Wireless electronic detonator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11236975-B2
Application number	US-201816753103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2018
Priority date	Oct 9, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A wireless electronic detonator includes an energy source and functional modules. A first switching switch is provided between the energy source and the functional modules, making it possible to connect or not connect the energy source to the functional modules. A control module for controlling the first switching means includes a module for recovering radio energy configured to receive a radio signal from a control console, to recover the electric energy in the radio signal received, to generate an energy recovery signal (VRF) representative of the level of electric energy recovered, and to generate as output a control signal (VOUT) as a function of the recovered energy, the control signal controlling the first switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless electronic detonator comprising:
an energy source;
functional modules;
a first switch between the energy source and the functional modules, and operative to connect or not to connect the energy source to the functional modules; and
a control module that controls the first switch, the control module comprising a radio energy recovery module configured to:
receive a radio signal coming from a control console,
recover electrical energy in the received radio signal,
generate an energy recovery signal (V RF ) representing the level of recovered electrical energy, and
generate a control signal (V OUT ) according to the recovered electrical energy, the control signal (V OUT ) controlling the first switch.

2. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 1 , wherein the control module further comprises a comparator that compares a level of the energy recovery signal (V RF ), with an energy threshold value (V threshold ), the control signal (V OUT ) being generated, such that the first switch connects the energy source to the functional modules when the level of the energy recovery signal (V RF ) passes over the energy threshold value (V threshold ).

3. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 2 , wherein the energy threshold value (V threshold ) is obtained from the energy source.

4. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 2 , wherein the energy threshold value (V threshold ) is obtained from the energy recovery signal (V RF ).

5. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 2 , wherein the energy threshold value (V threshold ) is equal to a value outside a range of operating potentials of the energy source.

6. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 2 , wherein a part of the control module is referenced in relation to a reference potential (V ref ) equal to a value in a range of operating potentials of the energy source.

7. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 1 , wherein the control module further comprises means for verifying a time of presence of the energy recovery signal (V RF ) exceeding a predetermined value, the control signal (V OUT ) being generated, such that the first switch connects the energy source to the functional modules when the time of presence is greater than or equal to a predefined period of time.

8. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 1 , wherein the control module comprises at least one receiver receiving one or more radio signals from a control console and at least one filter mounted downstream of the at least one receiver, the at least one filter allowing the one or more radio signals to pass over predefined frequency bands.

9. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 8 , wherein the control module further comprises verifying means configured to verify the presence of a signal as an output from the at least one filter, the control signal (V OUT ) being generated such that the energy source is connected to the functional modules when a signal is present as an output from the at least one filter.

10. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one filter comprises several filters and verifying means that are configured to verify an order of reception of one or more signals output respectively from the several filters, the control signal (V OUT ) being generated such that the energy source is connected to the functional modules when a predefined instruction is verified.

11. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one filter comprises several filters and verifying means that are configured to verify the presence or the absence of a signal as an output respectively from the several filters and to generate as a result a combination of presences and absences, the control signal (V OUT ) being generated such that the energy source is connected to the functional modules when a predefined combination of presences and absences is verified.

12. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 1 , wherein the control module further comprises verifying means for verifying a frequency of the received radio signal, the control signal (V OUT ) being generated such that the switch connects the energy source to the functional modules when the radio signal is present in a predefined frequency band.

13. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 1 , wherein the functional modules comprise a processor that controls the first switch.

14. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 13 , wherein the processor controls the first switch so as to keep the energy source connected beforehand to the functional modules or not to maintain the energy source connected to the functional modules.

15. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 14 , wherein the processor controls the first switch so as to maintain the energy source connected to the functional modules if a level of electrical energy recovered by the energy recovery means is greater than or equal to a predefined energy threshold value.

16. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 14 , wherein the processor controls the first switch so as to maintain the energy source connected to the functional modules if the duration of presence of electrical energy recovered by the energy recovery module and that passes over a predetermined value exceeds a predefined period of time.

17. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 14 , wherein the processor controls the first switch so as to maintain the energy source connected to the functional modules if the received radio signal is present in a predefined frequency band.

18. The wireless electronic detonator according to claim 1 , wherein functional modules comprise an antenna, a processor, an energy storage module, an explosive squib, and second and third switches, the second switch between the first switch and the energy storage module, and the third switch between the energy storage module and the explosive squib, the antenna connected to the processor, the processor controlling the first, second and third switches.

19. A wireless detonating system comprising the wireless electronic detonator according to claim 1 , and a control console configured to emit radio signals to the wireless electronic detonator.

20. A method of activating a wireless electronic detonator comprising an energy source, functional modules and a first switch between the energy source and the functional modules and that are controlled by a control module, the method comprising:
receiving a radio signal,
recovering electrical energy from the received radio signal,
generating an energy recovery signal (V RF ) representing a level of energy recovered, and
generating a control signal (V OUT ) according to the recovered energy, the control signal (V OUT ) controlling the first switch so as to connect the energy source to the functional modules.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises, prior to generating the control signal (V OUT ), verifying a condition relative to the received radio signal or the energy recovery signal (V RF ).

22. The method according to, wherein the verification comprises comparing the level of the energy recovery signal (V RF ) representing the level of recovered electrical energy with an energy threshold value (V threshold ), the first switch being operated so as to maintain the energy source connected to the

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Bickford Davey

Inventors

• Biard Lionel
• Despesse Ghislain
• Guyon Franck

Classifications

• F42B3/121 Primary

  Initiators with incorporated integrated circuit · CPC title

• F42B3/10

  Initiators therefor (percussion fuzes F42C7/00; percussion caps F42C19/10; electric primers F42C19/12) · CPC title

• F42D1/055

  specially adapted for firing multiple charges with a time delay · CPC title

• F42C13/04

  operated by radio waves · CPC title

• F42D5/00

  Safety arrangements · CPC title