SMART LUG SYSTEM

• US 20150348394A1
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: de la Borbolla, Ian Rubin, Dinh, Cong Thanh, Drane, Mark R., Feudner, Andrew J., Burke, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/16 Elements for restraining, or preventing the movement of, parts, e.g. for zeroising caging of moving parts when not in use G01D11/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/10 with provision for switching-in of additional or auxiliary indicators or recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/26 End pieces terminating in a screw clamp, screw or nut
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A device includes a device body that further includes a first attachment mechanism for attaching to another object, structure, or item of equipment. The device also includes wireless communication circuitry affixed to the device body, and one or more sensor components affixed to the device body, coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense environmental parameters associated with the device or with the object, structure or item of equipment. The device may further include powering circuitry, affixed to the device body, and configured to provide electrical power to the wireless communication circuitry and/or the one or more sensor components. The device may include a lug, connector or terminal.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a device body that includes a first attachment mechanism for attaching to another object, structure, or item of equipment;

wireless communication circuitry affixed to the device body; and

one or more sensor components affixed to the device body, coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense environmental parameters associated with the device or with the other object, structure, or item of equipment.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a recess formed in the device body, wherein the wireless communication circuitry, and the one or more sensor components are affixed to the device body within the recess; and

a sealant layer formed over the wireless communication circuitry, and the one or more sensor components, within the recess.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the other object comprises a wire and wherein a color of the sealant layer is color-coded based on a gauge of the wire to which the device body is to be attached.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

powering circuitry, affixed to the device body, and configured to provide electrical power to at least one of the wireless communication circuitry or the one or more sensor components.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the other object, structure, or item of equipment comprises a motor or a cable.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a lug, a connector or a terminal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with an external wireless network access point connected to a network.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with an external wireless reader.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the environmental parameters sensed by the one or more sensor components comprise at least one of:

temperature, moisture, vibration, heat, impact force, compression force, velocity, or acceleration associated with the device or with the object, structure or item of equipment.

10. The device of claim 4, wherein the powering circuitry is configured to harvest waste energy from the device body;

from the wireless communication circuitry, one or more sensor components, or the powering circuitry;

or from the object, structure or item of equipment.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the powering circuitry is configured to use a thermoelectric effect to generate a voltage to provide electrical power to the wireless communication circuitry and the one or more sensor components based on a temperature difference across the device body, or between the device and the other object, structure, or item of equipment.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a geo-location unit configured to obtain a geo-location of the device.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an odor emitting unit configured to emit one or more stored chemicals in a gaseous form.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing unit configured to generate a sensor report using the sensed environmental parameters,

wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to transmit the sensor report via a wireless mechanism.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the wireless mechanism comprises Wi-Fi, BlueTooth, cellular or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication circuitry.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a geo-location unit configured to obtain a geo-location of the device,

wherein the processing is further configured to generate the sensor report using the obtained geo-location of the device.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

obtain an identifier for the device,

generate a signature based on the identifier,

obtain a current date and time, and

generate the sensor report using the identifier, the signature, and the current date and time.

18. A system, comprising:

a first device comprising;

a first device body that includes a first attachment mechanism for attaching to a first object, structure, or item of equipment,

first wireless communication circuitry affixed to the first device body, and

one or more first sensor components affixed to the first device body, coupled to the first wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense first environmental parameters associated with the first device; and

a second device comprising;

a second device body that includes a second attachment mechanism for attaching to a second object, structure, or item of equipment,

second wireless communication circuitry affixed to the second device body, and

one or more second sensor components affixed to the second device body, coupled to the second wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense second environmental parameters associated with the second device,

wherein the first wireless communication circuitry transmits the first environmental parameters, and wherein the second wireless communication circuitry receives the transmitted first environmental parameters and relays the first environmental parameters to a third device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device comprises a first lug, connector or terminal and the second device comprises a second lug, connector or terminal.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the second wireless communication circuitry transmits the second environmental parameters, and wherein the first wireless communication circuitry receives the transmitted second environmental parameters and relays the second environmental parameters to a fourth device.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the second wireless communication circuitry transmits the second environmental parameters, and wherein the first wireless communication circuitry receives the transmitted second environmental parameters and relays the second environmental parameters to a wireless network access point connected to a network.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the first and second wireless communication circuitry are configured to transmit the first and second environmental parameters via one or more wireless mechanisms.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more wireless mechanisms comprise at least one of Wi-Fi, BlueTooth, cellular or Radio Frequency Identifying (RFID) communication circuitry.

24. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a network device, a first sensor report from first circuitry affixed to a first lug, connector or terminal;

receiving, at the network device, a second sensor report from second circuitry affixed to a second lug, connector or terminal;

extracting one or more first environmental parameters from the first sensor report and one or more second environmental parameters from the second sensor report;

storing the first and second environmental parameters in a database;

extracting data from the database, including the one or more first and second environmental parameters; and

performing, at the network device, an analysis of the extracted data to generate an analysis report.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a third sensor report from the circuitry affixed to the first lug, connector or terminal;

extracting third environmental parameters from the third sensor report; and

storing the third environmental parameters in the database.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a third sensor report from the third circuitry affixed to a third lug, connector or terminal;

extracting third environmental parameters from the third sensor report; and

storing the third environmental parameters in the database.