NETWORK DEVICE, COMPUTER NETWORK AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20180124587A1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Luca Gardini, Romano Rapallini
• Original Assignee: Luca Gardini, Romano Rapallini
• Inventors: Rapallini, Romano, Gardini, Luca
• Application Number:
  US15/560,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

The invention relates to a network device (1), a network (2), and a method for controlling environments, wherein said device (1) comprises data acquisition and/or actuation means (11), first communication means (14) allowing said device (1) to communicate with at least one other device (1), second communication means (15) that can communicate with another device (1) and/or with a supervision device (3,22), control means (12) configured for controlling the device (1) in a manner such that it will operate in a first and/or in a second operating mode.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a data acquisition and/or actuation means adapted to be put in signal communication with at least one sensor and/or one actuator;

a first communication means for communicating with at least one other device;

a control means configured for controlling the operation of said data acquisition and/or actuation means and of said first communication means in a manner such that the device will operate in a first operating mode, in which at least the data acquired through the data acquisition means and/or received through said first communication means and not exclusively directed towards the actuation means of said device will be transmitted through said first communication means; and

a second communication means for communicating with at least one other network device and/or at least one supervision device, and wherein the control means are also configured for controlling the operation of said second communication means in a manner such that the device will operate in a second operating mode, in which at least the data acquired through the data acquisition means and/or received through the first communication means and not exclusively directed towards the actuation means of said device will be transmitted through said second communication means.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprise a first processing and control unit and a second processing and control unit in signal communication with each other, wherein one of said control units is configured for controlling the operation of the other processing and control unit and for taking control of the device in the place of the latter.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control means is also configured for controlling the operation of said second communication means in a manner such that, when the device is operating in the second operating mode, also the data received through the first and second communication means and not exclusively directed towards the actuation means of said device will be transmitted through said second communication means.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control means is configured for being able to operate simultaneously in the first and second operating modes, so as to allow the presence of two or more supervision devices and possibly the exchange of information between them.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the control means is configured for controlling the operation of the second communication means in a manner such that the device will transmit the data acquired through the data acquisition means and/or received through said first and second communication means to at least two distinct supervision devices and/or will receive from said at least two supervision devices the data directed towards the actuation means of said device.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second communication means are of the radio type and communicate in distinct frequency bands.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the upper extreme of the frequency band in which the first communication means communicate is lower than 1 GHz, and wherein the lower extreme of the frequency band in which the second communication means communicate is higher than 1 GHz.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second communication means comprises an interface for a data network of the GSM and/or GPRS and/or UMTS and/or LTE type.

9. An information technology network for data acquisition, comprising a plurality of devices according to claim 1, and further comprising

a plurality of nodes communicating with one another, wherein each node comprises at least one of said devices;

and

at least one supervision device configured for receiving, through a network interface, the data acquired by said devices, and wherein said data are transmitted by at least one of the devices operating in the second operating mode.

10. The information technology network according to claim 9, wherein the control means of the device associated with a node executes instructions useful for determining if said device should operate in the first and/or in the second operating mode, depending on the operating state of the devices of the other nodes.

11. The Information technology network according to claim 10, wherein the control means of the device associated with a node execute instructions useful for determining if said device should operate in the first and/or in the second operating mode depending on the operating state of said devices, so as to minimize electric energy consumption.

12. The Information technology network according to claim 9, wherein the supervision device is an electronic computer that comprises mass storage means for storing the data acquired by the network devices.

13. A method for controlling one or more environments comprising the use of an information technology network according to claim 9, wherein said information technology network comprises a plurality of network devices that can communicate with one another, and wherein at least one of said devices is in signal communication with at least one sensor and/or one actuator.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said devices are arranged over a territory to be monitored, and wherein said at least one sensor and/or actuator is adapted to monitor an environmental parameter.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the environments are outdoor environments, and the sensor is configured for detecting one or more parameters including temperature, pressure, light, vibration, stress level of a rocky material, emissions of radioactive gases, or other atmospheric parameters.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the environments are indoor environments, and wherein said at least one sensor is configured for detecting one or more of the following parameters:

operating state of a household appliance, energy consumption, presence of people in said environment, intrusion attempts.