Intelligent POE Sensor Architecture, System and Method

Abstract

Embodiments of Power Over Ethernet sensors providing processed signals directly to User devices or via a sensor processing system. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

1 . A sensor apparatus including:
 a plurality of sensors, each sensor including a plurality of selectable modes of operation for measuring a physical attribute and providing a signal representative of the measured physical attribute based on the selected mode of operation; and   a communications module transceiving data signals including:
 receiving digital data signals via a wired connection, 
 receiving power sufficient to operate the sensor apparatus via the digital data signals, the received digital data signals selecting the mode of operation of one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for one of the plurality of sensors, and 
 sending digital data signals representing the measured physical attribute of the one of the plurality of sensors based on the selected mode of operation of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for the one of the plurality of sensors. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a sensor signal processor for processing digital signals representing the measured physical attribute of the one of the plurality of sensors based on the selected mode of operation of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for the one of the plurality of sensors to provide the digital data signals, the digital data signals related to the measured physical attribute and having units related to the measured physical attribute. 
     
     
         3 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 1 , the sensor processing apparatus further including a webserver, the webserver generating an HTML, page to be communicated to a user device, the page including the digital data signals representing the measured physical attribute of the one of the plurality of sensors based on the selected mode of operation of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for the one of the plurality of sensors, and the communication module sending the HTML page to a user device. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 3 , receiving a digital data signal from the user device, the digital data signal selecting the mode of operation of one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for one of the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein received digital data signals request the one of the plurality of sensors to measure the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation and the one of the plurality of sensors measures the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation based the received request. 
     
     
         6 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein received digital data signals from a user device request the one of the plurality of sensors to measure the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation and the one of the plurality of sensors measures the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation based the received request. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one of the plurality of sensors measures the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation periodically. 
     
     
         8 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein communication module receives data and power based on a power over ethernet standard. 
     
     
         9 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selectable modes of operation of the one of the plurality of sensors includes at least three different modes of operation. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selectable modes of operation of the one of the plurality of sensors includes a 9-axis mode, a uniaxial electrolytic (UE) tilt mode, and a Bi-Axial mems mode. 
     
     
         11 . A method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors, including:
 employing a sensor apparatus at a desired location, the sensor apparatus including:
 a plurality of sensors, each sensor including a plurality of selectable modes of operation for measuring a physical attribute and providing a signal representative of the measured physical attribute based on the selected mode of operation; and 
   at the communications module receiving digital data signals via a wired connection from a device,   at the communications module receiving power sufficient to operate the sensor apparatus via the digital data signals,   at the communications module receiving digital data signals selecting the mode of operation of one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for one of the plurality of sensors from the device, and   at the communications module sending digital data signals representing the measured physical attribute of the one of the plurality of sensors based on the selected mode of operation of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for the one of the plurality of sensors to the device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 11 , further including at sensor signal processor of the sensor apparatus processing digital signals representing the measured physical attribute of the one of the plurality of sensors based on the selected mode of operation of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for the one of the plurality of sensors and at the communications module sending the processed digital data signals, the processed digital data signals related to the measured physical attribute and having units related to the measured physical attribute to the device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor processing apparatus includes a webserver and including at the webserver generating an HTML, page to be communicated to the device, the page including the digital data signals representing the measured physical attribute of the one of the plurality of sensors based on the selected mode of operation of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for the one of the plurality of sensors, and
 at the communication module sending the HTML page to the device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 13 , at the communications module receiving a digital data signal from the user device, the digital data signal selecting the mode of operation of one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation for one of the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         15 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 11 , at the communications module receiving digital data signals requesting the one of the plurality of sensors to measure the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation and the one of the plurality of sensors measures the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation based the received request. 
     
     
         16 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 13 , at the communications module receiving digital data signals from the user device requesting the one of the plurality of sensors to measure the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation and the one of the plurality of sensors measures the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation based the received request. 
     
     
         17 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 11 , at the one of the plurality of sensors measuring the physical attribute based on the selected one of the plurality of selectable modes of operation periodically. 
     
     
         18 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 11 , at the communication module receiving data and power based on a power over ethernet standard. 
     
     
         19 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of selectable modes of operation of the one of the plurality of sensors includes at least three different modes of operation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of measuring one of a plurality of physical attributes at a location unable to receive wireless sensors of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of selectable modes of operation of the one of the plurality of sensors includes a 9-axis mode, a uniaxial electrolytic (UE) tilt mode, and a Bi-Axial mems mode.