Method of communicating conditions within a storage tank level

• US 20030028336A1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Masar, Lubomir, Boylan, Gerald T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,700,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/55
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/48 Arrangements of indicating or measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system for monitoring the conditions within a storage tank includes a sensor communicating data indicative of conditions within the storage tank to a base controller. The data is decoded and arranged into a graphical display of the conditions of the storage tank. The graphical display includes a representation of storage tank conditions including the configuration of the storage tank, current fluid levels and temperature within the storage tank. The graphical display also includes a historical database of conditions within the storage tank that may be displayed graphically to track usage. The base controller is connected to a communications network such that data indicative of conditions with the storage tank can be communicated to remote users through a wireless communication network by way of alphanumeric messages.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring conditions within a storage tank, said method including the steps of:

a. sensing conditions within the storage tank with a sensor;

b. sending data indicative of conditions within the storage tank from said sensor to a base controller;

c. preparing a graphical representation of conditions within the storage tank for viewing; and

d. viewing said graphical representation to provide information on conditions within the storage tank.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of transmitting said data from said base controller over a communications network to a remote user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b.) is further defined by sending data indicative of conditions within the storage tank in response to a prompt signal sent from the base controller.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said method further includes the step of defining a polling schedule and automatically sending a prompt signal from said base controller based on said defined polling schedule.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said polling schedule includes definitions for automatically transmitting data over said communications network to a remote user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said communication network transmits said data over a wireless connection to a display device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical representation includes a representation of the storage tank configuration and fluid level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical representation further includes a representation of the total volume capacity of fluid able to be stored within the storage tank, the current volume of fluid, and the current available volume within the storage tank.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a graph is provided along with the graphical representation to communicate previous levels of fluid within the storage tank.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a table of data is provide along with the graphical representation to communicate numerical data gathered from the sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical representation includes the time that data represented by the graphical representation was obtained from the sensor and the temperature of the fluid within the storage tank.

12. A graphical representation for monitoring conditions within a storage tank comprising;

a representation of the size and shape of the storage tank;

a shaded region displayed within said representation the storage tanks indicative of the volume of fluid within the storage tank;

a graph provided to display previous fluid levels with in the storage tank; and

a tabular display of data gathered indicative of conditions within the storage tank.

13. The graphical representations of claim 12, further including a representation of maximum and minimum alarm fluid levels.

14. The graphical representation of claim 12, further including a graph to display a relationship of data over time.

15. A system for monitoring conditions within a storage tank comprising;

a sensor for transmitting data;

a communication network through which data from said sensor is communicated to a base controller;

said base controller including a decoding means to translate said data, a storage means to store said data, and a transmitter to forward data;

a graphical representation of data transmitted from said sensor to communicate the conditions within a storage tank tailored to the specific storage tank configuration,

a remote display device to receive data sent from said base controller through said communication network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said communications network includes a wireless network and said remote display device is a cellular phone such that said data transmitted over said communications network is displayed as an alphanumeric message on said cellular phone.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said data is transmitted by said base controller to said display device according to a predetermined polling schedule.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said graphical representation includes a graphical representation of the storage tank configuration.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said graphical representation includes a representation of the fluid level within the storage tank.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said graphical representation includes calculated volumes of fluid stored within said storage tank.

21. A method of monitoring conditions within a storage tank, said method including the steps of:

a. sensing conditions within the storage tank with a sensor;

b. sending data indicative of conditions within the storage tank from said sensor to a base controller;

c. transmitting said data from said base controller over a communications network to a remote user.

d. viewing said data on a wireless display device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step (c.) is further defined by said communications transmitting said data over a wireless connection to a display device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said step (b.) is further defined by sending data indicative of conditions within the storage tank in response to a prompt signal sent from the base controller.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said method further includes the step of defining a polling schedule and automatically sending a prompt signal from said base controller based on said defined polling schedule.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said polling schedule includes definitions for automatically transmitting data over said communications network to a remote user.

26. A system for monitoring conditions within a storage tank comprising;

a sensor for transmitting data;

a communication network through which data from said sensor is communicated to a base controller;

said base controller including a decoding means to translate said data, a storage means to store said data, and a transmitter to forward data through said communications network;

a remote display device to receive data forwarded from said base controller through said communication network.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said communications network and said remote display device is a cellular phone such that said data transmitted over said communications network is displayed as, an alphanumeric message on said cellular phone.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said data is transmitted by said base controller to said display device according to a predetermined polling schedule.