Wireless Sensor Network Data Management System and Method

• US 20080211640A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MobileHelp, LLC
• Original Assignee: Halo Monitoring, Inc. (Integrity Tracking LLC)
• Inventors: Otto, Chris A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,253,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/286.02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An system has a sensing device for detecting a signal and logic configured to assess a timestamp to at least one data point contained in the signal prior to transmitting data indicative of the data point to a controller.

Claims

1. An system, comprising:

a sensing device for detecting a signal;

logic configured to assess a timestamp to at least one data point contained in the signal prior to transmitting data indicative of the data point to a controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to assess the timestamp prior to on-sensor processing of the signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data point is indicative of an event.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the logic is further configured to identify the event and store data indicative of the event in a memory device.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a first and second memory tier, wherein the first memory tier exhibits less latency and less power consumption than the second memory tier.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the logic is further configured to buffer the data indicative of the event in the first memory tier.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic is further configured to store data in memory indicative of a plurality of events.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the logic is further configured to store the data indicative of the plurality of events in the first memory tier when transmission is not possible until the first memory tier is full.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to copy the data indicative of the events from the first memory tier to the second memory tier when the first memory tier is full when transmission is not possible.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to copy the data to an output queue when transmission becomes possible in order of occurrence based upon the timestamps.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to detect network reliability.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to defer transmission of the data indicative of the data point to a controller based upon the detected network reliability.

13. A method, comprising the steps of:

detecting a signal via a sensing device of a sensor;

assessing a timestamp to at least one data point contained in the signal prior to transmitting data indicative of the data point from the sensor to a controller.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of assessing the timestamp prior to on-sensor processing of the signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the data point is indicative of an event.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of identifying the event.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of storing event data in memory indicative of the event.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a first and second memory tier, wherein the first memory tier exhibits less latency and less power consumption than the second memory tier.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of storing the event data in the first memory tier.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the event data is indicative of a plurality of events.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of storing the event data in the first memory tier until the first memory tier is full when transmission is not possible.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of copying the event data from the first memory tier to the second memory tier when the first memory tier is full when transmission is not possible.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of copying the event data to an output queue when transmission becomes possible in order of occurrence based upon the timestamps.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of determining network reliability.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of deferring transmission of the data indicative of the data point to a controller based upon the detected network reliability.