Sensor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9331479-B2
Application number	US-201113816863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2011
Priority date	Oct 29, 2010
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A sensor device has a sensor unit, a control unit; and multiple power supply paths from a power supply to the sensor unit and the control unit. The multiple power supply paths are configured to be switched in accordance with an operation status of the sensor unit. The sensor device further has a wireless communication device for transmitting a measurement result of the sensor unit. The multiple power supply paths are provided to supply power from the power supply to the wireless communication device. The multiple power supply paths are configured to be switched in accordance with an operation status of the wireless communication device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor device comprising:
a sensor unit;
a control unit; and
multiple power supply paths from a power supply to the sensor unit and the control unit,
wherein the multiple power supply paths are configured to be switched in accordance with an operation mode of the sensor unit, and
wherein the sensor device is configured to switch the power supply path such that, in an operation mode when a consumed electric current is high, the power supply path is a path for providing power via a DC converter, and in an operation mode when a consumed electric current is low, the power supply path is a path for directly connecting the power supply to a load to provide power, the multiple power supply paths are configured to be switched in accordance with an operation mode of the sensor unit, and
wherein the sensor device is configured to switch the power supply path in accordance with sensing accuracy of the sensor unit such that, in a measurement range where the sensor unit performs the measurement with a high degree of accuracy, the power supply path is a path for providing power via a step-up-type DC converter, and in a measurement range other than that,
the power supply path is a path for providing power via a step-down-type DC converter, the sensor devices comprising
first and second sensor units,
wherein the first sensor unit performs measurement in a status of supplying power via the step-down-type DC converter, and
wherein, when a measured value of the first sensor unit is within a predetermined range, the second sensor unit performs measurement in a status of supplying power via the step-up-type DC converter.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a wireless communication device for transmitting a measurement result of the sensor unit,
wherein the multiple power supply paths are provided to supply power from the power supply to the wireless communication device, and
wherein the multiple power supply paths are configured to be switched in accordance with an operation status of the wireless communication device.

3. The sensor device according to claim 2 , wherein
the wireless communication device monitors a communication status, and
the power supply path is switched in accordance with the communication status, and power is appropriately supplied in accordance with the communication status.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when a measurement frequency with which the sensor unit performs measurement is equal to or less than a threshold, the power supply path is thus switched, and
wherein, when the measurement frequency is more than the threshold, the power supply path is not switched.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein
a measurement result from another sensor device is received via the wireless communication device, and
the power supply path is switched in accordance with whether the received measured value is in a measurement range where the sensor unit performs measurement with a high degree of accuracy.

Assignees

• Imai Hiroshi
• Kawabata Yasuhiro
• Sameshima Hiroshi
• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Imai Hiroshi
• Kawabata Yasuhiro
• Sameshima Hiroshi

Classifications

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• H02J1/04

  Current-controlled supply systems, e.g. constant-current supply systems · CPC title

• H02J7/0065

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01D3/10 Primary

  with provision for switching-in of additional or auxiliary indicators or recorders · CPC title

• H02J1/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for DC mains or DC distribution networks · CPC title