Wireless remote detectors systems and methods

• US 8,742,315 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blanchard, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US13/758,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.SW, 324/522
• US Class Current: 250/214.SW
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/155 Indicating the presence of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/32 in circuits having distributed constants , e.g. having very long conductors or involving high frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3277 of low voltage devices, e.g. domestic or industrial devices, such as motor protections, relays, rotation switches
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/67 Testing the correctness of wire connections in electric apparatus or circuits

Abstract

A system is provided that includes: a sensor device adapted to selectively monitor a plurality of sensors, wherein the sensor device includes a wireless transceiver within the sensor device adapted to transmit measurement information from the selected sensor; and a receiver indicator device adapted to wirelessly receive the measurement information from the sensor device, and provide an indication based on the measurement information to a user operating the receiver indicator device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a handheld device;

a sensor device configured to detect at least one parameter and communicate with the handheld device, wherein the sensor device comprises;

at least one sensor configured to detect the at least one parameter, and

a first transceiver configured to communicate bidirectionally with the handheld device, wherein the sensor device is further configured to transmit information corresponding to the at least one parameter via the first transceiver to the handheld device; and

;

wherein the handheld device comprises;

a second transceiver configured to communicate bidirectionally with the sensor device, wherein the handheld device is configured to receive the information corresponding to the at least one parameter via the second transceiver, and an indicator configured to provide the information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, and wherein the handheld device further includes:

a slide switch operable to select a sensor from the plurality of sensors to detect the at least one parameter;

wherein the second transceiver is further configured to transmit a selection of the sensor from the plurality of sensors to the first transceiver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor device is a wireless sensor device, wherein the sensor device is further configured to communicate wirelessly with the handheld device, and wherein the indicator comprises an LED indicator and/or a sound indicator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an AC voltage sensor, and wherein the AC voltage sensor is one of a contact and/or a non-contact AC voltage sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a current sensor, and wherein the current sensor is one of a contact and/or a non-contact current sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a thermal sensor, and wherein the thermal sensor is one of a thermometer, pyrometer, bolometer, infrared sensor, and/or infrared camera.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a light sensor, wherein the light sensor detects ambient light, and wherein the handheld device is configured to adjust a sensitivity of the wireless remote light sensor via the second transciever transceiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a leak sensor, and wherein the leak sensor is configured to detect a presence of water and/or gas.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sound sensor and/or a motion sensor, and wherein the sound sensor and/or the motion sensor is configured to detect a presence of a voltage in a circuit.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch at the sensor device and/or at the handheld device operable to change a setting of the at least one sensor.

11. A method to detect at least one parameter, the method comprising:

detecting the at least one parameter using a sensor device, wherein the sensor device comprises at least one sensor and a first transceiver configured to communicate bidirectionally with a hand held device; and

transmitting information corresponding to the at least one parameter to the handheld device, wherein the handheld device comprises a second transceiver configured to communicate bidirectionally with the sensor device, and wherein the handheld device includes an indicator configured to provide the information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, at the handheld device, a selection of one of the sensors to detect the at least one parameter; and

transmitting the selection to the first transceiver by the second transceiver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor device is a wireless sensor device, and wherein the transmitting the information comprises wirelessly transmitting the information to the handheld device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an AC voltage sensor, wherein the AC voltage sensor is one of a contact and a non-contact AC voltage sensor, and wherein the detecting the at least one parameter comprises detecting a voltage using one of the contact and the non-contact AC voltage sensor.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a current sensor, wherein the current sensor is one of a contact and a non-contact current sensor, and wherein the detecting the at least one parameter comprises detecting a current using one of the contact and the non-contact current sensor.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a thermal sensor, wherein the thermal sensor is one of a thermometer, pyrometer, bolometer, infrared sensor, and infrared camera, and wherein the detecting the at least one parameter comprises detecting a thermal reading using one of a thermometer, pyrometer, bolometer, infrared sensor, and infrared camera.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a light sensor, wherein the handheld device is configured to adjust a sensitivity of the light sensor, and wherein the detecting the at least one parameter comprises detecting ambient light using the light sensor.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a leak sensor, and wherein the detecting the at least one parameter comprises detecting a presence of water or gas using the leak sensor.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sound sensor and/or a motion sensor, and wherein the detecting the at least one parameter comprises detecting a presence of a voltage in a circuit using the sound sensor and/or the motion sensor.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing a setting of the at least one sensor.