Liquid exposure detection

• US 8,004,415 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Seaman, James W., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang; Son M
• Application Number:
  US12/245,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 340/604, 340/611, 340/616, 340618-625, 340/505, 340/518, 340/521, 340/523
• US Class Current: 340/618
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems and program products are provided for monitoring an article for fluid exposure. A plurality of liquid sensors is incorporated into an article beneath an outer layer in a furnishing installation. In response to a fluid-detected or no-fluid-detected state, polling the sensors and sometimes other data, a processor component determines fluid exposure, sensor failure and tampering events and stores event data in a memory. Pairs of the sensors are sometimes provided within expected liquid exposure saturation footprint areas. GPS coordinate, weather condition data and structural component positioning data may also be associated with event data.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an article for fluid exposure, comprising:

incorporating a plurality of liquid sensors into an article beneath an outer layer in a furnishing installation, wherein the article and the sensor are not visually apparent without removal of the outer layer;

a processor component polling each of the plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether any of the plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid, the processor component having a state set to fluid-detected or to no-fluid-detected;

if none of the polled plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid and the state is set to fluid-detected, resetting the state to no-fluid-detected and associating polling temporal data to an open fluid exposure event data entry in a memory;

if at least a first of the polled plurality of liquid sensors is currently detecting liquid;

re-polling the first and a second of the polled plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether each is currently detecting liquid;

if either of the first and the second re-polled sensors is not currently detecting liquid, creating a failure event data entry in the memory for a one of the first and the second re-polled sensors and setting the state to no-fluid-detected, else;

if the state is no-fluid-detected, setting the state to fluid-detected, creating a new fluid exposure event data entry in the memory including polling and re-polling temporal data;

or

if the state is fluid-detected, adding temporal data associated with the re-polling of the plurality of sensors to the open fluid exposure event data entry in the memory.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising deploying pairs of the plurality of sensors each within expected liquid exposure saturation footprint areas of the article, wherein re-polling the first and the second liquid sensor comprises selecting first and second paired sensors.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising reporting a tampering event if a circuit communication from a one of the plurality of sensors to the processing means or a power source connected to the plurality of sensors is interrupted.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising a GPS transponder in communication with the processing means communicating GPS coordinate data associated with the polling or the re-polling to the processing means, the processing means associating the GPS coordinate data with at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising the processing means associating weather condition data with the associated at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising the processing means associating data indicative of a structural component positioned to admit rain or snow onto the outer layer with the associated at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising the processing means associating data indicative of a power source status with the associated at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

8. A service for monitoring an article for fluid exposure, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

poll each of a plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether any of the plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid present, the computer infrastructure having a state set to fluid-detected or to no-fluid-detected, wherein the plurality of liquid sensors are incorporated into an article beneath an outer layer in a furnishing installation, and wherein the article and the sensor are not visually apparent without removal of the outer layer;

if none of the polled plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid and the state is set to fluid-detected, reset the state to no-fluid-detected and associate polling temporal data to an open fluid exposure event data entry in a memory;

if at least a first of the polled plurality of liquid sensors is currently detecting liquid;

re-poll the first and a second of the polled plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether each is currently detecting liquid; and

if either of the first and the second re-polled sensors is not currently detecting liquid, create a failure event data entry in the memory for a one of the first and the second re-polled sensors and set the state to no-fluid-detected, else;

if the state is no-fluid-detected, set the state to fluid-detected, create a new fluid exposure event and associate polling and re-polling temporal data with the new fluid exposure event;

or

if the state is fluid-detected, add temporal data associated with the re-polling of the plurality of sensors to the open fluid exposure event data entry in the memory.

9. The service of claim 8, wherein pairs of the plurality of sensors are deployed each within a plurality of expected liquid exposure saturation footprint areas of the article, the computer infrastructure operable to re-poll the first and the second of the polled plurality of liquid sensors by selecting at least one of the plurality of sensors proximate to the first sensor within a one of the footprint areas as the second liquid sensor.

10. The service of claim 9, the computer infrastructure operable to report a tampering event if a circuit communication from a one of the plurality of sensors to the computer infrastructure or a power source connected to the plurality of sensors is interrupted.

11. The service of claim 10, the computer infrastructure operable to obtain GPS coordinate data associated with the polling or the re-polling and associate the GPS data with at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

12. The service of claim 11, the computer infrastructure operable to associate weather condition data with the associated at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

13. The service of claim 12, the computer infrastructure operable to obtain component data indicative of a structural component positioned to admit rain or snow onto the outer layer and associate the component data with the associated at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

14. The service of claim 13, the computer infrastructure operable to obtain power source data indicative of liquid sensor power source status and associate the power source data with the associated at least one of the open fluid exposure event data entry, the new fluid exposure event data entry, or the failure event data entry.

15. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer system, causes the computer system to;

poll each of a plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether any of the plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid present, the computer system having a state set to fluid-detected or to no-fluid-detected, wherein the plurality of liquid sensors are incorporated into an article beneath an outer layer in a furnishing installation, and wherein the article and the sensor are not visually apparent without removal of the outer layer;

if none of the polled plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid and the state is set to fluid-detected, reset the state to no-fluid-detected and associate polling temporal data to an open fluid exposure event data entry in a memory;

if at least a first of the polled plurality of liquid sensors is currently detecting liquid;

re-poll the first and a second of the polled plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether each is currently detecting liquid; and

if either of the first and the second re-polled sensors is not currently detecting liquid, create a failure event data entry in the memory for a one of the first and the second re-polled sensors and set the state to no-fluid-detected, else;

if the state is no-fluid-detected, set the state to fluid-detected, create a new fluid exposure event data entry in the memory including polling and re-polling temporal data;

or

if the state is fluid-detected, add temporal data associated with the re-polling of the plurality of sensors to the open fluid exposure event data entry in the memory.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the program code, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to report a tampering event if a circuit communication from a one of the plurality of sensors to the computer system or a power source connected to the plurality of sensors is interrupted.

17. A fluid detection system configured to monitor an article for fluid exposure, comprising:

a processing means comprising a logic controller; and

a plurality of liquid sensors in circuit communication with the processing means, the plurality of liquid sensors incorporated into an article beneath an outer layer in a furnishing installation wherein the article and the sensor are not visually apparent without removal of the outer layer;

wherein the processing means is configured to;

poll each of the plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether any of the plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid present within the article, the processing means having a state set to fluid-detected or to no-fluid-detected;

if none of the polled plurality of liquid sensors are currently detecting liquid and the state is set to fluid-detected, reset the state to no-fluid-detected and associate polling temporal data to an open fluid exposure event data entry in a memory device in communication with the processing means;

if at least a first of the polled plurality of liquid sensors is currently detecting liquid;

re-poll the first and a second of the polled plurality of liquid sensors to determine whether each is currently detecting liquid; and

if either of the first and the second re-polled sensors is not currently detecting liquid, create a failure event data entry in the memory for a one of the first and the second re-polled sensors and set the state to no-fluid-detected, else;

if the state is no-fluid-detected, set the state to fluid-detected, create a new fluid exposure event data entry in the memory including polling and re-polling temporal data;

or

if the state is fluid-detected, add temporal data associated with the re-polling of the plurality of sensors to the open fluid exposure event data entry in the memory.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein pairs of the plurality of sensors are deployed each within expected liquid exposure saturation footprint areas of the article, the processing means configured to re-poll the first and the second of the polled plurality of liquid sensors by selecting at least one of the plurality of sensors proximate to the first sensor within a one of the footprint areas as the second liquid sensor.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the article is a vehicle interior furnishing or flooring component, the outer layer is a fabric or fiber layer permeable to liquid, and the processing means is an onboard vehicle diagnostic interface computer.