Wireless communication

• US 8,102,278 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Deck, Thomas, Skowaisa, Jürgen, Sack, Holger, Laun, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US10/534,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20060049961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,990 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/618, 340/870.07
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25131 Collect several parameters and transmit in block to control microprocessor

Abstract

Described is a sensor unit having a measured signal receiver, which registers a measured signal, an A/D converter for digitizing the measured signal, a transceiver device for wireless data communication to an environmental device, and a processor. The processor is a control processor for activating the measured signal receiver, the A/D converter, and the transceiver device. The digitized measured signal is transmitted directly via the transceiver device to the environmental device, without the complex and performance-intensive and therefore costly analysis occurring in the sensor unit.

Claims

1. A fill level sensor unit, comprising:

a measured signal receiver registering a measured signal;

an A/D converter digitizing the measured signal;

a transceiver device wirelessly transmitting data to an environmental device; and

a processor configured to only assume activating the measured signal receiver, the A/D converter, and the transceiver device in such a way that, that the measured signal is digitized and subsequently transmitted without signal processing after the A/D conversion, via the transceiver device, to the environmental device, the environmental device being coupled to an analysis unit which converts the measured signal into a measured value;

wherein the sensor is a fill level sensor; and

wherein the measured signal receiver transmits and receives one of a radar signal, an ultrasound signal and a guided microwave signal.

2. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein each of the measured signal receiver, the A/D converter, and the transceiver device includes (i) a data input, (ii) a data output and (iii) a control input, the data input of the A/D converter being connected to the data output of the measured signal receiver, the data input of the transceiver device being connected to the data output of the A/D converter, the transceiver device exchanging data with the environmental device via the corresponding data output, the processor controlling the measured signal receiver, the A/D converter, and the transceiver device via the corresponding control inputs.

3. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the measured signal is a propagation time signal.

4. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission of the data between the sensor unit and the environmental device is performed according to one of (i) a WLAN (IEEE 802.11) standard and (ii) a wireless personal area network standard (IEEE 802.15).

5. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the data transmission between the sensor unit and the environmental device is bidirectional.

6. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the environmental device is coupled to a process control system.

7. The sensor unit of claim 6, wherein the environmental device is wirelessly coupled to the process control system.

8. The sensor unit of claim 6, wherein the data transmission between the environmental device and the process control system is bidirectional.

9. The sensor unit of claim 6, wherein the environmental device is a mobile device.

10. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is wirelessly coupled to a further environmental device, the further environmental device including a control and display unit.

11. The sensor unit of claim 10, wherein the further environmental device is a mobile device.

12. The sensor unit of claim 10, wherein the environmental device is wirelessly coupled to the further environmental device.

13. The sensor unit of claim 10, wherein the data transmission occurs between the environmental device and the further environmental device and wherein the data transmission is bidirectional.

14. The sensor unit of claim 10, further comprising:

a further transceiver device communicating with the further environmental device.

15. The sensor unit of claim 10, wherein the wireless transmission of the data between at least one of (i) the sensor unit and the further environmental device and (ii) the environmental device and the further environmental device is performed according to one of (a) a WLAN (IEEE 802.11) standard and (b) a wireless personal area network standard (IEEE 802.15).

16. The sensor unit of claim 10, wherein the sensor unit exchanges parameter and status data with the further environmental device.

17. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein (i) the analysis unit and (ii) a control and display unit are integrated into the environmental device.

18. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes an interface for a wire-bound data transmission.

19. A data communication system, comprising:

a plurality of sensor units of claim 1; and

an environmental device wirelessly communicating with the sensor units, the environmental device being coupled to an analysis unit.

20. The data communication system of claim 19, further comprising:

a further environmental device including a control and display unit.

21. An environmental device, comprising:

a transceiver device wireless communicating with at least one sensor unit of claim 19;

an analysis unit processing and converting a digital measured signal received from a sensor unit into a measured value, the analysis unit being one of (i) integrated into the environmental device and (ii) external to the environmental device.

22. The sensor unit of claim 1, wherein the processor exclusively assumes control tasks.

23. The sensor unit of claim 22, further comprising:

a memory arrangement coupled to the processor and storing parameters and calibration data for controlling a measurement sequence.

24. The data communication system of claim 19, further comprising:

a plurality of the sensor units;

wherein the processor exclusively assumes control tasks.

25. The data communications system of claim 19, further comprising:

a plurality of the sensor units; and

a memory arrangement coupled to the processor and storing parameters and calibration data for controlling a measurement sequence.

26. The environmental device of claim 21, wherein the transceiver device is configured for wireless communication with at least one senor unit, wherein the processor exclusively assumes control tasks.

27. The environmental device of claim 21, wherein the transceiver device is configured for wireless communication with at least one sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit further includes a memory arrangement coupled to the processor and storing parameters and calibration data for controlling a measurement sequence.