Sensor

• US 20110271741A1
• Filed: 01/03/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Original Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Inventors: Bulst, Wolf-Eckhart, Sczesny, Oliver, Schmidt, Frank
• Application Number:
  US12/983,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20110271741A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/29.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers

Abstract

An energy-autonomous sensor for detection of physical environmental parameters, having at least one sensor element, one storage element and one control circuit, with a timer circuit which is activated on reaching a predetermined electrical voltage on the storage element, activates the sensor and the control circuit at predetermined time intervals, and deactivates them after a predetermined operating time, such that this results in a time duration of sensor operation and a sensor operation pause.

Claims

1. An energy-autonomous sensor for detection of physical environmental parameters, comprising:

one sensor element for detection of physical environmental parameters;

a control circuit for coding of the detected physical environmental parameters, a radio-frequency transmitter for transmitting the coded detected physical environmental parameters together with an ID number of the sensor;

a storage element for storage of electrical energy;

an electrical power generator adapted to convert energy in the surrounding area into electrical energy and wherein the electrical power generator is coupled to the storage element in order to supply power to the sensor; and

a timer circuit which is activated upon a predetermined electrical voltage on the storage element being reached, activates the sensor element and the control circuit at a predetermined time interval, and deactivates them after a predetermined operating time, such that this results in a time duration of sensor operation and time duration of sensor operation pause.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrical power generator is a photovoltaic element and is configured to be smaller than is required for direct operation of the sensor with the control circuit.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency transmitter is configured to transmit by error-tolerant transmission methods and/or to scramble the coded detected physical environmental parameters together with an ID number prior to transmission.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the time duration of sensor operation is shorter than the time duration of the sensor operation pause.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein on each activation of the control circuit, the time interval for activation of the control circuit is a function of the state of charge of the storage element.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the time interval for activation of the control circuit is a function of the illumination intensity at the photovoltaic element at the activation time.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency transmitter produces at least one of a radio-frequency signal or radio message.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the storage element is a capacitor and/or an electrochemical energy store.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor element detects moisture or humidity as the physical environmental parameter.

10. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising at least two electrodes for performing a moisture or humidity measurement via an impedance measurement.

11. A system comprising:

an energy-autonomous sensor for detection of physical environmental parameters comprising;

one sensor element for detection of physical environmental parameters;

a control circuit for coding of the detected physical environmental parameters;

a radio-frequency transmitter for transmitting the coded detected physical environmental parameters together with an ID number of the sensor;

a storage element for storage of electrical energy;

an electrical power generator adapted to convert energy in the surrounding area into electrical energy and wherein the electrical power generator is connected to the storage element in order to supply power to the sensor; and

a timer circuit which is activated upon a predetermined electrical voltage on the storage element being reached, activates the sensor element and the control circuit at a predetermined time interval, and deactivates them after a predetermined operating time, such that this results in a time duration of sensor operation and time duration of sensor operation pause; and

at least one radio-frequency receiver for receiving and evaluating the coded detected physical environmental parameters together with the ID number of the sensor, wherein the radio-frequency receiver is connected with addressable receiver systems that react and in turn result in an action.