Wireless sensor and control transmitter system

• US 7,050,887 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TechStreams Control Systems
• Original Assignee: Techstream Control Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Alvarez, Raymond Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/746,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20050137752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 700/284, 239/63, 239/69, 239/542, 137/78.3, 137/624.11
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer

Abstract

A passive wireless sensor and control transmitter subsystem is provided for operating irrigation or other hydraulic system. The system includes a master module unit hardwired to and in communication with an existing hydraulic system controller, and a field module unit that is hardwired to and in communication with field electromechanical control devices such as valves, solenoids and servo motors, and field sensors indicating, for example, atmospheric conditions. The master module unit and field module unit communicate with digital wireless communication and can act as a simple wireless bridge providing pass through data connectivity. The master module and field module units are capable of digitizing input signals from the devices to which they are hardwired and transmitting them to the opposite module; they are further capable of recreating the digitized signals received back into the analog form to reproduce the original input signal and communicating it to the device to which it is hardwired. Full duplex communication enables remote sensors to be hardwired to the field modules unit rather than directly to existing control apparatus, as well as being able to transfer valve, pump and relay status back to existing control apparatus. One embodiment enables the subsystem to receive sensor inputs and process them accordingly even though the hydraulic control system may not be capable of utilizing them. Supplemental functionality may be added to an existing hydraulic control system by including the WSCX and its system features of sensor functionality and control.

Claims

1. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit, consisting:

a master module unit having electronic circuitry that interfaces with an existing hydraulic system controller and also communicates wirelessly with one or more field module unit(s), said field module unit further having electronic circuitry that communicates with one or more field electromechanical control devices or sensors,

wherein the circuitry of said master module unit is capable of generating digital command signals, wirelessly transmitting said digital signals to said field module unit, said field module unit circuitry is capable of regenerating said digital command signals received from said master module unit to recreate said controller command signal and of transmitting said recreated signal to the field electromechanical control devices or sensors, and

the circuitry of said field module unit is capable of converting signals from said electromechanical control devices or sensors into digital signals and wirelessly transmitting said digital signals to said master module unit, and further said master module unit circuitry is capable of converting the digital signals received from said field module unit to reproduce the electromechanical control devices or sensors signals and transmit them to the controller in their originally received form or format.

2. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in of claim 1 where signals from said controller to said electromechanical devices and sensors have similar interface protocols.

3. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 1 where signals from said controller to said electromechanical devices and sensors have dissimilar interface protocols.

4. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 1 customized for use with an existing controller that further includes electronic circuitry that provides supplemental functionality for the hydraulic system that said existing controller cannot implement.

5. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 4 where said supplemental functionality of said supplemental controller is retrofitted to said controller unit.

6. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 4 where said supplemental functionality comprises implementing at least one supplemental field electromechanical control device.

7. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 4 where said supplemental functionality comprises implementing at least one supplemental sensor.

8. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 7 where said supplemental functionality of the system includes receiving status signals from said supplemental sensor is selected from the group consisting of those sensors that measure liquid flow, liquid pressure, liquid level, atmospheric conditions, soil moisture content, water-borne contaminants, electric current and electrical voltage and relaying said status signals to said controller.

9. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic Previously system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 4 where said supplemental functionality comprises electrical circuitry that measures the electrical state of said supplemental field electromechanical device communicating said state to said controller.

10. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 1 where said field module unit is capable of transmitting an acknowledgement message to said master module unit upon the successful receipt of said signals transmitted by said master module unit, and where said master module unit is capable of transmitting an acknowledgement message to said field module unit upon the successful receipt of said signals transmitted by said field module unit.

11. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 1 where said master module unit will retransmit said signals to said field module unit until said acknowledgement transmission signal has been received from said field module unit and where said field module unit will retransmit said signals to said master module unit until said acknowledgement transmission signal has been received from said field module unit.

12. A Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem for a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit as in claim 1 where said master module unit establishes connection therewith said controller through an interface medium selected from the group comprising wire terminal strip, wire connector lead or connection points, cable connector pins on an electronic main or mother board, electronic boards that are integrated into said existing controller unit for the purpose of conveying controller actions to field outputs or sensor inputs, output driver cards, and add-on interface modules.

13. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit, consisting the steps of:

providing a master module unit having electronic circuitry that interfaces with an existing hydraulic system controller unit and also communicates wirelessly with a field module unit, said field module unit further having electronic circuitry that communicates with one or more field electromechanical control devices or sensors,

transforming command signals from said controller unit by using the circuitry of said master module into digital signals and wirelessly transmitting said digital signals to said field module unit, said field module unit circuitry is capable of retransforming said digital command signals received from said master module unit to reproduce the controller command signal and of transmitting the reproduced signal to the field electromechanical control devices or sensors, and

converting signals from said electromechanical control devices or sensors using circuitry of said field module unit into digital signals and wirelessly transmitting said digital signals to said master module unit, said master module unit circuitry is capable of converting said digital signals received from said field module unit to reproduce and transmit them to said controller, and

connecting said master module unit to said existing hydraulic system controller and connecting said field module unit to said field electromechanical devices or sensors.

14. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 13 further consisting supplemental functionality including a system customized for use with said existing controller that includes electronic circuitry that provides said supplemental functionality for the hydraulic system that said existing controller can not implement.

15. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 14 where said supplemental functionality of the supplemental controller is retrofitted with said controller unit.

16. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 14 where said supplemental functionality comprises implementing at least one supplemental field electromechanical control device.

17. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 14 where said supplemental functionality comprises implementing at least one supplemental sensor.

18. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 17 where the supplemental functionality of the system includes the steps of receiving signals from field sensors selected from the group consisting of those sensors that measure liquid flow, liquid pressure, liquid level, liquid temperature, liquid or air borne particulates, atmospheric conditions, soil moisture content, water-borne contaminants or particulates, electrical conductivity, current and electrical voltage and communicating said signals to said controller.

19. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 14 where said supplemental functionality comprises electrical circuitry that measures the electrical state of at least one said supplemental field electromechanical device relaying said state to said controller.

20. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 13 where said field module unit is capable of transmitting an acknowledgement message to said master module unit upon the successful receipt of said signals transmitted by said the master module unit, and where said master module unit is capable of transmitting an acknowledgement message to said field module unit upon the successful receipt of said signals transmitted by said field module unit.

21. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 13 where said master module unit will retransmit said signals to said field module unit until said acknowledgement transmission signal has been received from said field module unit and where said field module unit will retransmit said signals to said master module unit until said acknowledgement transmission signal has been received from said field module unit.

22. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 13 where said master module unit and said field module unit(s) communicate by wireless technology means that includes a variety of current and future contemporary wireless technologies, devices and/or communication interface protocols.

23. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 13 where signals from said controller to said electromechanical devices and sensors have similar communication interface protocols.

24. A method for implementing a Wireless Sensor and Control Transmitter Subsystem controlling a hydraulic system controlled by an existing controller unit of claim 13 where signals from said controller to said electromechanical devices and sensors have dissimilar communication interface protocols.