METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A DISTANCE-BASED SCHEDULE FOR MONITORING ONE OR MORE PROPERTIES OF AN ASSET USING A PLURALITY OF MOBILE SENSOR NODES IN A WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK

• US 20170142628A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King Abdul AZIZ City For Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: King Abdul AZIZ City For Science and Technology
• Inventors: Seddiq, Yasser Mohammad, BenSaleh, Mohammed Sulaiman, Qasim, Syed Manzoor, Obeid, Abdulfattah M., Al-nasheri, Ahmad Yahya, Alotaibi, Ahmad Masha, Almazyad, Abdulaziz S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,893,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for monitoring one or more properties of an asset using a plurality of mobile sensor nodes. The method generates a distance-based schedule for the plurality of mobile sensor nodes for monitoring the one or more properties of the asset. The method, then, monitors a location of a first mobile sensor node in the asset. The data collection operation is then initiated at the first mobile sensor node based on the location of the first mobile sensor node in accordance with the distance-based schedule. The data collection operation of the first mobile sensor node is then managed based on the distance-based schedule and an energy status of the first mobile sensor node. Finally, the data pertaining to the one or more properties of the asset is collected from the plurality of mobile sensor nodes.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one property of an asset using a plurality of mobile sensor nodes, the method comprising:

generating a distance-based schedule for the plurality of mobile sensor nodes for monitoring the at least one property of the asset, wherein the distance-based schedule defines one of a location in the asset at which a mobile sensor node starts performing a data collection operation and a distance for which the mobile sensor node performs the data collection operation;

monitoring a location of a first mobile sensor node of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes in the asset;

initiating the data collection operation at the first mobile sensor node in accordance with the distance-based schedule based on the location of the first mobile sensor node;

monitoring an energy status of the first mobile sensor node performing the data collection operation in accordance with the distance-based schedule;

managing the data collection operation based on the distance-based schedule and the energy status of the first mobile sensor node; and

collecting data pertaining to the at least one property of the asset from the plurality of mobile sensor nodes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asset is a long-distance pipeline.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one property comprises at least one of a leakage of the pipeline, a burst of the pipeline and a corrosion of the pipeline.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a mobile sensor node is configured to sense at least one of a flow, a pressure and a fluid temperature.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein managing the data collection operation further comprises:

allowing the first mobile sensor node to continue performing the data collection operation in contravention to the distance-based schedule when the energy status of the first mobile sensor node is more than an energy threshold; and

allowing the first mobile sensor node to discontinue performing the data collection operation in contravention to the distance-based schedule when the energy status of the first mobile sensor node is less than the energy threshold.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein managing the data collection operation further comprises initiating the data collection operation at a second mobile sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes in accordance with the distance-based schedule based on a location of the second mobile sensor node.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an energy status of a mobile sensor node corresponds to at least one of a battery status and an available memory size of the mobile sensor node.

8. A system for monitoring at least one property of an asset, the system comprising:

a plurality of mobile sensor nodes;

a distance-based schedule generator configured to generate a distance-based schedule for the plurality of mobile sensor nodes for monitoring the at least one property of the asset, wherein the distance-based schedule defines one of a location in the asset at which a mobile sensor node starts performing a data collection operation and a distance for which the mobile sensor node performs the data collection operation;

a plurality of location tracking units deployed across the asset, wherein the plurality of location tracking units monitor location of each mobile sensor node, wherein a mobile sensor node comprises;

a memory;

an energy status monitor configured to monitor an energy status of the mobile sensor node;

a processor communicatively coupled with the distance-based schedule generator, the plurality of location tracking units, the energy status monitor and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

initiate the data collection operation at the mobile sensor node in accordance with the distance-based schedule based on the location of the mobile sensor node; and

manage the data collection operation of the mobile sensor node based on the distance-based schedule and the energy status of the mobile sensor node; and

a data collector configured to collect data pertaining to the at least one property of the asset from the plurality of mobile sensor nodes.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to:

allow the mobile sensor node to continue performing the data collection operation in contravention to the distance-based schedule, wherein the energy status of the mobile sensor node is more than an energy threshold; and

allow the mobile sensor node to discontinue performing the data collection operation in contravention to the distance-based schedule, wherein the energy status of the mobile sensor node is less than the energy threshold.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to store data pertaining to the at least one property of the asset with at least one of a time stamp and a location stamp in the memory of the mobile sensor node.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of location tracking units communicates location information of the mobile sensor node to the processor of the mobile sensor node through a wired communication network.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to compute a distance travelled by the mobile sensor node based on the location information received for the mobile sensor node to perform the data collection operation in accordance with the distance-based schedule.