US 6,104,304 · Granted 2000-08-15

The Self-Healing Device Patent That Spots Broken Parts Before You Do

Imagine a device that automatically checks all its own parts while it's running—testing each one by watching how much electrical power it uses. If a component is broken or dying, the device figures it out on its own and tells you what's wrong, either through a light pattern, a message on screen, or a beep.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a method where a microcontroller inside a device powers each component on and off individually, measures the electrical current that component draws using a built-in sensor, and compares that current against known good values. What's protected here is the entire self-test loop: the ability to automatically test internal parts, detect failures by analyzing power consumption patterns, and report the results through visual signals, text, or sound output.

Why it matters

This patent tackles a real manufacturing and reliability headache. Before this, you couldn't easily tell if a device's internal parts were failing until something broke completely. By embedding a self-test system that runs quietly in the background, manufacturers could catch problems early, reduce warranty claims, and let users know exactly what's broken without sending the device to a repair shop. It's an automated quality-control system living inside the product itself.

Real-world use

When you turn on a modern printer, router, or modem, it may silently run internal diagnostics that check if all its circuits are working—a capability that traces back to patents like this one.

Original USPTO abstract

An internal self-test and status reporting system for an electrical device with a plurality of components, a power supply and a microcontroller or microprocessor. The self-test system powers on and off each component one at a time and measures an amount of current drawn by the component with an internal current sensor. The self-test system compares the measured amount of current drawn by the component with an expected, predetermined current value or range. The self-test system then reports whether the measured amount of current drawn by the component matches the expected, predetermined current value or is within the expected, predetermined current range. The self-test system reports the results of the self-test by generating a pattern of signals on a general purpose input/output (GPIO) line, displaying a message on a display of the device, or generating a sound with a speaker of the device.

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,104,304
Filing date: 1999-07-06
Grant date: 2000-08-15
Assignee: Conexant Systems, Inc.
Inventor(s): CLARK; RICKE W., O'LEARY; SEAN, SHAHEEN; DAVID M., COX; EARL C.
CPC class: G06F11/2221

View original record on Google Patents →

Want to file your own patent?

If you're designing a smart gadget that needs to know when it's healthy, check our free patent scanner to see what self-diagnostic approaches are already locked down in your space.

Free patentability scan