Remote terminal unit and remote monitoring and control system
First Claim
1. A remote terminal unit for a remote monitoring system, the remote terminal unit including:
- (a) a substantially planar main circuit substrate on which is mounted a processor and a terminal block component;
(b) a substantially planar wireless transceiver unit;
(c) an offset interface connected between the main circuit substrate and the wireless transceiver unit to position the main circuit substrate with respect to the wireless transceiver unit so that the main circuit substrate extends along a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the wireless transceiver unit and separated from the plane of the wireless transceiver unit by an offset distance; and
(d) a battery arrangement, the battery arrangement having a major surface substantially abutting a major surface of the wireless transceiver unit and having a first end surface adjacent to an end of the main circuit substrate.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A remote monitoring and alerting system includes one or more remote terminal units and a central system, with both the central system and each remote terminal unit adapted to send and receive data across a communications network. Each remote terminal unit includes a processor and wireless transmitter in a compact arrangement that allows the unit to be placed conveniently in a housing associated with some remote device to be monitored. The central system includes a data collection and manipulation controller for receiving, processing, and storing data received from each remote terminal unit across the communications network. Both a user messaging controller and a user interface controller are also included in the central system. The user messaging controller transmits user messages through a suitable interface to one or more user designated devices in response to a remote terminal unit message received from the remote terminal unit. The user interface controller provides a user interface between a user of the remote monitoring and alerting system and the central system.
56 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A remote terminal unit for a remote monitoring system, the remote terminal unit including:
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(a) a substantially planar main circuit substrate on which is mounted a processor and a terminal block component;
(b) a substantially planar wireless transceiver unit;
(c) an offset interface connected between the main circuit substrate and the wireless transceiver unit to position the main circuit substrate with respect to the wireless transceiver unit so that the main circuit substrate extends along a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the wireless transceiver unit and separated from the plane of the wireless transceiver unit by an offset distance; and
(d) a battery arrangement, the battery arrangement having a major surface substantially abutting a major surface of the wireless transceiver unit and having a first end surface adjacent to an end of the main circuit substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a remote equipment monitoring system, the method including:
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(a) enabling a remote terminal unit to send or receive a predefined number of messages between the remote terminal unit and a central system;
(b) monitoring the number of messages sent or received by the remote terminal unit; and
(c) charging a user of the remote terminal unit a renewal charge in response to the remote terminal unit sending or receiving some number of messages over the predefined number of messages. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A remote monitoring and alerting system including:
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(a) one or more remote terminal units, each remote terminal unit including, (i) one or more monitored device inputs, (ii) a standard serial communications interface, (iii) a telemetry controller for responding to a plain text telemetry control protocol, (iv) a configuration controller for producing a plain text configuration user interface on a separate computing device by communication over the standard serial communications interface, and (v) a wireless communication network interface for enabling the remote terminal unit to send and receive data across a communications network;
(b) a central system including, (i) a system interface between the central system and the communications network, (ii) a data collection and manipulation controller for receiving, processing and storing data received from each remote terminal unit through the system interface, (iii) a user messaging controller for transmitting user messages through the system interface to one or more user designated devices in response to a remote terminal unit message received from the remote terminal unit, (iv) a user interface controller for providing a user interface between a user of the remote monitoring and alerting system and the central system. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A remote terminal unit for use in a remote monitoring and alerting system, the remote terminal unit including:
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(b) a monitored input;
(c) a serial interface;
(d) a wireless transceiver;
(e) a processor operatively connected to the serial interface, the wireless transceiver, and to the monitored input, the processor for receiving a transmission dictating signal derived from a signal applied to the monitored input and for directing the wireless transceiver to transmit a remote terminal unit message in response to the transmission dictating signal, the processor also for driving a configuration interface on a standard terminal emulator in communication with the remote terminal unit through the serial interface. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification