Adaptive wireless torque measurement system and method

• US 9,285,283 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Beligere, Sudheer, Talikoti, Vijay Tippanna, Malhan, Vishal
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNLAP, JONATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/281,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/286, 700/291, 700/297, 700/298, 738/623.25, 73862331-862335, 702/61, 702/60, 702/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 3/108 involving resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

An adaptive wireless torque measurement system includes a rotor, a rotor antenna, a stator antenna, stator electronics, and rotor electronics. The rotor antenna is attached to the rotor. The stator antenna is configured to be inductively coupled to the rotor antenna. The stator electronics are coupled to receive, via the stator antenna, feedback data and are configured, in response thereto, to generate and transmit, via the stator antenna, power signals at a power level magnitude based in part on the feedback data. The rotor electronics are attached to the rotor and are coupled to receive, via the rotor antenna, the power signals transmitted by the stator electronics. The rotor electronics are configured to determine the power level magnitude of the power signals, generate the feedback data, the feedback data at least including information representative of the determined power level magnitude, and transmit, via the rotor antenna, the feedback data.

Claims

1. An adaptive wireless torque measurement system comprising:

a rotor;

a rotor antenna attached to the rotor;

a stator antenna configured to be inductively coupled to the rotor antenna;

stator electronics coupled to receive, via the stator antenna, feedback data and configured, in response thereto, to generate and transmit, via the stator antenna, power signals at a power level magnitude based in part on the feedback data; and

rotor electronics attached to the rotor and coupled to receive, via the rotor antenna, the power signals transmitted by the stator electronics, the rotor electronics configured to;

(i) determine the power level magnitude of the power signals,

(ii) generate the feedback data with a bit resolution based at least in part on the determined power level magnitude, the feedback data at least including information representative of the determined power level magnitude, and

(iii) transmit, via the rotor antenna, the feedback data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stator electronics comprise:

a signal conditioning circuit coupled to the stator antenna to receive the feedback data transmitted via the rotor antenna;

a stator processor coupled to receive the feedback data and configured, in response thereto, to determine the power level magnitude and supply amplifier control signals representative thereof;

a power amplifier coupled to receive the amplifier control signals and configured, in response thereto, to generate the power signals at the power level magnitude.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the stator processor is further configured, in response to the feedback data, to determine an amount of torque being experienced by the rotor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotor antenna and the stator antenna are each configured as flat coil antennas.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotor electronics comprise:

a strain detection device attached to the rotor and configured to generate signals that indicate an amount of strain in the rotor;

an amplifier attached to the rotor and configured to amplify the signals generated by the strain detection device; and

a rotor processor attached to the rotor and configured to transmit, via the rotor antenna, the feedback data,

wherein the feedback data further includes information representative of the amount of strain in the rotor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the rotor is configured to connect to a driving shaft that rotates the rotor, and wherein the rotor antenna, the strain detection device, the amplifier, and the rotor processor are configured to rotate along with the rotor.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the rotor is configured to couple a driving shaft to an output shaft, wherein the rotor is configured to transfer a torque applied by the driving shaft to the output shaft, and wherein the amount of strain in the rotor is induced when the torque is applied by the driving shaft.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the strain detection device comprises one or more strain gauges that are configured to generate the signals that indicate the amount of strain in the rotor.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter module attached to the rotor and configured to receive the amplified signals and digitize the amplified signals.

10. A method for installing a wireless torque measurement system, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling a rotor antenna to a rotor;

disposing a stator antenna in proximity to the rotor antenna to thereby inductively couple to the stator antenna and the rotor antenna;

receiving, via the rotor antenna, power signals transmitted by stator electronics;

using rotor electronics to (i) determine the power level magnitude of the power signals, (ii) generate feedback data with a bit resolution that is based at least in part on the determined power level magnitude, and (iii) transmit, via the rotor antenna, the feedback data; and

adjusting the proximity of the stator and rotor antenna to achieve a desired bit resolution in the feedback data.

11. An adaptive wireless torque measurement system comprising:

a rotor;

a flat coil rotor antenna attached to the rotor;

a flat coil stator antenna configured to be inductively coupled to the rotor antenna;

stator electronics coupled to receive, via the stator antenna, feedback data and configured, in response thereto, to generate and transmit, via the stator antenna, power signals at a power level magnitude based in part on the feedback data; and

rotor electronics attached to the rotor and coupled to receive, via the rotor antenna, the power signals transmitted by the stator electronics, the rotor electronics configured to;

(i) determine the power level magnitude of the power signals,

(ii) generate the feedback data with a bit resolution based at least in part on the determined power level magnitude, the feedback data at least including information representative of the determined power level magnitude, and

(iii) transmit, via the rotor antenna, the feedback data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the stator electronics comprise:

a signal conditioning circuit coupled to the stator antenna to receive the feedback data transmitted via the rotor antenna;

a stator processor coupled to receive the feedback data and configured, in response thereto, to determine the power level magnitude and supply amplifier control signals representative thereof;

a power amplifier coupled to receive the amplifier control signals and configured, in response thereto, to generate the power signals at the power level magnitude.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the stator processor is further configured, in response to the feedback data, to determine an amount of torque being experienced by the rotor.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotor electronics comprise:

a strain detection device attached to the rotor and configured to generate signals that indicate an amount of strain in the rotor;

an amplifier attached to the rotor and configured to amplify the signals generated by the strain detection device; and

a rotor processor attached to the rotor and configured to transmit, via the rotor antenna, the feedback data,

wherein the feedback data further includes information representative of the amount of strain in the rotor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the rotor is configured to connect to a driving shaft that rotates the rotor, and wherein the rotor antenna, the strain detection device, the amplifier, and the rotor processor are configured to rotate along with the rotor.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the rotor is configured to couple a driving shaft to an output shaft, wherein the rotor is configured to transfer a torque applied by the driving shaft to the output shaft, and wherein the amount of strain in the rotor is induced when the torque is applied by the driving shaft.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the strain detection device comprises one or more strain gauges that are configured to generate the signals that indicate the amount of strain in the rotor.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter module attached to the rotor and configured to receive the amplified signals and digitize the amplified signals.