WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING AN UNDERGROUND FACILITY

• US 20100227557A1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Cho, Jin-Woong, Lim, Seung-Ok, Kim, Sun-Hee, WON, Yun-Jae
• Application Number:
  US12/718,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227557A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A wireless communication system for managing an underground facility includes: at least one sensor node attached to the underground facility configured to transmit a sensing signal via magnetic field communication after detecting the status information of the underground facility in accordance with a driving signal, the driving signal comprising a wake-up signal; and an information collection device configured to: transmit the driving signal to the sensor node; collect the sensing signal transmitted from the sensor node; and transmit the collected information to a monitoring system via short-range wireless communication.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for managing an underground facility comprising:

at least one sensor node attached to the underground facility configured to transmit a sensing signal via magnetic field communication after detecting the status information of the underground facility in accordance with a driving signal, the driving signal comprising a wake-up signal; and

an information collection device configured to;

transmit the driving signal to the sensor node;

collect the sensing signal transmitted from the sensor node; and

transmit the collected information to a monitoring system via short-range wireless communication.

2. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 1, wherein the driving signal comprises:

a period of the wake-up signal; and

a charging signal for the sensor node.

3. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 2, wherein the sensor node further comprises:

a sensor configured to output a sensing signal by detecting the condition of the underground facility responding to the wake-up signal which is included in the driving signal;

a communication unit configured to transmit and receive data with the information collection device via magnetic field communication;

a charging unit configured to charge the battery during the charging signal period which is included in the driving signal transmitted from the information collection device; and

a control unit configured to;

transmit a sensing signal, the signal being detected by the sensor during the wake-up signal period of the driving signal, to the information collection device; and

transmit a control signal to charge the battery through the charging unit during the charging signal period.

4. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 3, wherein the information collection device comprises:

a magnetic field communication unit configured to;

transmit the driving signal to the sensor node via magnetic field communication; and

receive the sensing signal which is transmitted from the sensor node;

a short-range communication unit configured for data communication with the monitoring system via short-range wireless communication;

a memory configured to store the sensing signals collected by the information collection device for each sensor node; and

a controller unit configured to;

transmit the driving signal carrying the wake-up signal to the sensor node through the magnetic field communication unit in accordance with the sensing schedule of the sensor node; and

transmit the collected sensing signal, received from the magnetic field communication unit, to the monitoring system through the short-range communication unit.

5. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 4, wherein the controller unit is further configured to:

calculate a distance between the information collection device and the sensor node by analyzing the sensing signal corresponding to each sensor node transmitted from the magnetic field communication unit; and

transmit information corresponding to the distance calculation together with the sensing signal to the monitoring system.

6. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 5, wherein the controller unit is further configured to utilize the signal transmitted from the sensor node via magnetic field communication in calculation of the distance between the sensor node and the information collection device.

7. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 5, wherein the information collection device further comprises a GPS receiver unit configured to calculate and output a position of the corresponding information collection device by receiving a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite.

8. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 5, wherein the controller unit is further configured to transmit the position calculated by the GPS receiver unit together with the sensing signal.

9. The wireless communication system for managing an underground facility of claim 8, further comprising a mobile terminal configured to:

receive the sensing signal transmitted from the information collection device via short-range wireless communication; and

display the sensing result.

10. A sensor node, attached to an underground facility, transmitting a sensing signal via magnetic field communication by detecting status information of the underground facility in accordance with a driving signal which carries a wake-up signal and a charging signal, the sensor node comprising:

a sensor configured to transmit the sensing signal by detecting status information of the underground facility in accordance with the wake-up signal;

a communication unit configured to perform data communication via magnetic field communication;

a charging unit configured to charge a battery by receiving the charging signal which is incorporated in the driving signal transmitted from an information collection device; and

a control unit configured to;

transmit the sensing signal, detected by the sensor in accordance with the wake-up signal of the driving signal transmitted from the information collection device in accordance with the wake-up period of the driving signal, to the information collection device via magnetic field communication; and

transmit a control signal for charging the battery through the charging unit in accordance with the charging period.

11. An information collection device transmitting a driving signal which includes a wake-up signal and a charging signal to at least one sensor node which is attached to an underground facility and transmits a sensing signal via magnetic field communication by detecting the condition of the underground facility, collecting the sensing signal transmitted from the sensor node, transmitting the collected sensing signal via short-range wireless communication, the information collection device comprising:

a magnetic field communication unit configured to;

transmit the driving signal to the sensor node via magnetic field communication; and

receive the sensing signal transmitted from the sensor node;

a short-range communication unit configured to perform data communication with a monitoring system via short-range communication;

a memory configured to store the sensing signal of the corresponding sensor node collected by the information collection device; and

a controller unit configured to;

generate the driving signal in accordance with the sensing schedule of the sensing node;

transmit the driving signal to the sensing node from the magnetic field communication unit;

collect the sensing signal received from the magnetic field communication unit; and

transmit the collected sensing signal to the controller unit through the short-range wireless communication unit.

12. The information collection device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate information corresponding to a distance between the sensor node and the information collection device by analyzing the sensing signal corresponding each sensor node transmitted from the magnetic field communication unit; and

transmit the distance information together with the sensing signal.

13. The information collection device of claim 12, wherein the controller unit is further configured to utilize the signal transmitted from the sensor node via magnetic field communication in calculation of the distance between the sensor node and the information collection device.

14. The information collection device of claim 12, wherein the information collection device further comprises a GPS receiver unit configured to calculate a present position of the information collection device by receiving a GPS signal transmitted by a GPS satellite.

15. The information collection device of claim 14, wherein the controller unit is further configured to transmit the position calculated by the GPS receiver unit together with the sensing signal.