System and method for monitoring the occurrence of situational and environmental events using distributed sensors

• US 20050200480A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nault, Thomas James, Caras, Jay David
• Application Number:
  US11/008,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200480A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.220
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range

Abstract

A system and method relating to the monitoring of environmental and/or situational events by the use of distributed sensors and sensor control modules. The sensor control modules contain means for self-location and wireless communication. When the sensor control module, using its distributed sensors, determines an event has occurred that matches either a predetermined or dynamically set limit, a wireless notification is made to a central collector. The central collector analyzes the data received from one or more sensor control modules and then, if appropriate, notifies a remote facility.

Claims

1. A distributed sensor network comprising:

a) two or more sensors associated with two or more sensor control modules, said sensor control modules capable of short range wireless communication with each other;

b) location means for determining the reasonably exact location of each sensor control module in the sensor network; and

c) communication means associated with at least one sensor control module for communicating sensor data to a remote facility.

2. The distributed sensor network of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor control module containing the communication means for communicating sensor data to a remote facility further includes a processing capability to collect and analyze said sensor data.