AUTOMATIC DETECTION AND OFFLOADING OF DATA LOGGER SENSED DATA

• US 20140266688A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onset Computer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Onset Computer Corporation
• Inventors: Hruska, Mark, Clark, Don, Roth, Erich, Pitta, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,860,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless 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

Automatically detecting a wireless data logger with a multi-network wireless mobile gateway via low energy radio network-based proximity detection enables automatically transferring data logger sensed data that includes a portion of previously logged data from the wireless data logger via the low energy network to the multi-network mobile wireless gateway for further transfer from the multi-network wireless mobile gateway to a host via a second network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically detecting a wireless data logger with a multi-network wireless mobile gateway via low energy radio network-based proximity detection;

automatically transferring data logger sensed data that includes a portion of previously logged data from the wireless data logger via the low energy network to a multi-network mobile wireless gateway, wherein automatically transferring is in response to the automatically detecting the wireless data logger; and

transferring the logged data from the multi-network wireless mobile gateway to a host via a second network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically transferring data logger sensed data includes transfer of real-time data after each capture of sensed data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically transferring data logger sensed data includes transfer of real-time data synchronously with a request for a real-time data transfer from the gateway to the wireless data logger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless data logger comprises an LCD screen visible on a front face of an enclosure, at least one of a relative humidity sensor and a temperature sensor accessible on the front face of the enclosure, mounting loops disposed on opposite ends of the wireless data logger, at least two wireless data logger configuration buttons accessible on a surface of the wireless data logger, and a low energy wireless communication port for proximity detection and data transfer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless data logger senses and logs temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless data logger senses and logs temperature and relative humidity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless data logger is submersible in a liquid.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless data logger senses and logs pressure of the liquid.

71. The method of claim 1, comprising:

a housing sealed to facilitate immersion in pressurized liquids;

a plurality of sensors for sensing at least two distinct properties of the liquid;

a memory for holding a plurality of sensor sensing values received from the plurality of sensors;

a low energy wireless network capability; and

a processor for executing an automatic proximity detection program that includes the steps of;

transmitting a detection data value over a network with the low energy wireless network capability;

determining if a response is received via the network; and

based on a result of determining if a response is received, performing one of pausing for a minimum duration and then retransmitting the detection data value over the network, and communicating via the network with a multi-network wireless mobile gateway that provided the response.

72. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing sealed to facilitate immersion in pressurized liquids;

a first sensor disposed in close proximity to a first sensing surface of the wireless data logger to sense a first property of a liquid;

a second sensor disposed in close proximity to a second sensing surface of the wireless data logger to sense a second property of a liquid, wherein the first and second sensing surfaces comprise opposite sides of the wireless data logger;

a memory for holding a plurality of sensed data values received from the first and second sensors; and

a low energy wireless network interface.

73. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically replicating a display of a plurality of wireless data loggers automatically on a display screen of a multi-network wireless mobile gateway while the gateway and wireless data loggers communicate via a low energy wireless network, wherein data for replicating the wireless data logger displays is transferred from the wireless data loggers to the gateway via the wireless low energy network, and wherein the automatic replication is in response to automatic wireless low energy network-based wireless data logger proximity detection of each of the plurality of wireless data loggers by the wireless mobile gateway.

74. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of wireless data loggers;

a multi-radio network enabled wireless bridge, wherein the plurality of wireless data loggers communicates with the multi-radio network enabled wireless bridge via low energy wireless networking;

an Internet gateway, wherein the multi-radio network enabled wireless bridge communicates via the wireless networking other than low energy wireless networking with the Internet gateway; and

a web server executing remote wireless data logger monitoring and management software, wherein the internet gateway communicates with the web server, and wherein the wireless data logger data is transferred from the plurality of wireless data loggers via the bridge to the Internet gateway and then to the web server where the wireless data logger data is accessible by a plurality of remotely located users.

75. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a GPS location of a wireless data logger installation site;

transmitting the GPS installation site location from a mobile gateway to the wireless data logger via a low energy wireless network, and storing the GPS installation site location into a memory accessible by the gateway;

using the GPS installation site location to position a multi-network wireless mobile gateway substantially at the installation site location

adjusting a position of the multi-network wireless mobile gateway to reduce the estimated distance between the gateway and the logger based on feedback indicative of a distance between the gateway and the wireless data logger;

retrieving the GPS installation site location from the wireless data logger; and

comparing a current GPS location of the gateway with the retrieved GPS installation site location to validate wireless data logger location; and

wherein automatically detecting proximity of the wireless data logger is performed with the positioned multi-network wireless mobile gateway device.

4. (canceled)

8-9. -9. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A method comprising:

automatically detecting a plurality of wireless data loggers with a multi-network wireless mobile gateway via low energy radio network-based proximity detection; and

automatically transferring data logger sensed data that includes a portion of previously logged data from a portion of the plurality of wireless data loggers via the low energy network to the multi-network mobile wireless gateway, wherein offloading data from one of the plurality of wireless data loggers occurs while the one of wireless data loggers is in detectable proximity of the multi-network wireless mobile gateway, and wherein offloading is independent of continued proximity detection of the others of the plurality of wireless data loggers by the multi-network wireless mobile gateway.

16-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method of wireless data logger location validation, comprising:

determining a GPS location of a wireless data logger installation site;

transmitting the GPS installation site location from a mobile gateway to the wireless data logger via a low energy wireless network, and storing the GPS installation site location into a memory accessible by the gateway;

using the GPS installation site location to position a multi-network wireless mobile gateway substantially at the installation site location automatically detecting proximity of the wireless data logger via wireless low energy network-based proximity detection with the positioned multi-network wireless mobile gateway device;

adjusting a position of the multi-network wireless mobile gateway to reduce the estimated distance between the gateway and the logger based on feedback indicative of a distance between the gateway and the wireless data logger;

retrieving the GPS installation site location from the wireless data logger; and

comparing a current GPS location of the gateway with the retrieved GPS installation site location to validate wireless data logger location.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the feedback indicative of a distance between the gateway and the wireless data logger is based on a measure of communication between the gateway and the wireless data logger via the low-energy wireless network.

38. The method of claim 26, wherein the feedback is an audio feedback that varies in at least one of volume, pitch, frequency, and tone based on a measure of distance between the wireless data logger and the gateway.

39. The method of claim 26, wherein the feedback is presented on the gateway display screen and varies in at least one of color, brightness, flash rate, numerical value, and duty cycle based on a measure of distance between the wireless data logger and the gateway.

28-37. -37. (canceled)

40-70. -70. (canceled)