Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – With particular system function
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-24
2001-02-20
Pope, Daryl (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
With particular system function
C340S551000, C340S552000, C307S419000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191687
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a Wiegand effect energy generator and, more particularly, to the use of a Wiegand sensor as an energy generator.
The Wiegand wire is a ferro magnetic wire having core and shell portions with divergent magnetic properties. The currently preferred type of Wiegand wire is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,601, issued on Jan. 27, 1981, and which is incorporated herein by reference. The Wiegand wire generally is used in combination with a read head\Wiegand sensor which provide an output pulse from a switch in state of the Wiegand wire. Examples of such a read head\Wiegand sensor are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,263,523, 4,593,209, 4,736,122, 4,743,780 and 4,758,742. Wiegand sensors also are currently available from, for example, HID Corp.
Read heads for use with a Wiegand wire are currently employed in various access systems, wherein Wiegand wires within the access cards provide the encoded information. Wiegand sensors are useful to detect angular velocity in various devices including, for example, meters, disk drives, automobiles, and so on.
Wiegand sensors have various other practical uses that have not yet been realized. One such application is as an energy generator and, therefore, it is an object of this invention to utilize a Wiegand sensor as an energy generator.
Various other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a Wiegand effect energy generator is comprised of an alternating magnetic field generator and a Wiegand sensor that includes a Wiegand wire that changes a magnetic state thereof in response to the alternating magnetic field. The Wiegand sensor supplies as an output a power signal that corresponds to the power produced from the change of the magnetic state of the Wiegand wire.
As an aspect of the invention, the alternating magnetic field generator includes at least one magnet that is coupled to a rotating device.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the Wiegand effect energy generator is combined with an electrical circuit that receives as its power source the output of the Wiegand effect energy generator.
As an aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, the electrical circuit is a transmitter that transmits an information signal upon being powered by the power source.
As a feature of this aspect, the transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter that transmits a radio signal upon being powered by the power source.
As a further feature, a radio frequency receiver is operable to receive the radio signal that is transmitted by the radio frequency transmitter.
As an additional feature, the transmitted radio signal represents the occurrence of the generation of the alternating magnetic field and the receiver counts the occurrences of the generation of the alternating magnetic fields.
As yet a further feature, the alternating magnetic field is generated by the rotation of at least one magnet coupled to a valve of a meter wherein the valves rotates upon the occurrence of a predetermined event (e.g., the flow of a predetermined amount of a gas or liquid through the meter) such that the transmission of a respective information signal represents the occurrence of the predetermined event.
As another aspect of the present invention, the electrical circuit is a transmitter for use in an alarm system.
As a further aspect, the electrical circuit is a counter circuit that increments a count value therein each time it is powered by the Wiegand sensor.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, a method of powering a circuit is provided by generating an alternating magnetic field, responding to the alternating magnetic field (i.e., by use of a Wiegand sensor), producing a power output signal solely from the response to the alternating magnetic field, and powering a circuit from the power output signal produced from the response to the alternating magnetic field.
As a feature of this embodiment, the alternating magnetic field is generated by the rotation of at least one magnet coupled to a rotatable valve of a meter (e.g., a water or gas meter), and the method further is carried out by placing the meter in an inaccessible location within a facility, providing at an accessible location a receiver that receives each transmitted information signal, and maintaining the number of occurrences the transmitted information signal is received.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3820090 (1974-06-01), Wiegand
patent: 4008458 (1977-02-01), Wensley
patent: 4185730 (1980-01-01), Roes et al.
patent: 4189674 (1980-02-01), Lathlaen
patent: 4217512 (1980-08-01), Hauler et al.
patent: 4247601 (1981-01-01), Wiegand
patent: 4263523 (1981-04-01), Wiegand
patent: 4484090 (1984-11-01), Wiegand et al.
patent: 4553657 (1985-11-01), Kilmartin et al.
patent: 4593209 (1986-06-01), Sloan
patent: 4736122 (1988-04-01), Opie et al.
patent: 4743780 (1988-05-01), Opie
patent: 4758742 (1988-07-01), Opie
patent: 5216234 (1993-06-01), Bell
Sensor Engineering Co. (an Echlin Co.) 1990 “Zero Power Wiegand Sensor” 2 pgs.
Dlugos David J.
Siefer David A.
Small Don
HID Corporation
Pope Daryl
Reed Smith Shaw & McClay LLP
LandOfFree
Wiegand effect energy generator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wiegand effect energy generator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wiegand effect energy generator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2613270