Sensor interface with mobile terminal satellite modem and global location system

• US 7,877,208 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Inventors: Battista, Rich
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/528,577
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 340/426.19, 340/540, 340/989, 340/539.26, 340/10.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/568.1, 342/457, 342/42, 342/44, 342/46
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• 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: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system and method for implementing a low-power local-area network for use with a mobile terminal satellite modem. This low-power local-area network enables sensors on an asset to transmit sensor data to a mobile terminal affixed on the asset. The mobile terminal reports the sensor data along with asset position information to a centralized facility via a communications satellite.

Claims

1. A sensor monitoring system at an asset location, comprising:

a satellite modem;

a master device that interfaces with said satellite modem for delivery of sensor data to a remote location; and

a slave device that is coupled to a sensor that is designed to measure a physical quantity based on interaction by said sensor with a physical environment in which said sensor is placed, said slave device also being configured to communicate sensor measurement data to said master device via a wired serial interface for delivery to a remote location using said satellite modem, wherein said slave device includes a controller that controls entry of said slave device into a low power state and waking of said slave device upon an occurrence of an physical event at detected by said sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said serial interface is a RS-485 interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said master device assigns a wakeup time to said slave device after said slave device completes a synchronization process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said master device transmits configuration information to said slave device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said configuration information originates at a remote location and is received by said master device via said satellite modem.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said master device transmits a status request to said slave device.

7. A sensor interface system at an asset location, comprising:

a slave device having an associated sensor that is designed to measure a physical quantity based on interaction by said associated sensor with a physical environment in which said associated sensor is placed;

a satellite modem that receives a message from a remote location via a communication satellite, said message including configuration information for said slave device; and

a master device that interfaces with said satellite modem for delivery of sensor data to said remote location, said master device being configured to communicate with said slave device to deliver said configuration information to said slave device, wherein upon receipt of said configuration information from said master device said slave device reconfigures an operation of said associated sensor.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a locating device that is coupled to said satellite modem, said locating device generating information that is used to identify a location of the asset.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said locating device generates location information that is used, at said remote location, to calculate a location of the asset.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said master device is integrated in hardware with said satellite modem.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said master device is on separate hardware from said satellite modem, and communicates with said satellite modem using a hardwired interface.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said master device transmits a status request to said slave device.

13. A sensor monitoring method in a system having a plurality of slave devices and a master device, said master device being coupled to said plurality of slave device via a shared communication bus, comprising:

detecting a sensor event by a slave device that is coupled to a sensor;

signaling, by said slave device, to said master device for said master device to wake from a low power state;

receiving, by said slave device, a request from said master device;

sending, by said slave device in response to said request, information regarding said detected sensor event to said master device for delivery by said master device to a remote location via a satellite modem coupled to said master device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said sending comprises sending via a serial interface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said sending comprises sending via a RS-485 interface.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said signaling comprises signaling over said shared communication bus in response to said detected event.