iCelsius Wireless: Wireless Monitoring with Smart Phones and Tablets

• US 20140313048A1
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashok Sabata, Karl Baumgartner, Thierry Jayet
• Original Assignee: Ashok Sabata, Karl Baumgartner, Thierry Jayet
• Inventors: Sabata, Ashok, Baumgartner, Karl, Jayet, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 9,706,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• 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

Home use of sensors has been limited to rudimentary devices such as using a thermometer or sensors installed in homes by third party for security. An affordable sensor with advanced capabilities as used in commercial applications has not been possible. Smartphone or smart tablets, with advanced computing ability, has not been a platform for sensor communications though the capability exists. Recent products such as the iCelsius convert the iPhone into a data logger for measuring temperature and relative humidity. However, these sensors are tethered to the device and not wireless. A cost effective sensor solution for consumer application with remote monitoring capability is now possible using WiFi based wireless sensors that will work with the smart phones and the cloud based computing on the internet; such an integration of these three platforms in such a way that the user does not have to intervene to make it all work seamlessly is the purpose of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring using low power WiFi based wireless sensor device that will work with smart phones and tablets, the method comprising:

WiFi wireless sensor device for detection or sensing;

the smart phone or tablet for provisioning, viewing of data;

a wireless network with external access points for remote monitoring;

provisioning of the wireless sensor by directly communicating with the smart phone or tablet;

activating the sensors to make measurements periodically or continuously;

extracting the sensor data directly from the sensor to a smart phone/tablet or remotely through a WiFi network that may include the internet cloud.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sensors are for home applications such as cooking, health and the environment including a temperature sensor, relative humidity sensor, indoor air quality sensor, leak detection sensor and water quality sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sensors are placed on a cable with a connector on one end of the cable that connects to the wireless communication device so more then one probe can be used with the same wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless sensor is a battery powered device that can last over a year and for the purpose of provisioning and longer term monitoring uses a rechargeable battery.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless sensor firmware is updated over the air with no user intervention.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless sensor has onboard memory to save sensor data and onboard connector that has I2C, SPI and analog to digital interface to connect to any sensor probe that can connect to these interfaces.

7. A method of communication for battery powered WiFi sensors that will work with smart phones and tablets, the method comprising:

Wireless sensors that are programmed, configured and controlled during provisioning and setup directly through a smart phone or tablet by making the wireless sensor a soft access point;

wireless sensors are activated for monitoring with the smart phones or tablet locally or remotely with no user intervention to change from local to remote mode

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the provisioning or initial setup is done by just selecting and connecting the smart phone or tablet directly to the wireless sensor as is done when connecting to an access point.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein wireless sensors are activated for monitoring locally by broadcasting directly to the smart phone or tablet.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein wireless sensors are activated in the low power mode for monitoring by broadcasting to the smart phone or tablet, through a wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein wireless sensors are activated in the low power mode for the purpose of data logging and then using a push button to transmit the sensor data to the smart phone or tablet directly or indirectly through an access point.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein wireless sensors are activated in the low power mode for monitoring remotely with a smart phone or tablet using the internet cloud to pass the sensor data through using standard http type communication commonly used for browsing.

13. A system for measuring temperature using low power WiFi based wireless sensor device that will work with smart phones and tablets, the system comprising:

a stainless wireless temperature sensor that includes a stainless steel sensor tip, sensor electronics embedded inside the stainless handle and the WiFi wireless electronics inside the stainless steel handle; and

a battery to power the system;

the smart phone or tablet for viewing of data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein wireless sensors are activated for monitoring locally by broadcasting directly to the smart phone or tablet.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein wireless sensors are activated for the purpose of data logging and then using a push button to transmit the sensor data to the smart phone or tablet directly or through an access point when there is more then one stainless steel wireless sensor.