Two-wire adapter

• US 7,919,883 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabtec Corporation (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabtec Corporation (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Urman, Robert, Citta, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US12/293,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307326-328
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94094 Wired transmission, e.g. via bus connection or similar
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5495 having measurements and testing channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02

Abstract

A two-wire adapter circuit comprises a current shunt monitor and a circuit for sensing an abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor, a power supply, and a two-wire electrical conduit connecting the power supply to a load via the current shunt monitor, the circuit for sensing the abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor configured to output a defined digital signal on a third wire upon sensing the abrupt change.

Claims

1. An annunciator circuit comprising:

a remote circuit including a voltage regulator and sensing circuit;

a two-wire adapter circuit spaced from said remote circuit comprising a current shunt monitor monitoring the current in a parallel resistor and a circuit for sensing an abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor;

a power supply;

a two-wire electrical conduit extending between the remote circuit and the two-wire adapter circuit and connecting the power supply to the voltage regulator of the remote circuit via said resistor in parallel with the current shunt monitor of the two-wire adapter circuit; and

the sensing circuit in the remote circuit switching the output of the voltage regulator to a shunt resistor to place an additional drain on the voltage regulator upon detection of a sensed condition,

said circuit for sensing the abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor due to the additional drain on the voltage regulator configured to output a defined digital signal on sensing the abrupt change.

2. The annunciator circuit according to claim 1, further comprising high-side and low-side drivers connected to receive the digital signal output from the circuit for sensing abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor.

3. An annunciator circuit comprising an electric field-sensing circuit comprising:

a remote circuit including a voltage regulator and circuit for sensing a change in capacitance in an ac electric field;

a two-wire adapter circuit spaced from said remote circuit comprising a current shunt monitor monitoring the current in a parallel resistor and a circuit for sensing an abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor;

a power supply;

a two-wire electrical conduit extending between the remote circuit and the two-wire adapter circuit and connecting the power supply to the voltage regulator of the remote circuit via said resistor in parallel with the current shunt monitor of the two-wire adaptor circuit; and

the sensing circuit in the remote circuit switching the output of the voltage regulator to a shunt resistor to place an additional drain on the voltage regulator upon detection of a sensed condition,

said circuit for sensing the abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor due to the additional drain on the voltage regulator configured to output a defined digital signal on a third wire upon sensing the abrupt change.

4. An annunciator circuit for generating an input to a control computer on a mass transit vehicle comprising an electric field-sensing circuit for sensing the presence of a passenger at a mass transit vehicle door comprising:

a door circuit including a voltage regulator and circuit for sensing a change in capacitance in an ac electric field associated with the vehicle door;

a two-wire adapter circuit positioned above the vehicle door comprising a current shunt monitor monitoring the current in a parallel resistor and a circuit for sensing an abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor;

a two-wire electrical conduit extending from above the door and connectable to a power supply and to the voltage regulator of the circuit via a resistor in parallel with the current shunt monitor; and

the sensing circuit switching the output of the voltage regulator to a shunt resistor to place an additional drain on the voltage regulator upon detection of a passenger at the vehicle door,

said circuit for sensing the abrupt change in the output of the current shunt monitor due to the additional drain on the voltage regulator configured to output a defined digital signal on a third wire upon sensing the abrupt change.