Apparatus, method, and system for detecting acceleration and motor monitoring

• US 10,247,752 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Poisner, David I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ko, Tony
• Application Number:
  US15/457,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20170184625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/093 by photoelectric pick-up

Abstract

Described is a system which includes: a cable including: a first fiber optic interconnect to provide an input light; and a second fiber optic interconnect to provide an output light; and a first housing coupled to the cable, the first housing including: a first deflection circuit to deflect the input light received from the first fiber optic interconnect in response to a vibration or movement of the first housing; and a second housing coupled to the cable, the second housing including: a light source to generate the input light for transmission to the first deflection circuit via the first fiber optic interconnect; and a photo detector to receive the output light from the first deflection circuit via the second fiber optic interconnect.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first fiber optic interconnect and a second fiber optic interconnect, wherein the first and second fiber optic interconnects are to be housed in a cable along with power and ground lines;

deflecting an input light received from the first fiber optic interconnect in response to a vibration or movement of a module; and

transmitting the deflected input light as an output light to the second fiber optic interconnect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the module is an electric motor, and wherein the method comprises shining a light on a shaft coupled to the electric motor.

3. The method of claim 2 comprises detecting light reflected off a reflective section on the shaft.

4. The method of claim 3 comprises transmitting the detected light to another device.

5. A method comprising:

receiving first and second fiber optic interconnects;

generating a light;

transmitting the light to a deflection module via the first fiber optic interconnect; and

receiving a deflected light in response to a vibration or movement of a housing having the deflection module and a motor.

6. The method of claim 5 comprises converting the deflected light into an analog representation.

7. The method of claim 6 comprises converting the analog representation to a digital representation.

8. The method of claim 7 comprises providing the digital representation to another device.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprises determining a rate of rotation of a rotating shaft associated with the motor.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a first end attachable to a processing module;

a second end attachable to a vibrating module;

a covering comprising a flexible material, wherein the covering extends from the first end to the second end;

a first fiber optic cable housed within the covering;

a second fiber optic cable housed within the covering;

a power supply line housed within the covering;

a ground supply line housed within the covering; and

a signal line housed within the covering.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing module comprises a light source to generate an input light for transmission to the vibrating module via the first fiber optic cable.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing module comprises a photo detector to receive an output light from the vibrating module via the second fiber optic cable.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 comprises an analog-to-digital (A2D) converter to receive an output from the photo detector and to generate a digital representation of the output.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing module includes a communication interface to provide the output to another device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing module includes a tachometer to receive an output from the vibrating module.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tachometer is to determine a rate of rotation of a rotating shaft.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the output from the vibrating module comes from a photodetector via the signal supply line.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vibrating module comprises:

a housing which includes;

a deflection module to deflect the input light received from the first fiber optic cable in response to a vibration or movement of the housing, wherein the housing is integrated into a chassis of an electric motor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the electric motor comprises a shaft which is operable to rotate, the shaft having a reflective section.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, comprises:

a light source to shine light on the shaft; and

a photo detector to detect light reflected off the reflective section, wherein the light source is coupled to the power supply line and the ground supply line.