Real-time wireless video exposure monitoring system

• US 7,205,891 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Inventors: Traylor, Ryan M., McGlothlin, James D., Leimgruber, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/945,533
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/539.26
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A real-time wireless video exposure monitoring system comprising an exposure monitor, located at a field site, which detects the level of an environmental contaminant and supplies corresponding data via a serial data port to a serial-to-wireless bridge for real-time wireless transmission of the data to a wireless Internet access point. The system includes a video camera at the field site and a wireless video connection for transmitting video images from the video camera in real time to the wireless Internet access point. A client computer, which may be at a central station at a distant location, is adapted to connect via the Internet to the wireless bridge and the wireless video connection so as to receive real-time contaminant level data and real-time video, the client computer configured to provide real-time data recording and analysis.

Claims

1. A real-time wireless video exposure monitoring system, comprising:

an exposure monitor located at a field site for detecting the level of an environmental contaminant, said exposure monitor having a serial data port;

a wireless bridge connected to said serial port for real-time wireless transmission of contaminant level data from said exposure monitor to a wireless Internet access point;

a network video camera located at said field site;

wireless video connection means for transmitting video images from said video camera in real time to said wireless Internet access point; and

a client computer adapted to connect via the Internet to said wireless bridge and said wireless video connection means so as to receive said real-time contaminant level data and said real-time video, said client computer including real-time data and video recording and analysis means, and means for continually calculating the mean and standard deviation of said real-time data based on the previous mean and standard deviation values and the most recently received real-time data value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said client computer is adapted to receive and time-stamp real-time data from said exposure monitor and substantially simultaneously receive and time-stamp real-time video from said network camera, said client computer further adapted to provide a live display of said real-time data and video.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said client computer includes video-driven means for performing behavior-based statistical analysis of data from said exposure monitor, said video-driven means including means for designating a plurality of worker actions, means for marking points in said video corresponding to said worker actions, and means for calculating and displaying statistics for the data coinciding with a particular set of selected worker actions.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said client computer further includes data-driven means for identifying and displaying segments of said video coinciding with values of said real-time data exceeding a user-selectable threshold.

3. A real-time wireless video exposure monitoring system, comprising:

an exposure monitor located at a field site for detecting the level of an environmental contaminant, said exposure monitor having a serial data port;

a wireless bridge connected to said serial port for real-time wireless transmission of contaminant level data from said exposure monitor to a wireless Internet access point;

a network video camera located at said field site;

wireless video connection means for transmitting video images from said video camera in real time to said wireless Internet access point; and

a client computer adapted to connect via the Internet to said wireless bridge and said wireless video connection means so as to receive said real-time contaminant level data and said real-time video, said client computer including real-time data and video recording and analysis means;

wherein said client computer is adapted to receive and time-stamp real-time data from said exposure monitor and substantially simultaneously receive and time-stamp real-time video from said network camera, said client computer further adapted to provide a live display of said real-time data and video;

further comprising means within said client computer for continually calculating the mean and standard deviation of said real-time data based on the previous mean and standard deviation values and the most recently received real-time data value.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said client computer includes video-driven means for performing behavior-based statistical analysis of data from said exposure monitor, said video-driven means including means for designating a plurality of worker actions, means for marking points in said video corresponding to said worker actions, and means for calculating and displaying statistics for the data coinciding with a particular set of selected worker actions.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said client computer further includes data-driven means for identifying and displaying segments of said video coinciding with values of said real-time data exceeding a user-selectable threshold.

6. A method of remotely monitoring exposure to particulates in a pharmaceutical processing plant in real time, comprising:

locating a particulate sensor in proximity to a potential source of particulates in a pharmaceutical processing plant;

supplying real-time particulate level data in serial form from said particulate sensor to a serial-to-wireless bridge in proximity thereto;

locating a network video camera in position to view said potential source of particulates, said network camera provided with a wireless video connection;

connecting a remotely located monitoring computer to the Internet;

transmitting video from said video camera along with said particulate level data in real time to a wireless Internet access point and therefrom on the Internet to said monitoring computer;

further comprising the step of continually calculating the mean and standard deviation of said real-time particulate level data based on the previous mean and standard deviation values and the most recently received real-time data value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the following acts are performed substantially simultaneously:

a) receiving and time-stamping said real-time particulate level data;

b) receiving and time-stamping said real-time video from said network camera; and

c) providing a live display of said real-time particulate level data and video.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of performing behavior-based statistical analysis of said particulate level data, said behavior-based statistical analysis including designating a plurality of worker actions, marking points in said video corresponding to said worker actions, and calculating and displaying statistics for the particulate level data coinciding with a particular set of selected worker actions.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of identifying and displaying segments of said video coinciding with values of said real-time particulate level data exceeding a user-selectable threshold.

8. A method of remotely monitoring exposure to particulates in a pharmaceutical processing plant in real time, comprising:

locating a particulate sensor in proximity to a potential source of particulates in a pharmaceutical processing plant;

supplying real-time particulate level data in serial form from said particulate sensor to a serial-to-wireless bridge in proximity thereto;

locating a network video camera in position to view said potential source of particulates, said network camera provided with a wireless video connection;

connecting a remotely located monitoring computer to the Internet; and

transmitting video from said video camera along with said particulate level data in real time to a wireless Internet access point and therefrom on the Internet to said monitoring computer;

wherein the following acts are performed substantially simultaneously;

a) receiving and time-stamping said real-time particulate level data;

b) receiving and time-stamping said real-time video from said network camera; and

c) providing a live display of said real-time particulate level data and video;

further comprising the step of continually calculating the mean and standard deviation of said real-time particulate level data based on the previous mean and standard deviation values and the most recently received real-time data value.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of performing behavior-based statistical analysis of said particulate level data, said behavior-based statistical analysis including designating a plurality of worker actions, marking points in said video corresponding to said worker actions, and calculating and displaying statistics for the particulate level data coinciding with a particular set of selected worker actions.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of identifying and displaying segments of said video coinciding with values of said real-time particulate level data exceeding a user-selectable threshold.