SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELF-POWERED COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

• US 20110301770A1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Serge Rutman
• Original Assignee: Serge Rutman
• Inventors: RUTMAN, Serge
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Techniques for providing localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure are disclosed. A transportable system for providing localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure can include: a data network service engine configured to function as a local data network service provider; a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally; a deployment engine configured to assist in deploying one or more components of the transportable system; and a maintenance engine configured to maintain operation and security of the transportable system. In some embodiments, multiple transportable systems can be deployed and then centrally monitored or controlled as a single, utility system and/or a single data delivery infrastructure.

Claims

1. A transportable system for providing localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure, comprising:

a data network service engine configured to function as a local data network service provider;

a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally;

a deployment engine configured to assist in deploying one or more components of the transportable system; and

a maintenance engine configured to maintain operation and security of the transportable system by;

monitoring an internal operational condition and an external operational environment of the transportable system,

using data from the monitoring to determine whether the data network service engine is operating according to a first operational parameter and within a first damage risk threshold and power generation engine is operating according to a second operational parameter and within a second damage risk threshold, and

based on the determination, controlling the data network service engine, the power generation engine, or the deployment engine to ensure that the data network service engine continues to operate according to the first operational parameter and within the first damage risk threshold, and that the power generation engine continues to operate according to the second operational parameter and within the second damage risk threshold.

2. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the deployment engine comprises a positioning engine configured to reposition the transportable system or a component of the transportable system when the maintenance engine determines from the external operational environment that a current position of the transportable system or the component exceeds the first damage risk threshold or the second damage risk threshold.

3. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the deployment engine comprises a positioning engine configured to reposition the transportable system or a component of the transportable system when the maintenance engine determines that the transportable system or the component needs to track the sun in order for the power generation engine to operate according to the second operational parameter.

4. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the deployment engine comprises a positioning engine configured to reposition the transportable system or a component of the transportable system when the maintenance engine determines that the transportable system or the component needs to track the wind in order for the power generation engine to operate according to the second operational parameter.

5. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the deployment engine is configured to assist in repositioning a component from the transportable system to a location adjacent to the transportable system for deployment.

6. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the data network service engine comprises a network interface adapted to connect the data network service engine to a third party wireless data network connection service through a wireless connection, or to a third party data network connection service through a wired connection.

7. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the data network service engine comprises a network interface adapted to provide a local data network connection service through a wireless connection, or a local data network connection service through a wired connection.

8. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the power generation engine comprises a generator, a solar panel, a wind turbine, a water turbine, a fuel cell, a fuel tank, or a battery, and wherein the power generation engine is configured to concurrently use a combination of power sources.

9. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance engine is configured to detect intermittent power shortfalls on an external power grid operated by a third party power service provider, and control the power generation engine in order to compensate for the intermittent power shortfalls.

10. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the power generation engine is configured to provide surplus power to an external power grid operated by a third party power service provider.

11. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance engine is further configured to allow a systems operator to remotely monitor the internal operational condition and the external operational environment, and remotely operate and secure the transportable system or a component of the transportable system.

12. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance engine comprises a camera, a sensor, a clearing device, a cooling device, a fire suppressant system, an insect or animal repellant, or lighting that assist in maintenance of the transportable system or a component of the transportable system.

13. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance engine determines from the internal operational condition or the external operational environment that a current operation of the transportable system or a component of the transportable system exceeds the first damage risk threshold or the second damage risk threshold, and in response, alerts a systems operation of the excess.

14. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance engine is further configured to detect, from the internal operational condition or the external operational environment, an error in the data network service engine, the power generation engine, or the deployment engine, and alert a systems operator of the error.

15. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the transportable system is embedded in or configured to be transported by a motorized vehicle, a trailer, a train, or an aircraft.

16. The transportable system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first transportable module comprising the maintenance engine, the data network service engine, the power generation engine, and the deployment engine;

a second transportable module comprising a second maintenance engine, a second data network service engine, a second power generation engine, and a second deployment engine;

an interconnect module that interconnects the first transportable module to the second transportable module; and

wherein the first transportable module uses the second maintenance engine to augment or redundantly support the maintenance engine, the first transportable module uses the second data network service engine to augment or redundantly support the data network service engine, the first transportable module uses the second power generation engine to augment or redundantly support the power generation engine, or the first transportable module uses the second deployment engine to augment or redundantly support the deployment engine.

17. The transportable system of claim 1, further comprising a central maintenance engine configured to remotely monitor the internal operational condition and the external operational environment of the transportable system, or remotely control the transportable system.

18. The transportable system of claim 1, further comprising a billing engine configured to account for usage of power from the power generation engine or usage of data through the data network service engine.

19. The transportable system of claim 1, wherein the transportable system is one of a plurality of transportable systems monitored or controlled by a central system configured to monitor or control a plurality of transportable systems that provide localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure.

20. A transportable system for providing localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure, comprising:

a data network service engine configured to function as a local data network service provider;

a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally;

a maintenance engine configured to maintain operation and security of the transportable system; and

a deployment engine configured to assist in deploying one or more components of the transportable system, the deployment engine comprising a positioning engine configured to;

reposition the transportable system or a component of the transportable system when the maintenance engine determines from an external operational environment that a current position of the transportable system or the component exceeds a damage risk threshold;

or

reposition the transportable system or the component of the transportable system when the maintenance engine determines that the transportable system or the component needs to track the sun or wind in order for the power generation engine to operate according to an operational parameter.

21. A method for providing localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure, comprising:

monitoring an internal operational condition and an external operational environment of a transportable system configured to provide localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure, wherein the transportable system comprises a data network service engine configured to function as a local data network service provider, and a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally;

using data from the monitoring to determine whether the data network service engine is operating according to a first operational parameter and within a first damage risk threshold and power generation engine is operating according to a second operational parameter and within a second damage risk threshold; and

based on the determination, controlling the data network service engine or the power generation engine to ensure that the data network service engine continues to operate according to the first operational parameter and within the first damage risk threshold, and that the power generation engine continues to operate according to the second operational parameter and within the second damage risk threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the transportable system comprises:

a data network service engine configured to function as a local data network service provider,

a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally,

a deployment engine configured to assist in deploying the transportable system, and

a maintenance engine configured to maintain operation and security of the transportable system by controlling the data network service engine, the power generation engine, or the deployment engine in order to perform the operations of the method.

23. A transportable system for providing localized power infrastructure, comprising:

a data network service engine configured to facilitate a data network connection with a third party, data network service provider;

a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally; and

a maintenance engine configured to maintain operation and security of the transportable system by;

monitoring an internal operational condition and an external operational environment of the transportable system,

using data from the monitoring to determine whether the data network service engine and power generation engine are operating according to an operational parameter and within a damage risk threshold, and

based on the determination, controlling the data network service engine, or the power generation engine to ensure that the data network service engine and the power generation engine continue to operate according to the operational parameter and within the damage risk threshold.

24. The transportable system of claim 23, wherein the maintenance engine is further configured to transmit the internal operational condition or the external operational environment to a central system configured to remotely monitor a plurality of transportable systems, the transportable system being one of the plurality.

25. The transportable system of claim 23, wherein the maintenance engine is further configured to receive control instructions from a central system configured to remotely control a plurality of transportable systems, the transportable system being one of the plurality.

26. The transportable system of claim 23, further comprising a central maintenance engine configured to remotely monitor the internal operational condition and the external operational environment of the transportable system, or remotely control the transportable system.

27. The transportable system of claim 23, further comprising a billing engine configured to account for usage of power from the power generation engine.

28. The transportable system of claim 23, wherein the transportable system is one of a plurality of transportable systems monitored or controlled by a central system configured to monitor or control a plurality of transportable systems that provide localized power infrastructure.

29. A distributed utility system for providing localized power infrastructure, comprising:

a central system configured to monitor or control a plurality of transportable systems, wherein a transportable system of the plurality provides localized power infrastructure; and

the plurality of transportable systems, wherein at least one of the plurality comprises;

a data network service engine configured to facilitate a data network connection with a third party, data network service provider,

a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally, and

a maintenance engine configured to maintain operation and security of the transportable system by;

monitoring an internal operational condition and an external operational environment of the transportable system,

using data from the monitoring to determine whether the data network service engine and power generation engine are operating according to an operational parameter and within a damage risk threshold, and

based on the determination, controlling the data network service engine, or the power generation engine to ensure that the data network service engine and the power generation engine continue to operate according to the operational parameter and within the damage risk threshold.

30. The utility system of claim 29, further comprising a central maintenance engine configured to remotely monitor the internal operational condition and the external operational environment of a transportable system of the plurality, or remotely control a transportable system of the plurality.

31. The utility system of claim 29, further comprising a billing engine configured to account for usage of power from the power generation engine.

32. A method for providing localized power infrastructure or data infrastructure, comprising:

deploying a transportable system to a client site, wherein the transportable system provides localized power infrastructure or data infrastructure to a client at or near the client site;

establishing a data network service connection between the deployed transportable system;

using the deployed transportable system to provide local power service or local data service to the client;

monitoring usage of the power service or the data service by the client, thereby resulting in usage information;

receiving the usage information from the transportable system over the data network service connection; and

billing the client based on the usage information.