Methods and apparatuses involving flexible cable/guidewire/interconnects

• US 9,193,313 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardia Access, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NuAx, Inc.
• Inventors: Erb, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISMAIL, MAHMOUD S
• Application Number:
  US13/849,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20150266436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 385/123
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 45/00 Arrangements or adaptations of signalling or lighting devices arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; life-buoys, -belts, -jackets, -suits or the like, characterised by signalling means B63C9/20; lighting devices or systems therefor F21L, F21S
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/001 for indicating symmetry of flaps deflection
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0005 Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/14 Towers or masts for mooring airships or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/205 arranged underground, e.g. underground runway lighting units
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2589 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25891 Transmission components H04B10/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward apparatus and methods including communication circuits for communicating between a plurality of compartments in a vehicle. An array of flexible cables provides signal-communication paths between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, with each cable having a glass or silica core region for conveying optical signals, and communicating signals (electrical signals and optical signals) along at least one of the signal-communication paths and between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle. The apparatus and methods also include a plurality of circuits that communicate status-indication signals between locations along the array of flexible cables. The status-indication signals are communicated via the signal-communication paths in the flexible array of cables and are indicative of vehicle-travel modes for reporting a status of the vehicle in a mode relative to travel of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A communication circuit for communicating between a plurality of compartments in a vehicle, the communication circuit comprising:

an array of flexible cables configured and arranged to provide signal-communication paths between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, each cable;

including a glass or silica core region for conveying optical signals,

being configured and arranged to communicate signals along at least one of the signal-communication paths and between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, the signals including electrical signals and optical signals, and

a plurality of circuits including a first circuit located at a proximate location along the array of flexible cables and secondary circuits located at distal locations along the array of flexible cables, the plurality of circuits configured and arranged to communicate status-indication signals between the locations along the array of flexible cables, the status-indication signals being communicated via the signal-communication paths in the flexible array of cables and being indicative of a first vehicle-travel mode for reporting a status of the vehicle in a mode relative to travel of the vehicle, whereby the first circuit is configured and arranged to receive the status-indication signals from the secondary circuits, and in response thereto, report or analyze the vehicle based on the status of the vehicle, as indicated at the distal locations, for a mode relative to travel of the vehicle.

2. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the glass or silica core region has a physical characteristic that is limited by an outer dimension that is less than 750 microns and further including a conductive cladding surrounding the core region.

3. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the status-indication signals are indicative of an operating function of one or more of:

functionality of exterior control surfaces of the vehicle, positioning of wing flaps of the vehicle, alignment of control surfaces of the vehicle, atmospheric conditions of critical surfaces of the vehicle, and position of wheels of the vehicle.

4. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the status-indication signals are indicative of seating status of passengers in the vehicle.

5. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-travel mode is at least one of a steady-state movement mode of the vehicle, an acceleration mode of the vehicle, and a deceleration mode of the vehicle.

6. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a terrain-vehicle or an automobile in which the first circuit collects vehicle-safety data regarding the status of vehicle while the vehicle or automobile is traveling.

7. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the signal-communication paths are further configured and arranged to pass redundant status-indication signals of mechanical aspects of the vehicle and wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle or a manned aircraft vehicle in which the first circuit collects vehicle-safety data regarding the status of vehicle while the unmanned aerial vehicle or a manned aircraft vehicle is traveling.

8. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the signal-communication paths are further configured and arranged to pass complimentary status-indication signals of mechanical aspects of the vehicle.

9. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the signal-communication paths are further configured and arranged to provide a two-way data pathway.

10. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein each cable includes at least one electrically exposed portion, and wherein the cable is further configured and arranged to detect conductive changes in a material of the cable in contact with the at least one electrically exposed portion.

11. The communication circuit of claim 10, wherein the conductive changes are indicative of unwanted moisture.

12. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein each cable includes at least one optically exposed portion, and wherein the cable is further configured and arranged to detect optical changes in the cable in contact with the at least one optically exposed portion.

13. The communication circuit of claim 1, wherein the secondary circuits are configured and arranged with mechanical aspects of the vehicle and communicate status-indication signals of the mechanical aspects.

14. A communication circuit for communicating between a plurality of compartments in an unmanned aerial vehicle, the communication circuit comprising:

an array of flexible cables configured and arranged to provide signal-communication paths between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, each cable;

including a glass or silica core region for conveying optical signals,

being configured and arranged to communicate signals along at least one of the signal-communication paths and between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, the signals including electrical signals and optical signals, and

a plurality of circuits including a first circuit located at a proximate location along the array of flexible cables and secondary circuits located at distal locations along the array of flexible cables, the plurality of circuits configured and arranged to communicate status-indication signals between the locations along the array of flexible cables, the status-indication signals being communicated via the signal-communication paths in the flexible array of cables and being indicative of status of the compartments of the vehicle while the vehicle is airborne and without user-visual monitoring capabilities, whereby the first circuit is configured and arranged to receive the status-indication signals from the secondary circuits, and in response thereto, report or analyze the vehicle based on the status of the compartments of the vehicle, as indicated at the distal locations, for a mode relative to travel of the vehicle.

15. The communication circuit of claim 14, wherein the status-indication signals are indicative of an operating function of one or more of:

functionality of exterior control surfaces of the vehicle, positioning of wing flaps of the vehicle, alignment of control surfaces of the vehicle, atmospheric conditions of critical surfaces of the vehicle, and position of wheels of the vehicle.

16. The communication circuit of claim 14, wherein the mode relative to travel of the vehicle is at least one of a steady-state movement mode of the vehicle, an acceleration mode of the vehicle, and a deceleration mode of the vehicle.

17. The communication circuit of claim 14, wherein the glass or silica core region has a physical characteristic that is limited by an outer dimension that is less than 750 microns and further including a conductive cladding surrounding the core region.

18. A method for communicating between a plurality of compartments in a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing signal-communication paths via an array of flexible cables between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, each cable including a glass or silica core region for conveying optical signals;

communicating signals along at least one of the signal-communication paths and between the plurality of compartments in the vehicle, the signals including electrical signals and optical signals; and

utilizing a plurality of circuits including a first circuit located at a proximate location along the array of flexible cables and secondary circuits located at distal locations along the array of flexible cables to communicate status-indication signals between the locations along the array of flexible cables, the status-indication signals being communicated via the signal-communication paths in the flexible array of cables and being indicative of a first vehicle-travel mode for reporting a status of the vehicle in a mode relative to travel of the vehicle, whereby the first circuit is configured and arranged to receive the status-indication signals from the secondary circuits, and in response thereto, report or analyze the vehicle based on the status of the vehicle, as indicated at the distal locations, for a mode relative to travel of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein utilizing the plurality of circuits further includes to determine the vehicle-travel mode being at least one of a steady-state movement mode of the vehicle, an acceleration mode of the vehicle, and a deceleration mode of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein utilizing the plurality of circuits further includes to determine if the status-indication signals are indicative of an operating function of one or more of:

functionality of exterior control surfaces of the vehicle, positioning of wing flaps of the vehicle, alignment of control surfaces of the vehicle, atmospheric conditions of critical surfaces of the vehicle, and position of wheels of the vehicle.