SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING FERRITE ALIGNMENT KEYS IN WIRELESS REMOTE SENSORS

• US 20100141273A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Morris, William Guy, Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Dumoulin, Charles Lucian, Surman, Cheryl Margaret
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/655
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/007 using variations in inductance
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

The present invention related to devices and methods for using ferrite alignment keys in wireless remote sensor assemblies. In one aspect, the invention provides wireless resonant sensor assemblies comprising a pick-up coil, a ferrite alignment key positioned in and extending from the pick-up coil, and wireless resonant sensor having a receiving element wherein the pick-up coil and the wireless resonant sensor align upon insertion of the ferrite alignment key into the receiving element. The ferrite alignment key may also be part of a resonant sensor such that insertion of a pick-up coil into a receiving element of the alignment key results in a configuration where the alignment key is positioned in and extended from the pick-up coil. Methods of measuring one or more parameters of a monitoring system are also provided. The insertion of the ferrite alignment key aligns the pick-up coil and wireless resonant sensor thereby increasing sensing of the wireless resonant sensor by the pick-up coil.

Claims

1. A wireless resonant sensor assembly comprising:

a pick-up coil;

a ferrite alignment key positioned in and extending from the pick-up coil; and

a wireless resonant sensor having a receiving element,

wherein the pick-up coil and the wireless resonant sensor align upon insertion of the ferrite alignment key into the receiving element.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the wireless resonant sensor is an RFID sensor, acoustic wave sensor, or inductor-capacitor resonant circuit sensor.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the ferrite alignment key is configured such that insertion into the receiving element increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor signal.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the increase sensing of the wireless resonant sensor signal by the pick-up coil comprises improved response stability over measurement time, reduction of response noise, increase of the signal magnitude, increase in the signal-to-noise ratio, and combinations thereof.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the ferrite alignment key further comprises an alignment stop surface which corresponds with an alignment stop surface of the receiving element and whereby contact between the alignment stop surfaces increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor signal by the pick-up coil.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the ferrite alignment key is configured to be repositioned within the receiving element for non-galvanic contact to occur between the alignment stop surfaces.

7. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a reader/writer device coupled to the pick-up coil.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the wireless resonant sensor assembly is for use in a monitoring system.

9. A wireless resonant sensor assembly comprising:

a wireless resonant sensor;

a ferrite alignment key positioned in and extending from the wireless sensor; and

a pick-up coil having a receiving element wherein the wireless resonant sensor and the pick-up coil align upon insertion of the ferrite alignment key into the receiving element.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the wireless resonant sensor is an RFID sensor, acoustic wave sensor, or inductor-capacitor resonant circuit sensor.

11. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the ferrite alignment key is configured such that insertion of the distal projection element into the receiving element increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor signal.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the increase sensing of the wireless resonant sensor signal by the pick-up coil comprises improved response stability over measurement time, reduction of response noise, increase of the signal magnitude, increase in the signal-to-noise ratio, and combinations thereof.

13. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the ferrite alignment key further comprises an alignment stop surface which corresponding with an alignment stop surface of the receiving element and whereby contact between the alignment stop surfaces increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor signal by the pick-up coil.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the ferrite alignment key is configured to be repositioned within the receiving element for non-galvanic contact to occur between the alignment stop surfaces.

15. The assembly of claim 9 further comprising a reader/writer device attached to the pick-up coil.

16. A method for measuring one or more parameters of a monitoring system comprising:

embedding a wireless resonant sensor in the monitoring system wherein the wireless resonant sensor comprises a receiving element;

providing a pick-up coil, in operative association with the wireless resonant sensor, and a ferrite alignment key position in and extending from the pick up coil;

inserting the ferrite alignment key into the receiving element of the wireless resonant sensor such that the pick-up coil and the wireless resonant sensor align;

sensing the wireless resonant sensor signal with the pick-up coil; and

reading the signal using a reader/writer device coupled to the pick-up.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more parameters comprises at least one of identification, physical, chemical, and biological properties.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the wireless resonant sensor is an RFID sensor, acoustic wave sensor, or inductor-capacitor resonant circuit sensor.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the inserting step increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the inserting step further comprises contacting an alignment stop surface on the ferrite alignment key with a corresponding alignment stop surface of the receiving element and whereby the contacting increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor.

20. The method of claim 20 wherein the increase sensing of the wireless resonant sensor comprises improved response stability over measurement time, reduction of response noise, increase of the signal magnitude, increase in the signal-to-noise ratio, and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 22 wherein the ferrite alignment key is configured to be repositioned within the receiving element for non-galvanic contact to occur between the alignment stop surfaces.

23. A method for measuring one or more parameters of a monitoring system comprising:

embedding a wireless resonant sensor in the monitoring system wherein the wireless resonant sensor comprises a ferrite alignment key position in and extending from the wireless resonant sensor;

providing a pick-up coil in operative association with the wireless resonant sensor and wherein the pick-up coil comprises a receiving element;

inserting the ferrite alignment key into the receiving element of the pick-up coil such that the wireless resonant sensor and the pick-up coil are aligned;

sensing the wireless resonant sensor signal with the pick-up coil; and

reading the signal using a reader/writer device coupled to the pick-up coil.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the one or more parameters comprises at least one of identification, physical, chemical and biological properties.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the wireless resonant sensor is an RFID sensor, acoustic wave sensor, or inductor-capacitor resonant circuit sensor.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the inserting step increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the inserting step further comprises contacting an alignment stop surface on the ferrite alignment key with a corresponding alignment stop surface of the receiving element and whereby the contacting increases the sensing of the wireless resonant sensor signal by the pick-up coil.

27. The method of claim 27 wherein the increase sensing of the wireless resonant sensor comprises improved response stability over measurement time, reduction of response noise, increase of the signal magnitude, increase in the signal-to-noise ratio, and combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 29 wherein the ferrite alignment key is configured to be repositioned within the receiving element for non-galvanic contact to occur between the alignment stop surfaces.