Method and system for wireless communications in a waveguide environment

• US 8,816,822 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (General Electric Co. (Italy))
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (General Electric Co. (Italy))
• Inventors: Wyler, John Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US13/052,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/1.1, 340/3.5, 340/3.51, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/10.5, 340/10.6, 340/12.5, 340/12.51, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 455/73, 455/98, 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/414.2, 455/419, 455/440, 455/456.1, 701/2, 701/3
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/14 of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• 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 system and method of transmitting sensor signals in a waveguide environment are provided. A sensor assembly is configured to wirelessly receive a sensor interrogation signal, determine an input power level of the sensor interrogation signal, and transmit a message including the determined power level. The system also includes a sensor controller configured to transmit a sensor interrogation signal determine an output power of the transmitted sensor interrogation signal at a plurality of frequencies, receive an indication of the received input power level of the sensor interrogation signal from the sensor assembly at the plurality of frequencies, compare the transmitted output power of the sensor interrogation signal to the received power indication, and select a transmit frequency for transmitting messages between the sensor assembly and the sensor controller based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor system comprising:

a plurality of sensor assemblies positioned remotely from each other, each sensor assembly comprising a radio frequency transceiver configured to wirelessly receive a sensor interrogation signal that includes an indication of a measured transmit power level, each sensor assembly of said plurality of sensor assemblies configured to;

measure an input power level of the received sensor interrogation signal,

determine an input power level of the sensor interrogation signal,

determine a power ratio of the sensor interrogation signal using the indication of the measured transmit power level and the input power level of the received sensor interrogation signal, and

transmit a message including the determined power level and the power ratio of the sensor interrogation signal; and

a sensor controller positioned remotely from said plurality of sensor assemblies, said sensor controller comprising a radio frequency transceiver configured to transmit a sensor interrogation signal at a first frequency and at a second frequency, the second frequency different than the first frequency, said sensor controller comprising a processor and a memory programmed with instructions that cause the sensor controller to;

transmit a sensor interrogation signal into an aircraft fuselage at a frequency that varies over time;

determine an output power of the transmitted sensor interrogation signal at a plurality of frequencies;

receive a message from each said sensor assembly including the power ratio of the interrogation signal at the plurality of frequencies received by each said sensor assembly, the power ratio determined by each said sensor assembly; and

select a transmit frequency for transmitting messages between each said sensor assembly and said sensor controller based on the received messages, wherein the transmit frequency is a frequency at which a power ratio of the input power level of the sensor interrogation signal measured by a particular sensor assembly and the transmitted output power is greater than power ratios determined at the others of the plurality of frequencies.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensor assemblies each determine their respective frequency of transmission independent of said sensor controller and each other, each of said plurality of sensor assemblies configured to transmit messages to said sensor controller on the determined frequency.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor assembly is configured to adjust its transmission frequency to a frequency received from the sensor controller that matches a frequency determined as having the largest power ratio.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor assembly determines a power ratio of the transmitted output power and the input power level received by said sensor assembly, an indication of the transmitted output power being received from said sensor controller in a message transmitted from said sensor controller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor controller determines a power ratio of the transmitted output power and the input power level received by said sensor assembly, an indication of the input power level being received from said sensor assembly in a message transmitted from said sensor assembly.

6. A method of transmitting sensor signals comprising:

transmitting a sensor interrogation signal into an aircraft fuselage at a frequency that varies over time;

determining an output power of the transmitted sensor interrogation signal at a plurality of frequencies;

receiving from each sensor assembly of a plurality of sensor assemblies an indication of a ratio of the determined output power and received power of the sensor interrogation signal at a particular sensor assembly at the plurality of frequencies; and

selecting a transmit frequency corresponding to a mode frequency of the aircraft fuselage based on the received power ratio, the mode frequency being the frequency where a transmitted signal incurs a lesser loss than other frequencies, wherein the transmit frequency is a frequency at which a power ratio of the received power level at the particular sensor assembly and the transmitted output power is greater than power ratios determined at the others of the plurality of frequencies.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising transmitting information to the wireless sensor at the selected frequency.

8. The method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising receiving information from the wireless sensor at the selected frequency.

9. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein selecting a transmit frequency based on the comparison comprises selecting a transmit frequency based on the comparison of the transmitted output power of the sensor interrogation signal to the received power indication for more than one of the plurality of wireless sensors.

10. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein selecting a transmit frequency based on the comparison comprises selecting a transmit frequency that provides a maximum total ratio of the received power indication to the transmitted output power for the more than one of the plurality of wireless sensors.

11. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein selecting a transmit frequency comprises selecting a single transmit frequency.

12. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein selecting a transmit frequency comprises selecting a plurality of transmit frequencies, such that each of the plurality of transmit frequencies corresponds to one or more of the plurality of wireless sensors.

13. A sensor controller system comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver configured to transmit data messages and to receive data messages at a plurality of predetermined frequencies; and

a processor comprising a memory and programmed to;

transmit a plurality of sensor interrogation signals into an aircraft fuselage, each of the plurality of sensor interrogation signals transmitted at a respective frequency different than others of respective frequencies;

determine an output power of each of the transmitted plurality of sensor interrogation signals at the respective frequency;

receive a message from each of a plurality of wireless sensor assemblies including a power ratio for one or more of the of the plurality of sensor interrogation signals received by a particular sensor assembly, the power ratio determined by the sensor assembly;

determine a mode frequency of the aircraft fuselage using the received message; and

select the mode frequency as a transmit frequency for communications between the radio frequency transceiver and the particular wireless sensor assembly, wherein the transmit frequency is a frequency at which a power ratio of the received power level at the particular sensor assembly and the transmitted output power is greater than power ratios determined at the others of the plurality of frequencies.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is further programmed to select the transmit frequency having the largest ratio of the transmitted output power of the sensor interrogation signal to the received power indication.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is further programmed to periodically select a transmit frequency based on a comparison of a transmitted output power of a subsequent sensor interrogation signal to a received power indication of the subsequent sensor interrogation signal.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is further programmed to:

monitor responses from the wireless sensor;

transmit one or more sensor interrogation signals into the aircraft fuselage at the selected frequency for the non-responsive wireless sensor; and

vary the frequency of the one or more sensor interrogation signals in a predetermined frequency range about the selected frequency.