Power free remote sensor system data transmissions
First Claim
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1. A distributed monitoring system for monitoring one or more operating conditions of a structure, comprising:
- one or more sensor nodes coupled to the structure, each sensor node comprising;
a power supply adapted to scavenge energy directed at the power supply;
a sensor operably coupled to the power supply for sensing one or more operating conditions of the structure in the immediate environment; and
a communications interface operably coupled to the power supply and the sensor for communicating the sensed operating conditions of the structure; and
one or more readers positioned proximate the sensor nodes, each reader comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with the sensor nodesthe readers being adapted to acquire, from the sensor nodes, data representative of the operating conditions, either intermittently or continuously, and the readers being further adapted to determine if data received from the one or more sensor nodes is an exception and, if the data is an exception, determine if trend data would be sufficient.
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Abstract
A system and method to monitor the condition of a structure is provided. In one embodiment, a sensor node can include a power supply that can scavenge available energy, a sensor for sensing conditions in the immediate environment, and a communications interface for communicating the sensed operating conditions. Readers can be used to acquire data from the sensor nodes. In one embodiment, the readers can determine if the data from the sensor nodes is an exception and, if so, determine whether trend data is sufficient.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A distributed monitoring system for monitoring one or more operating conditions of a structure, comprising:
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one or more sensor nodes coupled to the structure, each sensor node comprising; a power supply adapted to scavenge energy directed at the power supply; a sensor operably coupled to the power supply for sensing one or more operating conditions of the structure in the immediate environment; and a communications interface operably coupled to the power supply and the sensor for communicating the sensed operating conditions of the structure; and one or more readers positioned proximate the sensor nodes, each reader comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with the sensor nodes the readers being adapted to acquire, from the sensor nodes, data representative of the operating conditions, either intermittently or continuously, and the readers being further adapted to determine if data received from the one or more sensor nodes is an exception and, if the data is an exception, determine if trend data would be sufficient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25)
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15. A method of operating a system for monitoring one or more operating conditions of a structure, comprising:
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providing sensor nodes at locations around the structure for sensing operating conditions of the structure; positioning the structure proximate another structure; directing radiated energy from the other structure at one or more of the sensor nodes; scavenging the radiated energy at one or more of the sensor nodes; using the scavenged energy at one or more of the sensor nodes to transmit sensed operating conditions from one or more of the sensor nodes to one or more readers either intermittently or continuously; determining if data received by the other structure, from the one or more sensor nodes, is an exception; and if the data is determined to be an exception, determining if trend data would be sufficient. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27)
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Specification