Remote sensing and communication system

• US 20060261941A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hadronex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: David A. Drake, Gregory M. Quist
• Inventors: Quist, Gregory M., Drake, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.260
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation

Abstract

A remote sensing system and method for instrumenting the entries to manhole enclosures, in order to provide a platform and means for sensing environmental parameters within and around the enclosures and wirelessly transmitting those parameters to a distant site. The system comprises a housing with sensor for monitoring environmental parameter in the vicinity of the manhole. A microcontroller in the housing sends the parameters to a radio module, which transmits the parameters to a communication device for alerting a user that a manhole has been tampered with.

Claims

1. A remote sensing system comprising:

a housing having communication ports for sensors, the sensors monitoring parameters in the vicinity of the housing;

a microcontroller within the housing for communicating the parameters to a two-way radio wireless radio module through a digital connection;

a connector cable connected to the two-way radio wireless radio module which leads to an external antenna for transmitting the parameters to a communication device; and

a power means for providing power to the housing.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the external sensors are selected from the group comprising of a tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a ranging sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the parameters are environmental or process parameters.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication device is a receiving device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication device is selected from the group comprising a cell phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a personal computer.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a central server for receiving the parameters transmitted from the external antenna, the central server in communication with an application server computer that stores the parameters.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the housing is mounted on a device the device is selected from the group consisting of an enclosure cover, a door, a window, a wall and a manhole cover.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an additional antenna on the underside of the device for direct communications to the central server through the ground.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting of a level sensor, a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a ranging sensor, an ultrasonic ranging sensor, a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor and an optical monitor.

10. A remote sensing system comprising:

a housing connected to a manhole cover, the housing having communication ports for sensors, the sensors monitoring parameters in the vicinity of the housing;

a microcontroller within the housing for communicating the parameters to a two-way radio wireless radio module through a digital connection;

a connector cable connected to the two-way radio wireless radio module which leads to an external antenna for transmitting the parameters to a communication device to provide rapid and reliable communications from the manhole cover to a real-time receiver;

an alarm inside the housing which communicates to the communication device when pre-determined thresholds of the sensors have been exceeded; and

a battery for providing power to the housing.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensors monitor if the manhole cover has been moved and if the manhole cover has been moved, the alarm is triggered to notify a user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the microcontroller is programmed with a command set that defines the states of operation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the states of operation are selected from the group consisting of initial testing mode, field installation mode, normal operation mode, change reporting frequency, change sampling frequency, return historical data mode, reset historical data mode, change location text string, change alarm destination address strings, reset the communications channel, enable alarm, disable alarm and send message to system users.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the alarm alerts a user if there has been illegal entry into the manhole cover.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the housing is mounted onto existing manhole covers.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising output ports on the microcontroller to control output devices.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the output devices are selected from the group consisting of valves and actuators.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising an ultrasonic ranging detector for measuring the height of the water in the manhole.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein if the ultrasonic ranging detector detects the height of the water in the manhole above a predetermined level, an alert is sent to a user informing the user of a possible dumping in the manhole cover.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined level is set in the microcontroller.