System for detecting changes in preselected measurable conditions

• US 7,747,710 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DJ Osburn Management LLC
• Original Assignee: DJ Inventions, LLC
• Inventors: Cannoy, John D., Osburn, Douglas C. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Nghi V
• Application Number:
  US11/874,065
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/28 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading, distribution or shipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A system for detecting changes in measureable conditions comprising: an enterprise server, at least one vessel, and a data broadcast device on the vessel. The broadcast device is in communication with a satellite. At least one remote terminal unit is on the vessel, and the remote terminal unit is in communication with an electronic cryptographic module. The remote terminal unit stores digital data in a memory area for transmission. Communication software, adapted to handle multiple telemetries and protocols, links the enterprise server directly with each vessel, collects digital data on changes in measureable conditions, and initiates an alarm when the digital data signifies a change outside a preset limit. Configuration software configures the remote terminal unit by executing configuration commands using the communication software. A broadcast device is disposed on each vessel, for enabling the remote terminal unit on each vessel to directly communicate with the enterprise server.

Claims

1. A system for simultaneously collecting data and detecting changes on measurable conditions and for sending commands to control, online configure, and online reconfigure remote terminal units and remote terminal unit functions using communications with a supervisory control and data acquisition system, wherein the system comprises:

a. at least one enterprise server in communication with a network by using communication with the supervisory control and data acquisition system;

b. at least one vessel;

c. at least one data broadcast device in communication with the at least one enterprise server, the network, and the at least one vessel;

d. at least one remote terminal unit in communication with the at least one broadcast device and the at least one vessel, and wherein the at least one remote terminal unit simultaneously collects data and detects changes on the measurable conditions relating to the at least one vessel, and wherein the at least one remote terminal unit is in communication with at least one electronic cryptographic module;

wherein the at least one remote terminal unit further comprises;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting the data into a digital data;

a memory area for storing the digital data;

at least one processor in communication with the analog-to-digital converter and the memory area, wherein the at least one processor operates upon the digital data according to a predetermined function, and wherein the at least one processor selectively moves the digital data to the memory area;

a command register for storing communication commands, wherein the command register is in communication with the at least one processor such that the at least one processor moves the digital data to the memory area when the command register contains an enabling communication command; and

at least one bidirectional port in communication with the communication software and at least one the enterprise server for transmitting the digital data to the at least one enterprise server from the at least one remote terminal unit via the communication software, wherein the at least one bidirectional port receives the digital data from the communication software;

e. communication software linking the at least one enterprise server with the at least one vessel, wherein the communication software is adapted to simultaneously handle multiple types of telemetry and multiple different protocols associated with the at least one vessel, and wherein the communication software initiates an alarm when the data collected is outside a preset limit and sends commands to control, online configure, and online reconfigure the at least one remote terminal unit and remote terminal unit functions; and

f. a configuration software for online configuring and online reconfiguring of the at least one remote terminal unit and a member of the group consisting of;

the at least one electronic cryptographic module, the at least one enterprise server, or combinations thereof, and wherein online configuring and online reconfiguring are communicated using the communication software.

2. The system of claim 1, further wherein the electronic cryptographic module encrypts communication to the at least one remote terminal unit, the at least one enterprise server or combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurable conditions related to the at least one vessel 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 location, changes in location of the at least one vessel relative to a predefined position, changes in temperature, changes in the location of the at least one vessel relative to an identified secondary location, changes in altitude, and combinations thereof.

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

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

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote terminal unit is selected from 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, and acoustic recording device, a vibration monitoring device, a video monitoring device, and combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is a member of group consisting of:

a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a salinity sensor, a hydrocarbon sensor, a radiation sensor, a biometric sensor to read biometric data, a hazardous material sensor, a weight sensor, a distance sensor, a radio frequency identification sensor, a bard code sensor, a motion detecting sensor, an anemometer, an accelerometer, an altimeter, or combinations thereof.

7. The system claim 1, wherein the communication software continues communicating with a member of the group consisting of:

the at least one vessel, the at least one remote terminal unit, or combinations thereof, while a second enterprise server is added to the system.

8. The system claim 1, wherein the communication software continues communicating with a member of the group consisting of:

the at least one vessel, the at least one remote terminal unit, or combinations thereof, while a second enterprise server is removed from the system.

9. The system claim 1, wherein the communication software continues communicating with a member of the group consisting of:

the at least one vessel, the at least one remote terminal unit, or combination thereof, while another vessel is added to the system.

10. The system claim 1, wherein the communication software continues communicating with a member of the group consisting of:

the at least one vessel, the at least one remote terminal unit, or combination thereof, while a vessel is removed from the system.

11. The system claim 1, wherein the at least one remote terminal unit continues to collect data while receiving communication commands, configuration commands, reconfiguration commands, or combinations thereof, from the communication software.

12. The system claim 1, wherein the at least one remote terminal unit further comprises software.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic cryptographic module comprises a cryptography chip for decrypting communications from a member of the group:

the at least one enterprise server, the at least one remote terminal unit, or combinations thereof, and for encrypting communications from a member of the group;

the at least one remote terminal unit, the at least one enterprise server and combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a submersible vessel comprising a second remote terminal unit for measuring an oceanic bottom environment, wherein the submersible vessel comprises a second broadcast device, and wherein the second broadcast device enables the second remote terminal unit to communicate directly with the at least one enterprise server through the remote terminal unit and broadcast device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is selected from the group:

a local area network, a wide area network, a cellular network, a radio network, a plain old telephone network, a satellite network, an infrared network, a fiber optic network, a world wide network, and combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vessel is a plurality of vessels and each vessel has a remote terminal unit.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one enterprise server comprises computer instructions for authenticating an identification of each remote terminal unit prior to receiving digital data from the at least one remote terminal unit.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote terminal unit comprises computer instructions for verifying identification of each enterprise server prior to transmitting digital data.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions for simultaneously authenticating the at least one remote terminal unit while verifying identification of the at least one enterprise server.