Method for detecting changes in measurable conditions

• US 7,646,298 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DJ Osburn Management LLC
• Original Assignee: DJ Inventions, LLC
• Inventors: Osburn, Douglas C. III, Cannoy, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang; Jack
• Application Number:
  US11/874,070
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.26, 342/357.07
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A method for receiving information on measurable conditions using at least one enterprise server and at least one remote terminal unit. The enterprise server is adapted to simultaneously handle multiple types of telemetry and multiple different protocols associated with at least one remote terminal unit on at least one vessel over a network. Selective encryption is used to communicate between the server and the remote terminal unit. The remote terminal unit collects data on measurable conditions, which is stored, streamed to enterprise server, or combinations thereof. When the collected data exceeds a preset limit, an alarm is automatically initiated. During communication, the enterprise server simultaneously on-line configures and reconfigures the remote terminal unit.

Claims

1. A method for receiving information on measurable conditions and for controlling at least one remote terminal unit using an enterprise server, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a. adapting at least one enterprise server to simultaneously handle multiple types of telemetry and multiple different protocols associated with a remote terminal unit on a vessel over a network;

b. using computer instructions stored in a memory and cryptographic modules to selectively encrypt communication between the enterprise server and the remote terminal unit by performing an action selected from the group consisting of;

i. encrypting before transmission;

ii. passing a transmission through the cryptographic modules and encrypting during transmission through the cryptographic modules;

wherein each cryptographic module has a cryptography chip; and

iii. combinations thereof,

c. using computer instructions on each enterprise server to authenticate an identification of the remote terminal unit;

d. using computer instructions on the remote terminal unit to verify an identification of the at least one enterprise server;

e. collecting data on the measurable conditions by the remote terminal unit and performing an action selected from the group consisting of;

i. storing the collected data and then transmitting the collected data to the enterprise server;

ii. storing the collected data and then transmitting the collected data to second remote terminal unit that transmits the collected data to the at least one enterprise server;

iii. streaming the collected data to the enterprise server;

iv. streaming the collected data to at least one a second remote terminal unit that transmits the collected data to the at least one enterprise server; and

v. combinations thereof;

f. automatically initiating an alarm by the remote terminal unit when the collected data is outside a preset limit; and

g. while communicating using selective encryption between the at least one remote terminal unit and the enterprise server, using computer instructions stored on the enterprise server to;

i. online configure the at least one remote terminal unit, while simultaneously operating the at least one remote terminal unit;

or

ii. online reconfigure the at least one remote terminal unit, while simultaneously operating the at least one remote terminal unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurable conditions comprise:

changes in pressure, changes in location of the at least one vessel, changes in location of the at least one vessel relative to a predefined position, changes in temperature, changes in location of the at least one vessel relative to an identified secondary location, changes in altitude, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one vessel is a member of the group consisting of:

a semi-submersible platform, a submersible vessel, a floating vessel, an armored vehicle, a moving vehicle, a deep draft cassion vessel, a ship, a truck, an automobile, a train, a bus, a plane, an individual human, an animal, a container on a vessel, a fuel tank, a piece of equipment, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote terminal unit is selected form the group consisting of:

a sensor with a transmitter, a radio frequency identification tag with an activator and a receiver, a bar code with a bar code reader, a status switch, a global positioning system receiver and transmitter, a portable data acquisition system, a data acquisition recording device, a vibration monitoring device, a video monitoring device, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of communicating the terminal unit with a data broadcast device to collect data from a point remote from the remote terminal unit, wherein the act of collecting and storing data is performed simultaneous with the step of communicating between the at least one remote terminal unit and the data broadcast device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing communication with a member of the group:

a second vessel, a second remote terminal unit, or combinations thereof, while the enterprise server continuously communicates with the vessel.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising removing a member of the group:

a second vessel, a second remote terminal unit, or combinations thereof, from communication with the enterprise server while the at least one enterprise server continuously communicates with the vessel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing communication with a member of the group:

a second vessel, a second remote terminal unit, or combinations thereof, while the enterprise server continuously communicates with the at least one remote terminal unit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing a member of the group:

a second vessel, a second remote terminal unit, or combinations thereof, from communication with the enterprise server while the enterprise server continuously communicates with the remote terminal unit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote terminal unit directly communicates with the enterprise server using a member selected from the group consisting of:

a plain old telephone system, a radio frequency system, a cellular network system, a fiber optic system, an infra-red system, a satellite system, an Ethernet system, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously sending information to the remote terminal unit while receiving data from the remote terminal unit.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting the remote terminal unit on the vessel to communicate with a second remote terminal unit disposed on a second vessel, wherein the remote terminal unit and the second remote terminal unit are simultaneously communicating directly with the enterprise server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vessel is under water and the second vessel is above water.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising simultaneously transmitting the data from each of the remote terminal units to the enterprise server, and simultaneously detecting changes in the measurable conditions from each of the remote terminal units.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the enterprise server to trigger an action in response to an alarm condition.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing the collected data to a set of preset limits using the remote terminal unit, and when the collected data exceeds the set of preset limits, transmitting the collected data to the enterprise server.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing the collected data to a set of preset limits using the enterprise server.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of authenticating the identification of the remote terminal unit by the enterprise server and verifying the identification of the at least one enterprise server by the remote terminal unit are performed simultaneously.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote terminal unit digitizes the collected data prior to storing the data or streaming the data to the enterprise server.