Method and system for monitoring environmental conditions

• US 7,834,754 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Kulesz, James J., Lee, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/204,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/522, 340/524, 340/525, 340/3.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• 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 29/06 Monitoring of the line circuits, e.g. signalling of line faults
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors
• 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: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A system for detecting the occurrence of anomalies includes a plurality of spaced apart nodes, with each node having adjacent nodes, each of the nodes having one or more sensors associated with the node and capable of detecting anomalies, and each of the nodes having a controller connected to the sensors associated with the node. The system also includes communication links between adjacent nodes, whereby the nodes form a network. At least one software agent is capable of changing the operation of at least one of the controllers in response to the detection of an anomaly by a sensor.

Claims

1. A system for detecting the occurrence of anomalies comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart nodes, with each node having adjacent nodes;

at least one sensor associated with each of the nodes, the sensor capable of detecting at least one predetermined anomaly;

at least one individual controller connected to the at least one sensor associated with each node;

a plurality of communication links connecting adjacent nodes to form a network with each node operable to communicate with more than one other node; and

a software agent associated with each of the controllers, the software agent programmed with respect to a concept of operations corresponding to the software agent, the software agent operable, in accordance with the concept of operations, to cause the controller to send a message to at least one other node over the communication links upon detection of the predetermined anomaly by the sensor connected to the associated controller, the message causing changes in a concept of operations corresponding to at least one software agent at the one other node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to run a specific test.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to modify a threshold level for a test.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to transmit additional data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to change the frequency of a routine specific test.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to send a status of calibration of a sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to query identification data of a sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to change the functionality of an entire node.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to change the transmittal rate of data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to perform predictive analysis.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to become a data storage facility.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the software agents is programmed to send a command to query another node.

13. A system for monitoring environmental conditions for anomalies comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart nodes, with each node having adjacent nodes;

at least one sensor associated with each of the nodes, the sensor capable of detecting at least one environmental anomaly;

at least one controller connected to the at least one sensor associated with each node;

a plurality of communication links between adjacent nodes, to form a network; and

a software agent associated with each of the controllers with each software agent programmed with respect to a concept of operations corresponding to the software agent, the software agent operable, in accordance with the concept of operations, to cause the controller to change the operation of at least one of the controllers and the sensors of another node of the network when there is an indication that an environmental anomaly has been detected.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor is operative to detect an operational anomaly that includes at least one of the detection of the destruction of a communication link to an adjacent node, a loss of power from a primary source of power, a loss of controller capability, a decrease in capability of a processor, a decrease in the memory storage, and a command from another node.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each software agent is programmed to operate the controller in an event state when there is an indication that at least one of an environmental anomaly an operational anomaly has been detected and a quiescent state when there is no indication that an anomaly has been detected.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein each software agent is embedded within the controller of the respective node.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the software agent includes a plurality of concepts of operation and further wherein the software agent implements an appropriate concept of operations when an anomaly has been detected and posts data representative of the anomaly to adjacent nodes.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the software agent at each node is reprogrammable.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein each software agent contains at least one concept of operations for the respective node.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the system further includes at least one network data repository and further wherein each software agent is adapted to post data to the at least one network data repository.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each software agent is adapted to interpret event data posted by a software agent at another node and react accordingly.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each software agent may post data to a data repository at another node of the network in response to the interpreted event data.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein external agents that are outside of the network and communicably connected to the network may post data to the at least one network data repository.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein each software agent may be modified from a location that is outside of the network and communicably connected to the network.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the software agents are adapted to monitor the network for disruptions.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein the software agents are adapted to contain network disruptions.

27. The system of claim 13, wherein each node includes an identity agent associated with the node and further wherein each identity agent contains data relating to the associated node.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each identity agent is programmed to communicate with an attached sensor.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein each identity agent includes a technical electronic data sheet for the attached sensor.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein each identity agent is embedded in an interface between the sensor and the node.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein each identity agent is either programmable or permanently stored.

32. A system for responding to environmental anomalies comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart nodes, with each node having adjacent nodes;

at least one sensor associated with each of the nodes, the sensor capable of detecting at least one environmental condition;

at least one individual controller connected to the at least one sensor associated with each node;

a plurality of communication links connecting adjacent nodes to form a network with each node operable to communicate with more than one other node;

a control and command center in communication with the network nodes, the control and command center operable to enable emergency authorities to control the efforts of various responders; and

a software agent associated with each of the controllers, the software agent programmed with respect to the associated controller, the software agent operative to determine an anomaly scenario in response to detection of at least one environmental condition sensed by at least one of the sensors, the software agent further operable to transmit data related to the anomaly scenario to more than one of the plurality of nodes and the human interface with the anomaly scenario data causing changes in the operation of at least one software agent at one other node.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein each node includes at least one software agent.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein each controller includes at least one software agent.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein each controller includes a software agent for each associated sensor.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one software agent is adapted to move between nodes on the network.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the software agents are adapted to communicate with other software agents.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the system further includes at least one network data repository and further wherein the software agents are adapted to post data to the at least one network data repository.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the software agents are adapted to collaborate with one another in response to the detection of an environmental anomaly by at least one of the sensors to optimize the use of resources and the communication links within the network.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein the software agents include programming containing at least one predetermined concept of operations for at least one of the controllers.

41. A method of monitoring environmental conditions for anomalies comprising the steps of:

(a) distributing a plurality of spaced apart nodes, with each node having adjacent nodes, each of the nodes having at least one sensor associated with the node and capable of detecting environmental anomalies, each of the nodes having a controller connected to the sensors associated with the node, and each of the controllers having a software agent that is programmed with respect to the controller and in accordance with a concept of operations corresponding to the software agent;

(b) communicably connecting adjacent nodes to form a network; and

(c) programming the software agent at a first node to change a concept of operations corresponding to at least one software agent at a second node of the network that is different from the first node upon detection of an environmental anomaly at the first node.