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US 2015/0312350 A1Published application
Multi-channel sensor measurement method and system
AssigneeMetso Automation Oy
InventorJarmo KAUPPILA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Sensor modules are triggered to start and stop the measurement approximately synchronously by sending a broadcast message. Information on the timeline of local clocks is also collected by local counters, and any relative differences in the local clocks, local sample clocks or local time stamps are rectified afterwards by means of the collected timeline information.
Claims16
A method of performing multi-channel measurements, comprising
- configuring a plurality of sensor nodes for a measurement task,
- running an internal counter clocked by a local counter clock in each of said plurality of sensor nodes,
- broadcasting a measurement start message to said plurality of sensor nodes,
- starting in response to receiving said measurement start message the configured measurement task and registering a first value of the internal counter at start time of the measurement task by each of said plurality of sensor nodes,
- each of said plurality of sensor nodes performs the configured measurement task with a local sample clock
- broadcasting a measurement end message to said plurality of sensor nodes,
- in response to receiving said measurement end message, each of said plurality of sensor nodes registers a second value of the internal counter,
- each of said plurality of sensor nodes provides the result of the configured measurement task with the respective first and second values of the internal counter, and
- collecting the measurement results and the associated first and second values of the internal counters from said plurality of sensor nodes, and
- post-processing the collected measurement results of said plurality of sensor nodes based on the associated first and second values of the internal counters for compensating any difference between the local sample clocks of said plurality of sensor nodes.
7 more elements
(canceled)
A sensor node, comprising
- means for configuring the sensor node for a measurement task,
- an internal counter clocked by a local counter clock,
- means for receiving a broadcasted measurement start message,
- means responsive to receiving said measurement start message for starting the configured measurement task and registering a first value of the internal counter at start time of the measurement task,
- means for performing the configured measurement task with a local sample clock, said local sample clock being substantially lower in frequency than said local counter clock,
- means for receiving a broadcasted a measurement end message,
- means responsive to receiving said measurement end message for registering a second value of the internal counter,
- means for providing the result of the configured measurement task with the respective first and second values of the internal counter, and
- means for sending the measurement results and the associated first and second values of the internal counters for post-processing.
6 more elements
(canceled)
A sensor node, comprising
- an internal counter clocked by a local counter clock,
- a communication unit configured to receive a broadcasted measurement start message and receiving a broadcasted measurement end message
- a controller which responsive to receiving said measurement start message starts the configured measurement task and registers a first value of the internal counter at start time of the measurement task, and which responsive to receiving said measurement end message registers a second value of the internal counter,
- a measuring circuitry which produces results of the configured measurement task with a local sample clock that is substantially lower in frequency than said local counter clock,
- the controller provides the results of the configured measurement task with the respective first and second values of the internal counter and sends the measurement results and the associated first and second values of the internal counters via the communication unit for post-processing.
2 more elements
A multichannel sensor system, comprising
- a plurality of sensor nodes connected to a communication system,
- a host system connected via the communication system to said plurality of sensor nodes to configure and control a measurement task,
- the host system is configured to broadcast a measurement start message and a measurement end message to said plurality of sensor nodes to control said configured measurement task,
- each of said plurality of sensor nodes comprising
- an internal counter clocked by a local counter clock,
- a communication unit configured to receive the broadcasted measurement start message and receiving the broadcasted measurement end message,
- a controller which responsive to receiving said measurement start message starts the configured measurement task and registers a first value of the internal counter at start time of the measurement task, and which responsive to receiving said measurement end message registers a second value of the internal counter,
- a measuring circuitry which produces results of the configured measurement task with a local sample clock that is substantially lower in frequency than said local counter clock,
- the controller provides the results of the configured measurement task with the respective first and second values of the internal counter and sends the measurement results and the associated first and second values of the internal counters via the communication unit to the host system,
- the host system being configured to collect the measurement results and the associated first and second values of the internal counters from said plurality of sensor nodes, and
- a computing device configured to post-process the collected measurement results of said plurality of sensor nodes based on the associated first and second values of the internal counters in order to compensate any difference between the local sample clocks of said plurality of sensor nodes.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.