The Researchers at the Duisburg located Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS have developed a windows contact system that saves the house owners from their worries of proper closing of windows especially during stormy and rainy weather conditions.
Wireless window contacts – no maintenance, no batteries. Credit: Fraunhofer Institute
The new windows contact system developed by the researchers utilizes the inbuilt sensors that does not use battery supplied power or power received through the running of wires instead use the energy supplied by the ambient radio signals. The small sized sensors, which can be fixed over the window handles will convey the closed, tilted open and fully open conditions of the windows to a centrally located base station to assist the building owners to understand the open or close position of windows at a glance.
Most of the wireless window contacts systems currently available in the market and used in the houses utilize batteries or solar power to perform their functions but suffer due to innate problems such as low or nil power during solar eclipse period from solar panels and need for frequent change of batteries. Also the installation of solar panels over the already existing building creates retrofit and aesthetic problems.
The Fraunhofer Institute researchers developed window contacts without the need for battery or power connectivity for working and can be easily placed by concealment. The transmitter module included in the series of connectivity receives and transmit the data on window positions and also supplies the needed power to the sensors through radio signals. The room controller installed in every room forwards the data from the room sensors to a centralized station located remotely within the building to enable the house owners to know the close or open status of a window in a room and the use of DSL connectivity enables getting the required data through a smartphone from remote.
The researchers have overcome the problem of the lack of radio output in the development stage by accurate tuning of the components, antennas in all the sensor modules to assist in receiving of signals from a considerable distance within the building and manage their functions. The scientists have already come out with a prototype model and are further trying to incorporate additional sensors to manage room temperature regulators within the system to control temperature within the building.
Source: http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/