Asset tag with event detection capabilities
Described herein are a transient event detector comprising electrical circuitry suitable to detect a transient event, and a container having a wall with at least two electrically conductive contacts that are electrically connected to the electrical circuitry, each of the at least two electrically conductive contacts being electrically isolated from each other, and a movable electrically conductive piece that intermittently connects at least two of the at least two electrically conductive contacts when the electrically conductive piece is in motion, said movable electrically conducting piece having a mass that is low enough such that if the movable electrically conducting piece is at rest and bridges two of the at least two electrically conductive contacts no transient event is detected by the electrical circuitry, methods of use and methods of manufacture.
1. An event detector comprising:
a first circuit board having a top surface on which a first contact configuration resides, said first contact configuration having radially-extending arms electrically coupled together;
a second circuit board overlying said top surface of said first circuit board, said second circuit board having an aperture overlying said first contact configuration and having conductive plating on an inside surface of said aperture;
a third circuit board having a bottom surface on which a second contact configuration resides, said third circuit board overlying said second circuit board so that said second contact configuration is at said aperture; and
a conductive movable piece positioned within said aperture and configured to move within said aperture to short said first contact configuration to said conductive plating when resting on said first circuit board and in contact with said conductive plating.
2. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second contact configuration has radially-extending arms electrically coupled together.
3. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conductive moveable piece is in the shape of a sphere.
4. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising a battery substantially aligned with said second circuit board relative to at least one of said first and third circuit boards.
5. An event detector as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first, second, and third circuit boards have electrical through connections to supply electrical connectivity between a surface of one of said first and third circuit boards and opposing sides of said battery.
6. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said aperture in said second circuit board is a first aperture and said conductive movable piece is a first conductive movable piece;
a fourth contact configuration resides on said top surface of said first circuit board;
a fifth contact configuration resides on said bottom surface of said third circuit board;
said second circuit board has a second aperture overlying said fourth contact configuration and underlying said fifth contact configuration, with conductive plating on an inside surface of said second aperture; and
said event detector additionally comprises a second conductive movable piece positioned within said second aperture.
7. An event detector as claimed in claim 6 wherein at least one of said first and second apertures is beveled.
8. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising a microprocessor supported on one of said first and third circuit boards, coupled to said first and second contact configurations and to said conductive plating, and configured to cause said event detector to operate as a tilt detector.
9. An event detector as claimed in claim 8 wherein:
said event detector additionally comprises an antenna formed on one of said first and third circuit boards and electrically coupled to said microprocessor; and
said microprocessor is configured in cooperation with said antenna to report tilt events using radio frequency transmissions.
10. An event detector as claimed in claim 8 wherein said microprocessor is configured to measure elapsed time in a tilted orientation.
11. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second circuit board is thicker than said first circuit board and said second circuit board.
12. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first, second, and third circuit boards has conductive traces formed thereon.
13. An event detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second circuit board is in physical contact with said first and said third circuit boards.
14. An event detector comprising:
a first circuit board having a top surface on which a first contact configuration resides;
a second circuit board overlying said top surface of said first circuit board, said second circuit board having an aperture overlying said first contact configuration and having conductive plating on an inside surface of said aperture;
a third circuit board having a bottom surface on which a second contact configuration resides, said third circuit board overlying said second circuit board so that said second contact configuration is at said aperture; and
a conductive movable piece positioned within said aperture and configured to move within said aperture to short said first contact configuration to said conductive plating when resting on said first circuit board and in contact with said conductive plating; and
a battery substantially aligned with said second circuit board relative to at least one of said first and third circuit boards.
15. An event detector as claimed in claim 14 wherein said first, second, and third circuit boards have electrical through connections to supply electrical connectivity between a surface of one of said first and third circuit boards and opposing sides of said battery.
16. An event detector as claimed in claim 14 wherein:
said aperture in said second circuit board is a first aperture and said conductive movable piece is a first conductive movable piece;
a fourth contact configuration resides on said top surface of said first circuit board;
a fifth contact configuration resides on said bottom surface of said third circuit board;
said second circuit board has a second aperture overlying said fourth contact configuration and underlying said fifth contact configuration, with conductive plating on an inside surface of said second aperture; and
said event detector additionally comprises a second conductive movable piece positioned within said second aperture.
17. An event detector as claimed in claim 14 additionally comprising a microprocessor supported on one of said first and third circuit boards, coupled to said first and second contact configurations, to said conductive plating, and to said battery, and configured to cause said event detector to operate as a tilt detector.
18. An event detector as claimed in claim 17 wherein:
said event detector additionally comprises an antenna formed on one of said first and third circuit boards and electrically coupled to said microprocessor; and
said microprocessor is configured in cooperation with said antenna to report tilt events using radio frequency transmissions.
19. An event detector as claimed in claim 17 wherein said microprocessor is configured to measure elapsed time in a tilted orientation.
20. An event detector as claimed in claim 14 wherein said second circuit board is thicker than said first circuit board and said second circuit board.