Stand-alone miniaturized communication module

• US 8,120,511 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Reichl, Herbert, Wolf, Jurgen, Lang, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US12/065,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A device for continuous measurement of the forces acting upon a movable compressible playable object is provided with at least one transmitter communicating with at least one receiver outside the movable object. The at least one receiver transforms signals received and evaluates them online. The movable compressible playable object, for instance a ball, includes at least one pressure sensor and/or at least one three-dimensional acceleration sensor as well as a converter for transforming signals therefrom to transmit them to the transmitter. A method for the use of this device causes activation of the transmitter in the movable object so that a system is created for the measurement of the forces acting upon such an object wherein the received measuring signals are present in evaluated form, online or offline, to be analyzed. By means of the activation method, the active sensor system is initiated to receive and transmit measuring signals.

Claims

1. A stand-alone sensor module having a miniaturized structure, the dimensions of which being not greater than 1 cm³ and being fabricated by micro-system technology and micro-electronic technology, comprising:

a sensor element configured to output electrical signals depending on a first specified measure;

a signal processing unit connected to the sensor element;

a transceiver unit connected to the signal processing unit, which is capable of wirelessly transmitting data that has been received from the signal processing unit to a data receiving unit and to other stand-alone sensor modules and is further capable of receiving data from a transceiver unit and from other stand-alone sensor modules; and

an energy source for at least temporary stand-alone operation of the sensor module.

2. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 1, wherein the stand-alone sensor module is configured to adopt at least a first operating mode and a second different operating mode, wherein the first operating mode represents an energy saving mode in which at least data transmission is disabled.

3. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 2, wherein the stand-alone sensor module is configured to transition from the first operating mode into the second operating mode by initialisation via at least one of a mechanical, an electrical, a magnetic, an electromagnetic and an optical signal.

4. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 2, wherein a control unit is provided that is configured to initiate a transition from the first operating mode into the second operating mode.

5. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to initiate the transition via a signal output by the sensor element to the signal processing unit.

6. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 1, wherein at least one second sensor module is provided that is connected to the signal processing unit for outputting an electrical signal related to a second specified measure.

7. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 1, wherein at least the signal processing unit or the sensor element is provided as an integrated circuit.

8. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises at least a part of the transceiver unit.

9. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 1, further comprising a carrier for accommodating all of the functional components, wherein the carrier is configured to be mechanically stably attached to a measurement object.

10. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 9, wherein the carrier is configured to be at least one of attached to a moving measurement object and in the moving measurement object.

11. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 10, wherein the measurement object represents a moving sport article.

12. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 1, wherein the sensor element comprises at least an acceleration sensor.

13. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises a generator that is configured to provide electrical energy from at least one of a mechanical energy and an electromagnetic energy acting on the sensor module for maintaining functionality of the sensor module.

14. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 1, wherein dimensions of the stand-alone sensor module are not greater than 0.5 cm³.

44. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 11, wherein the moving sport article is a ball of a ball game.

45. The stand-alone sensor module of claim 14 wherein the dimensions of the stand-alone sensor module are not greater than 0.2 cm³.

15. A sensor module system comprising:

at least two stand-alone sensor modules, each of the stand-alone sensor modules comprising;

a sensor element configured to output electrical signals depending on a specified measure;

a signal processing unit connected to the sensor element;

a transceiver unit connected to the signal processing unit which is capable of wirelessly transmitting data that has been received from the signal processing unit to a data receiving unit and to other stand-alone sensor modules and is further capable of receiving data from a transceiver unit and from other stand-alone sensor modules; and

an energy source for at least temporary stand-alone operation of the sensor module;

wherein each of the stand-alone sensor modules is further configured to form a self-organizing network in combination with at least another of the said stand-alone sensor modules of the sensor module system.

16. The sensor module system of claim 15, further comprising a data receiving unit that is at least temporarily connected to at least one of the stand-alone sensor modules during operation of the system.

17. The sensor module system of claim 15, wherein the transceiver units of the individual stand-alone sensor modules are configured for signal transmission via electromagnetic signal transmission channels, and wherein at least two different frequency ranges are provided, wherein one of the frequency ranges is provided for external initialisation of the sensor modules.

18. A data acquisition system comprising:

one or more stand-alone sensor modules, each stand-alone sensor module comprising;

a sensor element configured to output electrical signals depending on a specified measure;

a signal processing unit connected to the sensor element;

a transceiver unit connected to the signal processing unit which is capable of wirelessly transmitting data that has been received from the signal processing unit to a data receiving unit and to another stand-alone sensor module and is further capable of receiving data from a transceiver unit and from another stand-alone sensor module; and

an energy source for at least temporary stand-alone operation of the sensor module, wherein the data acquisition system further comprises;

a data receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive data associated with the specified measure from the one or more sensor modules.

19. The data acquisition system of claim 18, further comprising a data transmission device that is configured to wirelessly transmit data to at least one of the one or more sensor modules.

20. The data acquisition system of claim 18, wherein the data transmission device is configured to transmit control data serving for configuring the at least one sensor module.

21. The data acquisition system of claim 20, wherein the data transmission device is adapted to a different wireless transmission channel compared to the data receiving unit.

22. The data acquisition system of claim 18, further comprising a data processing unit connected to the data receiving unit so as to process data received by the data receiving unit.

23. The data acquisition system of claim 22, wherein the data processing unit is connected to the data receiving unit via a wireless transmission channel.

24. The data acquisition system of claim 23, wherein the data processing unit is configured to send at least an initialisation signal to the one or more sensor modules.

25. The data acquisition system of claim 18, wherein the transceiver unit of the one or more sensor modules and the data receiving unit are configured for an energy saving data transmission.

26. The data acquisition system of claim 25, wherein the data receiving unit is configured to input energy into the one or more sensor modules.

27. The data acquisition system of claim 26, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to obtain at least a part of the energy required for the data transmission from the input energy.

28. A method of gathering and transmitting data comprising:

securing a sensor module one of on and in a measurement object, wherein the sensor module has a volume of not more than 1 cm³ and does not substantially cause an interference of the functionality of the measurement object;

gathering measurement data in the sensor module, wherein the measurement data are associated with the measurement object;

processing the gathered measurement data in the sensor module; and

wirelessly transmitting the processed data from the sensor module, characterized in that at least one further sensor module is provided that is attached to at least one further measurement object and is adapted thereto without substantially causing functional interference of the at least one further measurement object, wherein the at least one further sensor module gathers measurement data of the at least one further measurement object, processes the gathered measurement data and wirelessly transmits the processed measurement data, wherein the sensor module and the at least one further sensor module temporarily exchange data.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein gathering measurement data comprises obtaining measurement values for one or more specified measures via one or more sensor elements.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein an energy saving mode is interim adopted, in which at least the transmission of processed measurement data is discontinued.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein at least gathering of measurement data is discontinued during the energy saving mode.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the energy saving mode is terminated by an externally supplied initialisation signal.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the energy saving mode is terminated due to gathered measurement data.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising supplying energy in a contact-free manner so as to provide at least a part of the energy required to operate the measurement module.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the contact-free supply of energy is performed during the transmission of data.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein energy for operating the measurement module is obtained from mechanical impact on the measurement object.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving data in the sensor module, wherein the received data comprises at least one of control data and measurement data.

38. The method of claim 28, wherein the sensor module and the at least one further sensor module are operated as a self-organizing network.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

transmitting processed measurement data of at least one of the sensor module and the at least one further sensor module to a data receiving unit.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

creating a communication path with the sensor module and one of the at least one further sensor modules so as to transmit data to the data receiving unit.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein transmission channels of different frequency ranges are available for the transmission of the processed measurement data.

42. The method of claim 28, wherein the measurement object is at least temporarily moved during its use.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the measurement object is a movable sport device.