DISPLACEMENT SENSOR

• US 20160165323A1
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen Hollis
• Original Assignee: Stephen Hollis
• Inventors: Hollis, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• 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

A unitary displacement sensor includes a circuit, a first device for measuring acceleration, a second device for measuring a magnetic field, a wireless communications module, and a power source coupled to the circuit, the first device, the second device, and wireless communications module such that the circuit is configured to cause the power source to activate the wireless communications module and the second device when a level of acceleration measured by the first device meets or exceeds a predefined threshold level of acceleration and the wireless communications module is configured to transmit a measurement by the second device of the magnetic field.

Claims

1. A unitary displacement sensor comprising:

a circuit;

a first device for measuring acceleration coupled to the circuit;

a second device for measuring a magnetic field coupled to the circuit;

a wireless communications module coupled to the circuit; and

a power source coupled to the circuit, the first device, the second device, and wireless communications module; and

wherein the circuit is configured to cause the power source to activate the wireless communications module and the second device when a level of acceleration measured by the first device meets or exceeds a predefined threshold level of acceleration; and

wherein the wireless communications module is configured to transmit data regarding a measurement by the second device of the magnetic field.

2. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the unitary displacement sensor is sized and configured to be mounted at an entry point to a location.

3. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications module is a Wi-Fi embedded microchip.

4. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a processor to determine whether a predefined threshold level of change in the magnetic field is met or exceeded and whether the predefined threshold level of acceleration is met or exceeded.

5. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to determine at least one of a time that the predefined threshold level of change in the magnetic field is met or exceeded or a time that the predefined threshold level of acceleration is met or exceeded.

6. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 5, wherein the wireless communications module is configured to transmit an information signal that comprises at least one of data regarding the time that the predefined threshold level of change in the magnetic field is met or exceeded or data regarding the time that the predefined threshold level of acceleration is met or exceeded.

7. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 5, further comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein at least one of data regarding the time that the predefined threshold level of change in the magnetic field is met or exceeded or data regarding the time that the predefined threshold level of acceleration is met or exceeded is stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium.

8. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to determine the level of acceleration measured by the first device.

9. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 8, wherein the circuit is configured to determine the level of change in the magnetic field measured by the second device.

10. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 9, wherein the circuit is configured to provide data regarding the level of acceleration measured the first device and data regarding the level of change in the magnetic field measured by the second device to the wireless communications module, and the wireless communications module is configured to transmit the data regarding the level of acceleration measured by the first device and the data regarding the level of change in the magnetic field measured by the second device.

11. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 9, further comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the circuit, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium is configured to store the data regarding the level of acceleration measured by the first device and the data regarding the level of change in the magnetic field measured by the second device.

12. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications module is configured to receive a standby signal, and wherein the wireless communications module is configured not transmit the alarm signal for a period of time when the standby signal is received by the wireless communications module.

13. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the first device is an accelerometer.

14. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the second device is a magnetometer.

15. The unitary displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to enable the wireless communications module to transmit the data when a level of change in the magnetic field measured by the second device meets or exceeds a predefined threshold level of change of the magnetic field.

16. A system for sensing displacement of a sensor, comprising:

an access node configured to receive data from a sensor regarding a measurement of a magnetic field measured by the sensor;

wherein the access node is configured to receive the data from the sensor, and wherein the access node receives the data from the sensor when a predefined threshold level of acceleration of the sensor is met or exceeded; and

wherein the access node is configured to transmit the data regarding the measurement of the magnetic field to a monitoring and control system.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a processor; and

an alarm device coupled to the processor, the alarm device configured to emit an audible sound; and

wherein the processor is configured to enable the alarm device to emit the audible sound upon receipt of a signal from the processor.

18. A method for detecting displacement of a sensor, comprising:

measuring a level of acceleration of a sensor;

comparing the measured level of acceleration to a predefined threshold level of acceleration;

activating a wireless communications module when the predefined threshold level of acceleration is met or exceeded;

transmitting a signal when the predefined threshold level of acceleration is met or exceeded;

wherein the signal comprises data regarding a measurement of a magnetic field.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

measuring a level of change in the magnetic field;

comparing the measured level of change in the magnetic field to a predefined threshold level of change of the magnetic field.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

obtaining a reference magnetic field measurement for the sensor; and

wherein obtaining the reference magnetic field measurement comprises measuring a magnetic field of the sensor when the sensor is at a first location, the first location defined such that the sensor is in proximity to a ferrous element, and the ferrous element being a component of infrastructure at which the sensor is installed.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting a notice of an intrusion to at least one of a user or a security circle of a user based on receiving the signal.

22. A method for reporting displacement of a sensor, comprising:

transmitting an arming signal to a displacement sensor;

transmitting an alert to a user based on an intrusion event;

displaying the alert to the user, wherein the alert comprises a pre-populated message describing the intrusion event;

displaying an interactive feature that is configured to perform at least one of disabling the alert, notifying emergency services, contacting any of the user'"'"'s security circle;

providing the user an option of sending the pre-populated message to at least one of the user'"'"'s security circle or other entities or editing the pre-populated message and sending the edited message to at least one of the user'"'"'s security circle or other entities; and

upon sending the pre-populated message or the edited message to at least one of the user'"'"'s security circle or the other entities, displaying a dialogue among the user'"'"'s security circle or the other entities that received the pre-populated message or the edited message.