Integrated adaptive wireless mesh sensor platform and energy visualization and management system

• US 8,193,929 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oceanit Laboratories, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Oceanit Laboratories, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheung, Ken C. K., Cardenas, Joseph M., Joseph, Luke B., Miyamoto, Ryan Y., Siu, David, Harbin, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/291,407
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 340/538, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.03
• US Class Current: 340/538
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• 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: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A mesh-networked sensor platform has a mesh network of nodes that connect with existing electrical infrastructure or are powered through other means such as batteries or energy scavenging. The mesh network forms a self-healing and self-configuring network robust against individual node failures. Wireless mesh networking integrated circuits (ICs), energy monitoring ICs and solid state relays are used to create a low-cost, easy-to-install energy visualization and management system. The system can intelligently control energy usage at the sockets to stop energy from being wasted. Software for a central base station uses energy usage data from each node to create an energy usage profile to automatically detect anomalies in energy usage and take steps to correct them. Other sensors can be easily added for a multitude of applications. Power usage and control of each appliance can be viewed via an internet connected PC or smart phone via a social networking website.

Claims

1. A wireless mesh sensor platform, comprising

one or more nodes, each node comprising a microcontroller and wireless mesh networking transmitter and receiver and a plurality of sensors connected via a single data acquisition component and electronic control circuitry, and

a base station comprising a wireless mesh networking transmitter and receiver for receiving and storing data from the one or more nodes,

wherein data can be transmitted among the one or more nodes until reaching the base station, and

wherein each node controls the operation of the plurality of sensors and electrical connection of devices and appliances connected to the sensors.

2. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 1, wherein the wireless mesh networking transmitters and receivers are combined into transceivers.

3. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein one or more of the one or more nodes are plug-in nodes and further comprise an adapter for connecting to an electrical connection to receive power.

4. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein one of the sensors and its data acquisition component are combined in an energy usage measuring IC.

5. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the base station further comprises a database for storing data from the one or more nodes and a web-server for accessing the base station over the internet.

6. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the base station further comprises a computer.

7. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a particle, temperature, and humidity sensor.

8. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a chemical sensor.

9. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a smoke detector or leak sensor.

10. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a motion sensor.

11. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a camera.

12. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise an active or passive radar.

13. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 3, wherein one or more of the plug-in nodes further comprise an adapter for receiving a device that connects to an electrical connection and route and controls energy from an electrical connection to the device.

14. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 13, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise an energy meter and its electronic control circuitry comprises a relay.

15. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the microcontroller and wireless mesh networking transceiver of each node are integrated.

16. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein one or more of the one or more nodes are non-plug-in nodes and further comprise a battery or energy-scavenging device.

17. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 14, wherein the base station further comprises a database for storing data from the one or more nodes, wherein the base station further comprises software on a computer readable medium that enables the base station to create an energy usage profile from historical energy usage data, identify anomalies in energy usage, and take steps to correct them.

18. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 14, wherein the base station further comprises a database for storing data from the one or more nodes and a web-server for accessing the base station over the internet, further comprising software on a computer readable medium that allows a user to access the database over the internet via a PC or smart phone in graphical form, view energy usage by appliance and area over the internet via a PC or smart phone or as a part of a social networking website, and control devices or program devices for future activation or deactivation over the internet via a PC or smart phone.

19. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 14, wherein the base station further comprises a database for storing data from the one or more nodes and a web-server for accessing the base station over the internet, further comprising software on a computer readable medium that, when programmed onto a smart phone with location information, automatically activates or deactivates devices when a user leaves or enters a pre-defined area.

20. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the base station is integrated into an internet-connected modem.

21. The wireless mesh sensor platform of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a radar return sensor and the wireless mesh networking transceiver for these nodes sends out a radar signal, which is the communications signal.

22. An electricity visualization and management system, comprising a wireless mesh sensor platform, comprising

one or more nodes, each node comprising an adapter for connecting to an electrical connection to receive power and an adapter for receiving a device that connects to an electrical connection, a microcontroller, a wireless mesh networking transceiver, a current meter connected via a data acquisition component and electronic control circuitry comprising a relay, and

a base station for receiving and storing data from the one or more nodes comprising a wireless mesh networking transceiver, a computer, a database for storing data from the one or more nodes and a web-server for accessing the base station over the internet,

wherein data can be transmitted among the one or more nodes until reaching the base station, and

wherein each node controls the operation and electrical connection of the device that connects to an electrical connection.

23. A wireless mesh sensor platform method, comprising

providing one or more nodes, each node comprising a microcontroller and wireless mesh networking transmitter and receiver and one or more sensors connected via a data acquisition component and electronic control circuitry,

providing a base station comprising a wireless mesh networking transmitter and receiver for receiving and storing data from the one or more nodes,

transmitting data from the one or more nodes between the one or more nodes as necessary until reaching the base station, and

controlling through each node the operation and electrical connection of the device that connects to an electrical connection.

24. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 23, wherein the wireless mesh networking transmitters and receivers are combined into transceivers.

25. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein one or more of the one or more nodes are plug-in nodes and further comprise an adapter for connecting to electrical connections to receive power, further comprising connecting the plug-in nodes to electrical connections.

26. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein the base station further comprises a database for storing data from the one or more nodes and a web-server for accessing the base station over the internet.

27. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a particle, temperature, and humidity sensor, further comprising monitoring environmental air quality and controlling HVAC.

28. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a chemical sensor, further comprising monitoring for chemical spills or biological hazards.

29. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a smoke detector or leak sensor, further comprising providing early notification of dangerous or damaging conditions.

30. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a motion sensor, further comprising detecting room occupancy and adjusting lighting and air-conditioning appropriately.

31. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a camera, further comprising monitoring with the camera for security or health purposes.

32. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise an active or passive radar, further comprising detecting room occupancy or monitoring vital signs.

33. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 25, wherein one or more of the plug-in nodes further comprise an adapter for receiving a device, further comprising connecting a device to the adaptor for receiving a device and routing energy from an electrical connection to the device.

34. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 33, wherein the one or more sensors of one or more of the one or more nodes comprise a current meter and the current meter'"'"'s electronic control circuitry comprises a relay, further comprising measuring energy usage of connected devices and controlling the device with the relay.

35. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 34, further comprising monitoring energy usage and controlling devices through the base station.

36. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 34, further comprising programming the base station to activate or deactivate devices under certain conditions.

37. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 34, further comprising installing the one or more nodes between the devices of a building and their power sources and monitoring and managing the energy usage of the building by detecting anomalous energy usage, controlling the devices through the base station, and sending notifications over a network.

38. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 24, further comprising emitting radar signals from the one or more nodes, wherein the radar signals are the communications signals, measuring the radar return with the one or more nodes, and determining information about a target by analyzing the radar return.

39. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 38, wherein analyzing the radar return comprises using received signal strength, time difference of arrival, direction of arrival, or pulse-/frequency-modulated ranging methods.

40. The wireless mesh sensor platform method of claim 38, wherein the information about a target comprises the presence, movement, or vital signs of the target.