Building panels, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960643-B2
Application number	US-201916574519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

Gypsum panels, methods for their manufacture, and systems and methods for monitoring environmental conditions with such panels are provided herein. The panels include a gypsum core having a first surface and an opposed second surface, a first facer material associated with the first surface of the gypsum core, and an environmental sensor assembly associated with the gypsum panel and configured to detect an environmental condition of the gypsum panel and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition to a reader.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A building panel, comprising:
a panel core comprising wood, foam, or gypsum, the panel core having a first surface and an opposed second surface; and
an environmental sensor assembly disposed wholly within the panel core or between a first facer material associated with the first surface of the panel core and the first surface of the panel core, wherein the environmental sensor assembly is passive and comprises an antenna, a processing module, and a wireless communication module,
wherein the environmental sensor assembly is configured to detect an environmental condition of the building panel and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition to a reader,
wherein the antenna has an antenna impedance operable to vary based on the environmental condition, the processing module is coupled to the antenna and comprises a tuning module operable to (i) vary a reactive component impedance in order to change a system impedance comprising the antenna impedance and the reactive component impedance, and (ii) produce an impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance, and the wireless communication module is coupled to the processing module and is operable to communicate the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance to the reader, and
wherein the data on the environmental condition comprises the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

2. The building panel of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly is configured to detect an environmental condition of the panel selected from moisture, temperature, and pressure.

3. The building panel of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly comprises a passive radio frequency identification sensor.

4. The building panel of claim 1 , wherein:
the antenna comprises a resistor inductor capacitor tuned circuit operable to convert the environmental condition into an impedance change, and
the processing module is coupled to the antenna and is operable to translate the impedance change into a sensor code by matching antenna impedance to die impedance.

5. The building panel of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly further comprises a memory module operable to store the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

6. The building panel of claim 1 , wherein the building panel is an internal wallboard panel, external sheathing panel, or roof panel.

7. The building panel of claim 1 , wherein the building panel comprises at least one additional environmental sensor assembly.

8. A method of making a building panel, comprising:
forming a panel core comprising wood, foam, or gypsum; and
wholly disposing an environmental sensor assembly within the panel core or between a first facer material and the panel core, wherein the environmental sensor assembly is passive and comprises an antenna, a processing module, and a wireless communication module,
wherein the environmental sensor assembly is configured to detect an environmental condition of the building panel and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition to a reader,
wherein the antenna has an antenna impedance operable to vary based on the environmental condition, the processing module is coupled to the antenna and comprises a tuning module operable to (i) vary a reactive component impedance in order to change a system impedance comprising the antenna impedance and the reactive component impedance, and (ii) produce an impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance, and the wireless communication module is coupled to the processing module and is operable to communicate the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance to the reader, and
wherein the data on the environmental condition comprises the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly is configured to detect an environmental condition of the panel selected from moisture, temperature, and pressure.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly comprises a passive radio frequency identification sensor.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly further comprises a memory module operable to store the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the building panel is an internal wallboard panel, external sheathing panel, or roof panel.

13. A system for detecting an environmental condition at a building panel, comprising:
at least one building panel that comprises:
a panel core comprising wood, foam, or gypsum, and having a first surface and an opposed second surface, and
an environmental sensor assembly wholly disposed within the panel core or between the first surface of the panel core and a first facer material associated with the first surface of the panel core, the environmental sensor assembly being configured to detect an environmental condition of the building panel and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition; and

at least one reader for receiving the data wirelessly communicated from the environmental sensor assembly,
wherein:
the environmental sensor assembly is passive and comprises an antenna, a processing module, and a wireless communication module,
the antenna has an antenna impedance operable to vary based on the environmental condition,
the processing module is coupled to the antenna and comprises a tuning module operable to (i) vary a reactive component impedance in order to change a system impedance comprising the antenna impedance and the reactive component impedance, and (ii) produce an impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance,
the wireless communication module is coupled to the processing module and is operable to communicate the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance to the reader, and
the data on the environmental condition comprises the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the environmental sensor assembly is configured to detect an environmental condition of the panel selected from moisture, temperature, and pressure.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a processing unit, wherein the reader is configured to communicate the data on the environmental condition to the processing unit, and the processing unit is operable to determine at least one condition status at the environmental sensor assembly from the data.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one reader comprises a powered reader mounted at a building containing the at least one building panel.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a building control system configured to receive information from the powered reader.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one reader comprises a handheld manual reader.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reader communicates the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance to the processing unit, which is operable to determine at least one condition status at the environmental sensor assembly from the impedance value representative of the reactive component impedance.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein is at least one building panel is an internal wallboard panel, external sheathing panel, or roof panel.

Assignees

• Georgia Pacific Gypsum Llc

Inventors

• Harrison Charles R
• Gollob Lawrence
• Shelton Clarence A
• Gilley Stuart Brandon

Classifications

• B32B7/08

  by mechanical means · CPC title

• E04D13/1643

  the roof structure being formed by load bearing corrugated sheets, e.g. profiled sheet metal roofs · CPC title

• B32B2307/7265

  Non-permeable · CPC title

• B32B2262/101

  Glass fibres · CPC title

• B32B2250/02

  2 layers · CPC title