Sensor and power coordinator for vehicles and production lines that hosts removable computing and messaging devices

• US 9,448,547 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian S. Messenger
• Original Assignee: Brian S. Messenger
• Inventors: Messenger, Brian S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lindsay, Bernard G
• Application Number:
  US13/986,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A sensor and power coordinator device fixably mounted to a piece of fixed or moveable equipment including a vehicle and capable of supporting a varying collection of computationally-potent, communication handhelds, that provisions power and coordinates metrics, authorization, and operation to enable sharing of vehicle-and-device-and-handheld-and-operator-specific data, thereby enabling aggregate operations by providing the collective operational stability while accommodating operator and handheld variation.

Claims

1. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) for a vehicle having at least one sensor for data relating to any set of the vehicle'"'"'s condition, operational state, and external environment, said SPC both coordinating computational and communication data display and control from, and data reporting to, an external nodal device, and provisioning electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s internal power source to said external nodal device, said SPC being mounted in that vehicle and further comprising;

a main processor;

memory connected to said main processor;

an analog-to-digital converter connected with said main processor and with said at least one sensor for its data;

means for power provisioning connected with and controlled by said main processor and connected with and provisioning power for and to said external nodal device when said external nodal device is connected with said SPC;

means for provisioning power to, receiving data from, and sending sensor control signals to the at least one sensor through a link capable of both power and reciprocal data and control transmission;

an authentication subsystem for authenticating an external nodal device when connected with the SPC as one authorized to access and use the vehicle to which the SPC is fixably mounted;

said authentication subsystem further comprising;

means for constraining the operational control of the vehicle including any combination of a set of alarm signaling, vehicle function shutdown, locational signaling, and vehicle operational shutdown, to be effected for any non-authenticated-user interaction when a connected external nodal device does not satisfy the authentication subsystem; and

,

means for incorporating and interacting with user-selected encryption from the external nodal device;

and,

means for Universal Serial Bus (‘

USB’

) interoperability further comprising;

a USB Embedded Host controller connected with said main processor;

a USB charging downstream port interface connected to said USB Embedded Host controller and said means for power provisioning; and

at least one USB physical connector for at least one said external nodal device connected with said USB charging downstream port interface, with which the external nodal device will connect to the SPC.

2. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 1, further comprising a three-axis accelerometer connected with said main processor.

3. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) for a vehicle having at least one sensor for data relating to any set of the vehicle'"'"'s condition, operational state, and external environment, said SPC both coordinating computational and communication data display and control from, and data reporting to, an external nodal device, and provisioning electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s internal power source to said external nodal device, said SPC being mounted in that vehicle and further comprising;

a Sensor Host Main Controller, further comprising;

a main processor; and

,

memory connected to said main processor;

an analog-to-digital converter connected with said main processor and with said at least one sensor for its data;

means for power provisioning connected with and controlled by said main processor and connected with and provisioning power for and to said external nodal device when said external nodal device is connected with said SPC;

means for provisioning power to, receiving data from, and sending sensor control signals to the at least one sensor through a link capable of both power and reciprocal data and control transmission;

an authentication subsystem for authenticating an external nodal device when connected with the SPC as one authorized to access and use the vehicle to which the SPC is fixably mounted;

said authentication subsystem further comprising;

means for constraining the operational control of the vehicle including any combination of a set of alarm signaling, vehicle function shutdown, locational signaling, and vehicle operational shutdown, to be effected for any non-authenticated-user interaction when a connected external nodal device does not satisfy the authentication subsystem; and

,

means for incorporating and interacting with user-selected encryption from the external nodal device;

means for Universal Serial Bus (‘

USB’

) interoperability further comprising;

a USB Embedded Host controller connected with said main processor;

a USB charging downstream port interface connected to said USB Embedded Host controller and said means for power provisioning; and

at least one USB physical connector for at least one said external nodal device connected with said USB charging downstream port interface, with which the external nodal device will connect to the SPC;

a Real-Time Clock connected with said main processor; and

,

a three-axis accelerometer connected with said main processor.

4. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 3 further comprising means for detecting and operating a subset of devices (‘

Controlled Functions’

) of the vehicle.

5. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 4, wherein the means for detecting and operating a subset of devices (‘

Controlled Functions’

) of the vehicle, comprise a Vehicle Controller Area Network (‘

VCAN’

) Interface connected with the main vehicle operation bus, and connected with said main processor.

6. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 4, wherein said means for power provisioning connected with and controlled by said main processor and connected with and provisioning power for and to said external nodal device when said external nodal device is connected with said SPC further comprise a Vehicle Power Interface and Main Supply Generation element, also connecting with said USB Charging Downstream Port Interface.

7. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 6 further comprising;

a Sensor Input Conditioning and Measurement element connected with the at least one sensor for data relating to any set of the vehicle'"'"'s condition, operational state, and external environment, and which is also connected with and reporting data to and receiving control from said Sensor Host Main Controller;

an RS-232 Transceiver Interface connected with said Sensor Host Main Controller;

an Output Generation element connected with and reporting data to and receiving control from said Sensor Host Main Controller, and connected with and receiving power from a Sensor and Output Power Generation element, which is connected with said Vehicle Power Interface and Main Supply Generation element and also with said Sensor Input Conditioning and Measurement element.

8. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 4, further comprising;

means for generating, modulating, and reading digital signals, including control signals; and

,

means for modulating and sending Pulse Width Modulated analog signals.

9. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 3, wherein the means for constraining the operational control of the vehicle further comprising constraining the operational activities of the vehicle by any set of activities, locations, time limits, or combination thereof, as determined by the existence or lack of appropriate authentication of the external nodal device attached to the SPC'"'"'s vehicle, as established within the SPC prior to the external nodal device being attached for authentication.

10. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 3 wherein the means for power provisioning connected with and controlled by said main processor and connected with and provisioning power for and to said external nodal device when said external nodal device is connected with said SPC comprise any of the set of physical wire or inductive charging means.

11. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) as in claim 3, wherein said means for power provisioning connected with and controlled by said main processor and connected with and provisioning power for and to said external nodal device when said external nodal device is connected with said SPC further comprise means to receive, use, and distribute a ranged set of vehicle power source levels comprising any of 12V and 24 VDC, and to effect differing levels of power conditioning by balancing out any of the set of surges, phase irregularities, and drops in current flow which if not corrected can damage electrical microcircuitry.

12. A Sensor and Power Coordinator (‘

SPC’

) for a vehicle having at least one sensor for data external to the vehicle, said SPC both coordinating computational and communication data display and control from, and data reporting to, an external nodal device, and provisioning electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s internal power source to said external nodal device, said SPC being mounted in that vehicle and further comprising;

a main processor;

memory connected with said main processor;

an analog-to-digital converter connected with said main processor and with said at least one sensor for data external to the vehicle;

means for power provisioning connected with and controlled by said main processor and connected with and provisioning power for and to said external nodal device when said external nodal device is connected with said SPC;

means for provisioning power to, receiving data from, and sending sensor control signals to the at least one sensor through a link capable of both power and reciprocal data and control transmission;

an authentication subsystem for authenticating an external nodal device when connected with the SPC as one authorized to access and use the vehicle to which the SPC is fixably mounted;

said authentication subsystem further comprising;

means for constraining the operational control of the vehicle including any combination of a set of alarm signaling, vehicle function shutdown, locational signaling, and vehicle operational shutdown, to be effected for any non-authenticated-user interaction when a connected external nodal device does not satisfy the authentication subsystem; and

,

means for incorporating and interacting with user-selected encryption from the external nodal device;

means for Universal Serial Bus (‘

USB’

) interoperability further comprising;

a USB Embedded Host controller connected with said main processor;

a USB charging downstream port interface connected to said USB Embedded Host controller and said means for power provisioning; and

at least one USB physical connector for at least one said external nodal device connected with said USB charging downstream port interface, with which the external nodal device will connect to the SPC;

a Real-Time Clock connected with said main processor; and

,

a three-axis accelerometer connected with said main processor;

a Vehicle Controller Area Network (‘

VCAN’

) Interface connected with the main vehicle operation bus, and connected with said main processor;

a Sensor Input Conditioning and Measurement element connected with the at least one sensor for data external to the vehicle, and which is also connected with and reporting data to and receiving control from said main processor;

an RS-232 Transceiver Interface connected with said main processor;

an Output Generation element connected with and reporting data to and receiving control from said main processor, and connected with and receiving power from a Sensor and Output Power Generation element, which is connected with said means for power provisioning and also with said Sensor Input Conditioning and Measurement element; and

an Ethernet connection.

13. A Production Control Coordinator (‘

PPC’

) fixedly attached to a first fixed-point station in a production line, said first fixed-point station comprising at least one transformational machine and at least one sensor associated with said transformational machine to effect a transformation on a physical input, said PPC both coordinating computational and communication data display and control from, and data reporting to, an external nodal device and provisioning electrical power from said PPC'"'"'s internal power source to said external nodal device, said Production Control Coordinator further comprising;

a main processor;

memory connected with said main processor;

an analog-to-digital converter connected with said main processor and with said at least one sensor for data external to the first fixed-point station;

means for power provisioning connected with and controlled by said main processor and connected with and provisioning power for and to said external nodal device when said external nodal device is connected with said PPC;

means for provisioning power to, receiving data from, and sending sensor control signals to the at least one sensor through a link capable of both power and reciprocal data and control transmission;

an authentication subsystem for authenticating an external nodal device when connected with the PPC, as one authorized to access and use the transformational machine of that PPC;

said authentication subsystem further comprising;

means for constraining the operational control of the transformational machine including any combination of a set of alarm signaling, function shutdown, data reporting signaling, and PPC operational shutdown, to be effected for any non-authenticated-user interaction when a connected external nodal device does not satisfy the authentication subsystem; and

,

means for incorporating and interacting with user-selected encryption from the external nodal device;

and,

means for Universal Serial Bus (‘

USB’

) interoperability further comprising;

a USB Embedded Host controller connected with said main processor;

a USB charging downstream port interface connected to said USB Embedded Host controller and said means for power provisioning; and

at least one USB physical connector for at least one said external nodal device connected with said USB charging downstream port interface, with which the external nodal device will connect to the PPC.

14. A Production Control Coordinator (‘

PPC’

) as in claim 13 wherein said means for power provisioning further comprise a DC power connection and means for provisioning a ranged set of DC power source levels including 12V and 24 VDC and of differing levels of power conditioning to said Production Control Coordinator and said USB charging downstream port interface.

15. A Production Control Coordinator (‘

PPC’

) as in claim 14 further comprising;

a Real Time Clock;

a 3-Axis Accelerometer; and

,

an Ethernet Transceiver.

16. A Production Control Coordinator (PPC) as in claim 15, further comprising:

a communications link to at least a second fixed-point station on a production line where said second fixed-point station also has a fixedly-attached second Production Control Coordinator, said second fixed-point station transformational machine being different in transformational effect;

wherein an exchange of coordination signals is effected by at least one of the first fixed-point station and second fixed-point station operators; and

,

wherein said first fixed-point station orders a first transformation from its transformational machine, and subsequently said second fixed-point station orders a second transformation from its transformational machine, all upon the same physical input with that second transformation being dependent the first transformation being successfully completed.