Vibration powered impact recorder (VPIR)
AssigneeNew Jersey Institute of Technology
InventorsReginald Conway Farrow, Gordon Albert Thomas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vibration-powered impact recording device that harvests power from vibrations that affect the device is provided. The recording device is affixed to an object and includes a vibration limit detection and recordation system. The system can include a suitable part that is fixed to the object, and a mass (or other suitable part) that is less firmly attached, with the relative motion between the two parts producing an electrical voltage. The electrical voltage can be used to power an information storage unit that records the details of the impact and optionally other sensors which record other parameters such as temperature, humidity etc. at the time of impact.
Claims23
A method, comprising:
- sensing motion of an object by at least one sensor connected to the object, the sensor including a movable mass;
- receiving an electrical indicator of the motion from the sensor;
- converting energy from the motion of the movable mass into electrical power in accordance with a linear conversion characteristic;
- powering one or more memory units using the electrical power;
- powering at least one further sensor using the electrical power, the at least one further sensor operating to sense at least one of temperature, humidity, and light experienced by the object;
- receiving an electrical indicator of the at least one of temperature, humidity, and light from the at least one further sensor at substantially the same time as receiving the electrical indicator of the motion of the object;
- and
- storing information relating to the electrical indicator of the motion and the electrical indicator of the at least one of temperature, humidity, and light in the one or more memory units.
A vibration powered impact recorder (VPIR), comprising:
- at least one detection component that detects occurrence of motion in an object;
- at least one recording component that records information related to the motion;
- and
- at least one vibration-based sensor that transforms energy from the motion received by the at least one detection component into useable electrical energy that powers at least one recording component,
- wherein the at least one vibration-based sensor comprises:
- (i) a base that remains in a fixed, rigid relationship relative to the object when connected thereto, (ii) a flexible electret operating to couple at least one movable mass to the base such that the motion of the object results in motion of the at least one movable mass relative to the base, and the flexible electret including at least one electrically charged side operating to move in response to the motion of the movable mass, (iii) at least one electrically conductive connector located proximate to the at least one electrically charged side of the flexible electret, such that the motion of the movable mass causes intermittent contact of the electrically conductive connector and the at least one electrically charged side and generates an induced charge as a linear function of the motion of the movable mass, and (iv) a charge storage device operating to receive the induced charge and produce the usable energy as a function of the motion of the object.
A vibration information retrieval system, comprising:
- a processor that determines a state of an object based on:
- (i) at least one of vibrations, shock, impact and acceleration, and (ii) at least one of temperature, humidity, and light, experienced by the object;
- a memory that stores instructions that cause the processor to determine the state of the object;
- at least one motion sensor connected to the object, the motion sensor including a movable mass and the sensor linearly converting energy from motion of the movable mass into electrical power used to power the processor and the memory, and producing an electrical indication of the motion of the object;
- and
- at least one further sensor operating to sense the at least one of temperature, humidity, and light experienced by the object and provide information relating thereto to the processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.