OPTIMIZING UTILIZATION OF A WIRELESS POSITION SENSOR

• US 20200132787A1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensata Technologies Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensata Technologies Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Inventors: HEEDER, NICHOLAS J., O'BRIEN, EDWARD F., BALASUBRAMANIAN, ADITYA, MOLYNEAUX, NEVIN R., DUFFY, MARK
• Granted Patent: US 10,718,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0094 Sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0213 using deviation of charged particles by the magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/096 anisotropic magnetoresistance sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/10 Plotting field distribution ; Measuring field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for optimizing utilization of a wireless position sensor are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a controller of the wireless position sensor receives output from a magnetic-field-dependent sensor of the wireless position sensor. The magnetic-field-dependent sensor is configured to register the strength of a magnetic field of a magnet attached to a mechanical component. In this example, the registered strength corresponds to a position of the mechanical component along a directional path. According to this embodiment, the controller generates a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures and based on the comparison, determines whether to change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing utilization of a wireless position sensor, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller of a wireless position sensor, output from a magnetic-field-dependent sensor of the wireless position sensor, the magnetic-field-dependent sensor configured to register the strength of a magnetic field of a magnet attached to a mechanical component, the registered strength corresponding to a position of the mechanical component along a directional path;

generating, by the controller, a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures; and

based on the comparison, determining, by the controller, whether to change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to determining to change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor, waking up, by the controller, a wireless communicator of the wireless position sensor and transmitting, by the controller, using the wireless communicator, to a receiver, data corresponding to the output.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to determining to not change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor, storing, by the controller, the output until determining to change the operating state of the one or more components.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures includes selecting from a plurality of predefined movement signatures, a particular predefined movement signature that corresponds to the output;

and

further comprising in response to selecting the particular predefined movement signature, changing, by the controller, a frequency that the output is sampled from the magnetic-field-dependent sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures includes selecting from a plurality of predefined movement signatures, a particular predefined movement signature that corresponds to the output;

and

further comprising in response to selecting the particular predefined movement signature, changing, by the controller, a frequency that data corresponding to the output is transmitted to a receiver.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein changing an operating state of a component includes switching the component from a low power operating state to a normal operating state.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetic-field-dependent sensor is an anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor.

8. An apparatus for optimizing utilization of a wireless position sensor, the apparatus comprising a computer processor and computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory including computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by a controller of a wireless position sensor, output from a magnetic-field-dependent sensor of the wireless position sensor, the magnetic-field-dependent sensor configured to register the strength of a magnetic field of a magnet attached to a mechanical component, the registered strength corresponding to a position of the mechanical component along a directional path;

generating, by the controller, a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures; and

based on the comparison, determining, by the controller, whether to change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

in response to determining to change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor, waking up, by the controller, a wireless communicator of the wireless position sensor and transmitting, by the controller, using the wireless communicator, to a receiver, data corresponding to the output.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

in response to determining to not change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor, storing, by the controller, the output until determining to change the operating state of the one or more components.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein generating a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures includes selecting from a plurality of predefined movement signatures, a particular predefined movement signature that corresponds to the output;

and

further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of;

in response to selecting the particular predefined movement signature, changing, by the controller, a frequency that the output is sampled from the magnetic-field-dependent sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein generating a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures includes selecting from a plurality of predefined movement signatures, a particular predefined movement signature that corresponds to the output;

and

further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of;

in response to selecting the particular predefined movement signature, changing, by the controller, a frequency that the data corresponding to the output is transmitted to a receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein changing an operating state of a component includes switching the component from a low power operating state to a normal operating state.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the magnetic-field-dependent sensor is an anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor.

15. A computer program product for optimizing utilization of a wireless position sensor, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium comprising computer program instructions that when executed by a computer processor cause the computer processor to carry out the steps of:

receiving, by a controller of a wireless position sensor, output from a magnetic-field-dependent sensor of the wireless position sensor, the magnetic-field-dependent sensor configured to register the strength of a magnetic field of a magnet attached to a mechanical component, the registered strength corresponding to a position of the mechanical component along a directional path;

generating, by the controller, a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures; and

based on the comparison, determining, by the controller, whether to change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the computer processor to carry out the steps of:

in response to determining to change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor, waking up, by the controller, a wireless communicator of the wireless position sensor and transmitting, by the controller, using the wireless communicator, to a receiver, data corresponding to the output.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the computer processor to carry out the steps of:

in response to determining to not change an operating state of one or more components of the wireless position sensor, storing, by the controller, the output until determining to change the operating state of the one or more components.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein generating a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures includes selecting from a plurality of predefined movement signatures, a particular predefined movement signature that corresponds to the output;

and

further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the computer processor to carry out the steps of;

in response to selecting the particular predefined movement signature, changing, by the controller, a frequency that the output from the magnetic-field-dependent sensor is sampled.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein generating a comparison of the output to one or more predefined movement signatures includes selecting from a plurality of predefined movement signatures, a particular predefined movement signature that corresponds to the output;

and

further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the computer processor to carry out the steps of;

in response to selecting the particular predefined movement signature, changing, by the controller, a frequency that the data corresponding to the output is transmitted to a receiver.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein changing an operating state of a component includes switching the component from a low power operating state to a normal operating state.