Apparatus for remote sensing and receiving

• US 5,301,553 A
• Filed: 11/13/1991
• Issued: 04/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sentech Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TJS Development Corporation
• Inventors: Campbell, Alan J., Schultz, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODIEL, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US07/792,134
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 73/705, 73/753, 73/146.5, 73/146.8, 73/189, 73/866.3, 73/754, 73/714, 364/558, 340/445, 340/447, 340/443, 340/442, 250/227.14, 250/231.1, 250/231.19
• US Class Current: 73/705
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/50 Testing or indicating devices for determining the state of readiness of the equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/009 having wheels on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0423 Photo-electric, infrared or visible light means
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/086 for remote indication

Abstract

A sensing and displaying system is provided including a sensor unit having a transducer disposed in intimate contact with a vessel. The transducer senses a characteristic within the vessel like pressure and outputs an electrical signal representative thereof. The sensor unit further includes a response signal generator which transmits a signal representative of the characteristic. A receiver unit receives the transmitted signal and converts it to visual indicia of the characteristic, for example, a number on a liquid crystal display. The system is capable of two-way communication between the sensor unit and the receiver unit. Both the sensor unit and receiver unit store transmitted data in internal memory.

Claims

1. A sensor for operating in a remote detect and display system, said system being of the type including a receiver for displaying data transmitted by said sensor, said sensor being spatially separate from said receiver and comprising:

transducer means for sensing a physical parameter associated with a work piece and generating a first electrical signal indicative of the parameter;

first electrical signal processing means for generating a second electrical signal and transmitting said second electrical signal; and

a response generator including an LED driver circuit and at least one LED driven thereby, said response generator being configured to transmit a response signal responsive to said second electrical signal, in infrared frequency range, indicative of the parameter.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises a power source, and a memory for storing work piece data.

3. The device of claim 2, where the work piece is a fire extinguisher device and the work piece data is indicative of the identification of the fire extinguisher.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the physical parameter comprises the pressure within the work piece.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the physical parameter comprises weight of contents in the work piece.