INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100156632A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International Incorporated (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barker, C. Robert, HYLAND, Gregory E., Keefe, Robert Paul, Zakas, Marietta Edmunds
• Granted Patent: US 9,202,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/003 Arrangement for testing of watertightness of water supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

An infrastructure monitoring system and method that comprises multiple monitoring devices and/or multiple output devices. Each monitoring device includes at least one sensor for collecting data, a data storage device for storing the data, a processor for analyzing the data, and a communications device for transmitting and receiving data. The system may also include an operations center for controlling and receiving data from the plurality of devices.

Claims

1. An infrastructure monitoring system comprising:

an operations center; and

a plurality of monitoring devices communicatively coupled to the operations center, each monitoring device of said plurality comprising;

at least one sensor sensing at least one condition within an infrastructure;

a data storage device storing data sensed by the at least one sensor;

a communications device adapted to transmit and receive data; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the data storage device, and the communications device;

wherein, at least one monitoring device of said plurality monitors a first aspect of the infrastructure and at least one monitoring device of said plurality monitors a second aspect of the infrastructure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations center and the plurality of monitoring devices are wirelessly communicatively coupled.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one output device communicatively coupled to the operations center.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one output device comprises:

a communications device adapted receive and transmit data or receive data;

at least one output port; and

a processor communicatively coupled to at least one of the communications device and the at least one output port.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations center and the at least one output device are wirelessly communicatively coupled.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein each monitoring device and each output device is adapted to receive transmissions for a second monitoring device or output device and retransmit the transmission to the second monitoring device or monitoring device.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein each monitoring device and each output device is adapted to receive transmissions for the operations center and retransmit the transmission to the operations center.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one output device is coupled to at least one of an actuator control device, an alarm, a Radio-frequency Identification device and a tamper prevention device.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein a monitoring device and an output device are contained within the same unit.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring device and the output device share at least one of a power source, a communications device, and a processor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure comprising at least one of a water distribution system, an electricity distribution system, a gas distribution system, a traffic control system, and an emergency response system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one monitoring device monitors for at least one of use of a commodity, tampering, leaks, GPS location, proximity, tilt, smoke, temperature, rust, corrosion, fluid flow, pressure, water quality, air qualify, and motion.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system produces an alert when the at least one monitoring device registers an event.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one monitoring device is coupled to a camera.

15. The system of claim 1, the operations center comprises multiple operations centers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each operations center is uniquely located.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations center monitors a plurality of infrastructures concurrently.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality infrastructures of are selected from the group consisting of water systems, electrical systems, gas systems, emergency response systems, traffic control systems, and combinations thereof.

19. A method of disseminating information, the method comprising:

obtaining information about at least one infrastructure from an infrastructure monitoring system, wherein the infrastructure monitoring system comprises;

an operations center; and

a plurality of monitoring devices communicatively coupled to the operations center, each monitoring device of said plurality comprising;

at least one sensor sensing at least one condition within an infrastructure;

a data storage device storing data sensed by the at least one sensor;

a communications device adapted to transmit and receive data; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the data storage device, and the communications device;

wherein, at least one monitoring device of said plurality monitors a first aspect of the infrastructure and at least one monitoring device of said plurality monitors a second aspect of the infrastructure;

evaluating the information; and

disseminating the information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the information is disseminated to at least one of an emergency responder, a utility repair crew, and a dispatcher.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the information is disseminated to two or more entities.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the information obtained relates to at least one of commodity use, tampering, leaks, location, proximity, tilt, smoke, temperature, rust, corrosion, fluid flow, pressure, water quality, air quality, and motion.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the infrastructure is selected from the group consisting of water systems, electrical systems, gas systems, emergency response systems, traffic control systems, and combinations thereof.

24. the method of claim 19, wherein information is obtained from a plurality of infrastructures concurrently.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting the information over a wireless network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the wireless network is a telecommunications network.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the information is disseminated to at least one portable device.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the information is evaluated to determine if an aspect of the infrastructure exceeds a predetermined threshold.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of transmitting the information from the at least one sensor to the operations center.

30. An infrastructure monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of monitoring devices, each monitoring device of said plurality comprising;

at least one sensor sensing at least one condition within an infrastructure;

a data storage device storing data sensed by the at least one sensor;

a communications device adapted to transmit and receive data; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the data storage device, and the communications device; and

a remotely hosted operations center, the operations center communicatively coupled to each monitoring device;

wherein the virtual operations center consists of a plurality of networked computers, servers, and data storage devices, and at least one monitoring device of said plurality monitors a first aspect of the infrastructure and at least one monitoring device of said plurality monitors a second aspect of the infrastructure.