Monitoring and alarming system and method

• US 7,859,403 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elecsys International Corporation (Lindsay Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Elecsys Incorporated
• Inventors: Tampke, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/186,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.18, 340/539.17, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/506, 340/521, 340/531, 340/605, 340/606, 340/611, 340/614, 340/632, 702/138, 702/188
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

A system and method for selectively communicating data from a remote facility to a central computing device via one or more communication networks and/or protocols. Measurement data for a particular operation is collected and stored by a field device at the remote facility. The field device compares the collected measurement data to stored threshold data to detect an alarm event or transfer event. If an alarm event is detected, the RTU transfers an alarm message to a user via a first communication network. If a transfer event is detected, the RTU transfers a transfer message to the user via a different communication network. If a no-event is detected, the field device continues to collect and store measurement data for the particular operation.

Claims

1. A field device for transmitting a notification signal from a remote facility, the field device comprising:

a sensor to measure a value of a particular operating parameter at the remote facility;

a memory to store threshold data comprising a target parameter value range, a minimum parameter value, and a maximum parameter value for the particular operating parameter;

a processor comprising modules executable by the processor, the modules comprising;

a storage module to store the value of the particular operating parameter in the memory as measurement data;

an event detection module to compare threshold data to the value of the particular operating parameter to detect an event, the event selected from a group consisting of an alarm event, a transfer event, and a non-event; and

a report module to generate a first notification signal comprising measurement data when the transfer event is detected and to generate a second notification signal comprising an alarm message when the alarm event is detected; and

a communication system to transmit the first notification signal via a first communication network using a first communication protocol or to transmit the second notification signal via a second communication network using a second communication protocol;

wherein the sensor measures a second value of the particular operating parameter after a predetermined time period has elapsed from a time the alarm event was detected, and wherein;

the event detection module is further configured to compare threshold data to the second value to detect the event;

the report module is further configured to generate a third notification signal comprising a second alarm message when the event detection module continues to detect the alarm event; and

the communication system is further configured to transmit the third notification signal via the second communication network using the second communication protocol.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the event detection module detects:

the alarm event when the value is greater than the maximum parameter value or is less than the minimum parameter value;

the transfer event when the value is not within the target parameter value range but is less than the maximum parameter value or is greater than the minimum parameter value;

or

the non-event when the value is within the target parameter value range.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the target parameter value range corresponds to a preset dead-band range of the sensor.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the first communication network comprises an Internet.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the second communication network comprises a telecommunication network; and

the alarm message is selected from a group consisting of a short message service text message and a pre-recorded voice call.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the second notification signal further comprises the value of the operating parameter, a time and date the alarm event was detected, and identification data.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the communication system transmits:

the first notification signal to a central computing device via the first communication network when the transfer event is detected; and

the second notification signal to a telecommunication device via the second communication network when the alarm event is detected.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the telecommunication device is selected from a group consisting of a personal digital assistant device, a cellular phone, a laptop computer, and a pager.

9. The device of claim 7 further comprising a reconnection module to configure the communication system to reconnect to the first communication network to communicate with the central computing after transmitting the second notification signal to the telecommunication device.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the memory further comprises contact data for a plurality of telecommunication devices associated with one or more users, wherein the communication system is configured to use the contact data to transmit the second notification signal to the one or more users via the plurality of telecommunication devices.

11. A system for transmitting a notification from a remote facility, the system comprising:

a central computing device configured to connect to a first communication network;

a telecommunication device configured to connect to a second communication network; and

a remote transmission unit comprising;

a sensor to measure a value of a particular operating parameter at the remote facility;

a memory to store threshold data comprising a target parameter value range, a minimum parameter value, and a maximum parameter value for the particular operating parameter;

a controller comprising modules executable by the controller, the modules comprising;

a storage module to store the value of the particular operating parameter in the memory as measurement data;

an event detection module to compare threshold data to the value of the particular operating parameter to detect an event, the event selected from a group consisting of an alarm event, a transfer event, and a non-event; and

a report module to generate a first notification comprising measurement data when the transfer event is detected or to generate a second notification comprising an alarm message when the alarm event is detected; and

a data modem to transmit the first notification to the central computing device the first communication network using a first communication protocol and to transmit the second notification to the telecommunication device via the second communication network using a second communication protocol;

wherein the sensor measures a second value of the particular operating parameter after a predetermined time period has elapsed from a time the alarm event was detected, and wherein;

the event detection module is further configured to compare the threshold data to the second value to detect the event;

the report module is further configured to generate a third notification comprising a second alarm message when the second value is greater than the maximum value or is less than the minimum value; and

the data modem is further configured to transmit the third notification comprising the second value to the telecommunication device via the second communication network using the second communication protocol.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the event detection module detects:

the alarm event when the value is greater than the maximum parameter value or is less than the minimum parameter value;

the transfer event when the value is not within the target parameter value range but is less than the maximum parameter value or is greater than the minimum parameter value;

or

the non-event when the value is within the target parameter value range.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the memory is further configured to store the threshold data comprising a predefined maximum non-event time period; and

the event detection module is further configured to detect the transfer event after an the predefined maximum non-event time period has expired.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the target parameter value range corresponds to a preset dead-band range of the sensor.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the first communication network comprises an Internet;

the second communication network comprises a telecommunication network; and

the alarm message is selected from a group consisting of a short message service text message and a pre-recorded voice call.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the central computing device is further configured to transmit a data request to the remote transmission unit in response to input from a user; and

the report module is configured to generate the first notification comprising measurement data is response to the data request.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the second notification further comprises the value of the operating parameter, a time and date the alarm event was detected, and identification data.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the telecommunication device is selected from a group consisting of a personal digital assistant device, a cellular phone, a laptop computer, and a pager.

19. The system of claim 11 further comprising a reconnection module to configure the data modem to reconnect to the first communication network to communicate with the central computing device after transmitting the second notification to the telecommunication device via the telecommunication network.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the memory further comprises contact data for a plurality of telecommunication devices associated with one or more users, wherein the data modem is configured to use the contact data to transmit the second notification to the one or more users via the plurality of telecommunication devices.

21. A method for transmitting a notification signal from a remote facility, the method comprising:

measuring a value of a particular operating parameter at the facility;

storing the value of the particular operating parameter in a memory as measurement data and storing threshold data in the memory, the threshold data comprising a target parameter value range, a minimum parameter value, and a maximum parameter value for the particular operating parameter;

comparing threshold data to the value of the particular operating parameter to detect an event, the event selected from a group consisting of an alarm event, a transfer event, and a non-event;

generating a first notification signal comprising measurement data when the transfer event is detected and generating a second notification signal comprising an alarm message when the alarm event is detected; and

transmitting the first notification signal via a first communication network using a first communication protocol or transmitting the second notification signal via a second communication network using a second communication protocol; and

further comprising;

measuring a second value of the particular operating parameter after a predetermined time period has elapsed from a time the alarm event was detected;

comparing the threshold data to the second value to detect the event generating a third notification signal comprising a second alarm message when the second value is greater than the maximum value or is less than the minimum value; and

transmitting the third notification signal via the second communication network using the second communication protocol.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein:

the alarm event is detected when the value is greater than the maximum parameter value or is less than the minimum parameter value;

the transfer event is detected when the value is not within the target parameter value range but is less than the maximum parameter value or is greater than the minimum parameter value;

or

the non-event is detected when the value is within the target parameter value range.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the first communication network comprises an Internet.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein:

the second communication network comprises a telecommunication network; and

the alarm message is selected from a group consisting of a short message service text message and a pre-recorded voice call.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein:

transmitting the first notification signal comprises transmitting the first notification signal to a central computing device via the first communication network when the transfer event is detected; and

transmitting the second notification signal comprises transmitting the second notification signal to a telecommunication device via the second communication network when the alarm event is detected.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the telecommunication device is selected from a group consisting of a personal digital assistant device, a cellular phone, a laptop computer, and a pager and the central computing device is selected from another group consisting of a personal computer and a server.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising communicating with the central computing device via the first communication network when the second value is greater than the minimum parameter value or less than the maximum parameter value.

28. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

storing contact data for a plurality of telecommunication devices associated with one or more users in the memory; and

using the contact data to transmit the second notification signal to the one or more users via the plurality of telecommunication devices.