Pressure based battery powered wireless cellular liquid level tank monitor and level reporting system

• US 20060033631A1
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Ranco Incorporated of Delaware (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Champion, James Robert, Cupples, Kenneth Alan, Miller, Wojtek
• Application Number:
  US11/199,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20060033631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/612
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/18 Indicating, recording or alarm devices actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for remotely monitoring a liquid level in a tank are provided by broadcasting a signal indicative of the liquid level in the tank directly to a cellular communication network from a stand-alone liquid level monitor operatively attached to the tank. The stand-alone monitor is battery powered and includes a processor configured for conserving power by operating the monitor according to a periodic sampling and broadcast schedule, which may be modified by signals received at the monitor directly from the cellular communications network.

Claims

1. A stand-alone tank monitor apparatus, for monitoring a liquid level in a tank, the tank monitor apparatus comprising:

a liquid-level sensor providing a sensor-signal indicative of the liquid level in the tank; and

a cellular communication device operatively connected to the liquid level sensor and configured for transmitting a broadcast output signal, indicative of the liquid level in the tank, directly to a cellular communications network.

2. The monitor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid level sensor is a pressure responsive sensor.

3. The monitor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitor includes a remotely operable power supply.

4. The monitor of claim 3, wherein the power supply comprises a battery.

5. The monitor apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a processor for conserving power by operating the monitor periodically, rather than continuously.

6. The monitor apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor periodically samples and stores values of the sensor-signal according to a sampling schedule, and periodically causes the cellular communication device to transmit the broadcast signal according to a broadcast schedule differing from the sampling schedule.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the cellular communication device is also configured for receiving a broadcast input signal for modifying the sampling and/or broadcast schedule.

8. The tank monitor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor-signal is an analog signal, and the apparatus further comprises:

a signal processing circuit including a processor, an analog signal conditioner, an analog to digital (A/D) converter, a power supply, and an Amps Cellular Serial modem and antenna;

the signal processing circuit being configured such that the analog signal conditioner receives the analog sensor-signal, and provides a conditioned analog signal to the A/D converter, the A/D converter converts the conditioned analog signal to a digital signal, and the processor converts the digital signal to the broadcast signal for transmission by the cellular modem and antenna.

9. The tank monitoring apparatus of claim 8, wherein the power supply is at least partially battery powered.

10. A tank level monitoring system, for monitoring a liquid level in a tank, the tank level monitoring system comprising:

a stand-alone tank monitor apparatus including a liquid-level sensor, and a cellular communications device;

the liquid-level sensor providing a sensor-signal indicative of the liquid level in the tank; and

the cellular communication device operatively connected to the liquid level sensor and configured for transmitting a broadcast output signal, indicative of the liquid level, directly to a cellular communications network.

11. The monitor apparatus of claim 10, wherein the liquid level sensor is a pressure responsive sensor.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the monitor apparatus includes a remotely operable power supply.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the power supply comprises a battery.

14. The system of claim 13, further including a processor for conserving power by operating the monitor periodically, rather than continuously.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor periodically samples and stores values of the sensor-signal according to a sampling schedule, and periodically causes the cellular communication device to transmit the broadcast signal according to a broadcast schedule differing from the sampling schedule.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the cellular communication device is also configured for receiving a broadcast input signal for modifying the sampling and/or broadcast schedule.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising a data collection server, operatively connected to the cellular communications network for receiving the broadcast output signal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the cellular communication device in the monitor apparatus is also configured for receiving a broadcast signal directly from the cellular communication network, and the data collection server is configured and operatively connected to the cellular communication network for sending a broadcast input signal to the cellular communication device of the monitor apparatus via the cellular communication network.

19. A method for remotely monitoring a liquid level in a tank comprising broadcasting a signal indicative of the liquid level in the tank directly to a cellular communication network from a liquid level monitor operatively attached to the tank

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining the liquid level in the tank with a pressure based sensor.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

periodically sampling and storing liquid levels according to a sampling schedule; and

broadcasting the broadcast signal only periodically, according to a broadcast schedule differing from the sampling schedule.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising modifying the sampling and/or broadcast schedule in accordance with a broadcast input signal received by the liquid level monitor directly from the cellular communication network.