Universal adapter for sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11283228-B2
Application number	US-201916681181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2019
Priority date	Nov 12, 2019
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector. The adaptor includes a receptacle base configured to, upon insertion of the sensor connector, align with the structural shape, and/or size, and/or configuration of the sensor connector and establish a structural connection therewith. The adaptor may also include one or more receivers, configured to, in response to the conformance in the structural shape, and/or size, and/or configuration of the receptacle base, move relative to the receptacle base to align with axis of an optical arrangement or pin arrangement of the sensor connector. Such an alignment is to result in the mating of the adaptor and sensor connector which thereby establishes an electrical connection or an optical connection therewith. The adaptor may also include a processing device configured to determine one or more characteristics of output from the sensor connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector, the adaptor comprising:
a receptacle base selectively moveable between a first state in which at least one region of the receptacle base has a first structural shape, and a second state in which the at least one region has a second structural shape that conforms to a structural shape of the sensor connector to thereby establish an operational interconnection therewith,
wherein the receptacle base comprises a receiver region having one or more sockets configured to receive pins of the sensor connector, and
wherein movement of the at least one region causes axial alignment of the sockets and the pins.

2. The adaptor of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the receptacle base is composed of a shape memory material comprising one more of a metal material, a polymer material, and a composite material.

3. The adaptor of claim 1 , wherein movement of the at least one region causes the sockets to conform to a specific arrangement of the pins.

4. An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector, the adaptor comprising:
a receptacle base selectively moveable between a first state in which at least one region of the receptacle base has a first structural shape, and a second state in which the at least one region has a second structural shape that conforms to a structural shape of the sensor connector to thereby establish an operational interconnection therewith; and
a processing device configured to, upon the establishment of the operational connection:
determine one or more characteristics of output from each pin of the sensor connector, and
direct, based on the determination, transmission of the output to specific vehicle components and/or vehicle electronic modules.

5. An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector, the adaptor comprising:
a receptacle base selectively moveable between a first state in which at least one region of the receptacle base has a first structural shape, and a second state in which the at least one region has a second structural shape that conforms to a structural shape of the sensor connector to thereby establish an operational interconnection therewith; and
a processing device configured to:
detect the arrangement of pins of the sensor connector;
cause, based on the detection, the at least one region to move to the second structural shape;
determine one or more characteristics of output from the sensor connector, and
direct, based on the determination, transmission of the output to specific vehicle components and/or vehicle electronic modules.

6. An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector, the adaptor comprising:
a receptacle base selectively moveable between a first state in which at least one region of the receptacle base has a first structural shape, and a second state in which the at least one region has a second structural shape that conforms to a structural shape of the sensor connector; and
one or more receiver regions, each receiver region configured to, in response to movement by the at least one region, conform to a pin arrangement of the sensor connector to establish an operational connection therewith,
wherein each receiver region comprises one or more sockets configured to receive pins of the sensor connector, and
wherein movement of the at least one region causes axial alignment of the sockets and the pins.

7. The adaptor of claim 6 , wherein the at least one region of the receptacle base is composed of a shape memory material comprising one or more of a metal material, a polymer material, and a composite material.

8. The adaptor of claim 6 , wherein movement of the at least one region causes the sockets to conform to a specific arrangement of the pins.

9. An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector, the adaptor comprising:
a receptacle base selectively moveable between a first state in which at least one region of the receptacle base has a first structural shape, and a second state in which the at least one region has a second structural shape that conforms to a structural shape of the sensor connector;
one or more receiver regions, each receiver region configured to, in response to movement by the at least one region, conform to a pin arrangement of the sensor connector to establish an operational connection therewith; and
a processing device configured to, upon the establishment of the operational connection:
determine one or more characteristics of output from each pin of the sensor connector, and
direct, based on the determination, transmission of the output to specific vehicle components and/or vehicle electronic modules.

10. An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector, the adaptor comprising:
a receptacle base selectively moveable between a first state in which at least one region of the receptacle base has a first structural shape, and a second state in which the at least one region has a second structural shape that conforms to a structural shape of the sensor connector;
one or more receiver regions, each receiver region configured to, in response to movement by the at least one region, conform to a pin arrangement of the sensor connector to establish an operational connection therewith; and
a processing device configured to:
detect the arrangement of pins of the sensor connector;
cause the at least one region to move to the second structural shape;
determine one or more characteristics of output from the sensor connector, and
direct, based on the determination, transmission of the output to specific vehicle components and/or vehicle electronic modules.

11. An adaptor for a sensor having a sensor connector, the adaptor comprising:
a receptacle base selectively moveable between a first state in which at least one region of the receptacle base has a first structural shape, and a second state in which the at least one region has a second structural shape that conforms to a structural shape of the sensor connector to thereby establish an operational connection therewith;
a processing device, operatively connected to the receptacle base, the processing device configured to, upon the establishment of the operating connection, determine one or more characteristics of output from each pin of the sensor connector, and direct, based on the determination, transmission of the output to specific vehicle components and/or vehicle electronic modules; and
one or more receiver regions configured to, in response to the movement by the at least one region of the receptacle base, move independently relative to each other to conform to a specific arrangement of the pins.

12. The adaptor of claim 11 , wherein the at least one region of the receptacle base is composed of a shape memory material comprising one or more of a metal material, a polymer material, and a composite material.

13. The adaptor of claim 11 , wherein each receiver region comprises one or more sockets configured to receive pins of the sensor connector.

14. The adaptor of claim 11 , wherein movement of the at least one region causes axial alignment of the sockets and the pins.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Prokhorov Danil
• Frederick Scott L
• Muck Todd

Classifications

• G06F13/409 Primary

  Mechanical coupling (back panels H05K7/1438) · CPC title

• H01R4/01

  Connections using shape memory materials, e.g. shape memory metal · CPC title

• H01R29/00 Primary

  Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, {programmable connectors} · CPC title

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• B60R16/023

  for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems · CPC title