Sensor with wireless communication function

• US 7,339,489 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kokubo, Masaru, Arita, Hiroshi, Mizugaki, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): BUGG, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US10/786,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521
• US Class Current: 340/693.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensor transmits and receives wireless signals at intervals. A sensor unit, a processor 130, a wireless transmitter circuit, and a wireless receiver circuit are activated in sequence only for a fixed time when the electric power generated by a generator circuit and charged in a capacitor reaches a preset level. Sensing information detected by the sensor unit is processed by the processor circuit and, information on the number of receivable bytes is added to the processing results in the wireless receiver circuit. This added information is sent as sensor information to the wireless host from the wireless transmitting circuit, and the wireless receiver circuit that activated after the wireless transmitter circuit was activated, receives a control information signal from the wireless host. This received information is processed in the processor circuit.

Claims

1. A wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals;

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device; and

a power control device which supplies the electric power charged by said electric power charging device to said load devices, wherein said load devices are activated when the electric power charged by said electric power charging device reaches a level sufficient to activate said load devices,

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated.

2. A wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals;

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device; and

a power control device which supplies sequentially the electric power charged by said electric power charging device to said load devices, when the electric power charged by said electric power charging device reaches a level sufficient to activate said load devices,

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated.

3. A wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals;

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device,

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated

wherein said processing device calculates an amount of data receivable by said wireless receiving device or an amount of time allowable for receiving the wireless signal by said wireless receiving device based on an electric power level when electric power sufficient to activate said load devices is charged by said electric power charging device, and adds the calculated amounts to said results.

4. A wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals,

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device;

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated;

wherein said electric power generator starts generating electricity in response to an output of an environment generating device for applying generating conditions predicted as the environment during generation of electricity.

5. A wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals;

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device;

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated;

wherein said electric power generator starts generating electricity in response to an output of an environment generating device for outputting a sound wave or an ultrasonic wave with a frequency identical to a frequency of vibration during generation of electricity.

6. A wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals,

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device;

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device; and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated;

wherein said wireless transmitting device transmits wireless signals to said wireless communication device by a communications method different from that of said wireless receiving device.

7. A wireless communication function equipped sensor comprising:

a sensor unit comprising at least one physical quantity detection device, which detects a physical quantity of a detection object;

an electric power generator;

an electric power charging device which is charged by electric power generated by said electric power generator;

a processing device which processes detection results from said at least one physical quantity detection device;

a wireless transmitting device which transmits said detection results to a wireless communication device by wireless signals;

a wireless receiving device which receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device;

wherein the sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and wireless receiving device, are activated intermittently using electric power charged by said electric power charging device, said sensor unit, processing device, wireless transmitting device and receiving device being load devices of the electric power charging device, and

wherein said wireless receiving device is activated after the transmitting device is activated;

wherein said wireless transmitting device transmits wireless signals to said wireless communication device by the UWB communications method and, said wireless receiving device receives wireless signals from said wireless communication device using any of FM, AM or infrared communications methods.