Sensor with wireless communication function

• US 7,808,397 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kokubo, Masaru, Arita, Hiroshi, Mizugaki, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Application Number:
  US11/822,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/693.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensor transmits and receives wireless signals at intervals. A sensor unit, a processor 130, a wireless transmitter circuit, and a wireless receiver circuit are activated in sequence only for a fixed time when the electric power generated by a generator circuit and charged in a capacitor reaches a preset level. Sensing information detected by the sensor unit is processed by the processor circuit and, information on the number of receivable bytes is added to the processing results in the wireless receiver circuit. This added information is sent as sensor information to the wireless host from the wireless transmitting circuit, and the wireless receiver circuit that activated after the wireless transmitter circuit was activated, receives a control information signal from the wireless host. This received information is processed in the processor circuit.

Claims

1. A wireless host as the communication destination for a wireless communication function equipped sensor, said wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals;

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device; and

a wireless signal transmitting/receiving device for transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from said wireless communication function equipped sensor, and said wireless signal transmitting/receiving device transmits wireless signals to said wireless communication function equipped sensor immediately after receiving wireless signals from said wireless communication function equipped sensor;

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated,

wherein said wireless signal transmitting/receiving device divides data of signals to be sent and transmits said signals when a data quantity of the transmitting signals to be sent to said wireless communication function equipped sensor is larger than a data quantity of wireless signals received from said wireless communication function equipped sensor.

3. A wireless host according to claim 1 as the communication destination for a wireless communication function equipped sensor, said wireless communication function equipped sensor further comprising storage devices, which are load devices of said electric power charging device, for storing data of wireless signals received by said wireless receiving device said electric power charging device maintains sufficient electric power to hold the contents of the storage devices when data exists in the storage device.

4. A wireless host according to claim 1 as the communication destination for a wireless communication function equipped sensor, wherein said processing device of said wireless communication function equipped sensor changes an operating mode based on the wireless signals received by said wireless receiving device.

5. A wireless host according to claim 1 as the communication destination for a wireless communication function equipped sensor, wherein said processing device of said wireless communication function equipped sensor executes changes in a program comprising procedures that said processing device must process based on the wireless signals received by said wireless receiving device.

6. A wireless host according to claim 1 as the communication destination for a wireless communication function equipped sensor, said wireless communication function equipped sensor further comprising a transmission stopping device for stopping the transmission of wireless signals by said wireless transmitting device based on wireless signals received from said wireless receiving device.

2. A wireless host as the communication destination for a wireless communication function equipped sensor, said wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals;

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device; and

a wireless signal transmitting/receiving device for transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from said wireless communication function equipped sensor, and said wireless signal transmitting/receiving device transmits wireless signals to said wireless communication function equipped sensor immediately after receiving wireless signals from said wireless communication function equipped sensor;

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated,

wherein said wireless signal transmitting/receiving device analyzes the wireless signals received from said wireless communication function equipped sensor and determines a data quantity of the transmitting signal to be sent at one time to said wireless communication function equipped sensor.