Remote monitoring system

• US 8,248,252 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Schechter Tech LLC (Digi International Inc.)
• Inventors: Schechter, Harry J., Felichko, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US12/275,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20100127881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 340/584, 340/500, 340/501, 340/506, 340/539.16, 340/539.26
• US Class Current: 340/584
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2200/00 Transmission systems for measured values, control or similar signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 25/02 by signalling back receiving station to transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A temperature monitoring service in which remote monitoring units are distributed to customers who then set up monitoring as desired at their facilities. The devices may be registered through a web site using the Internet. Monitoring information may be communicated using a publicly available, wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network. The service may be provided with a system, including a server, which can deliver high levels of monitoring functionality. The server may support streaming monitoring information to a customer for analysis or sending a command activating a device connected to a remote unit. Remote units associated with the same location may be in a pool, comprising one active unit and one or more spare units, in which the server automatically identifies the active unit. The server may support analyzing monitoring information according to an expected cycle pattern of a ventilation system at the monitored facility.

Claims

1. A method of remote monitoring using a plurality of remote units, each remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:

receiving through a web site a registration of a pool comprising at least a portion of the plurality of remote units, the registration of the pool comprising;

an indication of each remote unit of the portion of the plurality of remote units;

monitoring a monitored location, the monitoring comprising associating reports received from the portion of the plurality of remote units with the monitored location;

receiving reports from the plurality of remote units, the reports comprising monitoring reports, indicating a sensor reading, and status reports, indicating a change in status of the remote units; and

designating a remote unit of the portion as an active remote unit based on status reports received from the remote units of the portion.

2. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

the registration further comprises an indication of monitoring limits associated with the monitored location associated with the pool.

3. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

the portion of the plurality of remote units comprises at least a first and a second remote units;

the method further comprises receiving status reports indicating the monitoring status of the portion of the remote units;

when a status report indicates the first remote unit is active, processing monitoring reports from the first remote unit without processing monitoring reports from the second remote unit; and

when a status report indicates the second remote unit is active, processing monitoring reports from the second remote unit without processing monitoring reports from the first remote unit.

4. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

the registration of the pool further comprises information indicating an alarm communication mechanism; and

the method further comprises;

when multiple remote units are active, generating an alarm in accordance with the alarm communication mechanism, the alarm comprising information indicating that multiple units in the pool are active.

5. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

each of the remote units is adapted and configured for operation in an AC mode and a battery mode;

a remote unit of the portion of the plurality of remote units is designated as the active remote unit based on its mode of operation; and

associating reports received from the portion of the plurality of remote units with the monitored location comprises recording a monitored parameter value from reports only from the active remote unit.

6. The method of remote monitoring of claim 5, further comprising:

designating the active remote unit, the designating comprising receiving an indication from a device that it has changed its power state to operate in a battery power state from operation in an AC power state.

7. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

each of the remote units is adapted and configured for operation in an AC mode and a battery mode and to transmit a status report indicating a current operating mode upon transition between AC mode and battery mode; and

designating a remote unit of the portion as the active remote unit comprises designating a remote unit as the active unit in response to a status report indicating a current operating mode is the battery mode.

8. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor in each remote unit is a temperature sensor; and

monitoring the monitored location comprises computing a mean and a deviation of temperature reported at the monitored location over an interval of time by a remote unit designated as the active remote unit.

9. The method of remote monitoring of claim 8, wherein the mean and the deviation are computed from temperatures reported by a plurality of remote units within the portion while each remote unit of the plurality is designated as the active remote unit.

10. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

remote units of the portion that are not designated as the active remote unit are designated as inactive units; and

the method further comprises, in response to receiving reports from the active and the inactive remote units, for each received report;

when the report is in a valid format, sending an acknowledgement; and

when the report is not in a valid format, sending a negative acknowledgement.

11. The method of remote monitoring of claim 1, wherein:

receiving reports from the plurality of remote units comprises receiving the reports over a GSM network.

12. A method of remote monitoring using a server that is able to communicate in an environment comprising at least one remote unit and a computing device, each of the at least one remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:

for a remote unit of the at least one remote unit, receiving at the server from the remote unit a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of an output of the sensor of the remote unit at a time associated with the report;

analyzing the reports to detect a pattern associated with the sensor outputs;

when the pattern is detected, subsequently comparing reports of the plurality of reports to the pattern and, when a subsequent comparison indicates a sensor output that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, generating an indication of an improper operating state; and

sending information from the server, wherein sending information from the server comprises sending information in response to accessing the server via an agent on a computing device, the information comprising, when the indication has been generated, the indication of the improper operating state.

17. The method of remote monitoring of claim 12, wherein:

receiving reports comprises receiving each of the reports formatted as a UDP packet.

18. The method of remote monitoring of claim 12, wherein:

sending information from the server comprises sending the information to an actuator at a customer premises.

19. The method of remote monitoring of claim 18, further comprising receiving a registration of the actuator with the server.

20. The method of remote monitoring of claim 19, wherein:

sending the information from the server comprises sending the information via the internet; and

receiving the plurality of reports comprises receiving the plurality of via a cellular network.

25. The method of claim 12, further comprising, when the information includes the indication of the improper operating state, initiating by the agent an action programmed on the computing device.

13. A method of remote monitoring using a remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:

sending, from the remote unit to a server, a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of an output of the sensor at a time associated with the report; and

obtaining information from the server,

wherein;

obtaining information from the server comprises accessing the server using an agent on a computing device;

when sensor outputs indicated in the plurality of reports demonstrate a pattern and a report of the plurality of reports comprises an indication of an output of the sensor that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, the obtained information comprises an indication of an improper operating state; and

the method further comprises, when the obtained information indicates the improper operating state, initiating by the agent an action programmed on the computing device.

14. The method of remote monitoring of claim 13, wherein:

obtaining the information from the server comprises obtaining the information via the internet; and

sending to the server the plurality of reports comprises sending the plurality of reports to the server via a cellular network.

15. The method of remote monitoring of claim 13, wherein:

the programmed action comprises shutting down the computing device.

16. The method of remote monitoring of claim 13, wherein:

the programmed action comprises executing a user supplied program.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

21. A method of remote monitoring using at least one remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:

receiving from the remote unit a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of the output of the sensor at a time associated with the report;

analyzing the reports to detect a pattern associated with the sensor outputs; and

generating an alarm when a subsequent report indicates a sensor output out of a range, the generating comprising;

when the pattern is detected, subsequently comparing reports of the plurality of reports to the pattern and, when the comparison indicates a sensor output that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, generating the alarm.

22. The method of remote monitoring of claim 21, wherein:

generating an alarm further comprises;

generating the alarm when the reports indicate a rate of change of temperature greater than a second threshold.

23. The method of remote monitoring of claim 22, further comprising:

initially sending to the remote unit an initial reporting interval; and

when the reports indicate a rate of change of the output of the sensor greater than the second threshold, sending to the remote unit an updated reporting interval, the updated reporting interval being shorter than the initial reporting interval.

26. The method of remote monitoring of claim 21, wherein:

detecting the pattern comprises detecting a cyclical pattern.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

28. A method of remote monitoring using at least one remote unit, each of the at least one remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, in an environment, the method comprising:

for a remote unit of the at least one remote unit, sending, from the remote unit to a server, a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of an output of the sensor at a time associated with the report; and

obtaining information from the server relating to the plurality of reports,

wherein;

the at least one remote unit is attached to equipment at customer premises;

when sensor outputs indicated in the plurality of reports demonstrate a pattern and a report of the plurality of reports comprises an indication of an output of the sensor that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, the obtained information comprises an indication of an improper operating state;

obtaining information from the server comprises receiving the information at an actuator at the customer premises, the actuator being coupled to the equipment.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

obtaining the information from the server comprises obtaining the information via the internet; and

sending to the server the plurality of reports comprises sending the plurality of reports via a cellular network.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein:

sending the plurality of reports comprising sending the plurality of reports using UDP protocol.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

the actuator comprises a switch controlling a power input to an HVAC system.