Device and method to establish temporal correspondence in multiple sensor configurations

• US 6,924,746 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alexander Thomas Hermary, Terrance John Hermary
• Original Assignee: Alexander Thomas Hermary, Terrance John Hermary
• Inventors: Hermary, Alexander Thomas, Hermary, Terrance John
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US10/349,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.11, 340/870.05, 340/870.06, 702/179, 702/89, 710/61, 710/51, 700/4, 700/114, 700/108, 370/439
• US Class Current: 340/870.06
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/408 characterised by data handling or data format, e.g. reading, buffering or conversion of data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37508 Cross correlation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37512 Correction for detection delay
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37516 Combine results, opinions of multiple but same sensors, fuzzy logic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37532 Synchronized data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/06 successively, i.e. using time division

Abstract

A sensor concentrating system centralizes communication between multiple parameter sensing devices and an application host. As a peripheral device, the sensor concentrating unit establishes a temporal correspondence between range data acquired from multiple optical range sensors with position data acquired from a shaft encoder. The parameter data are read and sampled according to a user specified criteria such as the time division multiplexing technique. The sampled data is correlated with a data tag generated by the sensor concentrating unit. The correlated data is packeted transmitted from the sensor concentrating unit to a downstream application host for subsequent analysis. The sensor concentrating unit also provides operating parameters for individual parameter sensing devices.

Claims

1. A sensor concentrating system for associating parameter value data from multiple series of parameter value data and for routing selected parameter data to a selected process control device downstream of the sensor concentrating system, the process control device acting in response to the routed data, said system comprising:

at least two parameter sensing devices, each parameter sensing device making a series of discrete parameter value measurements and generating a corresponding series of parameter value data;

means for receiving the series of parameter value data from the sensing devices representing the series of discrete parameter value measurements;

means for reading the series of parameter value data from the sensing devices;

discrimination means to separate parameter value data representing a parameter value measurement at one time or in one position or both from other parameter value data;

sampling means to read a selected set of parameter value data from each series of discrete parameter value data according to specified criteria;

processing means for associating selected sets of parameter value data from the parameter sensing devices and for generating a data tag representing at least one selected characteristic of the associated data; and

routing means for directing selected data to the downstream process control device.

2. A sensor concentrating system as defined in claim 1, wherein the parameter data consist of one of the following:

position data, time data, range data, temperature data, reflectivity data, and mass data.

3. A sensor concentrating system as defined in claim 1, wherein the processing means includes a microprocessor, and a data storage means.

4. A sensor concentrating system as defined in claim 1, wherein the routing means directs the selected data to the downstream process control device via a telecommunications network.

5. A method for establishing a determinative association between at least two different sets of parameter data and utilizing such associated data in the control of apparatus for implementing an industrial process, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least two different series of parameter data, each series of parameter data consisting of discrete parameter value data;

sampling a selected set of parameter value data from each of the series of parameter data according to at least one specified criterion;

associating each of a selected set of parameter value data with a corresponding selected set of parameter value data, thereby to generate a combined parameter data packet representing the combined at least two selected sets of parameter value data;

generating a data tag indicative of a characteristic of the sampled data and appending it to the data packet; and

routing selected tagged data packets to selected destinations in response to operator-selected instructions.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the parameter data consist of at least one of the following:

position data, time data, range data, temperature data, reflectivity data, and mass data.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one specified criterion is based upon time division multiplexing.