SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF COUPLING DIGITIZING SENSORS TO A STRUCTURE

• US 20140232552A1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metis Design Corporation, The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: Metis Design Corporation, The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kessler, Seth S., Ihn, Jeong-Beom, Dunn, Christopher T., Duce, Jeffrey Lynn, Borgen, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,480,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/05 Digital input using the sampling of an analogue quantity at regular intervals of time , input from a/d converter or output to d/a converter
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0219 Printed shielding conductors for shielding around or between signal conductors, e.g. coplanar or coaxial printed shielding conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1344 Spraying small metal particles or droplets of molten metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor

Abstract

Systems and methods of coupling digitizing sensors to a structure are disclosed. A particular system includes a digitizing sensor node. The system further includes a bus including a plurality of conductive elements applied to a substrate. A first conductive element of the bus is coupled to the digitizing sensor node using a direct-write technique.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a digitizing sensor node; and

a bus comprising a plurality of conductive elements applied to a substrate, wherein a first conductive element of the bus is coupled to the digitizing sensor node using a direct-write technique.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hub coupled to the bus, wherein the hub is adapted to receive signals from the digitizing sensor node via the bus using a first protocol and to convert the signals to a second protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the digitizing sensor node comprises at least one processor that processes information gathered by the digitizing sensor node and transmits the processed information via the bus.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator separate from the digitizing sensor node and coupled to the bus, wherein the actuator and the digitizing sensor node are synchronized for data gathering via a synchronization signal transmitted via the bus.

5. A structure, comprising:

at least one structural element;

at least one digitizing sensor coupled to the at least one structural element; and

a bus comprising a plurality of conductive traces applied on the at least one structural element using a direct-write technique, wherein one or more power traces of the bus provide power to the at least one digitizing sensor, and wherein one or more communication traces of the bus enable data communication from the at least one digitizing sensor.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the at least one structural element comprises a conductive material, and wherein a dielectric material is applied between the at least one structural element and the bus.

7. The structure of claim 5, wherein the at least one digitizing sensor is adapted to gather data regarding structural integrity of the at least one structural element, and to transmit the data as a digital signal via the one or more communication traces to a structural health monitoring system.

8. The structure of claim 5, further comprising an actuator coupled to the at least one structural element.

9. The structure of claim 8, wherein one or more synchronization traces of the bus enable synchronization between the actuator and the digitizing sensor.

10. The structure of claim 5, wherein the one or more communication traces include at least two communication traces, and wherein the structure further comprises one or more shield traces between the at least two communication traces.

11. The structure of claim 5, further comprising a first conductive shield layer applied to the structural element, wherein the one or more communication traces are applied over the first conductive shield layer.

12. The structure of claim 11, further comprising a second conductive shield layer over the one or more communication traces.

13. The structure of claim 12, further comprising:

a first insulating layer between the first conductive shield layer and the one or more communication traces; and

a second insulating layer between the one or more communication traces and the second conductive shield layer.

14. The structure of claim 5, further comprising a dielectric layer applied to the structure, wherein the one or more communication traces are applied over the dielectric layer.

15. The structure of claim 14, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive, wherein the dielectric layer is coupled to the structure via the pressure sensitive adhesive.

16. A method comprising:

receiving structural health information at a digitizing sensor coupled to at least one structural element; and

converting the structural health information to digital data;

transmitting a signal corresponding to the digital data to a central processor via one or more communication traces of a bus comprising a plurality of conductive elements applied to the structural element using a direct-write technique.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the central processor corresponds to a structural health monitoring system.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising differentiating between first data to report and second data, wherein the digital data includes the first data.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving an acoustic signal from an actuator via the at least one structural element, wherein the structural health information is determined based on the acoustic signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the actuator is coupled to the digitizing sensor via a synchronization trace of the one or more communication traces.