Determining an extreme temperature location from a plurality of locations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016238457-A1
Application number	US-201415030983-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for determining an extreme temperature location from a plurality of locations connects along a daisy chain of devices each of which mounts to a respective location from the plurality of locations. The device includes an input terminal operably connected to a remote device at a remote location from the plurality of locations via the daisy chain. The input terminal receives a remote temperature signal indicative of a remote temperature corresponding to the remote location and a remote location signal indicative of the remote location. The device also includes a local temperature determining logic that generates a local temperature signal indicative of a local temperature corresponding to the location of the device, and at least one comparator operably connected to the input terminal and to the local temperature determining logic and configured to compare the local temperature signal to the remote temperature signal.

First claim

1 . A device for determining an extreme temperature location from a plurality of locations and configured to connect along a daisy chain of devices, each of the devices configured to mount at a respective location from a plurality of locations, the device comprising:
at least one input terminal configured to operably connect to a remote device at a remote location from the plurality of locations via the daisy chain, the at least one input terminal configured to receive a remote temperature signal including data indicative of a remote temperature corresponding to the remote location and a remote location signal including data indicative of the remote location; a local temperature determining logic configured to generate a local temperature signal including data indicative of a local temperature corresponding to the location of the device; at least one comparator operably connected to the at least one input terminal and to the local temperature determining logic and configured to compare the local temperature signal to the remote temperature signal to determine which is higher of the local temperature and the remote temperature; at least one output terminal; and an output logic configured to:
if the remote temperature is higher than the local temperature, output a temperature signal including data indicative of the remote temperature and a location signal including data indicative of the remote location via the at least one output terminal, and
if the local temperature is higher than the remote temperature, output a temperature signal including data indicative of the local temperature and a location signal including data indicative of the location of the device via the at least one output terminal.

2 . The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a temperature sensor that forms part of the local temperature determining logic; and a printed circuit board on a first side of which the temperature sensor is mounted, the printed circuit board configured to mount to the location with a second side opposite the first side facing the location so that the printed circuit board electrically insulates the temperature sensor from the location.

3 . The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a temperature sensor that forms part of the focal temperature determining logic; and a printed circuit board on a first side of which the at least one input terminal, the local temperature determining logic including the temperature sensor, the at least one comparator, and the at least one output terminal are mounted, the printed circuit board configured to mount to the location with a second side opposite the first side facing the location so that the printed circuit board electrically insulates the at least one input terminal, the local temperature determining logic including the temperature sensor, the at least one comparator, and the at least one output terminal from the location.

4 . The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a printed circuit board on a first side of which the at least one input terminal, the at least one comparator, and the at least one output terminal are mounted, the printed circuit board configured to mount to the location with a second side opposite the first side facing the location so that the printed circuit board electrically insulates the at least one input terminal, the at least one comparator, and the at least one output terminal from the location.

5 . The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a printed circuit board on a first side of which at least one of the at least one input terminal, the at least one comparator, and the at least one output terminal are mounted, wherein the location corresponds to a portion of a current carrying bus bar at a certain potential, wherein the printed circuit board mounts to the current carrying bus bar and effectively insulates the at least one input terminal, the at least one comparator, or the at least one output terminal mounted to the circuit board.

6 . The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a temperature sensor that forms part of the local temperature determining logic; a printed circuit board on a first side of which the temperature sensor is mounted, wherein the location corresponds to a portion of a current carrying bus bar at a certain potential, wherein the printed circuit hoard operably mounts to the current carrying bus bar and effectively insulates the temperature sensor mounted to the circuit board while permitting the temperature sensor to effectively sense a temperature corresponding to the portion of the current carrying bus bar.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the output logic is configured to:
if the remote temperature is higher than the local temperature, output one of the remote location signal and the remote location signal plus an offset as the location signal including data indicative of the remote location.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the output logic is configured to:
if the remote temperature is higher than the local temperature, output the remote location signal plus an offset of between 0.45 and 0.55 volts as the location signal including data indicative of the remote location.

9 . The device of claim 1 wherein the output logic is configured to:
if the local temperature is higher than the remote temperature, output one of substantially zero volts and between 0.45 and 0.55 volts as the location signal including data indicative of the location of the device.

10 . A method of determining a hottest location from a plurality of locations, the method comprising:
receiving, at a local device from a remote device located at a remote location from the plurality of locations and connected to the local device in a daisy chain, a remote location signal indicative of the remote location; receiving, at the local device, a remote temperature signal indicative of a remote temperature corresponding to the remote location; obtaining at the local device a local temperature signal indicative of a local temperature; comparing at the local device the remote temperature signal to the local temperature signal; and if the remote temperature is higher than the local temperature, the local device transmitting an output signal indicative of the remote temperature and an output signal indicative of the remote location; or if the local temperature is higher than the remote temperature, the local device transmitting an output signal indicative of the local temperature and an output signal indicative of the location of the local device.

11 . The method of claim 10 comprising:
at the remote device located at the remote location:
transmitting a signal indicative of the remote temperature to be received by the local device as the remote temperature signal indicative of the remote temperature, and
transmitting a signal indicative of the remote location to be received by the local device as the remote location signal indicative of the remote location.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining the local temperature includes:
sensing the local temperature by use of a temperature sensor mounted to a first side of a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board mounted to the location with a second side of the printed circuit board opposite the first side facing the location so that the printed circuit board electrically insulates the temperature sensor from the location.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein
the local device is mounted to a portion of a bus bar, and the determining the local temperature includes:
sensing the local temperature by use of a temperature sensor mounted to a first side of a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board mounted to the portion of the

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Leighton Ii Harold Raymond

Classifications

• G01K3/14 Primary

  in respect of space · CPC title

• G01K2003/145

  Hotspot localization · CPC title

• G01K1/026

  arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing · CPC title