Integrated detonator sensors
AssigneeAustin Star Detonator Company
InventorsGimtong Teowee, John David Rathbun, Larry S. Howe, Walter Jacob Harders
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Abstract
A detonator includes a substrate, a controller mounted to the substrate, and a sensor coupled to the controller to measure a temperature, pressure, acceleration or other environmental parameter of the detonator. The controller is configured to transmit the measured environmental parameter from the detonator to a remote master controller, execute an action in response to a value of the measured environmental parameter, and/or prevent or modify at least one detonator function in response to the value of the measured environmental parameter.
Claims18
A detonator, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first terminal mounted to the substrate and configured to be coupled to a first leg wire;
- a second terminal mounted to the substrate and configured to be coupled to a second leg wire;
- a controller mounted to the substrate, the controller coupled to the first and second terminals;
- a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to make at least one reading of an environmental parameter;
- wherein the sensor is inside an enclosure of the detonator;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to initiate environmental parameter readings and communicate such readings to a remote master controller.
A method comprising:
- using a sensor inside an enclosure of a detonator, measuring an environmental parameter of the detonator;
- using a controller of the detonator, to perform the functions of:
- transmitting the measured environmental parameter from the detonator to a remote master controller, and
- executing an action in response to a value of the measured environmental parameter,
- the method further comprising, using the controller for preventing or modifying the at least one detonator function in response to the value of the measured environmental parameter.
A detonator, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first terminal mounted to the substrate and configured to be coupled to a first leg wire;
- a second terminal mounted to the substrate and configured to be coupled to a second leg wire;
- a controller mounted to the substrate, the controller coupled to the first and second terminals;
- a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to make at least one reading of an environmental parameter, the sensor being inside an enclosure of the detonator;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to transmit a warning signal or an error message.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.