Banner Engineering Corporation

Robert T Fayfield

Charles Dolezalek

Nick Olsen

Robert Schlosser

Matthew Schmitt

David Franke

Ryan Kornetzke

Kent Dahlen

William Theunissen

Sabrina Kawalec

Paul Fabian

Roman York Marjamaa

Luke Karnas

Mark Richard Rue

Arthur Padget

Mark Rue

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a stackable distributed communication and control hub (DCCH) configured to provide a wide viewing angle for instantly inspecting multiple connections when multiple DCCHs are stacked. In an illustrative example, a DCCH may include multiple connection ports distributed on one or more edge surfaces. An offset bracket, for example, may couple two DCCHs, each at a coupling surface of the corresponding DCCH. Upon coupling, the DCCHs are held at substantially parallel planes. For example, a first DCCH is offset from a second DCCH in two directions. In a first direction, respective planes are offset along a vertical axis by a predetermined first offset. In a second direction, the DCCHs are offset by a predetermined second offset, orthogonal to the first direction. Various embodiments may advantageously allow visual status of the connection ports visible in at least one viewing angle along the vertical axis.

Distributed communication and control system using concurrent multi-channel master unit

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a vibrational sensing system (VSS) including an accelerometer and a data processor, which determines an 'operational state' of a mechanical drive unit, the processor further employing the “operational state” to gate learning of long-term vibrational data to exclude collection of non-operational data, the long-term data collected to calculate alarm thresholds. For example, vibrations from a target motor are sensed by a coupled accelerometer. Vibrational data from the accelerometer is fed into a data processor which determines the operational state of the motor. The operational state (e.g., on/off indication) may gate data collection such that data is only acquired during on-time, which may advantageously create accurate baselines from which alarm thresholds may be generated, and nuisance alarms may be avoided.

Vibrational alarms facilitated by determination of motor on-off state in variable-duty multi-motor machines

Distributed communication and control system using concurrent multi-channel master unit preliminary class

Communication hub

Offset standoff bracket for data transmission devices

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a vibrational sensing system (VSS) including an accelerometer and a data processor, which determines an 'operational state' of a mechanical drive unit, the processor further employing the 'operational state' to gate learning of long-term vibrational data to exclude collection of non-operational data, the long-term data collected to calculate alarm thresholds. For example, vibrations from a target motor are sensed by a coupled accelerometer. Vibrational data from the accelerometer is fed into a data processor which determines the operational state of the motor. The operational state (e.g., on/off indication) may gate data collection such that data is only acquired during on-time, which may advantageously create accurate baselines from which alarm thresholds may be generated, and nuisance alarms may be avoided.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a networked system having a master and multiple slaves, where each slave stores a unique (actual) slave address and a non-unique (virtual) slave address in memory, such that each slave is configured to respond to request messages addressed to the slave's non-unique slave address if a sensor device associated with the is in an active state when the slave receives the request message. In an illustrative example, the networked system may be a Fieldbus-style network (e.g., a network implementing the Modbus protocol). A sensor device may be a break-beam, capacitive touch, or push-button device, for example. An output indicator/actuator may be associated with a sensor device to indicate the status of the sensor device to a user. A networked system implementing sensor-activated response gating may beneficially expand the number of slave devices on the network while achieving low latency response times.

Modbus system having actual and virtual slave addresses and slave sensors

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a tower light assembly having an output indicator responsive to an onboard sensor in accordance with a predetermined environmental parameter threshold. In an illustrative example, an augmented sensing tower light assembly (ASTLA) may include a light tower assembly having a controller configured to receive status data from monitored equipment. The controller may further receive environmental data from the onboard sensor. In response to the received status data and the received environmental data, the controller may actuate the output indicator in accordance with one or more predetermined criteria. Advantageously, the ASTLA may provide supplemental low-cost sensing capability.

Augmented sensing tower light assembly

Indicator light devices are useful in many applications for indicating properties of physical spaces respectively associated therewith and in physical proximity thereto. The indicator light devices are network-enabled and self-powered, and capable of participating in coordinated power-managed operation to provide a sufficient service life and lower installation and replacement costs. The indicator light devices may be used with or without associated sensors. The various embodiments described herein use various power management techniques singly or in combination to greatly increase the service life of self-power indicator light devices without diminishing their effectiveness in the application. These techniques include operating only the indicator light devices associated with the physical spaces having properties of interest, operating the indicator light devices with synchronized flashing, operating the indicator light devices in accordance with the detection of specific conditions, relevant time operation, in-vicinity activation, and ambient light responsiveness.

Apparatus and method for power management of a system of indicator light devices

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Orono, MN, United States of America

Robert T Fayfield