METHODS OF SENSING PARAMETERS

• US 20150350751A1
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barry John Mc Cleland, Eugene Christiaan Van Beljon
• Original Assignee: Barry John Mc Cleland, Eugene Christiaan Van Beljon
• Inventors: Mc CLELAND, Barry John, van BELJON, Eugene Christiaan
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/42 Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Methods of sensing parameters are provided in which an event is detected using one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors of a sensor probe. The event corresponds to a change in a sensed parameter. The detection and associated measurement data is stored in an internal digital storage of the MEMS sensor and an interrupt is transmitted to an upstream device including an identifier of the sensor probe. An interrogation is received from an upstream device responsive to transmitting the interrupt and, responsive to being interrogated by the upstream device, at least the stored detection and associated data are transmitted to the upstream device.

Claims

1. A method of sensing parameters, the method being conducted by a probe sensor system and comprising the steps of:

detecting an event using one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors of a sensor probe, the event corresponding to a change in a sensed parameter;

storing the detection and associated measurement data in an internal digital storage of the MEMS sensor and transmitting an interrupt to an upstream device including an identifier of the sensor probe;

receiving an interrogation from an upstream device responsive to transmitting the interrupt; and

,

responsive to being interrogated by the upstream device, transmitting at least the stored detection and associated data to the upstream device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes receiving electrical power from the upstream device via a power line.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting an interrupt to the upstream device transmits the interrupt via an interrupt line.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting at least the stored detection and associated data to the upstream device transmits the stored detection and associated data via a data line.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor probe is connected to the upstream device via a cable and wherein the upstream device is one of a remote monitoring unit or a probe hub connected directly to a remote monitoring unit or indirectly to a remote monitoring unit via one or more other probe hubs.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the cable includes a clock line, a data line, a power line, a ground line and an interrupt line.

7. A method of monitoring sensing parameters as provided by a probe sensor system, the method being conducted by an upstream device being a remote monitoring unit or a probe hub, and comprising the steps of:

receiving an interrupt from a downstream device being a sensor probe or a probe hub, including an identifier of a sensor probe, the interrupt relating to detecting an event using one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors of the sensor probe;

responsive to receiving the interrupt from the downstream device, interrogating the downstream device; and

,

receiving, from the downstream device, at least a stored detection and associated data at the upstream device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method includes a step of supplying electrical power to the sensor probe.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein receiving an interrupt from a downstream device includes receiving the interrupt via an interrupt line.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein receiving at least a stored detection and associated data receives the stored detection and associated data via a data line.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method includes a further step of:

responsive to receiving at least the stored detection and associated data from the downstream device, if the upstream device is not a remote monitoring device, the upstream device transmitting an interrupt to another device being upstream of the upstream device.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of interrogating the downstream device includes accessing a register, an access table map, or an up-loadable sensor driver access program of the downstream device.

13. The method according to claim 7, including:

addressing a sensor probe using a unique probe identifier at a microcontroller of a next downstream probe hub of the probe sensor system;

the next downstream probe hub then checking to ascertain if the addressed sensor probe is connected to itself, and if not, forwarding the unique probe identifier, a sensor identifier and sensor parameters to be programed into the addressed sensor probe to a next downstream probe hub until an appropriate probe hub is reached; and

,

a microcontroller of the appropriate probe hub then addressing a digital storage module of the sensor probe and updating one or more sensor parameters of the sensor probe.