Monitoring terminal device

• US 7,187,277 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Ikutaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US10/854,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/539.19, 340/506
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/004 using portable personal devices hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellent gases or chemicals F41H9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/00 Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/12 Checking intermittently signalling or alarm systems

Abstract

A monitoring terminal device is provided which is capable of reducing its power consumption to a minimum and of being fully operated even indoors by using a solar cell as a power source. In the monitoring terminal device including a sensor unit, the transmitting unit to transmit, by wireless, a sensor monitoring output, and a control unit which control the sensor unit and the transmitting unit, further including a power supply section, when only state change of object to be monitored, that is, a output of the sensor unit is detected the control unit and the transmitting unit are started to transmit monitoring information by the sensor unit. When the sensor unit and the generating section are not activated supply of power to the sensor unit and the generating section is stopped and the control unit by itself is put into standby state, which enables reduction of power consumption to a minimum. This ensures a operation of the monitoring terminal device even in an environment in which power is not supplied from the outside.

Claims

1. A monitoring terminal device comprising:

a sensor unit comprising a sensor and a data processing section to perform a data processing on an output from said sensor to produce an output data;

a wireless transmitting unit to transmit, by wireless said output data produced by said data processing section;

a control unit to control said data processing section and said wireless transmitting unit; and

a power source managing unit to start power supply for said data processing section, said wireless transmitting unit and said control unit in response to state change of said output from said sensor, and to stop the power supply for said data processing section, said wireless transmitting unit and said control unit when a specified period of time has passed after the starting,

wherein said specified period of time is long enough for said wireless transmitting unit to transmit information.

2. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 1, wherein power consumption of said sensor is zero in standby state.

3. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 2, wherein said sensor comprises a lead switch or a mercury switch.

4. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 3, wherein said power source managing unit starts the power supply in response to a change in an output from said lead switch or said mercury switch.

5. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power source including at least one of a solar cell a secondary cell, and a capacitor.

6. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 5, wherein said solar cell comprises an amorphous solar cell.

7. A monitoring terminal device comprising:

a sensor unit comprising a sensor and a data processing section to perform data processing on an output from said sensor to produce an output data;

a wireless transmitting unit to transmit, by wireless, said output data produced by said data processing section;

a control unit to control said data processing section and said wireless transmitting unit;

a timer to generate a starting signal in a fixed cycle;

a power source managing unit to start power supply for said data processing section, said wireless transmitting unit and said control unit in response to any one of said output from said sensor and said starting signal from said timer, and to stop the power supply for said data processing section, said wireless transmitting unit and said control unit after a specified period of time after the starting has passed; and

a fault diagnosis signal transmitting unit to transmit a signal for fault diagnosis in response to said starting signal from said timer.

8. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 7, wherein said power source managing unit starts power supply for said data processing section, said wireless transmitting unit and said control unit in response to a state change of said output from said sensor.

9. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 7, wherein said specified period of time is long enough for said wireless transmitting unit to transmit information.

10. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 7, wherein power consumption of said sensor is zero in standby state.

11. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 10, wherein said sensor comprises a lead switch or a mercury switch.

12. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 11, wherein said power source managing unit starts the power supply in response to a change in an output from said lead switch or said mercury switch.

13. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a power source including at least one of a solar cell, a secondary cell, and a capacitor.

14. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 13, wherein said solar cell comprises an amorphous solar cell.

15. The monitoring terminal device according to claim 7, wherein a ratio of an operating time to an operating cycle of said wireless transmitting unit is set at 1/1,000 to 1/1,000,000.

16. A monitoring terminal device comprising:

a sensor unit comprising a sensor and a data processing section to perform data processing on an output from said sensor to produce an output data;

a wireless transmitting unit to transmit, by wireless said output data produced by said data processing section;

a control unit to control said data processing section and said wireless transmitting unit; and

a power source managing unit to start power supply for said data processing section, said wireless transmitting unit and said control a unit in a response to state change of said output from said sensor, and to stop the power supply for said data processing section, said wireless transmitting, unit and said control unit after receiving a communication complete signal from said wireless transmitting unit.