Apparatus for detecting environmental conditions for a structure or article

• US 7,343,136 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Liu, Chang, Engel, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US10/866,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.11, 340/870.01, 340/602, 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/539.24, 340/539.26, 340/539.28, 340/539.3, 340/540, 340/539, 455/423, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/39, 455/67.11, 455/67.12, 455/67.7, 455/90.3, 455/90.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.8, 455/127.5, 455/128, 455/343.1, 455/344, 455/347, 455/426.2, 455/422.1, 455/414.1, 455/66.1, 455/67.14, 455/90.2
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0008 of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting environmental conditions for a structure or article. The apparatus comprises one or more sensors for sensing conditions at the component or articles and producing one or more signals and a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data based on the one or more signals to a remote device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting environmental conditions for an architectural structure comprising:

one or more sensors for sensing conditions at the architectural structure and producing one or more signals;

a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data based on the one or more signals to a remote device; and

a power source for at least one of said one or more sensors and said wireless transmitter;

wherein said one or more sensors, said wireless transmitter, and said power source are contained within a structural component of the architectural structure;

wherein the structural component is incorporated within the architectural structure to form a combined uniform structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a vibration sensor and a tilt sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power source comprises at least one of a storage device and a charging device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

control circuitry for controlling receiving of signals from the one or more sensors and for controlling sending of data through the wireless transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said control circuitry is programmed to receive signals from the one or more sensors at regular intervals.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said control circuitry is programmed to enter a sleep mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said control circuitry is programmed to enter a sleep mode based on a prediction of signals from the one or more sensors.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors and the wireless transmitter are enclosed within a chamber of the structural component.

9. A structural component incorporating the apparatus of claim 1.

10. An apparatus for detecting environmental conditions for an architectural structure comprising:

one or more sensors for sensing conditions at the architectural structure and producing one or more signals;

a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data based on the one or more signals to a remote device; and

a power source for at least one of said one or more sensors and said wireless transmitter;

wherein said one or more sensors, said wireless transmitter, and said power source are contained within a structural component of the architectural structure , and

wherein the structural component is incorporated within the architectural structure to form a combined uniform structure;

wherein the structural component comprises at least one of a masonry brick, a concrete brick, poured concrete, and structural steel, and wherein the architectural structure comprises a building.

11. An apparatus for detecting environmental conditions for an architectural structure comprising:

one or more sensors for sensing conditions at the architectural structure and producing one or more signals;

a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data based on the one or more signals to a remote device; and

a power source for at least one of said one or more sensors and said wireless transmitter;

wherein said one or more sensors, said wireless transmitter, and said power source are contained within a structural component of the architectural structure, and wherein the structural component is incorporated within the architectural structure to form a combined uniform structure;

wherein the structural component comprises at least one of poured concrete and asphalt,

and wherein the architectural structure comprises at least one of a building, a bridge, a road, and a pavement.

12. A network for detecting environmental conditions within an architectural structure, the network comprising:

a sensor node comprising at least one sensor, a wireless transmitter, and a power source for the at least one sensor and the wireless transmitter;

at least one hub for receiving wired or wireless signal transmitted from said sensor node;

wherein said sensor node is contained within a structural component of the architectural structure;

wherein the structural component is incorporated within the architectural structure to form a combined uniform structure;

wherein the at least one sensor senses at least one condition at the architectural structure and produces one or more signals; and

wherein the wireless transmitter transmits data to said at least one hub based on the produced one or more signals.

13. The network of claim 12 further comprising:

a base in communication with said at least one hub for receiving signals sent from said at least one hub.

14. The network of claim 13 further comprising:

a computer coupled to at least one of said base and said at least one hub.

15. A method of detecting environmental conditions in an architectural structure, the method comprising:

providing a signal from at least one sensor disposed within a structural component of the architectural structure, wherein the structural component is incorporated within the architectural structure to form a combined uniform structure;

processing the signal to provide a data stream;

wirelessly transmitting the data stream to a remote device;

receiving the wireless transmitted data stream;

wherein a wireless transmitter for providing said wirelessly transmitting and a power source are contained within the structural component;

wherein said provided signal is based on a sensed environmental condition.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said processing the signal comprises:

multiplexing the signal from the at least one sensor;

converting the multiplexed signal to a serial data stream.

17. An apparatus for detecting environmental conditions for an architectural structure comprising:

a brick;

one or more sensors for sensing conditions at the architectural structure and producing one or more signals;

a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data based on the one or more signals to a remote device; and

a power source for at least one of said one or more sensors and said wireless transmitter;

wherein said one or more sensors, said wireless transmitter, and said power source are contained within the brick.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a thermistor, a vibration sensor, a moisture sensor, a chemical sensor, and an acoustic sensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

control circuitry for controlling receiving of signals from the one or more sensors and for controlling sending of data through the wireless transmitter.