TRUSTED MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A surveillance system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors configured to provide environmental and spatial data; and
an electronic device configured to receive the sampled environmental and spatial data from the sensors, the electronic device further configured to receive monitoring instructions, and to use the received monitoring instructions to process the received environmental and spatial data.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for monitoring remotely located objects with a system comprised of at least one master data collection unit, any number of remote sensor units, and a central data collection server are described. The master unit is configured to monitor any object, mobile or stationary, including monitoring multiple remote sensor units associated with the objects being monitored. The master unit may be in a fixed location, or attached to a mobile object. The master unit is configured for monitoring objects that enter and leave the area where it is located. The master unit may act as a parent controller for one or more child devices, wherein the child devices can be remote sensors or monitors of various measurable conditions including environmental conditions, substance identification, product identification and biometric identification. The master unit is able to discover new remote sensor units as they enter or leave the area where the master unit is located. The master unit can be remotely reprogrammed. The reprogramming can be accomplished with authenticated instructions.
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Citations
73 Claims
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1. A surveillance system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors configured to provide environmental and spatial data; and an electronic device configured to receive the sampled environmental and spatial data from the sensors, the electronic device further configured to receive monitoring instructions, and to use the received monitoring instructions to process the received environmental and spatial data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A monitoring system comprising
a plurality of sensors configured to sense information; - and
an electronic device configured to receive data from the sensors, the electronic device configured to determine an alarm condition based upon the received data, and wherein the electronic device compares the received data to a range of acceptable values and conducts a self-diagnosis prior to transmitting the alarm condition to a remote device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A monitoring system comprising
a plurality of sensors configured to sense information; - and
an electronic device configured to receive data from the sensors, the electronic device configured to determine an alarm condition based upon the received data, and wherein the electronic device determines a state of reliability of the sensor that the data is received from, and conducts a self-diagnosis based on the determined state of reliability prior to transmitting the alarm condition to a remote device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors authorized and configured to communicate in the monitoring system; and an electronic device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to receive data in a secure manner from the sensors when a task authorization message is received and authenticated as having been transmitted from a remote master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least the sensor from which to receive the data, wherein the electronic device authenticates and encrypts the received data prior to transmitting the received data to the remote master device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are configured to communicate in a secure manner in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
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a plurality of non-system sensors configured to sense information, wherein the non-system sensors are not authorized to communicate securely in the monitoring sensor; and an electronic device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to receive data from the non-system sensors when a task authorization message is received and authenticated as having been transmitted from a remote master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least the non-system sensor from which to receive the data, wherein the electronic device authenticates and encrypts the received data prior to transmitting the received data to the remote master device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors configured to sense information, wherein the sensors are authorized and configured to communicate in the monitoring system, and wherein the sensors are configured to be in a sleep mode until activated by a task authorization message received from a master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system; and an electronic master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to transmit a task authorization message to the sensors, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least the sensor from which to receive sensed information, wherein the sensor encodes a digital signature and encrypts the sensed information prior to transmitting the sensed information to the electronic master device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors; and an electronic device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to receive data from the sensors when a task authorization message is received and authenticated as having been transmitted from a remote master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least the sensor from which to receive the data, wherein the electronic device authenticates and encrypts the received data prior to transmitting the received data to the remote master device via a first communication pathway, and wherein the electronic device is configured to confirm receipt of the transmitted data by the remote master device. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A monitoring system comprising:
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an environmental sensor configured to detect environmental information associated with an object; an identification sensor configured to identify the object; a timing device configured to provide time information comprising a time of day and a date; a location sensor configured to receive location information; and an electronic device configured to receive data from the environmental sensor, the identification sensor, the timing device and the location sensor, and wherein the electronic device is further configured to transmit the received data such that the timing information, object identification information, the location information and the environmental information can be linked together, wherein the linked data is transmitted to a remote device in a secure manner. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A shipping container monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors configured to detect environmental information about an area inside or outside the container; a timing device configured to provide time information comprising a time of day; a location sensor configured to receive location information; and an electronic device configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors, the timing device and the location sensor, wherein the electronic device is further configured to transmit the received data such that the timing information, wherein the location information and the environmental information is synchronized, and wherein the synchronized data is encrypted and transmitted to a remote device in a secure manner. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A portable monitoring system comprising:
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a tempest constructed housing to provide shielding for enclosed devices, the housing enclosing; an environmental sensor configured to detect environmental information; a timing device configured to provide time information comprising a time of day and a date; a location sensor configured to receive location information; and an processor configured to receive data from the environmental sensor, the timing device and the location sensor, wherein the electronic device is further configured to transmit the received data such that the timing information, object identification information, the location information, and the environmental information is synchronized, and wherein the synchronized data is transmitted to a remote device in a secure manner. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors; a remote device configured to transmit secure instructions; and an electronic device configured to receive data from the sensors, the electronic device further configured to receive the secure instructions from the remote device, wherein the secure instructions direct the electronic device to receive data from one or more of the sensors. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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63. A method comprising:
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receiving data at an electronic device from a first sensor; receiving instructions from a remote device, the instructions directing the electronic device to receive data from a second sensor instead of the first sensor; discontinuing the receiving of data from the first sensor; and receiving data at the electronic device from the second sensor.
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64. A system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors; a remote device configured to transmit encrypted monitoring instructions; and an electronic device configured to receive data from the sensors, the electronic device further configured to receive and decrypt the monitoring instructions from the remote device via a network, the monitoring instructions including a monitoring schedule for one or more of the plurality of sensors, the electronic device configured to received data from the sensors in accordance with the received monitoring schedule. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method comprising:
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receiving an encrypted monitoring schedule from a remote device, the monitoring schedule defining a sensing schedule for a plurality of sensors and wherein the monitoring schedule identifies at least one alarm threshold; decrypting the monitoring schedule; receiving data from one or more sensors based upon the received sensing schedule; determining an alarm condition based upon the alarm threshold and data received from the sensor; encrypting notification of the alarm condition; and transmitting the encrypted notification of the alarm condition to the remote device.
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70. A system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors; a remote device configured to transmit encrypted monitoring instructions, wherein the encrypted monitoring instructions comprise a tolerance range for at least one of the sensors; and an electronic device configured to receive sensor data from the sensors, the electronic device further configured to receive, authenticate and decrypt the encrypted monitoring instructions from the remote device, the electronic device configured to compare the sensor data to the received tolerance range.
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71. A method comprising:
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receiving encrypted monitoring instructions from a remote device, the monitoring instructions including a tolerance range for sensed data from at least one sensor; decrypting the monitoring instructions; determining whether the sensed data are within the identified tolerance range; and transmitting an encrypted alarm signal to the remote device when the sensed data falls outside the identified tolerance range.
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72. A system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors; a remote device configured to transmit an encrypted monitoring instructions, the encrypted monitoring instructions identifying one or more of the plurality of sensors, a sensing schedule, and one or more alarm thresholds; and an electronic device configured to receive sensor data from the sensors in accordance with the sensing schedule, the electronic device further configured to receive and decrypt the monitoring instructions, the electronic device being further configured to identify alarm conditions based upon the identified alarm thresholds and sensed data from the sensors.
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73. A method comprising:
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receiving encrypted monitoring instructions from a remote device, the monitoring instructions including a tolerance range for sensed data from at least one sensor; decrypting the monitoring instructions; determining whether the sensed data are within the identified tolerance range; and transmitting an encrypted alarm signal to the remote device when the sensed data falls outside the identified tolerance range.
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Specification