Electronically controlled motor-driven device with vibrational acoustic alert capability
An electronically controlled, motor-driven device is able to issue locally perceptible acoustic alerts by causing the electric motor to vibrate, which in embodiments can include vibrations at a resonant frequency of the device. Embodiments encode information relevant to the alert as amplitude and/or frequency modulations of the acoustic vibrational alerts. The motor can be an AC motor or a DC motor. In embodiments, the motor-driven device is an electronically controlled valve actuator or electronically controlled pump. The device can be in communication with a remote monitoring station, or the electronic controller can be remotely located.
1. An electronically controlled, electric motor-driven device comprising:
an electric motor configured to drive operation of the device; and
an electronic controller in controlling communication with the electric motor;
the electronic controller being configured to:
monitor the device and;
if the controller determines that an alert condition of the device exists, cause the electric motor to vibrate so as to emit a vibrational output that can be audibly perceived by a nearby operator as a perceptible indication of the alert condition.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to determine information regarding the alert condition, and to encode said information as a modulation of the vibrational output that can be interpreted by the nearby operator.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the modulation includes at least one of an amplitude modulation and a vibrational frequency modulation of the vibrational output.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to cause at least some of the vibrational output to be generated at a frequency that is equal to a resonant frequency of a structural component of the electric motor-driven device.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the structural component is a housing of the electric motor or a housing of the electric motor-driven device.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electric motor is an AC motor, and the electronic controller controls the electric motor via variable frequency drive technology.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller controls the electric motor by timed energization of coils included in the electric motor.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is in signal communication with a remote monitoring station, and is further configured to communicate information regarding the alert condition to the remote monitoring station.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the remote monitoring station is a portable electronic device in wireless communication with the electronic controller.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is physically remoted from the electric motor.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is an electronically controlled valve actuator.
12. A method for causing an electronically controlled, electric motor-driven device to emit a locally perceptible acoustic alert, the method comprising:
providing a device that is driven by an electric motor and an electronic controller in controlling communication with the electric motor;
the electronic controller actuating the electric motor so as to provide an electromechanical output;
monitoring of a status of the device by the electronic controller; and
upon detection by the electronic controller of an alert condition of the device, the electronic controller causing the electric motor to vibrate in a manner that produces a vibrational output that is acoustically perceptible to a nearby operator.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining by the electronic controller of information regarding the alert condition; and
encoding by the electronic controller of said information as a modulation of the vibrational output that can be discerned and interpreted by the nearby operator.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the modulation includes at least one of an amplitude modulation and a vibrational frequency modulation of the vibrational output.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the electronic controller causing the vibrational output to be generated at a frequency that is equal to a resonant frequency of a structural component of the electric motor-driven device.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the structural component is a housing of the electric motor or a housing of the motor-driven device.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electric motor is an AC motor, and the electronic controller controls the electric motor via variable frequency drive technology.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electric motor is a DC motor, and the electronic controller controls the electric motor by timed energization of coils included in the motor.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising communicating by the electronic controller of information regarding the alert condition to a remote monitoring station.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the remote monitoring station is a portable electronic device in wireless communication with the electronic controller.
21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the device is an electronically controlled valve actuator.