INTERFACE FOR COMMUNICATING SENSOR DATA TO A SATELLITE NETWORK

• US 20140085102A1
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peter E. Mccormick
• Original Assignee: Peter E. Mccormick
• Inventors: MCCORMICK, Peter E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,290,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• 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 communication interface, and method thereof, allows a single communication device to accept data from multiple different types of sensors for transmission to a communication network. The communication interface is capable of inputting data from many types of sensors and outputting the data directly to the communication device. The communication interface translates or otherwise converts a variety of sensor data into a common message format that is appropriate and acceptable to the communication device. Such a communication interface allows many different types of sensing applications, particularly in distant and remote locations, to use a common communication device to communicate with a central server.

Claims

1. An electrical circuit designed to process multiple different sensor inputs, including discrete, serial, vehicle, engine, generator, and analog inputs, the electrical circuit comprising a processor having a sensor task handler configured to interpret data from one of the sensor inputs and conform the data from the sensor input to a predefined format, the predefined format allowing the data from the sensor input to be transmitted by a satellite modem.

2. The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the processor has multiple isolated sensor task handlers, each isolated task handler individually configured to interpret data from a different one of the sensor inputs substantially simultaneously.

3. The electrical circuit of claim 2, wherein each sensor task handler is configured to monitor a sensor input and determine when a condition for satellite transmission is satisfied.

4. The electrical circuit of claim 3, wherein the condition for satellite transmission is one of the following:

a timer based condition, a time of day condition, a predefined low or high sensor value condition, a predefined low or high flow rate condition, a predefined low or high pressure condition, an alert condition from the sensor itself, or specific data pattern.

5. The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein each sensor task handler is configured by a user or factory configured using an external computer, each sensor task handler being configurable with respect to individual serial ports, type of serial port, baud rate, query commands to the external sensor, anticipated serial responses, and frequency of reporting.

6. The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the data from each sensor input is conformed to the predefined format by placing the data in one of several predefined locations of a data packet, the predefined locations being different depending upon the type of data desired by the end user.

7. The electrical circuit of claim 6, wherein the predefined format includes a message type indicator that tells a central server which one of a plurality of predefined patterns the data from the satellite is associated with so that the data packet may be parsed and linked to a specific type of sensor, thereby allowing the data to be properly scaled and presented to the user on a Web page.

8. The electrical circuit of claim 6, wherein the predefined format includes a total counts indicator that may be used to determine a running total of an occurrence for an arbitrary time span, the total counts indicator being taken at a predefined time and used to offset the following day'"'"'s readings.

9. The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to allow a user to monitor debug messages, including debug messages related to a condition that initiated a transmission to the satellite modem, the debug messages also including sensor data and raw data transmitted to the satellite modem and responses from the satellite modem.

10. The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to allow a user to locally change one or more predefined parameters by using pushbuttons and a local display, the one or more predefined parameters including alert thresholds, sleep timers, sensor configuration, and engine data.

11. The electrical circuit of claim 10, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to allow a user locally to view the various sensor or engine data results.

12. A method of monitoring multiple different sensor inputs, including discrete, serial, vehicle, engine, generator, and analog inputs, the method comprising configuring a plurality of sensor task handlers of a processor to interpret data from the sensor inputs and conform the data from the sensor inputs to a predefined format, each sensor task handler individually configured to interpret data from a different one of the sensor inputs, the predefined format allowing the data from the different sensor inputs to be transmitted by a satellite modem.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each sensor task handler is configured to interpret data from one of the sensor inputs substantially simultaneously with other sensor task handlers.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each sensor task handler is configured to monitor a sensor input and determine when a condition for satellite transmission is satisfied.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the condition for satellite transmission is one of the following:

a timer based condition, a time of day condition, a predefined low or high sensor value condition, a predefined low or high flow rate condition, a predefined low or high pressure condition, an alert condition from the sensor itself, or specific data pattern.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising allowing a user to configure the sensor task handlers using an external computer, each sensor task handler being configurable with respect to individual serial ports, type of serial port, baud rate, query commands to the external sensor, anticipated serial responses, and frequency of reporting.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the data from each sensor input is conformed to the predefined format by placing the data in one of several predefined locations of a data packet, the predefined locations being different depending upon the type of data desired by the end user.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising allowing a user to monitor debug messages, including debug messages related to a condition that initiated a transmission to the satellite modem, the debug messages also including sensor data and raw data transmitted to the satellite modem and responses from the satellite modem.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising allowing a user to locally change one or more predefined parameters by using pushbuttons and a local display, the one or more predefined parameters including alert thresholds, sleep timers, sensor configuration, and engine data.

20. A wireless adapter designed to remotely monitor multiple different sensor inputs, including discrete, serial, vehicle, engine, generator, and analog inputs, the wireless adapter comprising:

a satellite modem configured to communicate with a satellite network using a predefined message format;

a sensor-modem interface unit connected to the satellite modem, the sensor-modem interface unit having a processor therein, the processor including a plurality of sensor task handlers configured to interpret data from the sensor inputs and conform the data from the sensor inputs to the predefined message format, each sensor task handler individually configured to interpret data from a different one of the sensor inputs, the predefined message format allowing the data from the different sensor inputs to be transmitted by the satellite modem to the satellite network; and

a power supply configured to provide power to the satellite modem and the sensor-modem interface unit.