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US-12624975-B2 - Sensor nervous system

US12624975B2US 12624975 B2US12624975 B2US 12624975B2US-12624975-B2

Abstract

The sensor nervous system (SNS) comprises an ecosystem where sensors can be deployed such that any sensor from any vendor can be integrated into or removed from the SNS without the need for redesigning the sensor, sensor system, or SNS to accommodate the changes in sensor device count, type, or functionality. The SNS is agnostic to which platform it is deployed upon and can be used for retrofitting and enhancing existing platforms or integrated into new platform designs. Individual sensors are integrated into sensor pods and the sensor pods are, in turn, integrated into the SNS ecosystem.

Inventors

  • Aron Kain

Assignees

  • Aron Kain

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20221220

Claims (18)

  1. 1 . A sensor nervous system (SNS) comprising: a master controller; a plurality of controllers in communication with the master controller; a plurality of sensor pods in communication with each controller, wherein each sensor pod comprises at least one sensor, wherein the master controller communicates a set of application requirements to each controller of the plurality of controllers, wherein, if a first controller of the plurality of controllers is unable to execute the set of application requirements, the master controller selects a second controller that executes the set of application requirements sent to the first controller, wherein each sensor pod able to execute the set of application requirements autonomously records sensor data for a first time duration during a first event, the sensor data comprising a plurality of sensor data points and associated synchronized time stamps, and wherein each sensor pod autonomously communicates the sensor data for the first event to at least one controller from the plurality of controllers over a second time duration greater than or equal to the first time duration; and a third controller coupled to the master controller after the second controller is disconnected or damaged, wherein the third controller automatically registers with the master controller, and wherein the master controller communicates a new set of application requirements to the third controller.
  2. 2 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is hot swappable with another sensor.
  3. 3 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sensor pods comprises: a control circuit comprising: a communication interface for communicating with the controller.
  4. 4 . The SNS according to claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of sensor pods comprises: a control circuit comprising: an energy harvesting circuit for harvesting ambient energy external to the sensor pod; and a power management circuit for storing the harvested ambient energy.
  5. 5 . The SNS according to claim 3 , wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface.
  6. 6 . The SNS according to claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of sensor pods further comprises: a microcontroller or state logic machine for registering and detecting any sensors coupled to the sensor pod.
  7. 7 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of controllers and the plurality of sensor pods are in bidirectional communication with the master controller and each other.
  8. 8 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein the set of application requirements include sensing instructions for the plurality of sensor pods.
  9. 9 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein each controller of the plurality of controllers comprises a copy of set of the application requirements or a subset of the set of application requirements.
  10. 10 . The SNS according to claim 9 , wherein a second controller from the plurality of controllers becomes the master controller if the master controller is disconnected from the SNS.
  11. 11 . The SNS according to claim 1 , further comprising: an independent sensor pod in direct communication with the master controller, wherein the independent sensor pod comprises at least one sensor.
  12. 12 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein diagnostic, prognostic, sensor measurement data analysis, and health monitoring capability of the SNS and application to which it is applied is incorporated into functionality of the SNS.
  13. 13 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein software and hardware algorithmic agents comprising built in tests, artificial intelligence, machine learning, condition and health based monitoring, and sensor data processing are incorporated into the plurality of sensor pods and plurality of controllers in order to inform decision making processes of the SNS.
  14. 14 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein each sensor pod autonomously communicates the sensor data directly to the master controller or a controller of the plurality of controllers.
  15. 15 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor measures an environmental condition external to the body of the sensor pod.
  16. 16 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor pod does not coordinate the communication of the sensor data to the at least one controller.
  17. 17 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor pod communications the sensor data without intervention from the at least one controller.
  18. 18 . The SNS according to claim 1 , wherein each sensor pod can function as a controller of the plurality of controllers, and wherein the at least one sensor is internal to a body of the sensor pod.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/292,461, filed Dec. 22, 2021, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by references in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to sensors and sensor systems whereby the sensor system into which the sensors are placed can grow or shrink according to the system's needs. The sensor system is self-configuring so that as sensors are placed or de-placed in the system, no user interference is required. System information is internally flowed down into the individual sensors that make up the system so that sensors can be swapped in and out, sensors are plug and play, and require no user intervention for the system to fully operate. BACKGROUND Commercial, industrial, and military industries at large have trended towards more sensorization of platforms over the past couple of years, as platforms have become more complex, need more sustainment, have become more expensive, and can provide more useful data with more sensor inputs. Platforms can range from food and beverage packaging lines to weapons systems on ships to medical monitoring devices, and everything in between. In response to this trend in sensorization, a plethora of diverse sensor manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers have grown up, each with their own unique sensor characteristics flavored by the individual corporation's identity. The more sensing desired, the more diverse vendors are needed, the more individualization of sensor functionality and communications is presented, so that an ideal sensory nervous system capable of organic growth, keeping up with mission and sustainment needs creep, adding and/or subtracting different and multi-discipline sensor and sensing capability, becomes complex, prohibitively expensive, and sometimes practically impossible as the “nervous system” needs to accommodate sensors from various suppliers, none of which are consciously designed to integrate together for the particular platform in need. It is primarily the responsibility of the end user of the platform to be able to incorporate sensors from vendor A, B and C to do what is needed by either doing it themselves or hiring a system integrator. To be sure, sensor networks exist in the arts that allow multiple sensor types to be integrated into a uniform system however, the integration is done as an afterthought to sensor determination and is not contemplated as a sensor nervous system ecosystem. Meaning, once the sensor type and quantity are determined, then the platform is either designed or adapted or provisioned for allowing all the varied sensors to communicate over a single system. For example, one may have a desired system of force sensors from vendor X that provides an analog output of 0-5V, a pressure sensor from company Y that provides a 4-20 mA analog output, and a proximity sensor that provides a PWM output. It is then up to the system integrator to provide a commonality platform that allows all these diverse outputs to be collected, analyzed, and communicated over, for example, a Bluetooth or IoT network. This integration in general requires, bespoke electronics designs, extensive testing, complex software, and costly expenses. However, many have tried to reduce this complexity and cost by using various means. U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,758,368 and 9,890,038 to Gogoi combines multiple sensor types onto a single MEMS substrate reducing sensor footprint, but each sensor type remains its own individual sensor thereby requiring the need for integration of its unique electronic requirements with any other sensor type on the unified MEMS substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 10,123,722 to Banet et al. discloses a multi-sensor system for crop monitoring but essentially combines various discrete sensors into a common housing, rather than combining the various sensors into a common sensor platform. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 10,088,157 to Sutton et al discloses a multi-sensor probe for combustion monitoring which combines a discrete oxygen and a discrete temperature sensor onto a single probe that is used at a plurality of locations, but each sensor stands alone and provides a signal that needs to be integrated individually into the overall system. U.S. Pat. No. 9,063,016 to Bohan et al discloses a failsafe multi-sensor component comprising different sensor types but none are integrated into a common sensor topology, rather they are individual sensors with their own characteristics that are integrated into an overall system. SUMMARY In accordance with the principles of the present invention the Sensor Nervous System (SNS) represents an ecosystem where sensors can be deployed such that any sensor from any vendor can be integrated into or removed from the ecosystem without the need for redesigning the sensor, sensor system, or ecosystem to accommodate the changes in sensor device count, type, or functionality. The SNS is agnostic to which platf