Sensor-location system for locating a sensor in a tract covered by an earth-based sensor network

• US 8,390,444 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Zhiyong, Hartwell, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US12/770,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/531, 340/539.1, 342/357.25, 356/4.01, 356/5.01, 702/5, 250/336.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information

Abstract

A sensor-location system for locating sensors in a tract covered by an earth-based sensor network. The sensor-location system includes at least one sensor-identification device, and at least one sensor locator. The sensor-identification device is affixed to a respective sensor in the earth-based sensor network. The sensor locator is configured for use from on board of an aircraft. In addition, the sensor locator is configured to acquire geographic-location data of said sensor including an identifying signature from the sensor-identification device of the sensor in the tract covered by the earth-based sensor network.

Claims

1. A sensor-location system for locating sensors in a tract covered by an earth-based sensor network, said sensor-location system comprising:

at least one sensor-identification device, said sensor-identification device affixed to a respective sensor in said earth-based sensor network; and

at least one sensor locator, said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft, and configured to acquire geographic-location data of said sensor including an identifying signature from said sensor-identification device of said sensor in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network, wherein said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft further comprises;

an altimeter configured to provide vertical-location data of said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft when said geographic-location data of said sensor is acquired; and

a light-detection-and-ranging (LIDAR) system configured to provide vertical-location data of said sensor with respect to said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft when said geographic-location data of said sensor is acquired.

2. The sensor-location system of claim 1, wherein said sensor-identification device of said sensor comprises a passive sensor-identification device selected from a group consisting of a flag, a distinctive mark, an identifying coating, and a bar code.

3. The sensor-location system of claim 1, wherein said sensor-identification device of said sensor comprises an active sensor-identification device selected from a group consisting of a beacon, a light-emitting diode, said light-detection-and-ranging (LIDAR) reflector, a laser, and a radio transponder.

4. The sensor-location system of claim 1, wherein said sensor locator comprises a device selected from a group consisting of a camera, said light-detection-and-ranging (LIDAR) system, a radio antenna, and combinations thereof.

5. The sensor-location system of claim 4, wherein said geographic-location data of said sensor comprises an aerial photographic montage comprising:

a plurality of aerial images of regions of interest in said tract containing at least one sensor in said earth-based sensor network;

wherein a geographic location of said sensor in said tract is designated by an identifying signature of a respective sensor-identification device of said sensor appearing in at least one of said aerial images of said aerial photographic montage; and

wherein said camera is configured to acquire said plurality of aerial images of regions of interest in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network.

6. The sensor-location system of claim 1, wherein said aircraft comprises a remotely controlled drone.

7. The sensor-location system of claim 1, further comprising:

a payload on board of said aircraft selected from the group consisting of a global-positioning-system receiver, a transmitter for sending geographic-location data of said sensor from said aircraft, a receiver for receiving command signals sent to said aircraft, an on-board computer for processing said signals and said geographic-location data of said sensor, an on-board data-storage device configured to store geographic-location data of said sensor, and combinations thereof.

8. The sensor-location system of claim 7, wherein said global-positioning-system receiver is configured to provide an aerial-location data of said sensor locator on board of said aircraft when said geographic-location data of said sensor is acquired.

9. The sensor-location system of claim 7, further comprising:

a data-location receiving station selected from a group consisting of a ground-based computer configured to receive geographic-location data sent from said on-board data-storage device during flight of said aircraft in real-time, and a ground-based computer configured to receive geographic-location data dumped from said on-board data-storage device upon coupling with said on-board data-storage device after said aircraft returns to a launching station.

10. A sensor-network-monitoring system, comprising:

an earth-based sensor network, said network comprising;

at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors deployed on a tract covered by said earth-based sensor network, said sensor configured to transmit a signal to a sensor-network computer; and

a sensor-location system for locating sensors in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network, said sensor-location system comprising;

at least one sensor-identification device, said sensor-identification device affixed to said sensor in said earth-based sensor network; and

at least one sensor locator, said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft, and configured to acquire geographic-location data of said sensor including an identifying signature from said sensor-identification device of said sensor in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network, wherein said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft further comprises;

an altimeter configured to provide vertical-location data of said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft when said geographic-location data of said sensor is acquired; and

a light-detection-and-ranging (LIDAR) system configured to provide vertical-location data of said sensor with respect to said sensor locator configured for use from on board of an aircraft when said geographic-location data of said sensor is acquired.

11. The sensor-network-monitoring system of claim 10, wherein said sensor comprises a device selected from a group consisting of an accelerometer, a geophone, and a seismometer;

and

wherein said signal transmitted from said sensor to said sensor-network computer comprises geophysical data.

12. A method for locating sensors in a tract covered by an earth-based sensor network, said method comprising:

providing sensor-identification devices affixed to respective sensors in said earth-based sensor network;

providing an aircraft with a sensor locator on board of said aircraft;

causing said aircraft to fly over a vicinity of said sensors in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network;

determining an aerial location of said sensor locator on board of said aircraft at a specified time in flight;

acquiring, with said sensor locator on board of said aircraft at said specified time in flight, geographic-location data of said sensors including identifying signatures from said sensor-identification devices of said sensors in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network, wherein said acquiring said geographic-location data of said sensors comprises;

acquiring an aerial photographic montage comprising;

a plurality of aerial images of regions of interest containing sensors in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network;

wherein geographic locations of said sensors are designated by identifying signatures of respective sensor-identification devices of said sensors appearing in said aerial images; and

acquiring, with a light-detection-and-ranging (LIDAR) system, vertical-location data of said sensors with respect to said sensor locator on board of said aircraft when said geographic-location data of said sensor is acquired;

associating aerial-location data of said sensor locator on board of said aircraft with said geographic-location data of said sensors including said identifying signatures of said sensors in said tract covered by said earth-based sensor network;

storing said geographic-location data of said sensors and associated aerial-location data of said sensor locator in an on-board data-storage device of said aircraft.