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US 6,806,808 B1Granted
Wireless event-recording device with identification codes
AssigneeSRI International
InventorsDavid G. Watters, David L. Huestis, Alfred J. Bahr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wireless recording device can be interrogated to determine its identity and its state. The state indicates whether a particular physical or chemical event has taken place. In effect, the physical or chemical event is recorded by the device. The identity of the device allows it to be distinguished from a number of similar devices. Thus the sensor device may be used in an array of devices that can be probed by a wireless interrogation unit. The device tells the interrogator who it is and what state it is in. The interrogator can thus easily identify particular items in an array that have reached a particular condition.
Claims56
A device for recording a plurality of distinct physical or chemical events or states, the device comprising:
- a combination sensor and recording device, said combination sensor and recording device comprising:
- a sensor for detecting the plurality of physical or chemical events or states wherein the sensor is capable of passively sensing each of the events;
- a recording mechanism, including the sensor, capable of storing records of the plurality of physical or chemical events or states that have been detected by the sensor without using energy received from an interrogator wherein each of the records corresponds to one of the physical or chemical events detected by the sensor and wherein each record is stored using power derived from thermal energy or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the device is placed and wherein the chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the recording mechanism designed to react with the chemical constituent;
- a tag that contains identification information that can distinguish said device from a plurality of devices;
- a transponder, coupled to the combination sensor and recording device and the tag, configured to transmit a signal indicating one or more of the physical or chemical events or states stored on the recording mechanism and the identification information when triggered by a wireless interrogation signal.
2 more elements
An event-recording device for recording a plurality of events associated with a parameter being monitored, said device comprising:
- a recording sensor capable of passively sensing the plurality of events wherein a record of each event is stored without using power received from an interrogator by using power derived from thermal energy or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the event-recording device is placed and wherein to chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the recording sensor designed to react with the chemical constituent;
- and
- a tag that contains identification information that identifies the event-recording device amongst a plurality of event-recording devices,
- wherein the event-recording device is capable of reporting one or more of the events detected and recorded by the recording sensor and the identification information using a wireless.
1 more element
A method for recording and reporting events associated with a parameter using a event-recording device having an identification that distinguishes it from a plurality of event-recording devices, the method comprising:
- sensing the events using a combination sensor and recording mechanism included in the event-recording device wherein the combination sensor and recording mechanism comprises a recording mechanism, including a sensor, for storing records of a plurality of physical or chemical events or states have been detected by the sensor;
- recording each event using power derived from thermal or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the event-recording device is placed without using power received from an interrogator wherein the chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the event recording device designed to react with the chemical constituent;
- externally probing the event-recording device using a wireless interrogator;
- and
- reporting a status of the combination sensor and recording mechanism including information describing one or more of the recorded events and the identification of the individual event-recording device.
2 more elements
A method for recording and reporting events for a system being monitored, the system comprising a plurality of event-recording devices in the system being monitored, each device capable of detecting and passively recording the event using a combination sensor and recording mechanism, the method comprising:
- exposing the system to a condition potentially causing the events proximate at least one of the event-recording devices;
- sensing the events using a combination sensor and recording mechanism included in the event-recording device wherein the combination sensor and recording mechanism comprises a recording mechanism, including at least one sensor, for storing records of a plurality of the events that have been detected by the sensor;
- recording each event using power derived from thermal energy or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the event-recording device is placed without using power received from an interrogator wherein the chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the event recording device designed to react with the chemical constituent;
- externally probing the status of at least one event-recording device with a wireless interrogator after the event has been recorded by the recording mechanism;
- and
- reporting the status and identification of the at least one event-recording device using wireless means.
3 more elements
A collection of sensors for providing information about a system said collection comprising:
- a plurality of spatially separated event-recording devices each being distinguishable from the remaining event-recording devices of the collection when probed by an interrogation signal, each event-recording device comprising:
- a combination sensor and recording device, said combination sensor and recording device comprising:
- a sensor for detecting a plurality of physical or chemical events or states;
- a recording mechanism, including the sensor, capable of storing records of the plurality of physical or chemical events or states that have been detected by the sensor without using energy received from an interrogator wherein each of the records corresponds to one of the physical or chemical events detected by the sensor and wherein each record is stored using power derived from thermal energy or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the device is placed and wherein the chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the recording mechanism designed to react with the chemical constituent;
- a transponder, coupled to the recording mechanism and configured to transmit a wireless signal for indicating information that has been recorded about one or more events when triggered by the interrogation signal.
2 more elements
An event sensing apparatus for recording and reporting events for a parameter in a system being monitored, said apparatus comprising:
- one or more event-recording devices in the system being monitored, each event-recording device capable of detecting the events and including
- i) a combination sensor and recording mechanism
- a sensor for detecting a plurality of physical or chemical events or states;
- a recording mechanism including the sensor, capable of storing records of the plurality of physical or chemical events or states that have been detected by the sensor without using energy received from an interrogator wherein each of the records corresponds to one of the physical or chemical events detected by the sensor and wherein each record is stored using power derived from thermal energy or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the device is placed and wherein the chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the recording mechanism designed to react with the chemical constituent;
- ii) an identification tag containing information which identifies the event-recording device frosts a plurality of event-recording devices, and
- iii) a passive transponder coupled to the recording mechanism and the identification tag;
- and
- iv) an interrogator for wirelessly probing the status of at least one event-recording device subsequent to the event, wherein the interrogator powers the transponder of the event-recording device and receives information on the state of the combination sensor and recording device and the identification tag.
5 more elements
A device for reporting one or more physical or chemical events or states, the device comprising:
- a combination sensor and recording device, said combination sensor and recording device comprising;
- at least one sensor for detecting the one or more physical or chemical events or states;
- a recording mechanism, including the sensor, capable of storing records of the plurality of physical or chemical events or states that have been detected by the sensor without using energy received from an interrogator wherein each of the records corresponds to one of the physical or chemical events detected by the sensor and wherein each record is stored using power derived from thermal energy or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the device is placed and wherein the chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the recording mechanism designed to react with the chemical constituent and wherein the combination sensor and recording device is remotely re-settable;
- a tag that contains identification information that can distinguish said device from a plurality of devices;
- a transponder, coupled to the combination sensor and recording device and the tag, configured to transmit a signal indicating information about one or more of the physical or chemical events or states stored on the recording mechanism and the identification information when triggered by a wireless interrogation signal;
- and
- a housing encapsulating the combination sensor and recording device, the tag, and the transponder.
4 more elements
A device for reporting one or more physical or chemical events or states, the device comprising:
- a combination sensor and recording device, said combination sensor and recording device comprising;
- at least one sensor for detecting the one or more physical or chemical events or states;
- a recording mechanism, including the sensor, for storing a record of each of the one or more physical or chemical events or states has that have been detected by the sensor wherein each of the records corresponds to one of the physical or chemical events detected by the at least one sensor and wherein each record is stored using power derived from a thermal energy source inherently present in an environment where the event-recording device is placed and without using power received from an interrogator;
- a tag that contains identification information that can distinguish said device from a plurality of devices;
- a transponder, coupled to the combination sensor and recording device and the tag, configured to transmit a signal indicating information about one or more of the physical or chemical events or states stored on the recording mechanism and the identification information when triggered by a wireless interrogation signal;
- and
- a housing encapsulating the combination sensor and recording device, the tag, and the transponder.
4 more elements
A device for reporting one or more physical or chemical events or states, the device comprising:
- a combination sensor and recording device, said combination sensor and recording device comprising;
- at least one sensor for detecting the one or more physical or chemical events or states;
- a recording mechanism, including the sensor, capable of storing records of the plurality of physical or chemical events or states that have been detected by the sensor without using energy received from an interrogator wherein each of the records corresponds to one of the physical or chemical events detected by the sensor and wherein each record is stored using power derived from thermal energy or chemical energy inherently present in an environment where the device is placed and wherein the chemical energy is provided from a chemical reaction between a chemical constituent in the environment and a component of the recording mechanism designed to react with the chemical constituent;
- a tag that contains identification information that can distinguish said device from a plurality of devices;
- a transponder, coupled to the combination sensor and recording device and the tag, configured to transmit a signal indicating information about one or more of the physical or chemical events or states stored on the recording mechanism and the identification information when triggered by a wireless interrogation signal;
- and
- a housing encapsulating the combination sensor and recording device, the tag, and the transponder.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.