Apparatus and method for wireless gas monitoring
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, operating data entry apparatus disposed at each of the gas monitor stations, said step of operating data entry apparatus at each of the gas monitor stations includes entering data at each of the gas monitor stations relating to a predetermined magnitude of variation in concentration of the selected gas, sensing atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations, and transmitting a radio signal from any one of the gas monitor stations to a master station in response to sensing of a variation in concentration of the selected gas greater than the predetermined magnitude.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The current invention provides a wireless monitoring system. The system has one or more monitoring devices. Each device can transmit data and receive messages from an output center or alarm system. The output center can also transmit and receive messages. Both the output center and each device preferably have a transceiver that enables both the transmission and receipt of messages. No remote terminal units hardwiring is required for the system to function. The system is truly a wireless gas monitoring system. The system may use low earth orbit satellite technology, or licensed radio frequencies or any other means to wirelessly transmit and receive messages.
92 Citations
64 Claims
- 1. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, operating data entry apparatus disposed at each of the gas monitor stations, said step of operating data entry apparatus at each of the gas monitor stations includes entering data at each of the gas monitor stations relating to a predetermined magnitude of variation in concentration of the selected gas, sensing atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations, and transmitting a radio signal from any one of the gas monitor stations to a master station in response to sensing of a variation in concentration of the selected gas greater than the predetermined magnitude.
- 11. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, sensing atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations, determining when an average permissible magnitude of concentration of the selected gas has been exceeded for a predetermined period of time in the atmosphere adjacent to any one of the plurality of gas monitor stations, and transmitting a radio signal from any one of the gas monitor stations to a master station in response to determining that the average permissible magnitude of concentration of the selected gas has been exceeded for the predetermined period of time in the atmosphere adjacent to the one gas monitor station.
- 16. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, determining at each of the gas monitor stations when a first predetermined period of time has elapsed since a radio signal was sent from the gas monitor station to a master station, transmitting a first radio signal from each of the gas monitor stations to the master station whenever the first predetermined period of time elapses after transmission of a radio signal from the gas monitor station to the master station, providing a first alarm signal at the master station in response to a failure of any one of the gas monitor stations to send the first radio signal for more than a second predetermined period of time which is greater than the first predetermined period of time, sensing atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations, transmitting a second radio signal from a gas monitor station to the master station when the sensed concentration of the selected gas exceeds a predetermined concentration, and providing a second alarm signal at the master station in response to the second radio signal from any one of the gas monitor stations.
- 23. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, sensing atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations to determine concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations, determining when a moving average of sensed gas concentration of the selected gas over a predetermined length of time at one of the gas monitor stations exceeds a predetermined magnitude, and transmitting a radio signal from a radio at the one gas monitor station to a master station in response to a determination that the moving average of gas concentration over a predetermined length of time exceeds the predetermined magnitude.
- 27. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, calibrating a sensor at one of the gas monitor stations, said step of calibrating a sensor at one of the gas monitor stations includes exposing the sensor at the one gas monitor station to gas containing a known concentration of the selected gas, transmitting data corresponding to the sensed concentration of the selected gas from the sensor at the one gas monitor station when the sensor is exposed to the gas containing a known concentration of the selected gas to a microprocessor in a control assembly at the one gas monitor station, and adjusting the control assembly at the one gas monitor station to provide an output indicative of the known concentration of the selected gas, thereafter, sensing the atmosphere adjacent to the one gas monitor station with the sensor at the one gas monitor station, transmitting data corresponding to the sensed concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the one gas monitor station from the sensor at the one gas monitor station to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the one gas monitor station, transmitting a signal from the microprocessor in the control assembly at the one gas monitor station to a radio at the one gas monitor station in response to transmission to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the one gas monitor station from the sensor at the one gas monitor station of data corresponding to the predetermined concentration of the selected gas, and initiating transmission with the radio at the one gas monitor station to a master station in response to the signal transmitted from the microprocessor to the radio.
- 40. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, inputting data to a microprocessor in a control assembly at a first gas monitor station of the plurality of gas monitor stations, said step of inputting data includes inputting data corresponding to a predetermined concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station and inputting data corresponding to a predetermined magnitude of variation in the concentration of the selected gas, said step of inputting data to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station includes actuating a plurality of switches in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station to input the data and displaying data corresponding to the data which is input to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station by actuation of the switches to enable the data to be visually reviewed by an individual who is inputting the data at the first gas monitor station, thereafter, sensing the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station with a sensor assembly at the first gas monitor station, transmitting data corresponding to the sensed concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station from the sensor assembly at the first gas monitor station to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station, transmitting a signal from the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station to a radio at the first gas monitor station in response to transmission to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station from the sensor assembly at the first gas monitor station of data indicative of either the predetermined concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station or of the predetermined variation in the concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station, and initiating transmission with the radio at the first gas monitor station to a master station in response to the signal transmitted from the microprocessor to the radio.
- 45. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas with each of the gas monitor stations having a gas sensor assembly, a control assembly, a radio, a keypad, and a display, manually actuating the keypad at each of the gas monitor stations to enter data corresponding to a predetermined concentration of the selected gas into the control assembly at each of the gas monitor stations, viewing the display at each of the gas monitor stations to review the data entered into the control assembly at each of the gas monitor stations as a result of actuating the key pad at each of the gas monitor stations, sensing the atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations with the sensor assemblies, transmitting data indicative of the sensed concentration of the selected gas from the sensor assembly at each of the gas monitor stations to the control assembly at each of the gas monitor stations, and initiating transmission with the radio at any one of the gas monitor stations to a master station when the sensed concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the one gas monitor station is at least as great as the predetermined concentration of the selected gas.
- 55. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at selected locations spaced from the potential source of the gas with each of the gas monitor stations having a gas sensor assembly and a radio, sensing the atmosphere adjacent to each of the gas monitor stations with the sensor assemblies, initiating transmission with the radio at any one of the gas monitor stations to a master station when the sensed concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the one gas monitor station is at least as great as a predetermined concentration of the selected gas, transmitting a predetermined input voltage to the sensor assembly at each of the gas monitor stations, transmitting an output voltage from the sensor assembly at each of the gas monitor stations, and determining if the sensor assembly at any one of the gas monitor stations should be replaced as a function of the magnitude of the output voltage.
- 58. A method of monitoring for a selected gas from a potential source of the selected gas, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of gas monitor stations at locations spaced from the potential source of the selected gas, inputting data to a microprocessor in a control assembly at a first gas monitor station of the plurality of gas monitor stations, said step of inputting data includes inputting data corresponding to a predetermined concentration of the selected gas, said step of inputting data to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station includes actuating data entry apparatus which forms part of the control assembly at the first gas monitor station to input the data and displaying data corresponding to the data which is input to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station by actuation of the data entry apparatus in the control assembly at the fist gas monitor station to enable the data to be visually reviewed by an individual who is inputting the data at the first gas monitor station, said step of displaying data corresponding to the data which is input to the microprocessor includes displaying the data at a display which forms part of the control assembly at the first gas monitor station, thereafter, sensing the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station with a sensor assembly at the first gas monitor station, transmitting data corresponding to the sensed concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station from the sensor assembly at the first gas monitor station to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station, transmitting a signal from the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station to a radio at the first gas monitor station in response to transmission to the microprocessor in the control assembly at the first gas monitor station from the sensor assembly at the first gas monitor station of data indicative of the predetermined concentration of the selected gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the first gas monitor station, and initiating transmission with the radio at the first gas monitor station to a master station in response to the signal transmitted from the microprocessor to the radio.
Specification