System and method for managing battery life in redundant wireless sensors

• US 10,334,332 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Poster, Scott David, Tucker, Brian Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US16/115,894
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 340946, 340540, 340541, 340633, 340635, 3406361, 34063611
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for operating a sensor system includes detecting a first wake trigger by a plurality of sensors for a component disposed in a remote location, generating, by each sensor, sensor service data that includes a battery charge level of the sensor, determining an active sensor according to the sensor service data of each sensor of the plurality of sensors, and assigning the active sensor to enter an active mode assigning each sensor of the plurality of sensors, other than the active sensor, to enter a sleep mode, generating, by the active sensor, sensor reading data for the component until an inactive trigger is detected, sending the sensor reading data using a wireless transmission to a sensor data server, and leaving the active mode by the active sensor and entering a sleep mode in response to the active sensor detecting an inactive trigger.

Claims

1. A method for operating a sensor system, comprising:

detecting a first wake trigger by a plurality of sensors associated with a component disposed in a remote location;

generating, by each sensor of the plurality of sensors, sensor service data that comprises a battery charge level of a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors;

determining an active sensor according to the sensor service data of each sensor of the plurality of sensors, and assigning the active sensor to enter an active mode;

assigning each sensor of the plurality of sensors, other than the active sensor, to enter a sleep mode;

generating, by the active sensor, sensor reading data indicating a physical parameter of the component until an inactive trigger is detected by the active sensor;

sending the sensor reading data by the active sensor using a wireless transmission to a sensor data server; and

leaving the active mode by the active sensor and entering a sleep mode by the active sensor after the active sensor sends the sensor reading data and in response to the active sensor detecting an inactive trigger.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the active sensor comprises determining, by a sensor of the plurality of sensors, that the sensor is the active sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises sending, by each sensor of the plurality of sensors, the respective sensor service data to each other sensor of the plurality of sensors;

and

wherein the determining, by the sensor of the plurality of sensors, that the sensor is the active sensor comprises determining, by the sensor of the plurality of sensors and according to the sensor service data of the sensor and sensor service data received from other sensors of the plurality of sensors, that the sensor is the active sensor.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining, by the sensor, that the sensor is the active sensor comprises:

determining that the sensor is the active sensor in response to determining that the sensor was previously the active sensor and further in response to the sensor service data of the sensor indicating that the battery charge level of the sensor exceeds a predetermined charge threshold and further indicating that the sensor, while the sensor was previously the active sensor, operated free of operating failures.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the active sensor comprises determining, by a sensor management element of the sensor system, that a sensor of the plurality of sensors is the active sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

sending, by each sensor of the plurality of sensors, the respective sensor service data to the sensor management element; and

sending, by the sensor management element to the sensor, a mode assignment message indicating that the sensor is assigned to enter the active mode;

wherein the determining, by the sensor of the plurality of sensors, that the sensor is the active sensor comprises determining, by the sensor, according to the mode assignment message, that the sensor is the active sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors has a battery charge run time that is less than a service interval of the component, and wherein a battery charge lifetime of the sensor system extends past the service interval of the associated component, wherein the battery charge lifetime of the sensor system is the battery charge run time of each sensor of the plurality of sensors when used in sequence.

8. A sensor device, comprising:

a transducer;

a wireless interface circuit;

a battery; and

a controller connected to the battery, the transducer and the wireless interface circuit, wherein the controller is configured to;

detect a wake trigger, wherein the wake trigger is at least one of a physical trigger detected by the controller, a message received through the wireless interface circuit from a sensor management element, or a timer expiring;

generate sensor service data, wherein the sensor service data comprises a battery charge level of the battery;

transmit the sensor service data through the wireless interface circuit;

determine whether the sensor device should be an active sensor in a plurality of sensor devices according to at least the sensor service data;

enter an active mode in response to determining that the sensor device should be the active sensor;

enter a sleep mode in response to determines that the sensor device should not be the active sensor;

generate, while the sensor device is in the active mode, sensor reading data according to a reading from the transducer and until an inactive trigger is detected by the sensor;

send the sensor reading data by the active sensor using a wireless transmission to a sensor data server; and

leave the active mode and entering a sleep mode in response to the active sensor detecting an inactive trigger.

9. The sensor device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the sensor service data through the wireless interface circuit to each other sensor device of the plurality of sensor devices;

wherein the controller is further configured to;

receive, from each sensor of the plurality of sensor devices, other than the sensor device, other sensor service data associated with the respective sensor; and

determine that the sensor device should be the active sensor according to the sensor service data of the sensor device and the other sensor service data received from other sensor devices of the plurality of sensor devices.

10. The sensor device of claim 8, wherein the wake trigger is the physical trigger, and is one of movement of the component being monitored by the sensor device, or vibration of the component after a predetermined period without vibration.

11. The sensor device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the sensor device should be the active sensor in response to determining that the sensor device was previously the active sensor and further in response to the sensor service data of the sensor device indicating that the battery charge level of the sensor device exceeds a predetermined charge threshold and further indicating that the sensor device operated free of operating failures while the sensor device was previously the active sensor.

12. The sensor device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the sensor service data through the wireless interface circuit to a sensor management element;

and

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive, from the sensor management element, a mode assignment message indicating a mode assigned for the sensor device is assigned to enter the active mode;

enter the active mode in response to the mode assignment message indicating that the sensor device should be the active mode; and

enter a sleep mode in response to the mode assignment message indicating that the sensor device should not be the active sensor.

13. The sensor device of claim 12, wherein the wake trigger is a first signal from the sensor management element, and wherein the inactive trigger is a second signal from the sensor management element.

14. A system, comprising:

a rotating component; and

a sensor system having a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is disposed on the component and monitors the component;

wherein each respective sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to;

detect a wake trigger, wherein the wake trigger is at least one of a physical trigger detected by the respective sensor, a message received by the respective sensor from a sensor management element, or a timer expiring;

generating sensor service data that comprises a battery charge level of a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors;

determine an assigned mode for the respective sensor, wherein the assigned mode is assigned according to the sensor server data of each sensor of the plurality of sensors, wherein the assigned mode is one of at least an active mode or a sleep mode, and wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is determined to be an active sensor and is assigned an active mode;

enter the active mode in response to the respective sensor determining that the respective sensor is the active sensor and is assigned the active mode;

generate, in response to the respective sensor being the active sensor, sensor reading data indicating a physical parameter of the component until an inactive trigger is detected by the active sensor;

send the sensor reading data by the active sensor using a wireless transmission;

leave the active mode in response to the respective sensor being in the active mode and enter the sleep mode after the respective sensor sends the sensor reading data and in response to the respective sensor detecting the inactive trigger; and

enter the sleep mode response to the respective sensor determining that the respective sensor is assigned the sleep mode.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each respective sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to:

send the respective sensor service data to each other sensor of the plurality of sensors; and

determine the assigned mode for the respective sensor by determining, according to the sensor service data of the respective sensor and sensor service data received from other sensors of the plurality of sensors.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each respective sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to determine that the assigned mode for the respective sensor is the active mode and that the respective sensor is the active sensor in response to determining that the respective sensor was previously the active sensor and further in response to the sensor service data of the respective sensor indicating that the battery charge level of the respective sensor exceeds a predetermined charge threshold and further indicating that the respective sensor, while the respective sensor was previously the active sensor, operated free of operating failures.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising the sensor management element configured to assign the assigned mode for each sensor of the plurality of sensors, and send a mode assignment message to each sensor of the plurality of sensors, wherein the mode assignment message indicates the assigned mode for the respective sensor;

and

wherein each respective sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to determine the assigned mode according to the respective mode assignment message.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sensor service data further comprises sensor state data of the respective sensor, and wherein each respective sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to send the respective sensor service data to the sensor management element;

and

wherein the sensor management element is further configured to assign the assigned mode for each sensor of the plurality of sensors according to a battery charge state and sensor state data of the respective sensor.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the sensor management element is further configured to:

send the wake trigger as a first signal to each sensor of the plurality of sensors; and

send the inactive trigger as a second signal to each sensor of the plurality of sensors.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors has a battery charge run time that is less than a service interval of the component, and wherein a battery charge lifetime of the sensor system extends past the service interval of the component, wherein the battery charge lifetime of the sensor system is the battery charge run time of each sensor of the plurality of sensors when used in sequence.