Wireless sensor system

• US 7,777,623 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Original Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Inventors: Bulst, Wolf-Eckhart, Sczesny, Oliver, Pistor, Klaus, Albsmeier, Andre, Schmidt, Frank (P{umlaut over
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/805,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.26, 340/870.01, 340/441, 340/443, 340/500, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A sensor system has a least one voltage generator for conversion of non-electrical energy to electrical energy. At least one energy store is connected downstream from the voltage generator. At least one voltage converter is connected to the energy store such that its output signal is suitable for operation of a processor controller. At least one sensor is provided, and at least one transmitter enables wire-free transmission of transmission messages produced by the processor controller and containing at least one measured value from the at least one sensor. A timer circuit is triggered as a function of a voltage level of the at least one energy store, and activates the sensor system to transmit at least one transmission message after a specific time interval.

Claims

1. A sensor system, comprising:

a least one voltage generator for conversion of non-electrical energy to electrical energy,

at least one energy store connected to the voltage generator,

at least one voltage converter having an input connected to the energy store and generating an output,

at least one sensor for outputting a measured value from a monitored device,

at least one transmitter configured for wire-free transmission of transmission messages which contain at least one measured value from the at least one sensor and an identification code related to the sensor which outputs the measured value, and

a timer circuit configured to activate the sensor system to transmit at least one of the transmission messages, the at least one transmitter and the timer circuit being powered by the output of the at least one voltage converter,

the sensor system being configured for periodically transmitting the transmission messages with a transmission frequency, wherein the transmission frequency is controlled by at least one of the timer circuit and the monitored device.

2. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one voltage generator is a solar cell.

3. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one voltage generator is at least one of a piezoelectric transducer or an inductive converter.

4. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the timer circuit includes semiconductor modules based on Ultra Low Power (ULP) technology.

5. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the timer circuit is activated in response to a voltage level of the energy store.

6. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a part of the at least one voltage generator.

7. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the transmission frequency is based on a state of charge of the at least one energy store.

8. The sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a processor controller coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one transmitter, the processor controller being configured to control the transmission frequency of the transmission messages.

9. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the transmission frequency is variable.

10. The sensor system of claim 9, wherein the time interval varies as a function of the state of charge of the at least one energy store.

11. A monitoring system comprising at least one sensor system as recited in claim 1, and at least one receiving and evaluation system configured to receive the transmission messages transmitted by the at least one sensor system.

12. A method for control the transmission frequency for a sensor system as recited in claim 7, the method comprising:

checking the state of charge of the energy store; and

including the state of charge in the definition of the transmission frequency.

13. A sensor system, comprising:

a least one voltage generator for conversion of non-electrical energy to electrical energy,

at least one energy store connected to the voltage generator,

at least one voltage converter having an input connected to the energy store and generating an output,

at least one sensor for outputting a measured value from a monitored device,

at least one transmitter configured for wire-free transmission of transmission messages which contain at least one measured value from the at least one sensor and an identification code related to the sensor which outputs the measured value, and

a timer circuit configured to activate the sensor system to transmit at least one of the transmission messages, the at least one transmitter and the timer circuit being powered by the output of the at least one voltage converter,

wherein the messages are transmitted at one of a fixed time interval and a variable time interval, and are triggered by a state change of the device being monitored, and

the sensor system being configured for transmitting the transmission messages with a transmission frequency, wherein the transmission frequency controlled by at least one of the timer circuit and the monitored device.