Digital remote air gauge

Abstract

A unit wirelessly communicates data about the air pressure of a connected body, in this case an air brake line, with another unit having equipment to display this data to an end user. Units can be operated without any other physical external connection, allowing for flexibility in practical usage. The units may, in certain configurations, offer a user interface, collect and store data, and create mesh networking/storage systems with other units. Additional metrics may be collected and transmitted using the underlying communication system. In any case, the invention improves the efficiency and value of FRA required air brake pressure testing.

Claims

1. A system comprising: two separate physical units, each equipped with a radio system for the purpose of wireless communication and a digital storage medium for the purposes of recording information including, but not limited to, wireless communications sent and received, wherein one of the two separate physical units is equipped with a transducer for the purposes of determining the air pressure present in an adjacent container and wirelessly transmitting the result, and wherein the other of the two separate physical units is equipped with a display, dial gauge, speakers, or similar audio-visual equipment to allow for the interpretation of wirelessly received communication, including any information recorded on the digital storage medium, also being equipped with an internal battery such that no physical external connections are required.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the separate physical unit which is equipped with a transducer is also operated by means of its own internal battery power, such that it requires no physical external connections of electrical nature.

5. (canceled)

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the radio system constitutes wireless transceiver radio modules in each of the separate physical units, such that each unit is simultaneously capable of both transmitting and receiving wireless communications at any time, which can then be recorded in the digital storage mediums as accessible information.

7. (canceled)

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the audio-visual equipment includes a touchscreen panel, buttons, knobs, or similar equipment for the purpose of detecting user input, which can then be recorded in the on-board digital storage medium as accessible information and can be transmitted to, and recorded to the digital storage medium of, another separate physical unit for the purposes of data integrity and accessibility.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1, the depiction on Sheet 1, is the only drawing for this patent application. It depicts the two separate physical units our system comprises, as well as a set of cars for visual reference in use. Bold text is used sparingly to aid in the recognition of certain abstract electrical objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] As presented in FIG. 1, this invention comprises the two separate physical units 100 and 101, shown in a boldened box which can be thought to represent an enclosure of appropriate nature for telemetry electronics. The configuration shown includes limitations described in claim 4, where both units contain a battery (108/109) and can operate independently, without needing any other physical external connection except at the point where the pressure transducer (PT) 106 mounts with an adjacent container shown by the fitting 110. A set of train cars 111 is shown for reference, with the end being positioned nearest to fitting 110 on unit 100, since this is where the device is mounted during operation. (Neither fitting 110 or the set of cars 111 are covered under this patent.) Unit 101, however, can be used anywhere within the limits of the wireless signal from unit 100 since it does not necessitate attachment to any fixed object or any other form of external physical connection. The limit of this system is defined by the wireless transceiver radios 102 and 103 shown in each physical unit; the inclusion of a short tail antenna and radio graphics with the “900 MHz” label serve as an example technology which fits the limitations of the claims but is not the only possible application for the purposes of wireless communication within the scope of this invention. Digital storage medium 104 can record data from both the transducer 106 directly and from transmissions received by the onboard wireless transceiver 102. Digital storage medium 105 can also record information from its own onboard transceiver 103, as well as from an onboard display 107 if the panel in question is equipped with a touch sensing method. In an application of this invention where a display is not used, optional alternate means of determining user input could also exist as buttons, a keypad, keyboard, pointer, slider, etc. Any detected user inputs through these means or from a display 107 that is so equipped to detect input can then be passed to transceiver 103 and sent to transceiver 102 on the opposite unit 100, to be saved on its own storage medium 104 in addition to the storage medium 105 on unit 101 where the interaction occurred. In normal operation, though, the flow of information will be reversed from this operation. Normally, separate physical unit 100 will be transmitting (via transceiver 102) data from the onboard transducer 106 while also saving the data to its own storage medium 104. Unit 101 will receive this data with its transceiver 103 and present the information to the user in a proper form by way of display 107 (or an alternative; see claim 1) while also recording the information to the onboard digital storage medium 105.

[0012] Please note that none of these numbered objects are drawn to scale and are provided visually for ease of understanding only. Contents of each separate physical unit can vary and may exceed the basic requirements imposed by the claim limitations of this application.