Operational parameter recording device comprising at least a sensor affixed to a component and corresponding process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297143-B2
Application number	US-202017029140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2020
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Operational parameter recording device providing a sensor affixed to a component, a central control unit and a remote server connected to the central control unit. Each sensor provides a measurement device, at least a power source, a communication device, a memory and processing device, the measurement device being configured to determine at least an operational parameter. Also a process for carrying out the function of the operational parameter recording device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An operational parameter recording device comprising:
at least a sensor affixed to a component,
a central control unit having a central control unit processor, and
a remote server connected to the central control unit, wherein
each sensor comprises measurement means, at least a power source,
communication means, a memory and processing means, the measurement means being configured to determine at least an operational parameter, wherein
the memory comprises at least a sensor identifier, the processing means commanding the communication means for transmitting the sensor identifier to the central control unit, wherein
a start-up time of the component is either determined within the processing means and transmitted to the central control unit along with the sensor identifier or is determined within the central control unit processor, the start-up time determination being based on the at least an operational parameter and at least a predetermined threshold value for the at least an operational parameter, the central control unit memorizes, for each sensor identifier, the start-up time along with the sensor identifier in a data table, and wherein
the central control unit then determines an operating duration for the component as a function of the memorized start-up time for each sensor identifier and a pairing data recorded on the remote server linking the sensor identifier to a component identifier identifying the component the sensor is affixed to.

2. The operational parameter recording device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least an operational parameter is transmitted to the central control unit along with the sensor identifier.

3. The operational parameter recording device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least an operational parameter is chosen among position, speed, acceleration, angle, rotational speed, rotational acceleration, direction of rotation, elongation, temperature, presence of a chemical compound, resistance, current, voltage or magnetic field.

4. The operational parameter recording device according to claim 1 , wherein the component is either a part of a system, a complete system, or a device comprising a plurality of systems.

5. The operational parameter recording device according to claim 1 , wherein the component identifier and the sensor identifier are read and recorded as being paired on the remote server.

6. The operational parameter recording device according to claim 1 , wherein the power source is omnipresent power harvesting means.

7. The operational parameter recording device according to claim 1 , wherein the component is a bearing.

8. A bearing comprising:
an inner ring,
an outer ring,
at least one row of rolling elements,
at least one cage for maintaining a circumferential spacing of the rolling elements, the bearing further comprises the operational parameter recording device according to claim 1 and affixed to one of the inner ring and the outer ring, the at least one row of rolling elements or the at least one cage.

9. An operational parameter recording process for recording at least an operational parameter of a component through an operational parameter recording device, the operational parameter recording device comprising: at least a sensor affixed to the component, a central control unit having a central control unit processor, and a remote server connected to the central control unit, wherein each sensor comprises measurement means, at least a power source, communication means, a memory and processing means, the measurement means being configured to determine the at least an operational parameter, wherein the memory comprises at least a sensor identifier, the processing means commanding the communication means for transmitting the at least a sensor identifier to the central control unit, wherein a start-up time of the component is either determined within the sensor processing means and transmitted to the central control unit along with the at least a sensor identifier or is determined within the central control unit processor, the start-up time determination being based on at least one of the operational parameter and at least a predetermined threshold value for the at least an operational parameter, the central control unit memorizes, for each sensor identifier, the start-up time along with the sensor identifier in a data table, and wherein the central control unit then determines an operating duration for the component as a function of the memorized start-up time for each sensor identifier and a pairing data recorded on the remote server linking the sensor identifier to a component identifier identifying the component the sensor is affixed to, the operational parameter recording process comprising steps:
determining the at least an operational parameter,
determining the start-up time of the component based on the at least an operational parameter and the at least a predetermined threshold value for the at least an operational parameter,
memorizing the start-up time in the data table along with the sensor identifier stored within the memory of the sensor, for each sensor identifier, and
determining the operating duration for the component as the function of the memorized start-up time for each sensor identifier and the pairing data recorded on the remote server linking the sensor identifier to the component identifier identifying the component to which the sensor is affixed.

10. The operational parameter recording process according to claim 9 , wherein the data pairing recorded on the remote server are determined by:
reading both the component identifier and the sensor identifier during manufacturing or servicing, and
recording both the component identifier and the sensor identifier as being paired on the remote server.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Emmert Michael
• Ziegler Sebastian

Classifications

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title