DATA ACQUISITION NODE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME

• US 20160073346A1
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Nicks, Eric Lee, Cortez, Javier, Followell, David Allan
• Granted Patent: US 9,872,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A data acquisition node for coupling to a system of a vehicle includes a processor coupled to a communication interface. The processor is configured to transition from a sleep mode to a start-up detect mode after an imminent-event message is received at the communication interface. The communication interface is substantially deactivated while in the start-up detect mode. The processor also is configured to monitor sensor data from at least one sensor while in the start-up detect mode. The at least one sensor is operable to generate a signal that is representative of a physical characteristic of the system.

Claims

1. A data acquisition node for coupling to a system of a vehicle, wherein said data acquisition node comprises a processor coupled to a communication interface, said processor configured to:

transition from a sleep mode to a start-up detect mode after an imminent-event message is received at said communication interface, wherein said communication interface is substantially deactivated while in the start-up detect mode; and

monitor sensor data from at least one sensor while in the start-up detect mode, wherein the at least one sensor is operable to generate a signal that is representative of a physical characteristic of the system.

2. The data acquisition node according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to activate said communication interface intermittently while in the sleep mode to check for the imminent-event message.

3. The data acquisition node according to claim 1, further comprising an input interface operable to receive input from the at least one sensor, wherein said processor is further configured to deactivate said input interface while in the sleep mode and to activate said input interface after the imminent-event message is received.

4. The data acquisition node according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to transition from the start-up detect mode to a normal mode after the monitored sensor data satisfies a trigger profile, wherein said communication interface is activated in the normal mode.

5. The data acquisition node according to claim 4, wherein said processor is further configured to:

determine whether a normal mode termination condition is satisfied; and

return to the sleep mode after the normal mode termination condition is satisfied.

6. The data acquisition node according to claim 1, wherein said communication interface is a wireless communication interface.

7. A method of operating a data acquisition node coupled to a system of a vehicle, said method comprising:

transitioning from a sleep mode to a start-up detect mode after an imminent-event message is received at a communication interface of the data acquisition node, wherein the communication interface is substantially deactivated while in the start-up detect mode; and

monitoring sensor data from at least one sensor while in the start-up detect mode, wherein the at least one sensor is operable to generate a signal that is representative of a physical characteristic of the system.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising activating the communication interface intermittently while in the sleep mode to check for an imminent-event message.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

deactivating an input interface of the data acquisition node while in the sleep mode; and

activating the input interface after the imminent-event message is received, wherein the input interface is operable to receive input from the at least one sensor.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising transitioning from the start-up detect mode to a normal mode after the monitored sensor data satisfies a trigger profile, wherein the communication interface is activated in the normal mode.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether a normal mode termination condition is satisfied; and

returning to the sleep mode after the normal mode termination condition is satisfied.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising wirelessly transmitting selected sensor data from the communication interface while in the normal mode.

13. The method according to claim 7, further comprising returning to the sleep mode after a trigger timeout elapses in the start-up detect mode.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by a data acquisition node comprising a communication interface, the computer-executable instructions cause the data acquisition node to:

transition from a sleep mode to a start-up detect mode after an imminent-event message is received, wherein the communication interface is substantially deactivated while in the start-up detect mode; and

monitor sensor data from at least one sensor while in the start-up detect mode, wherein the at least one sensor is operable to generate a signal that is representative of a physical characteristic of a system of a vehicle.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the data acquisition node to activate the communication interface intermittently while in the sleep mode to check for the imminent-event message.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the data acquisition node to:

deactivate an input interface of the data acquisition node while in the sleep mode; and

activate the input interface after the imminent-event message is received, wherein the input interface is operable to receive input from the at least one sensor.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the data acquisition node to transition from the start-up detect mode to a normal mode after the monitored sensor data satisfies a trigger profile, wherein said communication interface is activated in the normal mode.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the data acquisition node to:

determine whether a normal mode termination condition is satisfied; and

return to the sleep mode after the normal mode termination condition is satisfied.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the data acquisition node to wirelessly transmit selected sensor data from the communication interface while in the normal mode.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the data acquisition node to return to the sleep mode after a trigger timeout elapses in the start-up detect mode.