Networked sensor system
First Claim
1. A networked sensor system for continuous, high speed, real time, data acquisition, said system comprising:
- central processing means;
distributed sensor processing means, coupled to said central processing means, for serially passing data over a first fiber optic cable and a global clock signal over a second fiber optic cable in opposite directions between respective sensor processing means and said central processing means, said global clock signal synchronizing all said sensor processing means for simultaneous data acquisition;
sensors attached to said sensor processing means; and
a power supply, connected to said sensor processing means, for supplying power to said sensor processing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A networked sensor system that simultaneously acquires, processes, and transmits sensor data under the control of a central processing unit. The system includes sensors connected to sensor processing modules. The sensor processing modules are serially coupled together and to the central processing unit by a fiber optic network. The central processing unit can change the sensor sampling rate by changing a global clock rate, can describe the number and layout of sensor processing modules and their associated sensors allowing for reconfiguration in accordance with a desired application, and can download code to the sensor processing modules for modifying processing functions for a given application. The global clock also allows for synchronous sampling throughout the network. Sensor gain in the sensor processing modules is dynamically programmed by the central processing unit.
104 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A networked sensor system for continuous, high speed, real time, data acquisition, said system comprising:
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central processing means; distributed sensor processing means, coupled to said central processing means, for serially passing data over a first fiber optic cable and a global clock signal over a second fiber optic cable in opposite directions between respective sensor processing means and said central processing means, said global clock signal synchronizing all said sensor processing means for simultaneous data acquisition; sensors attached to said sensor processing means; and a power supply, connected to said sensor processing means, for supplying power to said sensor processing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for providing a networked sensor system, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) collecting data at specified locations using sensors; b) sensor processors receiving data from respective sensors and receiving data packets from respective sensor processors; c) passing data and data packets from the sensor processors and a global clock signal between serially connected sensor processors over fiber optic cable; and d) operating on the received data packets according to instructions from a central processing unit, the central processing unit having configuration files stored therein; e) dynamically defining the number of sensors and sensor processors and their location according to one of the configuration files on the central processing unit; and f) allowing all sensor processors to be interchangeable and configurable on demand. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A networked sensor system for continuous, high speed, real time, data acquisition, said system comprising:
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sensor processing modules passing data and a global clock, the global clock synchronizing all the sensor processing modules for simultaneous data acquisition; fiber optic cables serially connecting said sensor processing modules together, for passing the data and the global clock; sensors, connected to said sensor processing modules, for sensing data input to said sensor processing modules; and a central processing unit, operatively connected to said sensor processing modules, for commanding said sensor processing modules.
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19. A networked sensor system providing continuous, high speed, real time, data acquisition, said system comprising:
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a fiber optic network; a network of distributed sensor processing modules for serially passing data on a first fiber optic cable and a global clock signal on a second fiber optic cable, said global clock signal synchronizing all sensor processing modules in said network of distributed sensor processing modules; sensors, coupled to each of said sensor processing modules, for obtaining data to be processed; and a central processor, coupled to said network of distributed sensor processing modules, switching programs running on said sensor processing modules on demand via a command over said fiber optic network and dynamically controlling which sensors contribute data over said fiber optic network. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification