a base having a surface for supporting an electrical conductor. A magnetic shielding member is coupled to the surface to shield the Hall effect device from stray or external magnetic fields. A compliant member is coupled to the magnetic shielding member opposite the surface. The compliant member compresses to allow the current sensor to accommodate a large variety of electrical conductor sizes. The compliant member further acts to bias the electrical conductor against the Hall effect device.

Current measuring device

An integrated current sensor includes a current conductor, a magnetic field transducer, and an electromagnetic shield. The magnetic field transducer includes a sensor die. The electromagnetic shield is disposed proximate to the sensor die. The electromagnetic shield has at least one feature selected to reduce an eddy current in the electromagnetic shield.

Integrated current sensor

An integrated current sensor includes a magnetic field transducer such as a Hall effect sensor, a magnetic core, and an electrical conductor The conductor includes features for receiving portions of the Hall effect sensor and the core and the elements are dimensioned such that little or no relative movement among the elements is possible

Ray Engel

Papers

Integrated current sensor