Electrical interface module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10037446-B2
Application number	US-201414787577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2013
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

The object of the invention is an electrical interface module. The electrical interface module has a memory device for storing data and an integrated NFC interface that provides data to an external reading device, wherein the electrical interface module contains a carrier on which the memory device and the integrated NFC interface are arranged.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly of electrical interface modules comprising:
a plurality of electrical interface modules mounted on a mounting rail of a control cabinet, each electrical interface module comprising:
a memory device for storing data;
an integrated NFC interface that provides data to an external reading device, the integrated NFC interface comprising an antenna; and
a carrier on which the memory device and the integrated NFC interface are arranged,

wherein the NFC interface antenna of each of the plurality of interface modules is oriented substantially similarly, and further wherein the integrated NFC interface of each electrical interface module is configured to exchange at least one of data and power with adjacent ones of the plurality of electrical interface modules.

2. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the data provided to the external reading device are selected from a group comprising:
product data, the product data comprising at least one of a serial number, a batch number, a manufacturing date, a manufacturer identification, and a place of manufacture,
an operating manual,
assembly instructions,
a reference to an Internet page,
test data, the test data comprising data from a final manufacturing inspection,
information for reordering from the manufacturer,
status data, the status data comprising error status,
degradation,
configuration data, the configuration data comprising parameterization data.

3. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the data provided to the external reading device is write-protected or password-protected.

4. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the data provided to the external reading device are selected from a group comprising:
startup data,
identification of an installation site,
periodic inspection data,
status indicator,
readout via an external reading device,
type of external reading device used,
climate data at the installation site, the climate data comprising at least one of temperature and atmospheric humidity,
mains voltage failure,
functional range,
parameter data, and
site identification.

5. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the integrated NFC interface receives data from an external writing device and stores the received data in the memory device.

6. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the received data is write-protected or password-protected.

7. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the data received from the external writing device are selected from a group comprising:
product data, the product data comprising at least one of a serial number, a batch number, a manufacturing date, a manufacturer identification, and a place of manufacture,
an operating manual,
assembly instructions,
a reference to an Internet page,
configuration data, the configuration data comprising parameterization data,
test data, the test data comprising data from a final manufacturing inspection.

8. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the data received from the external writing device are selected from a group comprising:
startup data,
identification of an installation site,
periodic inspection data,
readout via an external reading device, and
type of external reading device used.

9. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 8 , with at least a portion of the received data being write-protected or password-protected.

10. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the NFC interface is an active NFC interface.

11. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical interface modules has a width of less than 7 mm.

12. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical interface modules has a width of less than 36 mm, or less than 23 mm, or less than 18 mm, or less than 13 mm.

13. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the antenna is a planar antenna.

14. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the antenna is a planar antenna, and further wherein the planar antenna is arranged in the vicinity of the mounting region for the mounting rail.

15. The assembly of electrical interface modules as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the antenna is a planar antenna arranged in a region opposite from an assembly region for the mounting rail.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Scholz Peter
• Felux Fritz
• Wimmer Lars-Peter

Classifications

• G06K7/10366 Primary

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• H04B5/0056

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K5/0252 Primary

  Labels, e.g. for identification, markings or configuration store · CPC title

• G06K7/10336

  the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil · CPC title

• H04B5/77

  for interrogation · CPC title