Method and apparatus for monitoring conditions

• US 20050083197A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthroscopic Surgery Associates Corporation
• Original Assignee: Arthroscopic Surgery Associates Corporation
• Inventors: Silva, Damon, Glenn, Gregory M., Henry, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.220
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/80 Arrangements for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• 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: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method for efficiently collecting data at a remote device with a device that is able to use both analog and digital signals, especially those that are compliant with serial data interface twelve (SDI-12) protocol. The collected data is compressed into a packet and sent to a base station where it is made available. Additionally, the present invention is able to produce alarms in response to the detection of an alarm condition. This data is able to be viewed from virtually anywhere.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a wireless remote site monitoring system, comprising:

a sensor configured to obtain data; and

an control board configured to receive and process data from a variety of types data collection devices.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a digital sensor.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the sensor is an analog sensor.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising an analog to digital converter linked to the control board.

5. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the digital sensor is compatible with a protocol selected from the group consisting of serial data interface twelve (SDI-12) protocol, 12C, RS-232 and RS-432.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the processor places the data into a single packet to be transmitted.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the data is comprised of a plurality of digital sensors.

8. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the data is comprised of plurality of analog sensors.

9. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the data is comprised of sensor data from an analog sensor and a digital sensor.

10. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising temperature sensor linked to the microprocessor.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the temperature sensor measures the temperature of the environment around the apparatus.

12. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the temperature sensor measures the temperature of the environment around microprocessor.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a voltage sensor linked to the microprocessor.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the voltage sensor measures the voltage of the solar/battery system.

15. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the sensor monitors a condition.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the condition is a liquid level.

17. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the condition is a temperature.

18. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the condition is the presence of a liquid.

19. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the digital sensor transmits data concerning the condition to the microprocessor.

20. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the data is compressed by the microprocessor.

21. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the compressed data is transmitted to a base station or GPRS/GSM gateway.

22. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the data is transmitted from the microprocessor to the wireless system through a port.

23. The apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the wireless system is a telemetry radio or GPRS/GSM modem.

24. The apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the port is selected from the group consisting of a parallel port and serial port.

25. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the server decompresses the compressed data.

26. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the data is an N-byte wide message.

27. The apparatus as in claim 26, wherein the N-byte wide message is a maximum of 96 bytes.

28. The apparatus as in claim 26, wherein the N-byte wide message is a maximum of 512 bytes.

29. The apparatus as in claim 26, wherein the N-byte message is comprised of a header and sensor data.

30. The apparatus as in claim 29, wherein the sensor data is the environmental condition.

31. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the environmental condition is selected from the group consisting of liquid level, temperature and the presence of a liquid.

32. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the data is transmitted to a base station or GSM/GPRS gateway.

33. The apparatus as in claim 32, wherein the data is stored server on a memory device.

34. The apparatus as in claim 25, wherein the server interprets the data.

35. The apparatus as in claim 34, wherein the data is stored on a memory device.

36. The apparatus as in claim 35, wherein data is stored based upon an identifier associated with the sensor.

37. A method for collecting data from a remote sensor in conjunction with the telemetry radio comprising:

retrieving sensor data from a sensor wherein the sensor is of the type selected from the group consisting of a digital sensor and analog sensor;

compressing the data with a control board into a packet; and

transmitting the data from the control board to a station.

38. The method as in claim 37, further comprising retrieving additional sensor data from more than one sensor.

39. The method as in claim 38, wherein the additional data is compressed into the packet with the sensor data.

40. The method as in claim 37, further comprising decompressing the data at the server.

41. The method as in claim 39, wherein the packet contain a message N-bits wide.

42. The method as in claim 39, wherein N-bytes is a maximum of 96 bytes.

43. The method as in claim 39, wherein N-bytes is a maximum of 512 bytes.

44. The method as in claim 39, wherein the N-bit message comprises a header and sensor data.

45. The method as in claim 44, wherein the sensor data is comprised of data from more than one sensor.

46. The method as in claim 37, wherein the digital sensor is and the control board is compatible with a protocol selected from the group consisting o serial data interface (SDI-12), 12C, RS-232 and RS-432.

47. The method as in claim 45, wherein the more than one sensors each contain a unique identifier.

48. The method as in claim 37, further comprising storing the data at the server.

49. The method as in claim 48, further comprising allowing the data to be accessed.

50. The method as in claim 49, wherein the data can be accessed remotely.

51. The method as in claim 50, wherein remotely is through a computer network.

52. The method as in claim 51, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

53. The method as in claim 51, wherein the computer network is a wide area network

54. The method as in claim 51, wherein the network is a local area network.

55. A system for collecting data from a remote sensor in conjunction with the telemetry radio comprising:

means for sensing data wherein the means for sensing is of the type selected from the group consisting of a digital and analog;

means for retrieving the data from the sensor;

means for compressing the data into a packet; and

means for transmitting the data from the retrieving means to a server.

56. The system as in claim 55, further comprising means for retrieving additional sensor data from more than one sensing device.

57. The system as in claim 56, wherein the additional data is compressed into the packet with the sensor data.

58. The system as in claim 55, further comprising means for decompressing the data at the server.

59. The system as in claim 55, wherein the packet contain a message N-bits wide.

60. The system as in claim 57, wherein N-bytes a maximum of 96 bytes.

61. The system as in claim 57, wherein N-bytes is a maximum of 512 bytes.

62. The system as in claim 59, wherein the N-bit message comprises a header and sensor data.

63. The system as in claim 59, wherein the sensor data is comprised of data from more than one sensor.

64. The system as in claim 55, wherein the digital sensor is compatible with sensor protocol selected from the group consisting of serial data interface (SDI-12), 12C, RS-232 and RS-432.

65. The system as in claim 63, wherein the more than one sensors each contain a unique identifier.

66. The system as in claim 55, further comprising means for storing the data at the server.

67. The system as in claim 66, further comprising means for allowing the data to be accessed.

68. The system as in claim 67, wherein the data can be accessed remotely.

69. The system as in claim 68, wherein remotely is through a computer network.

70. The system as in claim 68, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

71. The system as in claim 69, wherein the computer network is a wide area network

72. The system as in claim 68, wherein the network is a local area network.

73. An apparatus for reviewing data from a remote site monitoring device comprising:

a storage device that stores the data which is received from the remote site monitoring device;

an remote access linked to the storage device, the remote access configured to permit access through a computer network; and

an output, linked to the storage device, that displays the data.

74. The apparatus as in claim 73, further comprising a microprocessor, linked to the storage device.

75. The apparatus as in claim 74, wherein the microprocessor decompresses a packet of the data.

76. The apparatus as in claim 73, further comprising a search function that enables the data to be searched.

77. The apparatus as in claim 73, wherein the output display the data in a preferred manner.

78. The apparatus as in claim 77, wherein the preferred manner list the data by a unique identifier.

79. The apparatus as in claim 77, wherein the preferred manner is the location of the remote site monitoring device.

80. The apparatus as in claim 77, wherein the preferred manner is the alarm level.

81. The apparatus as in claim 74, further comprising an alarm level setting.

82. The apparatus as in claim 81, wherein in the microprocessor compares the data received from the remote site monitoring device and the alarm level setting.

83. The apparatus as in claim 82, further comprising an alarm generator that produces an alarm in response to the data in the alarm level setting.

84. The apparatus as in claim 83, wherein the alarm generator is a electronic message.

85. The apparatus as in claim 83, wherein the alarm generator is an audio alarm.

86. The apparatus as in claim 73, wherein the remote site monitoring is a telemetry radio system.

87. The apparatus as in claim 86, wherein the telemetry radio system comprises a plurality of sensors.

88. The apparatus as in claim 87, wherein the plurality of sensors are selected from the group consisting of digital and analog.

89. The apparatus as in claim 87, wherein the plurality of sensors are compatible with a sensor protocol selected from the group consisting of serial data interface 12 (SDI-12), 12C, RS-232 and RS-432.

90. A method for retrieving and viewing data from a remote site monitoring device comprising:

retrieving data from a remote site monitoring system;

storing the data of a storage device;

permitting remote access to the data; and

displaying the data in response to a request to access the data.

91. The method as in claim 90, further comprising displaying the data in a preferred status.

92. The method as in claim 90, further comprising setting an alarm level for the data.

93. The method as in claim 92, further comprising comparing the data to the alarm level to determine an alarm condition

94. The method as in claim 93, further comprising generating an alarm in response to the determination of the alarm condition.

95. A method for collecting data from a remote sensor in conjunction with the telemetry radio comprising:

retrieving sensor data from a sensor wherein the sensor is of the type selected from the group consisting of a digital sensor and analog sensor;

transmitting the data to a control board that is linked to the sensors;

transmitting the data to a station.

96. The method as in claim 95, further comprising compressing the data by the microprocessor into a single data packet.