Autonomous, Low Energy, Access Indication System

• US 20180130322A1
• Filed: 11/08/2016
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Price, Wade T., ROEDER, Raymond, OLSEN, Bruce R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,354,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/02 Mechanical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects

Abstract

A system and method for detecting access to a monitored space including one or more controllers, one or more data collectors, and one or more sensors. The sensors are self-powered, wireless components having two states. Each time a sensor detects a physical change within the space, the sensor switches from one state to another. Each incidence of a sensor changing states is recorded within the sensor. The sensors do not continuously transmit the changed state information and rather report data only when queried by a controller. A data collector may be used to process the data from the sensors before transmitting it to the controller. The wireless, self-powered, limited data storing sensors enable the system to function independently of the environment'"'"'s network infrastructure and power source. Once a human operator receives notice of an access event via the controller, the operator can escalate the level of inspection of the area.

Claims

1. A system for detecting and reporting access to a monitored space comprising:

at least one controller;

at least one wireless sensor having a first state and a second state; and

at least one data collector that wirelessly receives signals from the controller and the sensor, and wirelessly transmits signals to the controller and the sensor;

wherein when the sensor senses a physical change in the space, the sensor automatically switches between the first state and the second state, records information about the changed state, and stores the information about the changed state until queried by the controller via the data collector, at which time the sensor reports the information about the changed state to the controller via the data collector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is operated with power selected from the group consisting of solar energy, thermal energy, wind energy, kinetic energy, and battery power.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system functions substantially independently from network infrastructure of the space and from a power source of the space.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor stores only the information about the changed state.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor reports the information about the changed state only when queried by the controller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is powered by energy harvesting.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the physical change in the space comprises access to the space.

8. A system for detecting and reporting access to a monitored space comprising:

at least one controller; and

at least one wireless sensor having a first state and a second state;

wherein when the sensor senses a physical change in the space, the sensor automatically switches between the first state and the second state, records information about the changed state, and stores the information about the changed state until queried by the controller, at which time the sensor reports the information about the changed state to the controller.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the sensor is operated with power selected from the group consisting of solar energy, thermal energy, wind energy, kinetic energy, and battery power.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the system functions substantially independently from network infrastructure of the space and from a power source of the space.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the sensor stores only the information about the changed state.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the sensor is powered by energy harvesting.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the physical change in the space comprises access to the space.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

the controller transmitting the query command to the sensor via a data collector; and

the data collector processing the information about the changed state from the sensor and transmitting the information about the changed state to the controller.

14. A method for detecting and reporting access to a monitored space comprising the steps of:

placing in the space at least one wireless sensor having a first state and a second state; and

configuring the sensor to switch between the first state and the second state when the sensor detects a physical change within the space,

wherein the sensor records information about the changed state, stores the information about the changed state until receipt of a query command from a controller, and reports the information about the changed state to the controller after receipt of the query command.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of using the controller to wirelessly transmit the query command to the sensor and to display the information about the changed state reported from the sensor.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the sensor is operated with power selected from the group consisting of solar energy, thermal energy, wind energy, kinetic energy, and battery power.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the sensor stores only the information about the changed state.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the sensor reports the information about the changed state only when queried by the controller.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the configuring step occurs substantially independently from network infrastructure of the space and from a power source of the space.