Integrating functionality in a line powered device of a facility

Abstract

Integrating functionality in a line powered device of a facility is described herein. One method includes integrating, in a line powered device of a facility that has a first functionality, a second functionality, obtaining, by the line powered device, information associated with the facility using the second functionality, and sending, by the line powered device, the information associated with the facility obtained using the second functionality to a computing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 integrating a communication module in a line powered device of a facility that has a sensing module;   wherein integrating the communication module in the line powered device includes adding the communication module to the line powered device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the line powered device is part of an existing infrastructure of the facility; and   the method includes integrating the communication module in the line powered device without adding to the existing infrastructure of the facility.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module includes:
 a signal receiver; and   a signal transmitter.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is a radio communication module. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing module includes a sensor configured to sense a particular type of data associated with the facility. 
     
     
         6 . A method, comprising:
 integrating, in a line powered device of a facility that has a first type of sensor, a second type of sensor;   wherein integrating the second type of sensor in the line powered device includes replacing a sensing mechanism in the line powered device having only the first type of sensor with a sensing mechanism having both the first type of sensor and the second type of sensor.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the line powered device is part of an existing infrastructure of the facility; and   the method includes integrating the second type of sensor in the line powered device without altering the existing infrastructure of the facility.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first type of sensor includes a climate sensor; and   the second type of sensor includes an air quality sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the climate sensor includes at least one of:
 a temperature sensor;   a humidity sensor;   an infrared sensor; and   a light sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the air quality sensor includes at least one of:
 a carbon monoxide sensor;   a particulate sensor; and   a volatile organic compound sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second type of sensor includes a microphone sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the microphone sensor includes at least one of:
 voice recognition capability;   voice interaction capability; and   voice control capability.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the method includes:
 integrating, in the line powered device that has the first type of sensor, the second type of sensor and a third type of sensor;   wherein integrating the second type of sensor and the third type of sensor in the line powered device includes replacing the sensing mechanism in the line powered device having only the first type of sensor with a sensing mechanism having the first type of sensor, the second type of sensor, and the third type of sensor.   
     
     
         14 . A line powered device, comprising:
 a sensing module configured to sense data associated with a facility; and   a communication module that was integrated in the line powered device after the line powered device was installed in the facility, wherein the communication module is configured to:
 receive information associated with the facility; and 
 send the sensed data and received information to a computing device. 
   
     
     
         15 . The line powered device of  claim 14 , wherein the communication module is configured to receive the information associated with the facility via two different types of wireless communication. 
     
     
         16 . The line powered device of  claim 14 , wherein the information associated with the facility includes location data associated with equipment in the facility. 
     
     
         17 . The line powered device of  claim 14 , wherein the information associated with the facility includes location data associated with people in the facility. 
     
     
         18 . The line powered device of  claim 14 , wherein the communication module is configured to send the sensed data and received information to an additional device. 
     
     
         19 . The line powered device of  claim 18 , wherein the additional device is an additional line powered device of the facility. 
     
     
         20 . The line powered device of  claim 18 , wherein the additional device is a sensor device that is not part of an existing infrastructure of the facility.