Sensor module and manhole information collection/processing system

• US 10,388,844 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kurihara, Kazuaki, Kouma, Norinao
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US15/429,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20170222115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/88 Providing power supply at the sub-station
• 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: H10N 10/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device

Abstract

There is provided a sensor system capable of being used semi-permanently in a maintenance-free state without exchanging batteries as well as being installed in an already-existing manhole lid by a simple work on the spot, and having a measurement unit, a power source unit, and a communication unit, and installed in a manhole lid, wherein the power source unit includes a thermoelectric power generation module configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer unit thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer unit thermally connected to a heat radiating unit within a manhole, and the measurement unit and the communication unit are driven by electric power generated by the thermoelectric power generation module and measurement data of the measurement unit is transmitted to the outside via the communication unit.

Claims

1. A sensor module, comprising:

a bolt configured to screw into a through-hole passing through a manhole lid; and

an electronic circuit comprising;

a storage configured to store at least part of a measurement sensor, a power source and a wireless antenna communicator, the storage being located on a top of the bolt, and an outer diameter of the storage being smaller than an outer diameter of the bolt, wherein

the power source includes a thermoelectric power generator configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer body thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer body thermally connected to a heat radiating body within a manhole,

the measurement and the communicator are driven by the electric power generated by the thermoelectric power generator and measurement data of the measurement sensor is transmitted to an outside via the communicator, and

the second heat transfer includes a fin that is changed into a shape that passes through the through-hole and which enters an expanded state after passing through the through-hole.

2. The sensor module according to claim 1, the through-hole is a screw hole of the manhole lid.

3. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein at least part including the second heat transfer of the storage has a shape that can be inserted into the manhole from outside the manhole through the screw hole.

4. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the measurement sensor detects at least one of temperature, humidity, gas concentration, a water level, a sewage flow rate, and vibration.

5. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the measurement sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas concentration sensor, a water level sensor, a sewage flow rate sensor, and a vibration sensor having a shape that can be inserted into the manhole from outside the manhole through the through-hole.

6. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the measurement sensor receives a detection signal from at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas concentration sensor, a water level sensor, a sewage flow rate sensor, and a vibration sensor arranged within the manhole.

7. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit configured to process a detection signal of the measurement sensor and to perform processing to transmit data of the detection signal from the communicator.

8. The sensor module according to claim 7, wherein

the communicator has an antenna located on a top of the through-hole and a signal line provided between the antenna and the electronic circuit.

9. The sensor module according to claim 7, wherein

the communicator has an external terminal located on a top of the through-hole and a signal line provided between the external terminal and the electronic circuit.

10. A fixing method of a sensor module, wherein the sensor module comprising:

a bolt configured to screw into a through-hole passing through a manhole lid, and an electronic circuit comprising;

a storage configured to store at least part of a measurement sensor, a power source and a wireless antenna communicator, the storage being located on a top of the bolt, and an outer diameter of the storage being smaller than an outer diameter of the bolt, wherein the method comprises;

forming a screw hole by processing a manhole lid from a surface to form a thread in the through-hole of the manhole lid; and

fixing a screw portion of the sensor module having a thermoelectric power generator configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer body thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer body thermally connected to a heat radiating body within a manhole, and having the communicator and the measurement sensor are driven by the electric power generated by the thermoelectric power generator and measurement data of the measurement sensor is transmitted to an outside via the communicator, into the screw hole by screwing the screw portion of the sensor module, the second heat transfer including a fin that is changed into a shape that passes through the through-hole and which enters an expanded state after passing through the through-hole.

11. A manhole information collection and processing system, comprising:

a plurality of sensor modules installed in a plurality of manhole lids, each of the plurality of sensor modules including a bolt configured to screw into a through-hole passing through a manhole lid, and an electronic circuit comprising;

a storage configured to store at least part of a measurement sensor, a power source and a wireless antenna communicator, the storage being located on a top of the bolt, and an outer diameter of the storage being smaller than an outer diameter of the bolt;

a server that collects and processes data of the plurality of sensor modules; and

a wireless communication network that connects wireless antenna communicators of the plurality of sensor modules to the server so as for communication, wherein

the power source of said each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a thermoelectric power generator configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer body thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer body thermally connected to a heat radiating body within a manhole,

the measurement sensor and the communicator are driven by the electric power generated by the thermoelectric power generator and measurement data of the measurement sensor is transmitted to an outside via the communicator, and

the second heat transfer includes a fin that is changed into a shape that passes through the through-hole and which enters an expanded state after passing through the through-hole.

12. The manhole information collection and processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the through-hole is a screw hole of the manhole lid.

13. A manhole information collection and processing method of collecting measurement data of each of a plurality of sensor modules installed in a plurality of manhole lids, said each of the plurality of sensor modules including a bolt configured to screw into a through-hole passing through a manhole lid, and an electronic circuit comprising:

a storage configured to store at least part of a measurement sensor, a power source and a wireless antenna communicator, the storage being located on a top of the bolt, and an outer diameter of the storage being smaller than an outer diameter of the bolt, wherein the method comprises;

connecting a mobile terminal having a communication function to the communicator of said each of the plurality of sensor modules;

reading the measurement data of said each of the plurality of sensor modules by the mobile terminal and storing the reading measurement data; and

transmitting the reading measurement data of said each of the plurality of sensor modules stored in the mobile terminal to a server, wherein the power source of said each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a thermoelectric power generator configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer body thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer body thermally connected to a heat radiating body within a manhole, the measurement sensor and the communicator are driven by the electric power generated by the thermoelectric power generator and the measurement data of said each of the plurality of sensor modules is transmitted to an outside via the communicator, and the second heat transfer includes a fin that is changed into a shape that passes through the through-hole and which enters an expanded state after passing through the through-hole.

14. The manhole information collection and processing method according to claim 13, wherein

the communicator of said each of the plurality of sensor modules is a wireless communicator, and

the mobile terminal collects the measurement data by wireless communication from the communicator of said each of the plurality of sensor modules.

15. The manhole information collection and processing method according to claim 13, wherein

the communicator of said each of the plurality of sensor modules has an external communication terminal, and

the measurement data is collected by connecting a communication terminal of the mobile terminal to the external communication terminal of the communicator of said each of the plurality of sensor modules.