Network based system for predicting landslides and providing early warnings
First Claim
1. A wireless node for monitoring landslide conditions comprising:
- at least one tubular probe body deployed in a borehole in a landslide prone area and anchored to rock below soil;
multiple sensors carried by and deployed within and outside of the tubular probe body for measuring hydrologic saturation and pressure at three or more distinct levels of soil above the rock, including at least moisture sensors embedded in soil walls of the borehole at each one of the levels for detecting soil saturation;
a power source;
a data acquisition board in communication with all of the sensors; and
a wireless transceiver in communication with the data acquisition board and accessible to a local area wireless network (LAWN), which is in turn accessible to a wide area wireless network (WAWN);
wherein geologic and hydrologic data, including at least soil saturation, of at least the three separate layers of soil above the anchor rock is collected in real time from the sensors at each soil layer, the data qualified against separate threshold readings set for each of the layers, and alerts are provided at three or more stages, graduating levels of alerts as a threshold at each layer is met culminating in a warning of an impending landslide.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless node for monitoring landslide conditions has at least one tubular probe body deployed in a borehole in a landslide prone area and anchored to rock below soil, multiple sensors carried by and deployed within and or outside of the tubular probe body for measuring geologic motion, hydrologic saturation and pressure at three or more levels of soil above the rock, a data acquisition board in communication with the sensors carried by and or deployed within or outside of the probe body, and a wireless transceiver in communication with the data acquisition board and accessible to a local area wireless network (LAWN). Geologic and hydrologic data of layers of soil above the anchor rock is from the sensors deployed on or near the probe body, the data qualified against threshold readings to provide graduating levels of alerts culminating in a warning of a landslide.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wireless node for monitoring landslide conditions comprising:
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at least one tubular probe body deployed in a borehole in a landslide prone area and anchored to rock below soil; multiple sensors carried by and deployed within and outside of the tubular probe body for measuring hydrologic saturation and pressure at three or more distinct levels of soil above the rock, including at least moisture sensors embedded in soil walls of the borehole at each one of the levels for detecting soil saturation; a power source; a data acquisition board in communication with all of the sensors; and a wireless transceiver in communication with the data acquisition board and accessible to a local area wireless network (LAWN), which is in turn accessible to a wide area wireless network (WAWN); wherein geologic and hydrologic data, including at least soil saturation, of at least the three separate layers of soil above the anchor rock is collected in real time from the sensors at each soil layer, the data qualified against separate threshold readings set for each of the layers, and alerts are provided at three or more stages, graduating levels of alerts as a threshold at each layer is met culminating in a warning of an impending landslide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for monitoring conditions for a landslide, comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring moisture readings received from moisture sensors embedded at three separate soil layers during heavy rainfall until a saturation threshold is reached in at least one layer; (b) issuing a level one alert to a web server connected to a network, the alert data propagated from the server to a research group monitoring the rainfall event; (c) monitoring pore water pressure values in each of the soil layers until a saturation threshold is reached in at least one of the layers; (d) issuing a level two alert to the web server, the alert data combined with other information and distributed to the affected community and government officials as a landslide watch; (e) monitoring for movement of soil in the soil layers during the high pore pressure event until soil movement is detected; and (f) issuing a level three alert to the web server, the alert data combined with other information and distributed to the affected community and government officials as a landslide in progress. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification