MONITORING MOVEMENT

• US 20120217313A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Bowman, Paul A., Ng, Jason W.P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,777,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

A monitoring device (10) for monitoring movement characteristics of an item with which the monitoring device is associated, the monitoring device comprising: a transducer (15) operable to generate an electrical signal in response to movement of the item; an electrical store (18) operable to store energy on receipt of an electrical signal from the transducer (15); a radio-frequency identification device (12, 13, 14) having a data recorder (14) operable to record data on receipt of an electrical signal from the transducer (15), and a radio-frequency signal transmitter (12,13) operable to transmit a radio-frequency signal indicative of data recorded by said data recorder; and an electrical signal splitter operable to split an electrical signal generated by the transducer into a first portion and a second portion, and to provide said first portion to said electrical store and said second portion to said radio-frequency identification device.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for monitoring movement characteristics of an item with which the monitoring device is associated, the monitoring device comprising:

a transducer operable to generate an electrical signal in response to movement of the item;

a radio-frequency identification device having a data recorder operable to record data on receipt of an electrical signal from said transducer, and a radio-frequency signal transmitter operable to transmit a radio-frequency signal indicative of data recorded by said data recorder;

an electrical store operable to store energy on receipt of an electrical signal from said transducer, said electrical store being operable to serve as a supply of energy for the radio-frequency identification device; and

an electrical signal splitter operable to split an electrical signal generated by the transducer into a first portion and a second portion, and to provide said first portion to said electrical store and said second portion to said radio-frequency identification device whereby to allow said data recorder to record data in dependence on said second portion.

2. A monitoring device according to claim 1 wherein the transducer is operable to generate an electrical signal in response to changes in movement of the item such as vibration, acceleration, deceleration or change of direction.

3. A monitoring device according to claim 1 wherein the device further comprises an on-board clock associated with the data recorder, whereby to enable time data to be recorded in conjunction with said data recorded on receipt of an electrical signal.

4. A monitoring device according to claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a time signal receiver associated with the data recorder, whereby to enable time data to be recorded in conjunction with said data recorded on receipt of an electrical signal.

5. A monitoring device according to claim 1 wherein the device further comprises one or more sensors for sensing external parameters or observing external conditions such as temperature, pressure, humidity, light level, presence of specific chemical substances, etc.

6. A monitoring device according to claim 1 wherein the radio-frequency identification device comprises a passive RFID tag.

7. A monitoring device according to claim 1 wherein the radio-frequency identification device comprises an active or semi-active RFID tag.