Aircraft engine sensor network using wireless sensor communication modules
First Claim
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1. A wireless sensor communication module for operating in an ad-hoc sensor network having a plurality of nodes, the module comprising:
- a controller operable to supply identification data that uniquely identifies the module and configured to receive (i) power capability data representative of power capability of other wireless sensor communication modules in the sensor network and (ii) demodulated identification data, the controller operable, in response to these data, to (i) determine a data transmission route through the sensor network based at least in part on the power capability data, (ii) supply transmission route data representative thereof, and (iii) determine if the other communication modules are members of the sensor network; and
a transceiver configured to receive sensor data and operable to modulate the sensor data with a radio frequency (RF) signal to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data, the transceiver additionally coupled to receive the transmission route data and operable, in response thereto, to transmit the RF modulated sensor data to a sensor network node in the determined transmission route, the transceiver further configured to receive (i) the identification data from the controller, (ii) RF modulated identification data from one or more of the other communication modules in the sensor network, (iii) RF modulated sensor data from one or more of the other sensor communications modules in the sensor network, and (iv) a retransmission command and further operable to (i) RF modulate the identification data, (ii) transmit the RF modulated identification data, demodulate the identification data therefrom, and retransmit the received RF modulated sensor data,wherein the controller is further operable to issue the retransmission command to the transceiver if it determines that the RF modulated sensor data received by the transceiver was transmitted from a communication module that is a member of the sensor network.
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Abstract
A wireless communication module is used to implement an ad-hoc wireless sensor network. The wireless communication module is configured to interface with numerous and varied types of sensors and, in one particular embodiment, is used to implement an ad-hoc wireless sensor network for an aircraft engine. The modules are also configured to implement various functions to optimize ad-hoc network functionality and to minimize the electrical power dissipated by each module in the ad-hoc network.
125 Citations
58 Claims
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1. A wireless sensor communication module for operating in an ad-hoc sensor network having a plurality of nodes, the module comprising:
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a controller operable to supply identification data that uniquely identifies the module and configured to receive (i) power capability data representative of power capability of other wireless sensor communication modules in the sensor network and (ii) demodulated identification data, the controller operable, in response to these data, to (i) determine a data transmission route through the sensor network based at least in part on the power capability data, (ii) supply transmission route data representative thereof, and (iii) determine if the other communication modules are members of the sensor network; and a transceiver configured to receive sensor data and operable to modulate the sensor data with a radio frequency (RF) signal to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data, the transceiver additionally coupled to receive the transmission route data and operable, in response thereto, to transmit the RF modulated sensor data to a sensor network node in the determined transmission route, the transceiver further configured to receive (i) the identification data from the controller, (ii) RF modulated identification data from one or more of the other communication modules in the sensor network, (iii) RF modulated sensor data from one or more of the other sensor communications modules in the sensor network, and (iv) a retransmission command and further operable to (i) RF modulate the identification data, (ii) transmit the RF modulated identification data, demodulate the identification data therefrom, and retransmit the received RF modulated sensor data, wherein the controller is further operable to issue the retransmission command to the transceiver if it determines that the RF modulated sensor data received by the transceiver was transmitted from a communication module that is a member of the sensor network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A wireless sensor communication module for operating in an ad-hoc sensor network having a plurality of nodes, the module comprising:
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a sensor operable to sense a physical parameter and supply sensor data representative thereof; a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to receive (i) the sensor data from the sensor and (ii) power capability data representative of power capability of other wireless sensor communication modules in the sensor network, the controller operable, in response to these data, to (i) transmit the sensor data received from the sensor, (ii) determine a data transmission route through the sensor network based at least in part on the power capability data, and (iii) supply transmission route data representative thereof; and a transceiver configured to receive the sensor data from the controller and operable to modulate the sensor data with a radio frequency (RF) signal to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data, the transceiver additionally coupled to receive the transmission route data and operable, in response thereto, to transmit the RF modulated sensor data to a sensor network node in the determined transmission route. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An ad-hoc sensor communication network, comprising:
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a plurality of wireless sensor communication modules, each communication module in operable communication with one or more other wireless sensor communication modules in the ad-hoc sensor communication network, each wireless sensor communication module comprising; a sensor operable to sense a physical parameter and supply sensor data representative thereof, a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to receive (i) the sensor data from the sensor and (ii) power capability data representative of power capability of other wireless sensor communication modules in the sensor network, the controller operable, in response to these data, to (i) transmit the sensor data received from the sensor, (ii) determine a data transmission route through the sensor network based at least in part on the power capability data, and (iii) supply transmission route data representative thereof, and a transceiver configured to receive the sensor data from the controller and operable to modulate the sensor data with a radio frequency (RF) signal to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data, the transceiver additionally coupled to receive the transmission route data and operable, in response thereto, to transmit the RF modulated sensor data to a sensor network node in the determined transmission route.
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45. An ad-hoc aircraft engine sensor communication network, comprising:
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a plurality of wireless sensor communication modules, each communication module in operable communication with one or more other wireless sensor communication modules in the ad-hoc aircraft engine sensor communication network, each wireless sensor communication module comprising; a sensor configured to couple to an aircraft engine and operable to sense a physical parameter associated with the aircraft engine and supply sensor data representative thereof, a module controller coupled to the sensor and configured to receive (i) the sensor data from the sensor and (ii) power capability data representative of power capability of other wireless sensor communication modules in the aircraft engine sensor network, the controller operable, in response to these data, to (i) transmit the sensor data received from the sensor, (ii) determine a data transmission route through the sensor network based at least in part on the power capability data, and (iii) supply transmission route data representative thereof, and a transceiver configured to receive the sensor data from the controller and operable to modulate the sensor data with a radio frequency (RF) signal to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data, the transceiver additionally coupled to receive the transmission route data and operable, in response thereto, to transmit the RF modulated sensor data to a network node in the determined transmission route.
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46. A method of transmitting sensor data in an ad-hoc wireless sensor network having a plurality of nodes, each node having a power capability associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining, within each node, the power capability of at least a portion of the other nodes in the sensor network; determining a data transmission route through the wireless sensor network based at least in part on the determined power capability; radio frequency (RF) modulating sensor data to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data; and transmitting the RF modulated sensor data to a node in the determined data transmission route. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method of monitoring a plurality of physical parameters in an aircraft gas turbine engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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sensing a plurality of physical parameters in the engine using a plurality of wireless sensors each having a power capability to thereby generate sensor data; determining, within each wireless sensor, the power capability of each of the wireless sensors; determining a data transmission route from each of the wireless sensors based at least in part on the determined power capability; radio frequency (RF) modulating the sensor data to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data; and transmitting the RF modulated sensor data from each of the wireless sensors via the determined data transmission routes.
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58. A wireless sensor communication module for operating in an ad-hoc sensor network having a plurality of nodes, the module comprising:
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a controller configured to receive power capability data representative of power capability of other wireless sensor communication modules in the sensor network and operable, in response thereto, to (i) determine a data transmission route through the sensor network based at least in part on the power capability data and (ii) supply transmission route data representative thereof, the controller further operable to issue a transmission command in accordance with a predetermined schedule; and a transceiver configured to receive sensor data and operable to modulate the sensor data with a radio frequency (RF) signal to thereby generate RF modulated sensor data, the transceiver additionally coupled to receive the transmission route data and the transmission command and operable, in response thereto, to transmit the RF modulated sensor data to a sensor network node in the determined transmission route, wherein; the predetermined schedule includes a predetermined access time, the controller is further operable to issue a predetermined number of transmission commands during the predetermined access time, and the controller is further operable to place the module in a sleep mode if the transceiver fails to transmit the RF modulated sensor data after the predetermined number of transmission commands are issued.
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Specification