TEMPERATURE MEASURING HEAD UNIT FOR A HOT STICK

• US 20170314997A1
• Filed: 05/02/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hastings Fiber Glass Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kevin Lynn Baum
• Inventors: BAUM, Kevin Lynn, SHAW, Lewis Allender
• Granted Patent: US 10,502,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0275 Control or determination of height or distance or angle information for sensors or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/028 using a charging unit or battery
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/047 Mobile mounting; Scanning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/07 Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position optical collimating elements G01J5/0806
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0859 Sighting arrangements, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/143 for measuring surface temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/02 for overhead lines or cables

Abstract

A temperature sensing system including a head unit comprising a thermal sensor for acquiring thermal data from a surface, a wireless transmitter wirelessly transmitting the thermal data, and a mounting interface; and a non-conductive pole connected to the mounting interface of the head unit.

Claims

1. A head unit comprising:

a directional non-contact thermal sensor for acquiring thermal data from a surface within a field-of-view (FOV) of the non-contact thermal sensor;

a direction pointing protrusion providing a visual aid for orienting the FOV towards a surface of interest;

a wireless transmitter wirelessly transmitting the thermal data; and

a mounting interface for mounting the head unit to another object.

2. The head unit of claim 1, further comprising battery monitoring circuitry for providing a battery level of the head unit, and wherein the wireless transmitter further transmits a value of the battery level.

3. The head unit of claim 1, wherein the direction pointing protrusion protrudes beyond an orientation plane of the non-contact thermal sensor by at least 2 inches.

4. The head unit of claim 1, wherein a tip of the direction pointing protrusion is located near an edge of the FOV of the non-contact thermal sensor.

5. The head unit of claim 1, wherein the mounting interface comprises a universal hot-stick mount for attaching the head unit to a hot-stick.

6. The head unit of claim 1, wherein the directional non-contact thermal sensor has an approximately circular sensing FOV with a diameter that increases with distance from the sensor.

7. The head unit of claim 1, further comprising a momentary-contact power switch with an embedded device status visual indicator for indicating an operational status of the head unit.

8. The head unit of claim 1, further comprising a shielded enclosure to provide at least partial shielding from electric-power-line-frequency electric fields;

wherein the shielded enclosure comprises a conductive enclosure with an opening for at least one of;

the directional non-contact thermal sensor;

an antenna for the wireless transmitter, wherein the antenna is proximal to the opening; and

a battery compartment.

9. The head unit of claim 1, further comprising automatic function disabling circuitry for disabling one or more components of the head unit when a battery level of the head unit is below a threshold value.

10. A temperature sensing system comprising:

a head unit comprising a thermal sensor for acquiring thermal data from a surface, a wireless transmitter wirelessly transmitting the thermal data, and a mounting interface; and

a non-conductive pole connected to the mounting interface of the head unit.

11. The temperature sensing system of claim 10, wherein the thermal sensor comprises a directional non-contact thermal sensor for acquiring the thermal data from a surface within a field-of-view (FOV) of the non-contact thermal sensor;

and the head unit further includes a direction pointing protrusion providing a visual aid for orienting the FOV towards a surface of interest.

12. The temperature sensing system of claim 10, wherein the thermal sensor comprises a contact sensor.

13. The temperature sensing system of claim 10, wherein the head unit includes a sliding cover covering a contact sensor, the sliding cover being configured to slide between a cover position wherein the contact sensor is covered and a measurement position wherein the contact sensor is exposed to the surface for measuring a temperature of the surface, engagement with the surface causing the sliding cover to move from the cover position to the measurement position.

14. The temperature sensing system of claim 10, wherein the non-conductive pole is telescopically extendible.

15. A system comprising:

a head unit comprising a thermal sensor and a wireless transmitter, said head unit acquiring thermal data with the thermal sensor and wirelessly transmitting the thermal data;

a remote unit comprising a wireless receiver receiving the thermal data wirelessly transmitted from the head unit and a display, said remote unit displaying information related to the received thermal data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the thermal sensor comprises a directional non-contact thermal sensor for acquiring the thermal data from a surface within a field-of-view (FOV) of the non-contact thermal sensor;

and the head unit further includes a direction pointing protrusion providing a visual aid for orienting the FOV towards a surface of interest.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the thermal sensor comprises a contact sensor.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the head unit includes a sliding cover covering a contact sensor, the sliding cover being configured to slide between a cover position wherein the contact sensor is covered and a measurement position wherein the contact sensor is exposed to a surface for measuring a temperature of the surface, engagement with the surface causing the sliding cover to move from the cover position to the measurement position.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the head unit further comprises a momentary-contact power switch with an embedded device status visual indicator for indicating an operational status of the head unit.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the display of the remote unit further displays a battery level for the head unit based on a battery level value transmitted from the head unit to the remote unit.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the display of the remote unit further displays a received signal quality for a wireless signal received by the remote unit from the head unit.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the display of the remote unit further displays an error message if a received signal quality for a wireless signal received by the remote unit from the head unit is below a predetermined threshold value.

23. A method of acquiring and transmitting thermal information, comprising:

providing a head unit having a thermal sensor;

obtaining thermal data from the thermal sensor of the head unit;

obtaining battery level data for one or more batteries powering the head unit;

transmitting the thermal data with a wireless transmitter; and

transmitting the battery level data with the wireless transmitter.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the obtaining and transmitting are automatically repeated periodically over time.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining an operational state of the head unit; and

displaying the determined operational state with a visual indicator on the head unit.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the operational state is at least one of:

powered on but not paired with a receiver, powered on and paired with a receiver, transitioning to a powered off state, and powered off.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising automatically disabling one or more components of the head unit when a battery level of the head unit is below a threshold value.

28. A method of acquiring and displaying thermal information from a wireless head unit, comprising:

providing a remote unit;

determining a battery level value for the remote unit;

receiving a head unit battery level value wirelessly from the head unit;

receiving thermal data wirelessly from the head unit;

displaying battery level information for the head unit based on the head unit battery level value;

displaying the battery level information for the remote unit based on a remote unit battery level value;

displaying thermal information based on the received thermal data; and

indicating an error condition if at least one of the head unit and remote unit battery level values is below a threshold value.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein a step of indicating the error condition comprises at least one of:

ceasing display of the thermal information;

displaying a warning message; and

ceasing display of any information.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising displaying a warning message when a wireless connection between the head unit and the remote unit is lost.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising displaying received signal quality information for wireless signals received from the head unit.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising displaying an error message if a received signal quality for a wireless signal received by the remote unit is below a predetermined threshold value.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the method is automatically repeated periodically over time.

34. A method, comprising:

attaching a head unit comprising a non-contact thermal sensor and a wireless transmitter to a pole;

pointing the head unit towards an object;

receiving thermal data transmitted wirelessly from the head unit to a remote unit, the remote unit being located near an operator, the remote unit having a wireless receiver for receiving the thermal data, the remote unit having a display; and

displaying the thermal data on the display of the remote unit for the operator.