Wireless Portable Sensor Monitoring System

• US 20100145479A1
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: G2 Software Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: G2 Software Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Griffiths, Georgia
• Application Number:
  US12/576,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145479A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25225 Peripheral messages services pms, for sensor actuator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25472 Synchronise controllers, sensors, measurement with data bus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a wireless sensor monitoring system are provided. The sensor monitoring system includes one or more portable sensor devices deployed at a remote location. The system also includes a controller server configured to automatically detect the one or more portable sensor devices via a network connection, to receive sensor data from the sensor devices, process the sensor data using user-defined rules, and to send commands to the sensor devices instructing the devices to perform various actions. The controller server is further configured to provide a user interface for accessing sensor data from the portable sensor devices, generating a map interface of the remote location that displays the positions of the sensor devices, for receiving rule definitions to actions to be taken at specific times or if specified events occur, and for generating alerts and reports from sensor data.

Claims

1. A sensor monitoring system comprising:

a computer readable storage device for storing computer executable programmed modules;

a processor communicatively coupled with the computer readable storage device for executing programmed modules stored therein;

a control module stored in the computer readable storage device, the control module configured to manage and control the wireless sensor monitoring system;

a sensor module stored in the computer readable storage device, the sensor module configured to automatically detect a plurality of sensor devices deployed at a remote location and manage data access to and from the plurality of sensor devices; and

a display and mapping module stored in the computer readable storage device, the display and mapping module configured to display a map interface including an image of the remote location being monitored by the plurality of sensors and a location of each of the plurality of sensors deployed at the remote location.

2. The sensor monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the sensor module is further configured to communicate with one more sensor devices via a gateway device, the gateway device configured to translate communications from the sensor module to a proprietary format used by the one or more sensor devices, and to translate communications received from the one or more sensor devices from the proprietary format used by the sensor device into a format used by the sensor module.

3. The sensor monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the map interface includes a sensor detail interface for requesting sensor data from a sensor deployed at the remote location and for displaying the sensor data received from the sensor.

4. The sensor monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the control server includes a rules module, and wherein the rules module is configured to:

receive a set of user-defined rules for processing sensor data, the user-defined rules including a trigger event and a set of actions to be performed if the trigger event occurs; and

execute the set of actions for a user defined rule if the trigger event for the user-defined rule occurs.

5. The sensor monitoring system of claim 4 wherein the user-defined rules include a trigger event rule, the trigger event rule including a set of actions to be performed by the controller server if the one or more events are triggered by the sensor devices.

6. The sensor monitoring system of claim 4 wherein the user-defined rules include a timer event rule, the trigger event for the timer event rule being a specified time at which the set of actions are to be performed.

7. The sensor monitoring system of claim 4 wherein in response to executing the set of actions for a user defined rule, the rules module is further configured to instruct the sensor module to:

request sensor data from one or more sensor devices of the plurality of sensor devices;

receive the sensor data from one or more sensor devices; and

generate an electronic notification to a user that includes a representation of at least a portion of the sensor data received from the sensor devices.

8. A computer implemented method for operating a sensor monitoring system, where one or more processors are programmed to perform steps comprising:

detecting a plurality of portable sensor devices deployed at a remote location, the plurality of portable sensor devices being detected using a controller server;

receiving, at the controller server, sensor data from the plurality of sensor devices that have been detected; and

displaying a map interface displaying an image of the remote location being monitored by the plurality of sensors and a location of each of the plurality of sensors deployed at the remote location.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving sensor data from the plurality of sensor devices that have been detected further comprises:

receiving sensor data from one or more sensor devices via a gateway device, the gateway device being configured to translate communications from the sensor module to a proprietary format used by the one or more sensor devices.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying sensor detail interface for requesting sensor data from a sensor deployed at the remote location and for displaying the sensor data received from the sensor.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a set of user-defined rules for processing sensor data, the rules including a trigger event and a set of actions to be performed if the trigger event occurs; and

executing the set of actions for a user defined rule if the trigger event for the user-defined rule occurs.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the user defined rules include a trigger event rule, the trigger event rule including a set of actions to be performed by the controller server if the one or more events are triggered by the sensor devices.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the user defined rules include a timer event rule, the trigger event for the timer event rule being a specified time at which the set of actions are to be performed.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein executing the set of actions for the user defined rules further comprises:

requesting sensor data from one or more sensor devices of the plurality of sensor devices;

receiving the sensor data from one or more sensor devices; and

generating an electronic notification to a user that includes a representation of at least a portion of the sensor data received from the sensor devices.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more sequences of instructions for causing one or more processors to perform the steps for operating a sensor monitoring system, the steps comprising:

detecting a plurality of portable sensor devices deployed at a remote location;

receiving sensor data from the plurality of sensor devices that have been detected; and

displaying a map interface displaying an image of the remote location being monitored by the plurality of sensors and a location of each of the plurality of sensors deployed at the remote location.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving sensor data from one or more sensor devices via a gateway device, the gateway device being configured to translate communications from the sensor module to a proprietary format used by the one or more sensor devices.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the steps further comprise:

displaying sensor detail interface for requesting sensor data from a sensor deployed at the remote location and for displaying the sensor data received from the sensor.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving a set of user-defined rules for processing sensor data, the rules including a trigger event and a set of actions to be performed if the trigger event occurs; and

executing the set of actions for a user defined rule if the trigger event for the user-defined rule occurs.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the rules include a trigger event rule, the trigger event rule including a set of actions to be performed by the controller server if the one or more events are triggered by the sensor devices.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the rules include a timer event rule, the trigger event for the timer event rule being a specified time at which the set of actions are to be performed.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the step of executing the set of actions for the user-defined rule further comprises the steps of:

requesting sensor data from one or more sensor devices of the plurality of sensor devices;

receiving the sensor data from one or more sensor devices; and

generate an electronic notification to a user that includes a representation of at least a portion of the sensor data received from the sensor devices.