Methods and systems for activating sealed sensors in the field

• US 10,018,487 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Budampati, Ramakrishna, Becker, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US13/161,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: 307 48, 307104, 307 39, 307 43, 463 39, 463 40, 463 42, 604153, 604 28, 604 29, 34082552, 361802, 361807, 362276, 362802, 362807, 738659
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/12 in which the signal transmitted is frequency or phase of ac
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/66 Contacts sealed in an evacuated or gas-filled envelope, e.g. magnetic dry-reed contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for initiating sealed sensor units in the field. A packaged sensor unit may include a sensor module, an activation mechanism and an internal battery, all situated in a sealed enclosure. In some cases, the sealed enclosure may be devoid of any externally accessible switches. A pre-defined triggering stimulus may be applied to the packaged sensor unit, and the pre-defined triggering stimulus may be detected via the activation mechanism. In response to the activation mechanism detecting the pre-defined triggering stimulus, the internal battery may be connected to the sensor module. Prior to detecting the pre-defined triggering stimulus, both the sensor module and the activation mechanism may draw no power from the internal battery of the packaged sensor unit. In some cases, the activation mechanism, once activated, irreversibly couples the power supply to the sensor module.

Claims

1. A packaged sensor unit, comprising:

a sensor module including;

a sensor;

a controller operatively coupled to the sensor; and

a communication device operatively coupled to the controller;

a power supply;

a mechanical switch capable of selectively coupling the power supply to the sensor module, wherein the mechanical switch is configured to mechanically move between an open state and a closed state in response to acceleration of the packaged sensor unit;

a sealed enclosure housing the sensor module, the power supply, and the mechanical switch, the sealed enclosure being devoid of any external switch;

wherein;

the packaged sensor unit is configured such that the sensor module and the mechanical switch remain in an electronically inactive state until an activation sequence comprising acceleration of the packaged sensor unit is externally initiated and then enters an electronically active state after the activation sequence,

the mechanical switch includes an energy harvesting device, and

wherein the mechanical switch is configured to require power from the energy harvesting device to couple the power supply to, and activate, the sensor module.

2. The packaged sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the mechanical switch, once activated, irreversibly couples the power supply to the sensor module.

4. The packaged sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the mechanical switch is configured to move from the closed state to the open state in response to exposure to a magnetic field.

5. The packaged sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the mechanical switch is configured to move from the closed state to the open state in response to exposure to a second acceleration of the packaged sensor unit.

6. The packaged sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the sensor module and the mechanical switch remain in the electronically inactive state while the mechanical switch is in the open state, and wherein the sensor module and the mechanical switch are configured to be in the electronically active state while the mechanical switch is in the closed state.

7. The packaged sensor unit of claim 1, wherein in the electronically inactive state, the mechanical switch and sensor module draw no power from the power supply.

8. The packaged sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the sealed enclosure comprises a fluid tight seal.

9. The packaged sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the sealed enclosure is permanently sealed.

3. A packaged sensor unit comprising:

a sealed enclosure;

a sensor unit situated in the sealed enclosure, the sensor unit including;

a sensor module;

an activation mechanism, comprising a mechanical switch that is configured to mechanically move between an open state and a closed state in response to compression or tension applied to the sealed enclosure; and

an internal battery;

wherein the activation mechanism of the sensor unit is configured to detect a pre-defined triggering stimulus comprising the compression or tension that is applied from outside of the sealed enclosure, and once the pre-defined triggering stimulus is detected, the activation mechanism is configured to move the mechanical switch from an open state to a closed state to connect the internal battery of the sensor unit to the sensor module, wherein the internal battery remains connected to the sensor module after the trigger stimulus is removed, wherein the mechanical switch includes an energy harvesting device, and wherein the mechanical switch is configured to use power from the energy harvesting device to couple the power supply to, and activate, the sensor module.

10. The packaged sensor unit of claim 3, wherein the sealed enclosure is configured to generate an internal pressure change in response to the compression or tension applied to the sealed enclosure, and wherein the activation mechanism is configured to move the mechanical switch from an open state to a closed state in response to the internal pressure change.

11. The packaged sensor unit of claim 3, wherein the sealed enclosure comprises a fluid tight seal.

12. A method for initiating a packaged sensor unit, the method comprising:

exerting a force on a sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit comprises a sensor module, an activation mechanism including a mechanical switch, and an internal battery, wherein the sensor module, the activation mechanism, and the internal battery are all contained in a sealed enclosure, and wherein the activation mechanism includes an energy harvesting device;

mechanically closing the mechanical switch in response to the force;

providing harvestable energy to the sensor unit through a wall of the sealed enclosure;

harvesting, with the energy harvesting device, the harvestable energy; and

connecting the internal battery to the sensor module using the harvestable energy in response to closing the mechanical switch, wherein prior to detecting the pre-defined triggering stimulus, both the sensor module and the activation mechanism draw no power from the internal battery of the packaged sensor unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of applying the pre-defined triggering stimulus includes providing a magnetic field through a wall of the sealed enclosure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of applying the pre-defined triggering stimulus includes providing a magnetic field through the wall of the sealed enclosure, and a coded magnetic key is employed to provide the magnetic field.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of applying the pre-defined triggering stimulus includes accelerating the packaged sensor unit in a pre-defined acceleration profile, and the activation mechanism includes an accelerometer.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of commissioning the packaged sensor unit subsequent to the step of connecting the internal battery to the sensor module.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of selectively disconnecting the internal battery from the sensor module after the step of connecting the internal battery to the sensor module.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the connecting step is irreversible.