RECONFIGURABLE NETWORK ENABLED PLUG AND PLAY MULTIFUNCTIONAL PROCESSING AND SENSING NODE

• US 20120319838A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Ly, Sidney, Salour, Ali, Choi, Jai J., Howard, Bruce S., Hazlehurst, Laurance N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,823,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/845 where the measuring is synchronized between sensing devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

In one embodiment, a data acquisition device comprises a plurality of sensors to detect an environmental condition, a configurable processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the configurable processor is configured to receive one or more signals from the plurality of sensors, process the one or more signals to generate environmental data representative of the environmental condition, wherein the environmental data is, and a first input/output module to transmit the data to a remote device. Other embodiments may be disclosed.

Claims

1. A data acquisition device, comprising:

a plurality of sensors to detect an environmental condition;

a configurable processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the configurable processor is configured to;

receive one or more signals from the plurality of sensors;

process the one or more signals to generate environmental data representative of the environmental condition; and

a first input/output module to transmit the data to a remote device.

2. The data acquisition device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a light sensor, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a position sensor.

3. The data acquisition device of claim 1, further comprising a coprocessor coupled to the configurable processor, wherein the coprocessor may be selectively coupled to one or more external sensor devices to receive environmental data.

4. The data acquisition device of claim 3, further comprising a second input/output module coupled to the coprocessor to receive data from one or more external computing devices.

5. The data acquisition device of claim 1, wherein the first input/output module comprises at least one of:

a first communication interface to couple the device to a wired network; and

a second communication interface to couple the device to a wireless network.

6. The data acquisition device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

analyze the environmental data; and

generate an alarm signal when one or more environmental parameters exceed a threshold.

7. The data acquisition device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate one or more command signals in response to the environmental data; and

transmit the one or more command signals to a transducer.

8. The data acquisition device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a respective listing of capabilities;

and wherein the processor is further configured to;

collect the respective listing of capabilities from the sensors; and

associate the respective listing of capabilities with a graphical representation of a respective sensor; and

make the graphical representation of the respective sensors available to external devices via an input/output interface.

9. The data acquisition device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present the graphical representation of the respective sensors available to external devices via an input/output interface;

receive an input from an external device, wherein the input provides at least one instruction regarding operations of the respective sensors; and

in response to the input, configure the respective sensors in accordance with the instructions.

10. The data acquisition device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to implement peer-to-peer communication with at least one remote data acquisition device.

11. A method to monitor environmental conditions, comprising:

detecting, in a plurality of environmental sensors mounted on an electronic device, environmental conditions in a plurality of environmental sensors; and

receiving, in a configurable processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, one or more signals from the plurality of sensors;

processing, in the configurable processor, the one or more signals to generate environmental data representative of the environmental condition; and

transmitting the data to a remote device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a light sensor, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a position sensor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device further comprises a coprocessor coupled to the configurable processor, wherein the coprocessor may be selectively coupled to one or more external sensor devices to receive environmental data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one input/output module coupled to the coprocessor to receive data from one or more external computing devices.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one of:

coupling the device to a wired network;

or

coupling the device to a wireless network.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

analyzing the environmental data; and

generating an alarm signal when the one or more environmental parameters exceed a threshold.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating one or more command signals in response to the environmental data; and

transmitting the one or more command signals to a transducer.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a respective listing of capabilities;

and further comprising;

collecting the respective listing of capabilities from the sensors; and

associating the respective listing of capabilities with a graphical representation of a respective sensor; and

making the graphical representation of the respective sensors available to external devices via an input/output interface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

presenting the graphical representation of the respective sensors available to external devices via an input/output interface;

receiving an input from an external device, wherein the input provides at least one instruction regarding operations of the respective sensors; and

in response to the input, configuring the respective sensors in accordance with the instructions.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to implement peer-to-peer communication with at least one remote data acquisition device.