Cage telemetry module and system

• US 20060071773A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Gulden, Peter, Ahmed, Osman, Fleischer, Maximilian, Glanzer, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,667,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals

Abstract

A remote sensor assembly includes a silicon substrate, a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors supported on the silicon substrate, a wireless communication circuit supported on the silicon substrate, and a processing device supported on the silicon substrate. The processing device is operable to obtain measurement values from at least one of plurality of MEMS sensors, perform a first filtering operation on the measurement values, and determine whether to cause the communication circuit to transmit a signal to an external device based on the first filtering operation.

Claims

1. A remote sensor assembly comprising:

a silicon substrate;

a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors supported on the silicon substrate;

a wireless communication circuit supported on the silicon substrate;

a processing device supported on the silicon substrate, the processing device operable to obtain measurement values from at least one of plurality of MEMS sensors, perform a first filtering operation on the measurement values, and determine whether to cause the communication circuit to transmit a signal to an external device based on the first filtering operation.

2. The remote sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the processing device is integrally formed with the silicon substrate.

3. The remote sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of conduction paths formed in the silicon substrate, and wherein at least a part of a plurality of MEMS sensors are disposed on a separate substrate that is disposed on a surface of the silicon substrate and connected to the processing circuit at least in part through the conductive paths.

4. The remote sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein the MEMS sensors include integrated temperature, carbon dioxide, ammonia and humidity sensors.

5. The remote sensor assembly of claim 1 wherein the first filtering operation includes determining whether a sensor-derived value differs from a reference value by more than a threshold amount.

6. The remote sensor assembly of claim 5 wherein the reference value is based on a previous sensor-derived value.

7. The remote sensor assembly of claim 5 wherein the reference value corresponds to an alarm threshold value.

8. The remote sensor assembly of claim 5 wherein the plurality of MEMS sensors are integrated into a MEMS sensor module that is disposed on the substrate, and wherein the sensor-derived value is a value received from the MEMS sensor module.

9. A method of obtaining sensor data from an animal cage, comprising:

a) obtaining data regarding at least one environmental factor using a sensor assembly that is disposed proximal to the animal cage, the sensor assembly including a silicon substrate, a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors supported on the silicon substrate, a wireless communication circuit supported on the silicon substrate, and a processing device supported on the silicon substrate;

b) performing a first filtering operation on measurement values received from at least one of plurality of MEMS sensors,

c) determining whether to cause the communication circuit to transmit a signal to an external device based on the first filtering operation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the processing device is integrally formed with the silicon substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the silicon substrate includes a plurality of conduction paths formed therein, and wherein the plurality of MEMS sensors comprise a separate module that is disposed on a surface of the silicon substrate and which is coupled to the plurality of conduction paths.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of MEMs sensors includes at least two of the group consisting of temperature, carbon dioxide, ammonia and humidity sensors.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first filtering operation includes determining whether a sensor-derived value differs from a reference value by more than a threshold amount.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference value is based on a previous sensor-derived value.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the reference value corresponds to an alarm threshold value.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of MEMS sensors are integrated into a MEMS sensor module that is disposed on the silicon substrate, and wherein the sensor-derived value is a value received from the MEMS sensor module.

17. A remote sensor assembly comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors supported on the substrate;

a communication circuit supported on the substrate;

a processing device supported on the substrate, the processing device operable to obtain measurement values from at least one of plurality of MEMS sensors, perform a first filtering operation on the measurement values, and determine whether to cause the MEMs communication circuit to transmit a signal to an external device based on the first filtering operation; and

an energy storage device supported on the substrate, the energy storage device operable to provide bias power to at least the processing device during normal operation of the processing device.

18. The remote sensor assembly of claim 17, wherein the MEMS sensors include integrated temperature, carbon dioxide, ammonia and humidity sensors.

19. The remote sensor assembly of claim 17 wherein the first filtering operation includes determining whether a sensor-derived value differs from a reference value by more than a threshold amount.

20. The remote sensor assembly of claim 19 wherein the reference value is based on a previous sensor-derived value.

21. The remote sensor assembly of claim 19 wherein the reference value corresponds to an alarm threshold value.

22. The remote sensor assembly of claim 19 wherein the plurality of MEMS sensors are integrated into a MEMS sensor module that is disposed on the substrate, and wherein the sensor-derived value is a value received from the MEMS sensor module.