Sensing method for monitoring conditions for a remote location

• US 7,221,746 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jj Richardson
• Original Assignee: Donald Onken, J. J. Richardson, Steve Stone
• Inventors: Stone, Steve, Richardson, John J., Onken, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/432,498
• Time in Patent Office: 2,758 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/38, 379/39, 379/40, 379/41, 379/42, 379/43, 379/44, 379/45, 379/46, 379/47, 379/48, 379/49, 379/50, 379/51, 379/106.01, 379/106.02
• US Class Current: 379/106.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports

Abstract

The present invention is for a sensing device that monitors the conditions of a remote location. The device has a detecting means which detects the conditions at the remote location; a transmitting module that reads and remotely transmits information containing the detected conditions and the power level of a power source powering the transmitting module; a base module that receives, selectively processes and conveys the information telephonically; and an identifying means that identifies the remote location of the call without incurring a telephone toll charge. The invention is also directed to a method of sensing conditions at a remote location without incurring telephone toll charges.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring conditions at a remote location, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting the conditions at the remote location;

(b) reading the conditions at the remote location;

(c) transmitting information regarding the conditions at the remote location;

(d) receiving the transmitting information;

(e) selectively processing the transmitted information to determine which of a list of pre-programmed telephone numbers to call;

(f) calling the pre-programmed telephone number;

(g) conveying the information; and

(h) identifying the remote location of the call,

wherein the selectively processing step comprises the steps of;

(a) firstly verifying the information received by the receiving step;

(b) secondly verifying the information received by the reporting step;

(c) matching a condition with a telephone number from the list of pre-programmed telephone numbers, the condition being verified by the firstly verifying step and the secondly verifying step; and

(d) sending the information regarding the condition to the calling step, and

wherein the firstly verifying step comprises the step of waiting for two consecutive transmissions of the same information from the transmitting step, the waiting step ensuring that the transmissions comprise valid information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the conditions at the remote location comprise conditions of a container at the remote location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the container comprises a waste disposal container, the waste disposal container being filled with waste material therein.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of emptying the waste disposal container, the emptying step being activated by the identifying step.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the emptying step is accomplished by at least one person emptying the waste disposal container.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the emptying step is accomplished by routing at least one vehicle to the remote location to empty the waste disposal container.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises using remote sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reading step and the transmitting step occur in a transmitting module.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing a first power source to the transmitting module, the first power source having a power level.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of measuring the power level of the first power source.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of conserving the power level of the first power source.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading step further comprises the step of reading the power level of the first power source.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of encoding the information containing the conditions of the remote location and the power level of the first power source.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of delaying the transmitting step, the delaying step allowing all circuitry of the transmitting module to be powered up and stable.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting step occurs over an RF link.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step, the selectively processing step, the calling step and the conveying step all occur in a base module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving step further comprises the step of decoding the information received from the transmitting step.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of providing a second power source to the base module, the second power source comprising a power level.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of reporting conditions at a close proximity to the base module.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the conditions at the close proximity to the base module comprise conditions of a container at the close proximity to the base module.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the conditions at the close proximity to the base module comprise the power level of the second power source.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondly verifying step comprises the step of maintaining the reported information at high or low state for at least three seconds, the maintaining step ensuring that the information from the reporting step is valid.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching step comprises the steps of:

(a) firstly matching the condition obtained from the receiving step and the reporting step with one of a plurality of switch inputs; and

(b) secondly matching the condition with the telephone number from the list of pre-programmed telephone numbers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the firstly matching step comprises the step of matching one of the switch inputs with the condition as follows:

(a) matching switch input 1 with the condition that the container is ¼

full;

(b) matching switch input 2 with the condition that the container is ½

full; and

(c) matching switch input 3 with the condition that the container is ¾

full.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of indicating each condition matched by the matching step, the indicating step allowing human operators to supervise the matched conditions.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the indicating step comprises the steps of:

(a) firstly indicating at a distance from the base module each condition matched by the matching step, the firstly indicating step allowing human operators to supervise the matched conditions at a distance from the base module; and

(b) secondly indicating at a close proximity to the base module each condition matched by the matching step, the secondly indicating step allowing human operators to supervise the matched conditions at a close proximity to the base module.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting whether a telephone line used by the calling step is off-hook.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the off-hook detecting step comprises the steps of:

(a) generating one of a positive and negative voltage change using a plurality of diodes, whereby a positive voltage change represents that the telephone line is on-hook and a negative voltage change represents that the telephone line is off-hook;

(b) Detecting the voltage change with a plurality of discrete circuits;

(c) indicating the voltage change with a light emitting diode, whereby a lit light emitting diode indicates a negative voltage change and a dim light emitting diode indicates a positive voltage change; and

(d) relaying the voltage change to the first processing step.