Apparatus for monitoring fluid levels in a remotely located storage tank

• US 8,504,294 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard L. Humphrey
• Original Assignee: Richard L. Humphrey
• Inventors: Humphrey, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/434,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20120316915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 701/519, 701/522, 701/527, 701/537, 701/533, 73/530.1, 702/55, 705/7.25
• US Class Current: 701/519
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/061 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/38 using magnetically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods

Abstract

An improved system for delivering propane or other consumable liquid to remotely located storage tanks including a novel combination of remote monitoring of customer tanks and an improved method of using the remote monitoring data to optimally schedule deliveries, improve safety, and more efficiently operate a propane dealership. More accurate and timely information concerning the status of customer tanks serves to improve operational efficiencies and increase safety. Data received from remote sensors can be collected and organized so that it is easily understood and utilized through the implementation of a user interface accessible via the Internet that allows the information to be presented in an efficient graphical and contextual fashion. Operational efficiencies can also be improved by taking historical propane usage for each tank, weather conditions, and projected fuel usage into account.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring fluid levels of a consumable liquid in a storage tank, the apparatus comprising:

at least one central server remotely located from the storage tank, the central server being communicatively linked with a monitoring unit that includes at least one processor to receive data from a sensor mounted in association with the storage tank and to process the data to determine fluid level information indicating the amount of fluid in the storage tank;

wherein the central server is configured to receive via a communications link the fluid level information from the monitoring unit and to use the received fluid level information to (i) to provide displayable fluid level data, and (ii) to forecast future fluid levels utilizing at least stored fluid level data; and

wherein the central server also is configured to transfer the displayable fluid level data from the central server to a remotely located graphical user interface where it can be accessed by an end-user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the at least one central server is configured to receive notification from the monitoring unit whenever the one monitoring unit calculates predicted fluid levels based upon communicated tank sensor information, compares actual fluid levels to predicted fluid levels, and determines that a predefined out-of-ordinary event has occurred.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said monitoring unit further comprises a satellite modem and antenna for communicating with the at least one central server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the communications link comprises a satellite up-link to a communications satellite.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication between the monitoring unit and the at least one central server is two-way communication.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid in the storage tank comprises propane.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the at least one central server is configured to determine that a predefined out-of-ordinary event has occurred at the storage tank, said determination based at least in part upon a calculation of predicted fluid levels and a comparison of predicted fluid levels to actual fluid levels determined from fluid level information received from the monitoring unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the at least one central server is configured to predict fuel levels for a storage tank based upon historical propane usage for the same or similar storage tanks, weather conditions, and/or projected fuel usage.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the at least one central server is configured to predict fuel levels for a storage tank based upon Historic, Degree Day, and/or Julian (Elapsed) Day forecasting.

10. A computer implemented method for monitoring fluid levels of a consumable liquid in a storage tank, the method comprising:

providing a central server remotely located from the storage tank, said central server to be communicatively linked with a monitoring unit associated with a storage tank, said monitoring unit in close proximity to the storage tank and communicatively linked with a sensor that provides fluid level information indicative of the amount of fluid in the storage tank, wherein the monitoring unit includes at least one processor with circuitry for receiving and processing the fluid level information;

receiving by the central server fluid level information transmitted via a communications link from the monitoring unit to the central server, the central server then processing received fluid level information (i) to provide displayable fluid level data, and (ii) to forecast future fluid levels utilizing at least stored fluid level data;

wherein the central server is also configured to receive notice from the monitoring unit that a predefined out-of-ordinary event has occurred when such a determination is made by the processor of the monitoring unit based upon fluid level information from the sensor.

11. The method of claim 10 in which transmitting fluid level information via a communications link from the monitoring unit to the central server comprises transmitting fluid level information via a satellite up-link to satellite.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transferring information from the central server to a remotely located graphical user interface; and

causing the graphical user interface to display (i) information concerning propane level data for a storage tank, (ii) a tank inventory listing one or more storage tanks and corresponding propane levels, and/or (iii) alarm messages indicating that a remote monitoring unit has notified the central server that a predefined out-of-ordinary event has occurred.

13. The method of claim 12 in which information is transferred from the central server to a remotely located graphical user interface through a satellite up-link to satellite and/or through a web server to the Internet or a suitable intranet.

14. The method of claim 13 in which an end-user can access data through a wireless satellite link or through the Internet by using said graphical user interface.

15. A nontransitory, computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for controlling a system coupled to a computer acting as a central server, the computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for carrying out the steps of:

causing the central server to receive from a monitoring unit associated with a remotely located storage tank fluid level data indicating the fluid levels in the storage tank;

processing received fluid level data (i) to provide displayable fluid level data, and (ii) to forecast future fluid levels utilizing at least stored fluid level data; and

transferring the displayable fluid level data from the central server to a remotely located graphical user interface where it can be accessed by an end-user.

16. The nontransitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising computer-executable instructions for transmitting processed fluid level data back to the monitoring unit.

17. The nontransitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 in which the processed fluid level data transmitted back to the monitoring unit comprises predicted fluid levels calculated from fluid level data received by the central server.

18. The nontransitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising computer-executable instructions for receiving notification from the monitoring unit whenever the monitoring unit determines that a predefined out-of-ordinary event has occurred, said determination based at least in part upon a calculation of predicted fluid levels and a comparison of predicted fluid levels to actual fluid levels determined from data from a sensor mounted in association with the storage tank.

19. The nontransitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising computer-executable instructions for determining that a predefined out-of-ordinary event has occurred at the storage tank, said determination based at least in part upon a calculation of predicted fluid levels and a comparison of predicted fluid levels to actual fluid levels determined from fluid level information received from the monitoring unit.

20. The nontransitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising computer-executable instructions for predicting fuel levels for a storage tank based upon historical propane usage for the same or similar storage tanks, weather conditions, and/or projected fuel usage.