Inductive sensor-based battery presence detection in device enclosures and related methods
AssigneeDISH Network L.L.C.
InventorsAngel Rojas, Armando Menchaca Palacios, Juan E. Apodaca, Sean Pichardo, Joel Cardoso
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Abstract
A battery presence detector designed to detect the presence of batteries in a device enclosure without the need to open the enclosure is described. The detection process involves the use of an inductive sensor to sample an interaction value triggered by the presence of the battery within the device. The devices to be checked for battery presence may be placed on a conveyor. The detector may be used with a mechanism for separating the devices based on whether or not a battery is present within them. Examples of devices to be tested include remote controls and cell phones.
Claims20
A method for detecting a battery presence in a device enclosure, the method comprising:
- positioning the device enclosure over a measurement zone;
- sampling a galvanized current response in an alternating magnetic field of an inductive sensor to derive an interaction value, wherein the galvanized current response is caused by the presence of a galvanized current induced in a battery within the device enclosure;
- and
- classifying, with a controller, the device enclosure as one of a battery-containing device enclosure and a battery-lacking device enclosure by comparing the interaction value with a predetermined value,
- wherein the interaction value comprises a change in at least one of a field oscillation magnitude of the alternating magnetic field or a frequency of the alternating magnetic field sensed by the inductive sensor,
- wherein the device enclosure comprises outer surfaces comprising an obverse surface and a reverse surface,
- wherein there is a greater amount of metal between the reverse surface and the battery as compared to an amount of metal between the obverse surface and the battery, and
- wherein the sampling of the galvanized current response is performed through the obverse surface of the device enclosure positioned within the measurement zone.
A method for detecting a battery presence in a device enclosure, the method comprising:
- positioning the device enclosure over a measurement zone disposed along a path of a conveyor;
- flipping the device enclosure when an obverse surface of the device enclosure is facing away from an inductive sensor in the measurement zone;
- sampling a galvanized current response in an alternating magnetic field of an inductive sensor to derive an interaction value, wherein the galvanized current response is caused by the presence of a galvanized current induced in a battery within the device enclosure;
- classifying, with a controller, the device enclosure as one of a battery-containing device enclosure and a battery-lacking device enclosure by comparing the interaction value with a predetermined value;
- and
- diverting the battery-lacking device enclosure to a non-inspection path,
- wherein the interaction value comprises a change in at least one of a field oscillation magnitude of the alternating magnetic field or a frequency of the alternating magnetic field sensed by the inductive sensor,
- wherein the flipping is performed prior to the sampling,
- wherein the device enclosure comprises outer surfaces comprising the obverse surface and a reverse surface,
- wherein there is a greater amount of metal between the reverse surface and the battery as compared to an amount of metal between the obverse surface and the battery, and
- wherein the sampling of the galvanized current response is performed through the obverse surface of the device enclosure positioned within the measurement zone.
A system to detect a battery presence in a device enclosure, the system comprising:
- a measurement zone to position the device enclosure over;
- an inductive sensor to sample a galvanized current response in an alternating magnetic field of the inductive sensor to derive an interaction value, wherein the galvanized current response is caused by the presence of a galvanized current induced in a battery within the device enclosure;
- and
- a controller to classify the device enclosure as one of a battery-containing device enclosure and a battery-lacking device enclosure by comparing the interaction value with a predetermined value,
- wherein the interaction value comprises a change in at least one of a field oscillation magnitude of the alternating magnetic field or a frequency of the alternating magnetic field sensed by the inductive sensor,
- wherein the device enclosure comprises outer surfaces comprising an obverse surface and a reverse surface,
- wherein there is a greater amount of metal between the reverse surface and the battery as compared to an amount of metal between the obverse surface and the battery, and
- wherein the sampling of the galvanized current response is performed through the obverse surface of the device enclosure positioned within the measurement zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.