Distributed witness integrity sensing platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12219306-B2
Application number	US-202117392565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2021
Priority date	Aug 4, 2020
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a distributed mufti-sensor witness integrity sensing platform (WISP) approach which allows for positioning of sensors in an enclosed space. In particular, a WISP platform is divided into two modules, with a base module is connected to multiple edge sensor modules with a wired connection. In general, splitting up the distributed WISP system described herein allows multiple sensors to be placed in an enclosed (and generally inaccessible) location. The sensor data can be transmitted from the multiple edge sensor modules via a connection to the base module. Additionally, the use of the two module system as provided herein allows the sensors to be positioned meters away from the first module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for wireless integrity sensing, comprising:
a base module having a processor;
a plurality of structural integrity sensing elements;
an energy harvester configured to receive energy and provide power to the base module, wherein the base module is configured to selectively power respective structural integrity sensing elements of the plurality of sensing elements;
a plurality of edge modules, wherein each of the plurality of edge modules is coupled to a respective structural integrity sensing element of the plurality of structural integrity sensing elements; and
a daisy-chain communication link connecting the base module to each of the plurality of edge modules in series, wherein each of the plurality of edge modules transmits a respective data signal to the base module, and wherein the daisy-chain communication link ends at a network terminator.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each edge module of the plurality of edge modules is in one of an active operational mode, a not-powered operational mode, and a powered down operational mode.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the base module powers a selected structural integrity sensing element of the plurality of structural integrity sensing elements along the daisy-chain, the selected structural integrity sensing element is in an active operational mode, a first subset of the plurality of structural integrity sensing elements between the base module and the selected structural integrity sensing element are in a powered-down mode, and a second subset of the plurality of structural integrity sensing elements between the selected structural integrity sensing element and an end of the daisy-chain are in a not-powered mode.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication link is an RS485 communication link.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the daisy-chain ends at a network terminator.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base module is configured to provide power to each of the plurality of edge modules via the communication link.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the base module is configured to provide power to one of the plurality of edge modules at a time.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of edge modules comprises:
a sensor signal conditioning element configured to receive sensor data from a respective structural integrity sensing element of the plurality of structural integrity sensing elements; and
an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert sensor data to a digital data signal.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the communication link is an I2C communication link.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base module provides power to respective edge modules of the plurality of edge modules via the daisy-chain communication link.

11. A system for wireless integrity sensing for collecting structural integrity information from multiple sensors within an enclosed space, comprising:
a base module including a processor and an energy harvester;
a plurality of structural integrity sensors; and
a plurality of edge modules each coupled to a respective structural integrity sensor from the plurality of structural integrity sensors; and
a daisy-chain communication link connecting the base module to each of the plurality of edge modules in series, wherein the communication link ends at a network terminator;
wherein the base module provides power to respective edge modules of the plurality of edge modules via the daisy-chain communication link.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein respective edge modules of the plurality of edge modules provide sensor data to the base module via the daisy-chain communication link.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the daisy-chain communication link is an RS485 communication link.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the energy harvester is an inductive energy harvester.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising an inductive exciter module configured to emit inductive energy, and wherein the energy harvester receives the emitted inductive energy and converts the received emitted inductive energy to charge to power the base module and the plurality of edge modules.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein each of the structural integrity sensors of the plurality of structural integrity sensors is configured to sense at least one of cracking, corrosion, and strain.

17. A method for witness integrity sensing, comprising:
emitting an inductive signal from a hotspot transceiver;
receiving the inductive signal at an antenna;
converting the inductive signal to charge at an energy harvesting module;
providing the charge to a base module;
powering, from the base module, respective sensing elements of a plurality of sensing elements, wherein each sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is connected to a respective edge module of a plurality of edge modules, and wherein the plurality of edge modules are connected to the base module via a daisy-chain configuration; and
collecting sensed data from each of the plurality of sensing elements via a communication link,
wherein powering respective sensing elements comprises powering a selected element of the plurality of sensing elements, wherein the selected sensing element is in an active operational mode, a first subset of the plurality of sensing elements between the base module and the selected sensing element are in a powered-down operational mode, and a second subset of the plurality of sensing elements between the selected sensing element and an end of the daisy-chain are in a not-powered operational mode.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein collecting sensed data from each of the plurality of sensing elements comprises collecting data from a selected element of the plurality of sensing elements, wherein the selected sensing element is in an active operational mode, a first subset of the plurality of sensing elements between the base module and the selected sensing element are in a powered-down operational mode, and a second subset of the plurality of sensing elements between the selected sensing element and an end of the daisy-chain are in a not-powered operational mode.

Assignees

• Analog Devices Inc

Inventors

• Stein Yosef
• Kessler Seth S
• Malepati Hazarathaiah
• Chaves Armindo B
• Borgen Michael
• Dunn Christopher T

Classifications

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H02J50/001

  Energy harvesting or scavenging · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H04Q2209/88

  Providing power supply at the sub-station · CPC title

• H02J2207/10

  Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit · CPC title