METHOD FOR REMOTELY UPDATING WIRELESS SENSORS

• US 20100302071A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Scheid, Paul Raymond, Beacham, William H. JR., Mattei, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,054,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method and system is provided for updating a sensor disposed within a mobile unit. The method includes the steps of: a) providing a remote server and at least one sensor, which remote server and sensor are located in the mobile unit and are in communications with one another through a first wireless network, and wherein the sensor has a first functionality; b) receiving an update signal transmitted from a base server to the remote server over a second wireless network; c) transmitting the received update signal from the remote server to the sensor over the first wireless network; and d) reconfiguring the sensor from the first functionality to a second functionality based upon the transmitted update signal.

Claims

1. A method for updating a sensor disposed within a mobile unit, comprising the steps of:

providing a remote server and at least one sensor, which remote server and sensor are located in the mobile unit and are in communications with one another through a first wireless network, and wherein the sensor has a first functionality;

receiving an update signal transmitted from a base server to the remote server over a second wireless network;

transmitting the received update signal from the remote server to the sensor over the first wireless network; and

reconfiguring the sensor from the first functionality to a second functionality based upon the transmitted update signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit is an aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first functionality corresponds to a first environmental parameter and the second functionality corresponds to a second environmental parameter, wherein the first environmental parameter is different than the second environmental parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and the second environmental parameters are selected from a group consisting of temperature, pressure, and humidity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first functionality corresponds to a first actuator condition, and the second functionality corresponds to a second actuator condition, wherein the first actuator condition is different than the second actuator condition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and the second actuator conditions is indicative of a mechanical-dynamic actuator parameter selected from a group consisting of position, travel, rate of movement, rate of change, and operational state.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and the second actuator conditions is indicative of an electrical actuator parameter selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, and strength of an electromagnetic field.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first functionality corresponds to a first set of one or more predetermined values associated with sensor operation, and the second functionality corresponds to a second set of one or more predetermined values associated with sensor operation, wherein the first set of predetermined values is different than the second set of predetermined values.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first set of predetermined values is a first threshold value and the second set of predetermined values is a second threshold value.

10. A method for updating a sensor disposed within a mobile unit, comprising the steps of:

providing a remote server, at least one controller and at least one sensor, which remote server, controller and sensor are located in the mobile unit, which remote server and controller are in communications with one another through a first wireless network, and wherein the sensor has a first functionality and is in communication with the controller;

receiving an update signal transmitted from a base server to the remote server over a second wireless network;

transmitting the received update signal from the remote server to the controller over the first wireless network;

communicating the received update signal from the controller to the sensor; and

reconfiguring the sensor from the first functionality to a second functionality based upon the transmitted update signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first functionality corresponds to a first environmental parameter and the second functionality corresponds to a second environmental parameter, wherein the first environmental parameter is different than the second environmental parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and the second environmental parameters are selected from a group consisting of temperature, pressure, and humidity.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first functionality corresponds to a first actuator condition, and the second functionality corresponds to a second actuator condition, wherein the first actuator condition is different than the second actuator condition.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and the second actuator conditions is indicative of a mechanical-dynamic actuator parameter selected from a group consisting of position, travel, rate of movement, rate of change, and operational state.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and the second actuator conditions is indicative of an electrical actuator parameter selected from a group consisting of voltage, current, and strength of an electromagnetic field.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first functionality corresponds to a first set of one or more predetermined values associated with sensor operation, and the second functionality corresponds to a second set of one or more predetermined values associated with sensor operation, wherein the first set of predetermined values is different than the second set of predetermined values.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first set of predetermined values is a first threshold value and the second set of predetermined values is a second threshold value.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the sensor is integrated with an actuator.

19. A system for updating one or more sensors disposed within a mobile unit, comprising:

a remote server located in the mobile unit;

a sensor located in the mobile unit, which sensor has a first functionality;

a first wireless network located within the mobile unit, which first wireless network is adapted to provide wireless communications between the remote server and the sensor;

a base server adapted to transmit an update signal to the remote server over a second wireless network;

wherein the remote server is adapted to receive the update signal, and is further adapted to transmit the update signal to the sensor over the first wireless network; and

wherein the sensor is operable to reconfigure from the first functionality to a second functionality based upon the transmitted update signal.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a controller in communication with the sensor and the remote server, wherein controller is adapted to receive the update signal from the remote server, and controller is adapted to transmit a signal representative of the update signal to the sensor.