Systems and methods for wearable voltage detection devices

• US 10,488,174 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Chen, Cheng-Po, Gushee, Christopher Bruce, Virgen, Jose Luis, Andarawis, Emad Andarawis, Brooksby, Glen William, Mayton, Jeffrey Ross, Stoffel, Nancy Cecelia, Smith, Wyatt Beale, Olson, Daniel Leroy
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/913,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20190277617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/155 Indicating the presence of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold

Abstract

A voltage detection device for detecting proximity to an active alternating current (AC) voltage source is provided. The device includes a housing, at least one antenna configured to generate a signal in response to exposure to electromagnetic radiation, signal processing circuitry configured to process the signal generated by the at least one antenna, a processing device embedded in the housing and communicatively coupled to the signal processing circuitry, the processing device configured to determine, from the processed signal, whether the voltage detection device is proximate to the active AC voltage source, and an electronic switch embedded in the housing and one of included within the processing device and communicatively coupled to the processing device, the electronic switch configured to reduce an impact of interference on detection of the active AC voltage source.

Claims

1. A voltage detection device for detecting proximity to an active alternating current (AC) voltage source, said voltage detection device comprising:

a housing sized and shaped to be worn by a user;

at least one antenna embedded in said housing, said at least one antenna configured to generate a signal in response to exposure to electromagnetic radiation;

signal processing circuitry embedded in said housing and communicatively coupled to said at least one antenna, said signal processing circuitry comprising;

a signal combiner communicatively coupled to each of a first and second filter, said signal combiner configured to combine outputs of said first and second filters into a processed signal;

said first filter communicatively coupled to a first amplifier and configured to filter an amplified signal output by said first amplifier;

said second filter communicatively coupled to said first amplifier or a second amplifier, and configured to filter said amplified signal output by said first amplifier or filter an amplified signal output by said second amplifier; and

wherein said first amplifier is communicatively coupled to a first antenna of said at least one antenna and configured to amplify the signal generated by said first antenna when said first and second filters are communicatively coupled to said first amplifier, or wherein said first amplifier is communicatively coupled to said first antenna of said at least one antenna and configured to amplify the signal generated by said first antenna and said second amplifier is communicatively coupled to a second antenna of said at least one antenna and configured to amplify the signal generated by said second antenna when said second filter is communicatively coupled to said second amplifier;

a processing device embedded in said housing and communicatively coupled to said signal processing circuitry, said processing device configured to determine, from the processed signal, whether said voltage detection device is proximate to the active AC voltage source; and

an electronic switch embedded in said housing and one of included within said processing device and communicatively coupled to said processing device, said electronic switch configured to reduce an impact of interference on detection of the active AC voltage source.

2. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing comprises an electrically dissipative material.

3. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an alert device embedded in said housing and communicatively coupled to said processing device, said alert device configured to generate an alert in response to a determination that said voltage detection device is proximate the active AC voltage source, said electronic switch configured to reduce interference generated by said alert device.

4. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processing device is further configured to cause said electronic switch to discharge an accumulated charge on said voltage detection device to reduce electromagnetic interference.

5. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein when said first and second filters of said signal processing circuitry are communicatively coupled to said first amplifier, they are connected in parallel.

6. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said voltage detection device has a distance range of approximately 20 centimeters or approximately 40 centimeters.

7. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing forms one of a wristband, a glove, a vest, and a helmet.

8. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to filter out signal components outside of a frequency range specified by the user.

9. The voltage detection device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer embedded in said housing and communicatively coupled to said processing device, said accelerometer configured to:

detect movement of said voltage detection device;

selectively activate said processing device based on the detected movement; and

selectively deactivate the processing device if no additional movement is detected for a predetermined period of time.

10. A method for detecting proximity of a voltage detection device to an active alternating current (AC) voltage source, the voltage detection device including a housing sized and shaped to be worn by a user, said method comprising:

generating, using at least one antenna embedded in the housing, at least one signal in response to exposure to electromagnetic radiation;

processing each generated signal into a processed signal using signal processing circuitry embedded in the housing and communicatively coupled to the at least one antenna;

determining, using a processing device embedded in the housing and communicatively coupled to the signal processing circuitry, based on each processed signal, whether the voltage detection device is proximate to the active AC voltage source; and

reducing, using an electronic switch embedded in the housing and at least one of communicatively coupled to the processing device and included in the processing device, an impact of interference on detection of the active AC voltage source;

wherein reducing an impact of interference with the electronic switch comprises discharging an accumulated charge on the voltage detection device, a logical value of the processing device, or a combination thereof by generating a generally equal and opposite signal to an interference signal or level.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein generating the at least one signal comprises generating the at least one signal using an antenna of said at least one antenna embedded in an electrically dissipative material.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein generating the at least one signal comprises generating the at least one signal using an antenna of said at least one antenna embedded in at least one of polyurethane, carbon loaded silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, a polymer modified with filler to have a lower volume resistivity, and a nylon modified with filler to have a lower volume resistivity.

13. The method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising generating, using an alert device embedded in the housing and communicatively coupled to the processing device, an alert in response to a determination that the voltage detection device is proximate the active AC voltage source, wherein reducing an impact of interference comprises reducing interference generated by the alert device.

14. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein processing each generated signal comprises:

amplifying each generated signal into an amplified signal using a first amplifier communicatively coupled to a first antenna of the at least one antenna, or using the first amplifier and a second amplifier communicatively coupled to the first and antenna and a second antenna of the at least one antenna respectively;

filtering each amplified signal by first and second filters; and

combining each filtered signal into each processed signal using a signal combiner.

15. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the voltage detection device has a distance range of approximately 20 centimeters or approximately 40 centimeters.

16. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the voltage detection device has a substantially omnidirectional angular range.

17. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein generating the at least one signal comprises generating the at least one signal using an antenna of said at least one antenna embedded in one of a wristband and a glove.

18. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein processing each generated signal comprises filtering out signal components outside of a first range using a first filter and filtering out signal components outside a second range using a second filter.

19. The method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

detecting movement of the voltage detection device using an accelerometer embedded in the housing; and

activating the processing device based on the detected movement.