Programmed wireless sensor system

• US 7,230,528 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Kates
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US11/231,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/539.19, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/539.18, 340/539.14
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A low cost, robust, wireless sensor system that provides an extended period of operability without maintenance is described. The system includes one or more intelligent sensor units and a base unit that can communicate with a large number of sensors. When one or more of the sensors detects an anomalous condition (e.g., smoke, fire, water, etc.) the sensor communicates with the base unit and provides data regarding the anomalous condition. The base unit can contact a supervisor or other responsible person by a plurality of techniques, such as, telephone, pager, cellular telephone, Internet, etc. In one embodiment, one or more wireless repeaters are used between the sensors and the base unit to extend the range of the system and to allow the base unit to communicate with a larger number of sensors. In one embodiment, each sensor is labeled according to its intended location, and system configuration data containing the sensor identification codes and corresponding sensor locations is provided to the user.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor system, comprising:

a plurality of wireless sensor units, each of said one or more wireless sensor units comprising at least one sensor configured to measure a condition, said wireless sensor unit configured to receive instructions;

each of said one or more wireless sensor units configured to report data measured by said at least one sensor when said wireless sensor determines that data measured by said at least one sensor fails a threshold test, each of said one or more sensor units provided with a label indicating an intended location for installation;

a computer-readable media provided with said one or more wireless sensor units, said computer-readable media containing data indicating said intended locations and corresponding identification codes for each of said sensor units; and

a base unit configured to communicate with said one or more wireless sensor units and to provide data from said one or more wireless sensor units to a monitoring computer, said monitoring computer configured to send a notification to a responsible party when data from one or more of said wireless sensor units corresponds to an emergency condition, said monitoring computer configured to log data from one or more of said wireless sensor units when said data from one or more of said wireless sensor units corresponds to an abnormal condition said monitoring computer configured to use data from said computer-readable medium to correlate said intended locations with said identification codes.

2. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a smoke sensor.

3. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises an air temperature sensor.

4. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a water-level sensor.

5. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a water-temperature sensor.

6. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a moisture sensor.

7. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a humidity sensor.

8. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a carbon monoxide sensor.

9. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a flammable gas sensor.

10. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a door-open sensor.

11. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a broken-window sensor.

12. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises an intrusion sensor.

13. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a power-failure sensor.

14. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to attempt to contact said responsible party by telephone.

15. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to attempt to contact said responsible party by cellular telephone.

16. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to attempt to contact said responsible party by cellular text messaging.

17. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to attempt to contact said responsible party by pager.

18. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to attempt to contact said responsible party by Internet.

19. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to attempt to contact said responsible party by email.

20. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to attempt to contact said responsible party by Internet instant messaging.

21. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer comprises a diskless computer.

22. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said threshold test comprises a high threshold level.

23. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said threshold test comprises a low threshold level.

24. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said threshold test comprises an inner threshold range.

25. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said threshold test comprises an outer threshold range.

26. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said one or more wireless sensor units comprises a tamper sensor and an ambient condition sensor.

27. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said one or more wireless sensor units are configured to receive an instruction to change a status reporting interval.

28. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said one or more wireless sensor units are configured to receive an instruction to change a sensor data reporting interval.

29. The wireless sensor system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring computer is configured to monitor status of each of said one or more wireless sensors.

30. A method of configuring a sensor system, comprising:

generating a list of intended sensor unit locations including a first location and a second location;

programming a first sensor unit with a first identification code;

marking said first sensor unit with a first marking indicating said first location;

programming a second sensor unit with a second identification code;

marking said second sensor unit with a second marking indicating said second location;

writing a computer readable medium with data correlating said first marking with said first identification code and correlating said second marking with said second identification code; and

providing said first sensor unit and said second sensor unit and said computer readable medium to a user.