Universal interface for one or more sensors

• US 8,700,828 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loadstar Sensors Incorporated (Ypoint Capital, Inc,)
• Original Assignee: Loadstar Sensors Incorporated (Ypoint Capital, Inc,)
• Inventors: Harish, Divyasimha
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, CHUN KUAN
• Application Number:
  US13/922,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 710/63
• US Class Current: 710/63
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25017 ASI actuator sensor interface, bus, network
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus of a universal interface compatible with one or more sensors are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring an electrical power signal of an external source at a universal interface device; communicating with the one or more sensors coupled to the universal interface device; conditioning, at the universal interface device, the electrical power signal; receiving an output of the one or more sensors operating on the conditioned electrical power signal; converting the output of to an appropriate form; communicating the appropriate form to the interface; and communicating the output of the one or more sensors to one or more data processing devices communicatively coupled to the universal interface device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

acquiring an electrical power signal of an external source at a universal interface device;

communicating with one or more sensors coupled to the universal interface device through the universal interface device;

conditioning, at the universal interface device, the electrical power signal, wherein the conditioning is based on a type of power used and a quality of power used by the one or more sensors;

transferring the conditioned electrical power signal to the one or more sensors;

receiving, at the universal interface device, an output of the one or more sensors operating on the conditioned electrical power signal;

converting the output of the one or more sensors to an appropriate form thereof compatible with an interface associated with the universal interface device;

communicating the appropriate form to the interface; and

communicating the output of the one or more sensors to one or more data processing devices communicatively coupled to the universal interface device through the interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the output of the one or more sensors is communicated to the one or more data processing devices through a wired connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the output of the one or more sensors is communicated to the one or more data processing devices through a network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the network is a distributed network in a cloud computing environment.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the network is one of a wired network and a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless network is one of a cellphone based data network, a Bluetooth®

network, a WiFi network, a ZigBee®

network, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors is at least one of a force sensor, a weight sensor, a torque sensor, a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor, an accelerometer, a flow sensor, a level sensor, and a temperature sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the force sensor is at least one of a pancake load cell, a single point load cell, a button load cell, a shear-beam load cell, and an S-beam load cell.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data processing devices is a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet device, a smartphone, a pump, a motor, a valve, a linear actuator, an alarm, a sound system, and a dedicated handheld device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the universal interface device is in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

11. A system, comprising:

one or more sensors; and

a universal interface device coupled to the one or more sensors, wherein the universal interface device further;

acquires an electrical power signal of an external source,

communicates with the one or more sensors,

conditions the electrical power signal, wherein the conditioning is based on a type of power used and a quality of power used by the sensor,

transfers the conditioned electrical power signal to the one or more sensors,

receives an output of the one or more sensors operating on the conditioned electrical power signal,

converts the output of the one or more sensors to an appropriate form thereof compatible with an interface associated with the universal interface device,

communicates the appropriate form to the interface, and

communicates the output of the one or more sensors to one or more data processing devices communicatively coupled to the universal interface device through the interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the output of the one or more sensors is communicated to the one or more data processing devices through a wired connection.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the output of the one or more sensors is communicated to the one or more data processing devices through a network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network is a distributed network in a cloud computing environment.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the network is one of a wired network and a wireless network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless network is one of a cellphone based data network, a Bluetooth®

network, a WiFi network, a ZigBee®

network, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) network.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors is at least one of a force sensor, a weight sensor, a torque sensor, a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor, an accelerometer, a flow sensor, a level sensor, and a temperature sensor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the force sensor is at least one of a pancake load cell, a single point load cell, a button load cell, a shear-beam load cell, and an S-beam load cell.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more data processing devices is a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet device, a smartphone, a pump, a motor, a valve, a linear actuator, an alarm, a sound system, and a dedicated handheld device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the universal interface device is in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).