Remote illumination and detection method, node and system

• US 10,261,023 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensera Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: David Curtis Gaw
• Inventors: Gaw, David Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): Yepps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Don
• Application Number:
  US14/298,784
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 250205, 25055912, 25055913, 3404262, 34042626, 34042627, 340541, 3405453, 340555, 340556, 340557, 315158, 315291, 315294
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0693 Battery powered circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/73 Battery saving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A remote illumination and detection method, node, and system is described. The remote illumination and detection method generates a detection message when motion is detected by a detector. The detector includes a wireless communications module that wirelessly transmits the detection message to a remote sensing device. The remote sensing device includes a camera having a field of view and wirelessly communicates with the detector. The remote sensing device then proceeds to generate an illumination instruction to illuminate an area within the field of view, when the remote sensing device receives the detection message. The remote sensing device transmits the illumination instruction to an illuminator. The illuminator wirelessly communicates with the remote sensing device. The method then illuminates an area near the illuminator, when motion is detected by the detector and the illumination instruction is received by the illuminator.

Claims

1. A remote illumination and detection method comprising,

enabling each of a plurality of detectors to generate a detection message when motion is detected by a detector, wherein the detector includes a first wireless communications module;

a detection field proximate to each of the plurality of detectors, wherein the detection message is generated when motion is detected within the detection field proximate to each of the plurality of detectors;

wirelessly transmitting the detection message to a remote sensing device that includes a camera having a field of view of the plurality of detectors and the corresponding detection field associated with each of the plurality of detectors, and a second wireless communications module corresponding to the remote sensing device that communicates with the first wireless communications module associated with each of the plurality of detectors;

generating an illumination instruction, at the remote sensing device, when the remote sensing device receives the detection message from one of the plurality of detectors;

wirelessly transmitting the illumination instruction to an illuminator that is communicatively coupled to a third wireless communications module, wherein the third wireless communications module is communicatively coupled to the second communication module associated with the remote sensing device, the illuminator having an illumination area that includes the detection field corresponding to one of the plurality of detectors, wherein the illumination area is within the field of view of the camera; and

illuminating the illumination area when motion is detected by one of the plurality of detectors and the illumination instruction is received by the illuminator.

2. The remote illumination and detection method of claim 1 further comprising,

housing one detector of the plurality of detectors and the illuminator in an illumination and detection node, in which the first wireless communication module and the third wireless communications module are a same wireless communication module;

wirelessly communicating the detection message from the illumination and detection node to the remote sensing device;

illuminating the area of the illuminator when the illumination instruction communicated by the remote sensing device is received by the illumination and detection node.

3. The remote illumination and detection method of claim 1 further comprising:

housing the illuminator in a remote illuminator node, wherein the illuminator illuminates the illumination area associated with the illuminator; and

receiving, by the remote illuminator node, the illumination instruction generated by the remote sensing device.

4. The remote illumination and detection method of claim 1 further comprising,

housing one of the plurality of detectors in a remote detection node;

detecting motion, by the detector housed in the remote detection node, in a detection area within the field of view;

generating the detection message;

wirelessly communicating the detection message to the remote sensing device; and

illuminating the illumination area associated with the detection area when the detection message generated by the detector housed in the remote detection node is received by the remote sensing device, which then communicates the illumination instruction to the remote illuminator node associated with the illumination area.

5. The remote illumination and detection method of claim 1 wherein the illuminator includes a low power infrared or visible LED output.

6. The remote illumination and detection method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of detectors includes an infrared detector.

7. The remote illumination and detection method of claim 1 further comprising:

powering the detector housed in the remote detection node with a battery; and

charging the battery with a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery.

8. A remote illumination and detection node comprising,

an illumination housing;

a wireless network interface module configured to be communicatively coupled to a remote sensing device that further includes a camera having a field of view;

a detector having a detection field proximate to the detector, wherein the detector configured to detect motion in the detection field, wherein the field of view includes the detection field;

a processor configured to transmit a detection message to the remote sensing device, when motion is detected by the detector in the detection field; and

an illuminator operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the illuminator is configured to illuminate an illumination area when the processor receives an illumination instruction to illuminate the illumination area, wherein the illumination area includes the detection field.

9. The remote illumination and detection node of claim 8 wherein the remote sensing device includes a smartphone.

10. The remote illumination and detection node of claim 8 wherein the remote sensing device includes a wireless communication module that wirelessly communicates with the remote illumination and detection node.

11. The remote illumination and detection node of claim 8 wherein the detector includes an infrared detector.

12. The remote illumination and detection node of claim 8 wherein the illuminator includes a low power infrared or visible LED output.

13. The remote illumination and detection node of claim 8 further comprising:

a battery configured to power the illuminator, the processor, the detector and the wireless network interface module; and

a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery, wherein the solar panel charges the battery.

14. A remote illumination system comprising,

a remote detector configured to detect motion in a detection field proximate to the detector and communicate a detection message with a wireless communication protocol, when motion is detected in the detection field of the detector;

and

a remote sensing device communicatively coupled to the remote detector which applies the wireless communication protocol, wherein the remote sensing device includes a camera having a field of view of the detection field and a remote sensing wireless communications module that receives the detection message from the remote detector, the remote sensing device communicates an illumination instruction to a remote illumination node when the remote sensing device receives the detection message from the remote illumination node, the remote illumination node has an illumination area, the illumination area within the field of view, the illumination area including the associated detection field, the remote illumination node including,

a remote illumination housing;

a wireless network interface module configured to be communicatively coupled to the remote sensing device;

a processor configured to receive the illumination instruction to illuminate the illumination area associated with the remote illumination node, when motion is detected by the remote detector associated with the remote illumination node; and

an illuminator operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the illuminator is configured to illuminate the illumination area associated with the remote illumination node when the illuminator receives the illumination instruction.

15. The remote illumination system of claim 14 wherein the remote detector includes an infrared detector.

16. The remote illumination system of claim 14 wherein the remote illuminator node includes a low power infrared or visible LED output.

17. The remote illumination system of claim 14 further comprising:

a battery configured to power the illuminator, the processor, the detector and the wireless network interface module; and

a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery, wherein the solar panel charges the battery.

18. A remote illumination system comprising,

a remote illuminator that illuminates an illumination area when the remote illuminator receives an illumination message;

a remote sensing device communicatively coupled to the remote illuminator node, wherein the remote sensing device includes a camera having a field of view of the illumination area and a remote sensing wireless communications module;

a remote detection node that includes,

a remote detection node housing;

a wireless network interface module configured to be communicatively coupled to the remote sensing device;

a detector operatively coupled to a processor, the detector configured to detect motion in a detection field proximate to the detector and generate a detection message when motion is detected, wherein the illumination area includes the detection field;

the processor operatively coupled to the detector, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the detection message that is communicated wirelessly to the remote sensing device;

a battery configured to power the detector, the processor and the wireless network interface module; and

the remote illuminator configured to illuminate the illumination area when the detection message generated by the remote detection node is received by the remote sensing device, which then communicates the illumination instruction to the remote illuminator node.

19. The remote illumination system of claim 18 wherein the remote illuminator includes a low power infrared or visible LED output.

20. The remote illumination system of claim 18 wherein the remote detection node includes an infrared detector.

21. The remote illumination system of claim 18 further comprising:

a battery configured to power the illuminator, the processor, the detector and the wireless network interface module; and

a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery, wherein the solar panel charges the battery.