Motion and direction sensors
US5376925A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 21, 1992 |
| Grant date | Dec 27, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 21, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01D3/024
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Motion and direction sensors for end of train (EOT) telemetry equipment employ a piezoelectric film as the sensing element. The motion sensor has a mechanical design which is optimized for detecting vibration on a railroad car. The electrical circuitry of the motion sensor generates output pulses to the EOT microprocessor which are processed according to an algorithm to make a determination of train motion based on detected vibration levels and rates of occurrence. Also, the EOT microprocessor dynamically adjusts the sensitivity of the motion sensor as a function of detected motion. The direction sensor uses a pendulum aligned with the axis of train motion to stress the piezoelectric film and, like the motion sensor, generates output pulses to the EOT microprocessor. These pulses are processed by a direction sensing algorithm implemented on the EOT microprocessor to determine the direction of train motion.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.