SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE MONITORING OF EQUIPMENT MOISTURE EXPOSURE

• US 20130063602A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bruce Scapier
• Original Assignee: Bruce Scapier
• Inventors: Scapier, Bruce
• Application Number:
  US13/230,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/160
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• 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

The presented principles are directed to an apparatus for monitoring humidity exposure of system components, with the apparatus having sensor modules for collecting environmental data and a monitoring module with a humidity indicator and an electrical monitoring component sealed from the environment that reads a physical change in the humidity indicator to determine the humidity of the environment. An installation computer may transmit the humidity data and sensor readings, wirelessly or otherwise, to a central monitoring station for processing and storage. The humidity indicator may be disposed within an enclosure to determine the humidity within that enclosure. The humidity indicator may also be a desiccant that changes color cased on the humidity, and the electrical monitoring component may be a camera configured to take video data of the desiccant.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring humidity exposure of system components in an enclosure, the apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor module disposed outside of the enclosure and configured to collect data from the environment outside of the enclosure;

at least one monitoring module comprising at least one humidity indicator and at least one electrical monitor component, wherein the at least one humidity indicator is exposed to an enclosure environment affecting at least one system component within the enclosure and configured to indicate a humidity value for the enclosure environment via a physical change and wherein the at least one electrical monitor component is protected from the environment and is configured to read a physical value of the humidity indicator to generate at least one humidity indication data indicating the humidity of the enclosure environment; and

an installation computer module disposed within the enclosure and in signal communication with the at least one sensor module and in signal communication with the at least one electrical monitor component of at least one monitoring module;

wherein the installation computer is configured to receive the environment data from at least one sensor module, and is further configured to receive data from the at least one electrical monitor indicating the humidity of the environment; and

wherein the installation computer module is configured to cause the transmission of the humidity data and environment data to a central monitoring station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one humidity indicator comprises a desiccant capable of changing colors depending on the humidity of the enclosure environment, and wherein at least one electrical monitor component is a camera configured to take video data of the humidity indicator and wherein the camera generates at least one humidity indication data as video data, and wherein the video humidity indication data shows a visual representation of the humidity indicator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one humidity indicator further comprises a visual comparison indicator disposed thereon and having at least one printed area showing at least one possible desiccant color value and wherein the visual comparison indicator is disposed on the humidity indicator so that the video humidity indication data comprises a visual representation of the visual comparison indicator.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one humidity indicator further comprises at least one registration mark disposed at a predetermined location on the humidity indicator, and wherein the desiccant is disposed on the at least one humidity indicator in a predetermined location relative to the registration mark.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installation computer module is configured to automatically collect humidity data from at least one electrical monitor at predetermined intervals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installation computer module is configured to receive commands from a remote location, wherein the installation computer module is configured to collect data from at least one sensor module in response to the command.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor modules is a sensor configured for performing one or more functions from a group consisting of measuring rainfall, measuring a seismic event, measuring a water level, measuring temperature, measuring wind speed, measuring barometric pressure, detecting motion, generating environmental video data, generating environmental sound data, measuring biological components, measuring salinity, measuring chemical concentrations, measuring environmental contamination, measuring a radiation level, and detecting tampering system components.

8. An apparatus for monitoring humidity exposure of system components, the apparatus comprising:

a modem configured to handle at least one communication data stream;

at least one monitoring module comprising at least one humidity indicator and at least one electrical monitor component, wherein the at least one humidity indicator is exposed to an environment affecting at least one system component and configured to indicate a humidity value for the environment via a physical change and wherein the at least one electrical monitor component is protected from the environment and is configured to read a physical value of the humidity indicator to generate at least one humidity indication data indicating the humidity of the environment; and

an installation computer module in signal communication with the electrical monitor component of the at least one monitoring module, and configured to receive the at least one humidity indication data from the at least one electrical monitor;

wherein the installation computer module is in signal communication with the modem and configured to transmit the humidity data to the modem; and

wherein the modem is configured to transmit the humidity data to a central monitoring station.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one humidity indicator comprises a desiccant capable of changing colors depending on the humidity of the environment, and wherein at least one electrical monitor component is a camera configured to take video data of the humidity indicator and wherein the camera generates at least one humidity indication data as video data, and wherein the video humidity indication data shows a visual representation of the humidity indicator.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one humidity indicator further comprises a visual comparison indicator disposed thereon and having at least one printed area showing at least one possible desiccant color value and wherein the visual comparison indicator is disposed on the humidity indicator so that the video humidity indication comprises a visual representation of the visual comparison indicator.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein electrical monitor component further comprises at least one light source configured to illuminate the at least one humidity indicator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the camera comprises a filter configured to block at least one predetermined range of light wavelengths.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising at least one sensor module configured to collect data, and wherein the installation computer module is configured to receive commands from a remote location, wherein the installation computer module is configured to collect data from at least one sensor module in response to the command.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising at least one sensor module configured to collect data, and wherein the installation computer module is configured to automatically collect data from at least one sensor module at predetermined intervals.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a sealed antenna in signal communication with the modem, and wherein the modem is a radio modem and is configured to wirelessly transmit the humidity data via the antenna.

16. An apparatus for monitoring humidity exposure of system components in an enclosure, the apparatus comprising:

a modem configured to handle at least one communications data stream;

at least one sensor module disposed outside of the enclosure and configured to collect data from the environment outside of the enclosure;

at least one monitoring module comprising at least one humidity indicator and at least one electrical monitor component, wherein the at least one humidity indicator is exposed to an enclosure environment affecting at least one system component within the enclosure and configured to indicate a humidity value for the enclosure environment via a physical change and wherein the at least one electrical monitor component is protected from the environment and is configured to read a physical value of the humidity indicator to generate at least one humidity indication data indicating the humidity of the enclosure environment; and

an installation computer module disposed within the enclosure and in signal communication with the at least one sensor module and in signal communication with the at least one electrical monitor component of the at least one monitoring module;

wherein the installation computer is configured to receive the environment data from at least one sensor module, and is further configured to receive data from the at least one electrical monitor indicating the humidity of the environment;

wherein the installation computer module is in signal communication with the modem and configured to transmit the humidity data to the modem; and

wherein the modem is configured to transmit the humidity data to a central monitoring station.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the installation computer module is configured to receive commands from a remote location, wherein the installation computer module is configured to collect data from at least one sensor module in response to the command.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the installation computer module is configured to automatically collect data from at least one sensor module at predetermined intervals.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the installation computer module is configured to automatically collect data from at least one sensor module and store two or more sensor data.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the installation computer module is configured to automatically collect humidity data at predetermined intervals.