Passive sensor device and passive sensor system

Abstract

A passive sensor device and a passive sensor system are disclosed, wherein the passive sensor device comprises: a sensor control module configured to operationally perform a detection process on a device to be detected and to generate a detection result; an energy harvesting module mounted on a main body of the device to be detected and configured to convert the vibration energy harvested from the device to be detected into alternating current energy; an energy management module configured to receive the alternating current energy from the energy harvesting module, convert the alternating current energy into direct current energy, and supply the passive sensor device with power based on the direct current energy.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of detection control and, more particularly, to a passive sensor device and a passive sensor system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the increasing use of detection technologies in the civil and commercial sectors, the demands on detection controls, especially on sensor systems and devices, are also increasing.

[0003] Current sensor devices, such as sensors for predictive engine condition management, generally include two types: wired sensors and battery-powered wireless sensors. Wired sensors are cumbersome to install because they require special wiring to connect to an external, independent power source. While battery-powered wireless sensors eliminate the wiring problem, they pose another problem: the battery lifespan is limited (typically 3-5 years), and power outages are possible, requiring periodic battery replacement or replacing the old sensor with a new one.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a passive sensor device that does not require complicated wiring for power supply and does not require battery and sensor replacement, as the battery will eventually degrade, yet still achieves good sensor detection performance. The sensor device can power itself through energy conversion without the need for an additional external power source. SUMMARY

[0005] In light of the problems outlined above, the present invention provides a passive sensor device and a passive sensor system. With the passive sensor device provided by the present invention, it is possible to realize self-powering through energy conversion based on realizing good sensor detection control without additionally providing an external power source, thus creating a passive sensor device without complicated wiring and eliminating the need for periodic battery replacement because the battery will eventually deteriorate.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a passive sensor device is proposed, comprising a sensor control module configured to operatively perform a detection process on a device to be detected and generate a detection result; a power harvesting module mounted on a main body of the device to be detected and configured to convert the harvested vibration energy from the device to be detected into AC power; a power management module configured to receive the AC power from the energy harvesting module, convert the AC power into DC power, and supply power to the passive sensor device based on the DC power.

[0007] In some embodiments, the power management module includes a rectifier module configured to convert the AC power into first DC power; a regulator module configured to receive the first DC power from the rectifier module, perform voltage regulation on the first DC power to generate second DC power; an energy tracking module configured to receive the second DC power from the regulator module, and charge an energy storage element based on the second DC power; and a charge management module configured to power the passive sensor device using DC power in the energy storage element.

[0008] In some embodiments, the charge management module is further configured to: detect a current amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element; compare the current amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element with a preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge; and send an energy attainment signal to the sensor control module in the event that the current amount of electrical charge is greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge.

[0009] In some embodiments, the sensor control module is preconfigured to be in a low-charge operating mode, and the sensor control module is further configured to: receive the energy attainment signal from the charge management module; switch from the low-charge operating mode to a normal operating mode in response to the energy attainment signal, wherein the power consumption in the normal operating mode is higher than the power consumption in the low-charge operating mode.

[0010] In some embodiments, the sensor control module comprises a sensor module configured to operatively detect a power state of the device to be detected and generate a detection signal; a controller module configured to operatively receive the detection signal and determine a detection result of the device to be detected based on the detection signal.

[0011] In some embodiments, in the low-charge operating mode, the controller module is configured to be in a sleep mode, and the sensor module is configured to be in a de-powered mode; wherein the controller module and the sensor module switch to a low-power operating mode upon receiving the power attainment signal.

[0012] In some embodiments, when the controller module and the sensor module are in the low-energy operating mode, the controller module and the sensor module are configured to switch from the low-energy operating mode to a high-energy operating mode when the controller module receives a detection trigger event.

[0013] In some embodiments, the detection trigger event includes at least one of a periodic trigger signal from the controller module, an anomaly detection signal from the sensor module, and a detection request signal from an external device.

[0014] In some embodiments, in the high-energy operating mode, the controller module is configured to determine the detection result of the device to be detected based on the detection signal and to transmit the detection result.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a passive sensor system comprising a passive sensor device as described above; a gateway device configured to receive the detection result from the passive sensor device and transmit the detection result to an external device; and the external device comprising at least one of a cloud platform and a user device and configured to receive the detection result from the gateway device and display or store the detection result; wherein the gateway device is further configured to receive instruction information from the external device and transmit the instruction information to the passive sensor device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following brief reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which are necessary for describing the embodiments. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the accompanying drawings in the following description illustrate only some embodiments of the present invention and that they can create other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort. The following drawings are not intended to be drawn to their actual dimensions. Rather, the focus is on illustrating the subject matter of the present invention. Fig. 1 illustrates a diagram of a passive sensor device 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 illustrates a diagram of the energy harvesting module 120 according to embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the energy harvesting module is a piezoelectric energy converter; Fig. 3 illustrates a diagram of a power management module 130 according to embodiments of the present disclosure; Fig. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a passive sensor device 100 for an engine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig. 5 illustrates a diagram of a passive sensor system 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by the reader that the described embodiments are only partial embodiments of the present invention and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments that one of ordinary skill in the art can deduce without inventive effort are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0018] For the purposes of this application and the claims, the words "a" and / or "an" and / or "the" refer not only to the singular but may also include the plural, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. Generally, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" imply inclusion only of the explicitly recited steps and elements. These steps and elements are not an exclusive list, and a method or apparatus may include other steps or elements.

[0019] Although this application contains various references to certain modules in a system according to embodiments of this application, any number of different modules may be used and executed on a user terminal and / or server. The modules are for illustrative purposes only, and different aspects of the system and method may utilize different modules.

[0020] Flowcharts are used herein to illustrate operations performed by a system according to embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations need not be performed in the exact order presented herein. Rather, the various steps may be performed in reverse order or concurrently, as desired. At the same time, other operations may be added to the processes, or one or more steps of operations may be removed from the processes.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 illustrates a diagram of a passive sensor device 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that a passive sensor device refers to a sensor device that enables good self-powering through energy conversion without the additional provision of an external power source.

[0022] With reference to Fig. 1, the passive sensor device 100 comprises, for example, a sensor control module 110, an energy harvesting module 120 and an energy management module 130.

[0023] The sensor control module 110 is configured to operatively perform a detection process on the device to be detected and to generate a detection result.

[0024] The device to be detected refers to a target device to be detected. This device to be detected may be, for example, a motor, a lathe, a gear grinder, or the like, or the corresponding device to be detected may also be determined according to actual requirements. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific device type of the device to be detected.

[0025] The detection process refers to a process of detecting the current performance state of the device to be detected. The detection process may include, for example, acquiring a plurality of data related to the performance state of the device to be detected and generating a detection result based on further processing of the data. The detection result may include, for example, one or more result parameters of an operating state detection result, a remaining service life state detection result, an anomaly failure state detection result, a wear state detection result, and the like. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific composition of the detection process and the specific content of the detection result.

[0026] The energy harvesting module 120 is intended to implement conversion processes from other energy into electrical energy. More specifically, the energy harvesting module 120 can, for example, be mounted on the main body of the device to be detected and be configured to convert the harvested vibration energy from the device to be detected into alternating current energy.

[0027] For example, if the device to be detected is a motor device, the energy harvesting module 120 may be mounted, for example, on a spindle bearing support of the motor device or on a heat sink of the motor device to better capture the vibration energy of the motor.

[0028] For example, this energy harvesting module may be a piezoelectric energy converter or a magnetoelectric energy converter to convert vibration energy from the device to be detected into AC energy based on a piezoelectric / magnetoelectric type of conversion. Fig. Figure 2 illustrates a diagram when the energy harvesting module 120 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is a piezoelectric energy converter. This energy conversion process will be described below with reference to Fig. 2 described in more detail.

[0029] With reference to Fig. 2, the energy harvesting module 120 comprises, for example, a piezoelectric energy converter comprising a connecting structure 121, a cantilever beam 122, and a mass block 123. The connecting structure 121 is designed to be attached to a body of the device to be detected. One end of the cantilever beam 122 is arranged on the connecting structure, and the other end of the cantilever beam extends in a direction away from the connecting structure. The cantilever beam is made, for example, of piezoelectric material. The other end of the cantilever beam is provided with the mass block 123, which is intended to amplify the vibration amplitude of the cantilever beam, thereby enabling more vibration energy to be harvested.More specifically, when the device to be detected is in operation (for example, when the motor is running), the cantilevered beam made of piezoelectric material will resonate and generate electrical energy (in our case, alternating current energy).

[0030] It should be understood, however, that the above is merely one example of the use of piezoelectric energy converters to achieve energy conversion. Depending on the circumstances, other configurations, compositions, or types of piezoelectric or magnetoelectric energy converters may be selected to achieve the conversion of vibrational energy to AC energy. It should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific type of energy conversion or the specific types of energy conversion components.

[0031] The energy management module 130 is configured to receive the AC energy from the energy harvesting module 120, convert the AC energy into DC energy, and power the passive sensor device based on the DC energy.

[0032] It is understood that the energy management module may rectify the AC energy harvested in the energy harvesting module, for example, based on a rectifier module, to obtain DC energy. The energy management module may further provide, for example, a regulator module, an energy tracking module, or the like, to further adjust the DC energy and maximize the obtained power.

[0033] It is understood that the process of powering the passive sensor device 100, for example, can be described in more detail. For example, if the amount of electrical charge in the power management module is low (e.g., at most as large as a preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge), the DC energy in the power management module is used, for example, only to power some of the modules of the passive sensor device. After the amount of electrical charge in the power management module has increased and reached a preset criterion (e.g., greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge), the DC energy in the power management module can then be used, for example, to power various modules in the passive sensor device.

[0034] As apparent from the above, in the present application, the sensor device is implemented as a passive sensor device. Specifically, according to the sensor device being equipped with a sensor control module that performs a detection process on the device to be detected and generates a detection result, the sensor device is further configured to include a power harvesting module and a power management module, so that it is possible to convert the extracted vibration energy from the device to be detected into AC power by the energy harvesting module mounted on the main body of the device to be detected, and to convert the AC power into DC power by the power management module, and to supply power to the passive sensor device based on the DC power.Compared with current wired sensors and battery-based wireless sensors, the passive sensor device in the present application can achieve good and reliable self-power supply through energy conversion (especially, power supply of the sensor control module) without additionally providing an external power source and complex power supply wiring, and it also avoids the problem of having to replace batteries or sensors from time to time.

[0035] Fig. 3 illustrates a diagram of a power management module 130 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] With reference to Fig. 3, in some embodiments, the energy management module 130 includes, for example, a rectifier module 131, a regulator module 132, an energy tracking module 133, and a charge management module 134.

[0037] The rectifier module 131 refers to a module for implementing a rectification process from alternating current to direct current and can be, for example, a rectifier component or a rectifier circuit. The rectifier module 131 is configured to convert the alternating current energy into the first direct current energy. It is understood that the range of voltage values ​​of the alternating current energy can vary depending on the specific amplitude of the oscillation energy, for example, in the range of 0.2 V to 10 V.

[0038] The regulator module 132 is configured to receive the first DC power from the rectifier module 131 and to perform voltage regulation on the first DC power to generate the second DC power. It should be understood that the first and second DC powers in the present application serve to distinguish between two DC currents having different DC voltages and are not intended to imply any limitation.

[0039] For example, the regulator module performs a voltage adjustment on the first DC power source with a larger voltage value (for example, the DC voltage is 10 V) to obtain the second DC power source that is adapted to the sensor device (for example, the DC voltage is 3.3 V). However, it should be understood that the above is only an example of voltage regulation. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific voltage values ​​corresponding to the first and second DC power sources.

[0040] The energy tracking module 133 is configured to receive the second DC energy from the regulator module 132 and charge the energy storage element based on the second DC energy.

[0041] In particular, since the electrical power generated by the energy harvesting module is low, it is not possible to directly power the passive sensor device (especially its sensor control module), so that energy is accumulated in the energy tracking module until it is sufficient for the detection control process.

[0042] For example, the energy tracking module may be configured to adjust timing logic and a duty cycle for turning on and off a switch of a charging circuit within the energy tracking module based on the voltage value of the second DC energy to enable charging of the energy storage element with optimal charging efficiency. It should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific charging regime and the specific charging circuit components of the energy tracking module.

[0043] It is understood that the energy storage element may be, for example, a rechargeable battery with low leakage risk or a supercapacitor. However, it is understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific content of the energy storage element.

[0044] The charge management module 134 is configured to supply the passive sensor device with DC energy in the energy storage element. It should be understood that, as previously described, the process of supplying power to the passive sensor device 100 may include, for example, when the amount of electrical charge in the energy storage element is low (e.g., not more than a preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge), using the DC energy in the energy storage element to power only a portion of the modules in the passive sensor device.After the amount of electrical charge in the energy storage element has increased and reached a preset criterion (e.g., greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge), the DC energy in the energy storage element can then be used, for example, to power various modules in the passive sensor device.

[0045] Based on the above, the power management module in the present application further includes a rectifier module, a regulator module, an energy tracking module, and a charge management module, so that the power management module can perform a good rectification and voltage adjustment process for the AC power obtained by energy conversion and charge the corresponding energy storage element based on the adjusted voltage, so that power can be further accumulated in the energy storage element, and finally, the accumulated power of the energy storage element can be used to power the passive sensor device, thereby realizing a good and reliable self-power supply process and ensuring a good and stable power source for the passive sensor.

[0046] In some embodiments, the charge management module 134 is further configured to detect a current amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element, compare the current amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element to a preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge, and send an energy attainment signal to the sensor control module if the current amount of electrical charge is greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge.

[0047] The instantaneous amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element refers to data characterizing the instantaneous amount of electrical charge stored by the energy storage element. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this specific embodiment of detecting the instantaneous amount of electrical charge.

[0048] The preset threshold for the amount of electric charge refers to threshold data set in advance by the sensor device or by the user, which is intended to divide the storage state of the amount of electric charge within the energy storage element. For example, exceeding the preset threshold for the amount of electric charge indicates that the current amount of electric charge in the energy storage element is high, which can, for example, assist the sensor device, in particular the sensor control module, in performing various functions in normal operation mode (e.g., a detection process on the device to be detected, etc.).Falling below the preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge indicates that there is currently an insufficient amount of electrical charge within the energy storage element, which is not capable of supporting the sensor device, in particular the sensor control module, in performing functions in the normal operating mode, and is only capable of supporting the sensor control module in maintaining operations of core functions (for example, the operation of the core control module in the sensor control module) in the low-charge operating mode.

[0049] The energy attainment signal is intended to indicate that the current amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element reaches a preset criterion, for example, that the current amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element reaches a criterion for supporting operations of the sensor control module in a normal operating mode.

[0050] It is understood that the current reference signal may, for example, be a character signal, a text signal, or a binary-coded signal. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific content of the current reference signal and its manifestation.

[0051] Based on the above, in the present application, the charge management module detects the current amount of electric charge of the energy storage element and sends an energy attainment signal to the sensor control module if the current amount of electric charge is greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electric charge, and it is possible to flexibly and efficiently transmit the state of the current amount of electric charge to the sensor control module, thereby enabling the sensor control module to flexibly adjust its operation mode based on the state of the amount of electric charge, thereby achieving efficient use of energy.

[0052] In some embodiments, the sensor control module 110 may be pre-configured to be in a low charge operating mode, for example.

[0053] For example, during an initialization or startup phase of the passive sensor device, the sensor control module 110 is in a low-charge operating mode due to manual setting by the user or pre-setting by the system. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by any particular type of preconfiguration.

[0054] "Low-charge operating mode" means that the sensor control module operates only at the minimum power required to maintain its basic functionality. Specifically, if the sensor control module comprises, for example, a sensor module and a controller module, the sensor module is configured in the low-charge operating mode to not be turned on (not put into operation), the amount of electrical charge in the energy storage element is supplied only to the controller module, and the controller module is configured, for example, to only perform necessary functions such as a hardware reset, to receive no signals or data except through the energy management module (charge management module), and to not communicate with the outside world. In this low-charge operating mode, the current of the entire passive sensor device is, for example, less than 5 µA.

[0055] It should be understood, however, that the above is only one example of a low-charge operating mode and its current level. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0056] The sensor control module 110 is further configured to receive the energy attainment signal from the charge management module 134 and, in response to the energy attainment signal, to switch from the low-charge operating mode to a normal operating mode, wherein the power consumption in the normal operating mode is higher than the power consumption in the low-charge operating mode.

[0057] It is understood that the normal operation mode refers to a mode in which the sensor control module performs conventional functions, such as performing its detection process, detecting the power state of the device to be detected, generating a detection signal, etc. It is understood that the normal operation mode of the sensor control module may further comprise, for example, a plurality of sub-modes, such as a low-power operation mode, a high-power operation mode, etc., each corresponding to different functions and also generating different power consumptions, as will be described in more detail below and will not be repeated here.

[0058] Based on the above, the sensor control module in the present application is pre-configured to be in the low-charge operation mode and to switch from the low-charge operation mode to the normal operation mode with higher power consumption in response to the power reaching signal. It is possible to flexibly adjust the operation mode and power consumption level of the sensor control module according to the amount of converted power. It is possible to sufficiently maintain the operation of the core functions of the passive sensor device and save power if the converted power is low, and it is possible to enrich the passive sensor device with other functions if the converted power is sufficient, thereby achieving a compromise for the balance between power consumption and functions.

[0059] In some embodiments, the sensor control module 110 includes a sensor module 111 and a controller module 112.

[0060] The sensor module 111 is configured to operatively detect the power state of the device to be detected and to generate a detection signal.

[0061] The sensor module may, for example, be an integrated sensor circuit or may also comprise several discrete sensor components. It may include, for example, vibration, temperature, magnetic field, and noise sensing subcircuits, and the like. The process of detecting the performance state of the device to be detected may, for example, be performed by sensing several performance signals that characterize the performance of the device to be detected, such as vibration signals, temperature signals, speed signals, magnetic field signals, etc., or it may be performed on the sensor module side by comparing the sampled signals with preset signal thresholds, generating a normal / abnormal detection signal based on the comparison (indicating, for example, whether the performance is in a normal state), and sending the normal / abnormal detection signal to the controller module.It should be understood, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific content of the sensor module.

[0062] The controller module 112 is configured to operatively receive the detection signal and to determine a detection result of the device to be detected based on the detection signal.

[0063] For example, the controller module may perform a calculation based on the detection signal using a neural network algorithm or a synthetic function and generate a final detection result. It should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific manner in which the controller module generates the detection results.

[0064] It is understood that the sensor module and the controller module may perform different operations in different operating modes depending on the actual situation. For example, in a low-power operating mode, the sensor module only performs a low-precision detection process, that is, it detects at a lower sampling rate and narrow bandwidth. For example, it only samples one or more core data signals, or analyzes and generates a normal / abnormal detection signal based on one or more core data signals and sends only the abnormal detection signal to the controller module, indicating that the respective data signal is in an abnormal state. In the low-power mode, the controller module will not further analyze and process the signal from the sensor module.For example, in the high-energy operation mode, the sensor module performs a high-precision detection process, that is, it detects at a high sampling rate and a high bandwidth, and sends all detection signals (for example, including data signals and / or normal / abnormal detection signals) to the controller module, which further processes the detection signals and generates detection results from them.

[0065] Based on the above, the sensor control module in the present application includes the sensor module and the controller module, and the sensor control module can operatively implement the detection process of the device to be detected based on the actual situation and determine the corresponding detection result based on the detection signal, so that good and reliable detection of the device to be detected can be achieved.

[0066] In some embodiments, if the sensor control module includes a sensor module and a controller module, the aforementioned operating modes may be described more specifically, for example.

[0067] For example, in the low charge operating mode, the controller module is configured to be in a sleep mode and the sensor module is configured to be in a power-off mode.

[0068] Sleep mode refers to a mode in which the controller module operates with minimal power consumption, and the controller module is configured, for example, to only receive signals from the power management module (the power achievement signal) and not receive signals from other modules or external devices, and not communicate with other modules or external devices.

[0069] The sensor module is in a de-energized state. This refers to a state in which the sensor module is not connected to any power source and is not powered in any way (i.e., it is not consuming any power).

[0070] The controller module and the sensor module switch to low-energy operating mode upon receiving the energy reaching signal.

[0071] It is understood that the low-power operation mode and the high-power operation mode are each referred to as one of the normal operation modes below. The normal operation mode refers to an operation mode in which the controller module and the sensor module operate normally and perform corresponding functions. In this text, the low-power operation mode refers to an operation mode with lower power consumption during normal operation, in which some of the high-power functions of, for example, the controller module and the sensor module are selectively disabled or not performed, and only their basic functions, such as only the low-precision detection process, are performed, thereby realizing power savings.High-performance operation refers to an operation mode with higher power consumption during normal operation, in which functions of the controller module and the sensor module, especially functions with high power consumption, are performed, such as performing a high-precision detection process and a phase processing process.

[0072] For example, in the low-power operation mode, as described above, the sensor module only performs a low-precision detection process. That is, it detects at a lower sampling rate and a narrow bandwidth. It only samples one or more core data signals, or analyzes and generates a normal / abnormal detection signal based on one or more core data signals. It only sends the abnormal detection signal to the controller module, indicating that the respective data signal is in an abnormal state. For example, in the low-power mode, the controller module does not analyze and process the signals from the sensor module and does not send any relevant signals to an external device.

[0073] Based on the above, in the present application, the controller module is configured to be in sleep mode in the low-power operation mode, and the sensor module is configured to be in power-off mode. Upon receiving a power attainment signal, the controller module and the sensor module switch to the low-power operation mode. If insufficient power is obtained through power conversion, the sensor module is not turned on, and the controller module operates in the most power-efficient sleep mode, thereby achieving good power saving. When the power is relatively sufficient, the detection function is performed by the controller module and the sensor module operating normally in the low-power operation mode, thus achieving a compromise between both function realization and power saving.

[0074] In some embodiments, when the controller module receives a detection trigger event while the controller module and the sensor module are in a low-power operating mode, the controller module and the sensor module are configured to switch from the low-power operating mode to a high-power operating mode.

[0075] The detection trigger event refers to an event that triggers the sensor control module to operate at higher power (for example, operate in high-performance mode) to achieve a high-precision detection process.

[0076] It is understood that the detection trigger event, depending on the actual requirements, may, for example, be an event set in advance by the user, or it may be an event set in the initialization phase of the sensor device, or it may be an event generated based on an abnormal alarm or signal detected by the sensor module, or an event determined by instructions from an external device.

[0077] High-energy operating mode refers to an operating mode with higher power consumption during normal operation, in which functions of the controller module and the sensor module, especially high-power functions, are performed. For example, in high-energy operating mode, the sensor module detects at a high sampling rate and high bandwidth and sends all detection signals to the controller module, which further processes the detection signals, generates detection results based on the detection signals, and sends the detection results to the external device.

[0078] Based on the above, the present application makes it possible to timely switch the operating states of the controller module and the sensor module when a more extensive or power-consuming function needs to be performed based on actual requirements by configuring the controller module and the sensor module to switch from the low-power operating mode to the high-power operating mode when the controller module receives a detection trigger event. This allows corresponding functions to be implemented flexibly and reliably.

[0079] In some embodiments, the detection trigger event includes at least one of a periodic trigger signal from the controller module, an anomaly detection signal from the sensor module, and a detection request signal from the external device.

[0080] The controller module's periodic trigger signal refers to a signal set within the controller module to trigger the execution of high-precision detection at a fixed time interval. For example, the controller module sends the periodic trigger signal cyclically at a time interval of every four hours.

[0081] The anomaly detection signal from the sensor module means that when the sensor module is in the low-power operation mode, it is configured, for example, to perform a low-precision detection process that acquires a small amount of data, acquires data with low real-time and consumes little power, and performs preliminary anomaly discrimination based on the detected data signal (for example, by comparing it with a preset threshold).At this time, if the detected data signal (vibration / magnetic field / temperature / noise signal) is within the normal threshold range, the sensor module does not send any signal to the controller module, and if the detected data signal is outside the normal threshold range, the sensor module sends, for example, an anomaly detection signal to the controller module, indicating that there is a significant anomaly of the device to be detected at this time and a high-precision detection process is required.

[0082] It should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the particular manner in which the anomaly detection signal is generated.

[0083] The detection request signal from the external device refers to a high-precision detection request from the external device (for example, from an external device such as a gateway or a client).

[0084] It is understood that, depending on practical requirements, the detection trigger event may also include, for example, a user manually pressing a corresponding key or button of the sensor device to artificially initiate the relevant high-precision detection process.

[0085] Based on the above, in the present application, by setting the detection trigger event in such a manner as to include at least one of a periodic trigger signal from the controller module, an abnormality detection signal from the sensor module, and a detection request signal from the external device, the passive sensor device is enabled to timely and efficiently adjust its operation mode based on various situations of the external device, various modules inside, and the device to be detected, and to achieve a high-precision detection process for the device to be detected.

[0086] In some embodiments, in the high-energy operating mode, the controller module is configured to determine a detection result of the device to be detected based on the detection signal and to transmit the detection result.

[0087] It is understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by the specific type of calculation by which the controller module determines the detection result based on the detection signal, nor by the specific type of communication by which the controller module sends the detection result.

[0088] In the present application, by setting the controller module in such a manner that it performs the calculation process, generates the detection results, and sends them to the outside only in the high-energy operation mode, the high-power consumption functions in the sensor device (such as a large number of data calculations and data communications) can be performed only when the system is at a high-performance level and high-precision detection is required, which is beneficial for reducing power consumption on the basis of achieving good and reliable detection.

[0089] The passive sensor device described above is described in more detail next in connection with a specific implementation scenario. Fig. 4 shows a flow diagram of a passive sensor device 100 for an engine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] With reference to Fig. 4, firstly, if the device to be detected is a motor, the passive sensor device 100 comprises, for example, the sensor control module 110, the energy harvesting module 120 and the energy management module 130, as in Fig. 1 above, and may implement the functions described above. The energy management module 130 includes, for example, a rectifier module, a regulator module, an energy tracking module, and a charge management module, as described above.

[0091] In addition, the sensor control module 110 includes, for example, the sensor module 111 and the controller module 112.

[0092] The passive sensor device is activated during normal operation of the engine, whereupon the sensor control module 110 is placed in the low-charge operating mode as described above, and the energy harvesting module 120 (here, for example, a piezoelectric energy converter) mounted on the main body of the engine converts the vibration energy from the device to be detected into AC energy, and when the vibration energy is converted into AC energy, it is fed into the energy management module 130 as described above, so that the energy management module is turned on to enter an operating state.Thereafter, as previously described, the power management module 130 converts the AC power to DC power and supplies power to the sensor control module 110 based on the DC power such that the sensor control module 110 operates in a low-charge mode of operation (in which the controller module 112 is configured to be in a sleep mode and the sensor module 111 is configured to be in a de-powered mode in which the sensor module is not supplied with power).

[0093] During operation of the sensor control module 110 in the low-charge operating mode, the energy storage element in the energy management module 130 continues to be charged, and energy continues to accumulate. When its electrical energy / power reaches a preset standard (e.g., when the current amount of electrical charge is greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge), the charge management module 134 of the energy management module 130 sends the energy attainment signal to the sensor control module 110.

[0094] At this time, in response to the energy attainment signal, the sensor control module 110 in the low-power operation mode switches from the low-charge operation mode to the low-power operation mode in the normal operation mode (the specific execution function of this operation mode is as described above). At this time, the sensor module 111 performs a low-precision detection process, and the controller module 112 is configured to receive only the detection trigger event without receiving other signals, without signal processing, and without transmitting data to the outside.

[0095] The detection trigger event includes a periodic trigger signal from the controller module, an anomaly detection signal from the sensor module, and a detection request signal from an external device. When the sensor control module 110 (its internal controller module 112) receives one of the three signals, the sensor control module 110 switches from the low-energy operation mode to the high-energy operation mode. More specifically, the controller module 112 switches from the low-energy operation mode to the high-energy operation mode, and the sensor module 111 switches to the high-energy operation mode.In this high-energy operation mode, the sensor module 111 performs the above-mentioned high-precision detection process and sends a corresponding detection signal to the controller module 112, which determines a detection result of the device to be detected based on receiving the detection signal and based on the detection signal and sends the detection result to the external device.

[0096] Furthermore, after transmitting the detection result, the sensor control module 110 (e.g., its controller module) may communicate with the energy management module 130 and transmit an energy detection request signal (requesting the energy management module 130 to re-detect the current amount of electric charge of the energy storage element). The energy management module 130 detects the current amount of electric charge of the energy storage element in response to the request signal, compares the current amount of electric charge of the energy storage element with a preset threshold for the amount of electric charge, and transmits an energy attainment signal to the sensor control module if the current amount of electric charge is greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electric charge.The following processes are the same as those outlined above and are not repeated here.

[0097] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a passive sensor system 200 is provided. Fig. 5 shows a diagram of a passive sensor system 200 according to embodiments of the disclosure.

[0098] With reference to Fig. 5, the passive sensor system 200 includes, for example, the passive sensor device 100, the gateway device 110, and the external device 120 as described above.

[0099] For example, the passive sensor device 100 has the structure described above and is capable of performing the functions described above.

[0100] The gateway device 110 is configured to receive the detection result from the passive sensor device 100 and transmit the detection result to the external device 120. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited by the specific type of gateway device and its specific mode of communication and communication protocol.

[0101] The external device 120 includes, for example, at least one of a cloud platform and a user device, and is configured to receive the detection result from the gateway device and display or store the detection result.

[0102] In some embodiments, one device (master device) of the external devices may serve as a gateway device that receives the detection result from the passive sensor device and further distributes the detection result to other external devices (slave devices).

[0103] The gateway device 110 is further configured to receive instruction information from the external device 120 and to send the instruction information to the passive sensor device 100.

[0104] The instruction information may, for example, include the above-mentioned detection request signal, or may also include other instruction signals or configuration signals to the passive sensor device.

[0105] Based on the above, the passive sensor system in this application includes the passive sensor device, the gateway device, and the external device as described above, so that the detection process of the device to be detected can be implemented in a simple and straightforward manner, while solving the problem of complicated wiring or periodic replacement of the current active sensor. Furthermore, by providing two-way data transmission and reception between the gateway device, the external device, and the passive sensor device, the storage and display of the detection result can be reliably realized, and the passive sensor device can be reliably controlled.

[0106] Although the various subcomponents are depicted as separate modules in the above-mentioned figures, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned device modules may be implemented as separate hardware devices or integrated as one or more hardware devices. The specific implementation of various hardware devices should not be considered a factor limiting the scope of the present invention, as long as the principles described herein can be implemented.

[0107] In this application, specific words are used to describe embodiments of the present application. Reference to a "first / second embodiment," "an embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" means a feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be emphasized and appreciated that two or more references to "an embodiment," "a particular embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, certain features, structures, or characteristics may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments of the application.

[0108] Furthermore, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that aspects of the present application may be illustrated and described with respect to a variety of patentable categories or instances, including new and useful processes, machines, methods of manufacture, or combinations of things, or new and useful improvements thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the present application may be implemented entirely by hardware, entirely by software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or by a combination of hardware and software. The aforementioned hardware or software may each be referred to as a "block," a "module," an "engine," a "unit," a "component," or a "system." Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied as a computer product embodied in one or more computer-readable media, including computer-readable program code.

[0109] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, it is understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant field of expertise and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly defined as such herein.

[0110] The above is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed in a limiting sense. While several exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. It is to be understood that the above is merely illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments, and that modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are also intended to be within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

[1] Passive sensor device comprising: a sensor control module configured to operatively perform a detection process on a device to be detected and to generate a detection result; an energy harvesting module mounted on a main body of the device to be detected and configured to convert the harvested vibration energy from the device to be detected into alternating current energy; and a power management module configured to receive the AC power from the power harvesting module, convert the AC power into DC power, and power the passive sensor device based on the DC power. [2] Passive sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the energy management module comprises: a rectifier module configured to convert the alternating current energy into first direct current energy; a regulator module configured to receive the first DC power from the rectifier module, perform voltage regulation on the first DC power to generate second DC power; an energy tracking module configured to receive the second DC energy from the regulator module and charge an energy storage element based on the second DC energy; and a charge management module configured to power the passive sensor device using DC energy in the energy storage element. [3] Passive sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the charge management module is further configured to: Detecting an instantaneous amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element; Comparing the instantaneous amount of electrical charge of the energy storage element with a preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge and sending an energy achievement signal to the sensor control module in the event that the instantaneous amount of electrical charge is greater than the preset threshold for the amount of electrical charge. [4] The passive sensor device of claim 3, wherein the sensor control module is pre-configured to be in a low charge operating mode, and the sensor control module is further configured to: Receiving the energy achievement signal from the charge management module; and Switching from the low charge operating mode to a normal operating mode in response to the energy reaching signal, wherein the power consumption in the normal operating mode is higher than the power consumption in the low charge operating mode. [5] Passive sensor device according to claim 4, wherein the sensor control module comprises: a sensor module configured to operatively detect a power state of the device to be detected and to generate a detection signal; and a controller module configured to operatively receive the detection signal and to determine a detection result of the device to be detected based on the detection signal. [6] The passive sensor device of claim 5, wherein in the low-charge operating mode, the controller module is configured to be in a sleep mode and the sensor module is configured to be in a de-energized mode; and wherein the controller module and the sensor module switch to a low-power operating mode upon receiving the power attainment signal. [7] The passive sensor device of claim 6, wherein when the controller module and the sensor module are in the low-energy operating mode, the controller module and the sensor module are configured to switch from the low-energy operating mode to a high-energy operating mode when the controller module receives a detection trigger event. [8] The passive sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the detection trigger event comprises at least one of a periodic trigger signal from the controller module, an anomaly detection signal from the sensor module, and a detection request signal from an external device. [9] The passive sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the controller module in the high-energy operation mode is configured to determine the detection result of the device to be detected based on the detection signal and to transmit the detection result. [10] Passive sensor system comprising: a passive sensor device according to any one of claims 1-9; a gateway device configured to receive the detection result from the passive sensor device and to send the detection result to an external device; and the external device comprising at least one of a cloud platform and a user device and configured to receive the detection result from the gateway device and display or store the detection result; wherein the gateway device is further configured to To receive instruction information from the external device and to send the instruction information to the passive sensor device.

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