WIRELESS SOURCELESS SENSOR

• US 20070182535A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alps Automative, Inc. (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alps Automative, Inc. (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Seguchi, Koji
• Application Number:
  US11/670,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/457.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A self-powered sensor detects or measures an event by converting one form of energy into another form. The converted energy may be conditioned and regulated to drive a wireless transmitter and encoder. A receiver may detect and validate a received message. If validated, the message may be processed or decrypted and processed to determine what has been identified or requested.

Claims

1. A wireless sourceless sensor, comprising:

a first transducer that generates electricity when subjected to a mechanical stress; and

a second transducer that converts the output of the first transducer to a wireless communication signal;

the first transducer and the second transducers mechanically coupled to a belt buckle to transmit the wireless communication signal when the belt buckle is engaged or released.

2. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 1 where the second transducer comprises a code-hopping encoder coupled to a transmitter.

3. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 1 where the belt buckle is coupled to a lap belt.

4. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 3 where the belt buckle is coupled to a shoulder harness.

5. A wireless sourceless sensor, comprising:

a first transducer that generates an output when subjected to a pressure; and

a second transducer electrically connected to the first transducer that converts an output of the first transducer to a wireless communication signal.

6. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 5, where the first transducer comprises a piezoelectric generator electrically coupled to a power conditioning unit.

7. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 6, where the power conditioning unit comprises a transformer and a voltage regulator.

8. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 5, where the second transducer comprises an encryption unit coupled to a transmitter.

9. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 8, where the encryption unit comprises a code-hopping encoder.

10. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 5, where the pressure comprises a magnetic pressure.

11. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 5, where the wireless communication signal comprises a radio frequency signal.

12. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 5, where the second transducer comprises an encryption unit coupled to a transceiver.

13. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 5, further comprising a sensor coupled to the second transducer, the second transducer comprising an encryption unit electrically connected to a transmitter.

14. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 13, where the encryption unit is adapted to encode an output of the sensor.

15. The wireless sourceless sensor of claim 13, where the sensor is adapted to detect when a belt buckle is engaged or released.

16. A method of powering a wireless sourceless sensor and transmitting an encrypted signal, comprising:

converting a mechanical pressure to a first electrical signal;

conditioning the first electrical signal to a second electrical signal;

sourcing an encryption unit and a transmitter with the second electrical signal;

encrypting the second electrical signal into a data packet; and

transmitting the data packet.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising sensing an event;

and generating a signal indicating the event.

18. The method of claim 17, where sensing an event comprises sensing when a belt buckle is engaged or released.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising sourcing a sensor with the second electrical signal.

20. The method of claim 16, where conditioning the first electrical signal to a second electrical signal comprises rectifying the first electrical signal;

and regulating the first electrical signal to the second electrical signal.

21. The method of claim 16, where encrypting the second electrical signal into a data packet comprises encoding a unique identification code in the data packet.

22. The method of claim 16, where transmitting the data packet comprises transmitting a radio frequency signal.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving the data packet;

and decrypting the data packet into an event notification signal.

24. A wireless sourceless sensor, comprising:

a transducer that generates electricity when subjected to a mechanical pressure;

means for converting an output of the transducer to an encrypted data packet; and

means for converting the encrypted data packet to a wireless communication signal.