Method and Apparatus for Management of a Global Wireless Sensor Network

• US 20110280154A1
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Holland W. Eric, James E. Silverstrim, Luke Koleszar, Paul Carpenter
• Original Assignee: Holland W. Eric, James E. Silverstrim, Luke Koleszar, Paul Carpenter
• Inventors: Silverstrim, James E., Carpenter, Paul, Holland, W. Eric, Koleszar, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for global wireless sensor network architecture and protocol for remote supervision, asset control and operational management based on localized clusters of autonomous sensor/supervision/operational sensor nodes capable of ad hoc interconnection with nearby nodes and connection to gateway nodes with increased network functionality. These localized cluster nodes send data to gateway nodes either directly or through multi-hop transactions. The gateway nodes are, in turn, connected to other gateway nodes and operations control centers either through wireless or wired data communications links. Utilizing the Internet for long range interconnectivity, the network is scaleable to a global level. The resulting network is based on an ad hoc mesh topology to allow flexibility in network modification and expansion and is comprised of a tiered structure defined by increasing functionality. A current application for this technology is the remote control and supervision of lighting systems for facilities and municipalities on a local, national and/or global basis from centralized regional operations centers.

Claims

1. A scaleable wireless self-organizing ad hoc mesh sensor network comprising:

a plurality of multi-waveform sensor nodes that include wireless radio and sensors to detect and track events, some of which are gateway nodes while others are neighbor nodes;

at least one wireless local area network cluster using at least one of a commercial and a proprietary ad hoc link and routing protocol that operationally connects said plurality of sensor nodes automatically, said nodes being located in either one WLAN cluster or multiple, geographically separated WLAN clusters having no fixed infrastructure;

an operations center connected to each said gateway node using at least one standard wide area network protocol; and

a central sensor node manager connected to said operations center using at least one standard wide area network protocol,

wherein each cluster incorporates both gateway nodes and neighbor nodes, the neighbor nodes within each cluster each acting as micro-routers by passing data node-to-node through one of a plurality of possible redundant, non-predetermined multipath RF link paths to a gateway node from which the data is transmitted to said central sensor node manager and wherein further some nodes are stationary while other nodes including at least one gateway node for each cluster are mobile during operation of the network such that each stationary node and each mobile node in the network is enabled to communicate with said central sensor node manager and any other node in the network whether or not the communicating nodes are within line-of-sight of each other.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensor node types comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of temperature sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, wind speed sensor, voltage sensor, current sensor, lighting sensor, chemical sensor, biological sensor, radiological sensor, explosive sensor, acoustic sensor, magnetic sensor, seismic sensor, micro-radar motion sensor, and imaging sensor.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein each node is powered by at least one power source selected from the group consisting of AC power or DC power wherein the DC power source may be battery, solar or fuel cell or any other source of DC power.

4. A sensor node manager for at least one network of sensors supervised at a Network Operations Center comprising:

at least one wireless local area network (WLAN) node cluster for each network of sensors;

at least one server means for managing each said WLAN node cluster;

at least one database for storing data related to each said WLAN node cluster;

security means for handling encryption and key distribution related to each said WLAN node cluster;

software means for processing and controlling information specific to each WLAN node cluster and for insuring reliable operation of the at least one network; and

interface means for enabling communications between the sensor node manager and the Network Operations Center.

5. The manager of claim 4 wherein each said server means provides Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for Internet Protocol address assignment, Simple Network Management Protocol for device control, and security through an Electronic Key Management System and further allocates network bandwidth for each said cluster.

6. The node manager of claim 4 wherein said interface is a standard XML interface.

7-16. -16. (canceled)