Method and apparatus for monitoring a material medium

• US 20090167522A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ji, Lusheng, Miller, Robert, Coty, Constance, Worstell, Harry
• Granted Patent: US 8,067,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/085 in power transmission or distribution lines, e.g. overhead
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/079 using measurements of the data signal

Abstract

A material medium, such as an optical fiber or electrical cable, is commonly used to carry services, such as telecommunications or energy service. The current invention identifies the following problems which may be encountered when monitoring a material medium. They are: (1) requiring a time and labor intensive investigation to find a fault, (2) needing a significant change in a current material medium infrastructure to support a monitoring effort, or (3) reducing available bandwidth in a material medium due to a monitoring device intruding into the material medium to send data. These problems are solved, in accordance with a feature of the current invention, by monitoring a material medium with at least one diagnostic sensor, and using an electromagnetic (EM) signal, such as radio frequency (RF), signal to wirelessly transmit the sensor data. The diagnostic sensor may measure the operational health of the material medium, or may measure local environmental conditions around the material medium. Using an EM signal, such as RF, to wirelessly transmit sensor data allows for a fast, low labor monitoring approach. Additionally, it avoids a need to either; (1) transfer the data by intruding into the monitored material medium, or (2) set up an independent material medium system to transfer the data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a material medium adapted to transmit electromagnetic (EM) energy, said monitoring using at least one sensor located in proximity to the medium; and

,

transmitting wirelessly an EM wave signal comprising data originating from said at least one sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor wirelessly transmits the EM wave signal, and the said EM wave signal comprises a radio frequency (RF) signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising powering said at least one sensor using energy induced by EM energy transmitted by said medium or by a conduit surrounding the said medium.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising capturing, in an energy harvesting module, energy induced by said EM energy.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one sensor is further adapted to self-organize into a store-and-forward multi-hop wireless mesh network with a second sensor adapted to transmit an RF signal, and further comprising:

transmitting, from said at least one sensor, data from said second sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said EM wave signal is an RF signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said RF signal is transmitted by a first device selected from the group consisting of:

a Zigbee device, a Wibree device, an EnOcean device, and a SNAP device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising powering a first device using energy induced by EM energy transmitted by said medium or by a conduit surrounding the said medium.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising capturing, in an energy harvesting module, energy induced by said EM energy.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the energy harvesting module uses a capacitor-like slow-charging energy storage device to store power.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein a first device is further adapted to self-organize into a store-and-forward multi-hop wireless mesh network with a second device, said second device adapted to transmit an RF signal from a second sensor, and further comprising:

transmitting, from said first device, data received from said second device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting data wirelessly from said

second device to said first device using an RF signal transmitted over a waveguide.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said waveguide is the material medium or a conduit housing the material medium.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting data, from the first device, to a roaming unit adapted to receive an RF signal.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting data from the first device through a back haul connection to a back haul network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said back haul network is the Internet.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the said medium is located under the ground.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the said medium being monitored is located inside a facility, building, or residence.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is used to measure a quantity selected from the group consisting of:

(1) EM energy flow, (2) temperature, (3) pressure, (4) moisture, (5) vibration, (6) percentage of a designated chemical, and (7) wind speed.

20. A system for monitoring a material medium carrying electromagnetic (EM) energy comprising:

a sensor, said sensor located in proximity to the said material medium;

means, in communication with said sensor, adapted to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal representative of a value measured by said sensor; and

,

a power supply adapted to supply power to said sensor and said means adapted to transmit an RF signal.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

said power supply adapted to receive power from energy induced by EM energy transmitted by said medium.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

said power supply adapted to receive power from energy induced by EM energy transmitted by a conduit surrounding said medium.