Threat detection system and method

• US 8,994,556 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas H. Lundy
• Original Assignee: Douglas H. Lundy
• Inventors: Lundy, Douglas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US13/902,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.16, 340/539.11
• US Class Current: 340/870.16
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A data multi-hop sensing and threat detecting network, including modular sensor devices, smart plug and portable sensor devices, and low power sub-sensor devices. A determination is made to alert when a sensed value is either (1) greater than a predetermined upper threshold value or the running average baseline value (whichever is greater) plus the upper fluctuation buffer value, or (2) less than a predetermined lower threshold value or the running average baseline value (whichever is less) less the lower fluctuation buffer value. The running average baseline is smoothed by applying large number numerology to the sensed values.

Claims

1. A data sensing and threat detecting network comprising a monitoring unit, a plurality of detector units for transmitting sensed data to said monitoring unit and for receiving data therefrom, and a plurality of sensing devices for transmitting sensed data to said detector units and for receiving data therefrom, wherein the network has programming including:

first programming to provide a plurality of running average baselines of at least one sensed value, at recurring times for each of said baselines, of at least one of said sensing devices;

second programming to declare a potential alert when a sensed value of said at least one sensing device is at a value which is either (1) greater than a corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or a corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is greater) plus a corresponding predetermined upper fluctuation buffer value, or (2) less than a corresponding predetermined lower threshold value or a corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is less) less a corresponding predetermined lower fluctuation buffer value; and

third programming for applying large number numerology to the at least one sensed value to smooth the running average baselines.

2. A network according to claim 1 wherein said sensing devices include a plurality of sensor devices and a plurality of sub-sensor devices equipped with low power wireless communications technology for communication with said sensor devices, wherein the network is a multi-hop network.

3. A network according to claim 1 wherein said sensing devices devices include at least one wireless condition sensing device, wherein the network has programming to (a) declare an aware state when a non-compliant condition is sensed by said wireless condition sensing device and (b) after an aware state of the sensed condition has been declared by said wireless condition sensing device, to declare an alert after a predetermined number of cycles of the condition being sensed or to declare a normal state if the condition is not sensed during one of the predetermined number of cycles.

4. A network according to claim 1 wherein the network has programming to declare an alert when one of said wireless detector units fails to communicate with said monitoring unit within a predetermined time period or when one of said wireless sensing devices fails to communicate with said respective wireless detector unit within a predetermined time period.

5. A method of determining, for at least one sensing device in a data sensing and threat detecting network, at what sensed value of the sensing device to alert comprising:

(a) keeping a plurality of running average baselines of at least one sensed value of the sensing device; and

(b) determining to alert when a sensed value is at a value which is either (1) greater than a corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or a corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is greater) plus a corresponding predetermined upper fluctuation buffer value, or (2) less than a corresponding predetermined lower threshold value or a corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is less) less a corresponding predetermined lower fluctuation buffer value; and

(c) smoothing the running average baselines.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the network includes a monitoring unit, a plurality of detector units for communication with the monitoring unit, and a plurality of sensor devices for communication with the detector units.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the method includes sampling substantially all of the physical space in a venue.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the step of sampling includes utilizing a plurality of sub-sensor devices equipped with low power communications technology for communication with an associated one of the sensor devices.

9. A method according to claim 5 wherein the network includes a plurality of detector units and a plurality of sensor devices for communication with the detector units and further including a plurality of sub-sensor devices equipped with low power communications technology for communication with an associated one of the sensor devices.

10. A method according to claim 6 wherein the network is a multi-hop network.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein said sub-sensor devices are equipped with low power wireless communications technology.

12. A method according to claim 5 further comprising determining to alert when a predetermined maximum or minimum allowable sensed value is reached.

13. A method according to claim 5 further comprising adjusting the predetermined threshold and modified threshold values based on experience of actual sensed data received.

14. A method of determining, for at least one sensing device in a data sensing and threat detecting network, at what sensed values of the sensing device to declare an aware state and to alert and at what sensed values to declare a normal state after an aware or alert state has been declared comprising:

(a) keeping a plurality of running average baselines of at least one sensed value of the sensing device; and

(b) declaring an aware state of the sensing device when the sensed value of the sensing device either (1) from a value at a normal state increases beyond a corresponding predetermined upper threshold value to a value which is greater than a corresponding predetermined upper modified threshold value, wherein the corresponding predetermined upper modified threshold value is greater than the corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or (2) from a value at a normal state decreases beyond a corresponding predetermined lower threshold value to a value which is below a corresponding predetermined lower modified threshold value, wherein the corresponding predetermined lower modified threshold value is less than the corresponding predetermined lower threshold value;

(c) declaring a normal state when the sensed value either (1) from the aware state decreases to a value which is less than the corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or (2) from the aware state increases to a value which is greater than the corresponding predetermined lower threshold value; and

(d) declaring an alert when the sensed value is at a value which is either (1) greater than the corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or the corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is greater) plus a corresponding predetermined upper fluctuation buffer value, or (2) less than the corresponding predetermined lower threshold value or the corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is less) less a corresponding predetermined lower fluctuation buffer value.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising applying large number numerology to the sensed values to smooth the running average baselines.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the network includes a central monitoring unit and at least one wireless detector unit programmed for wireless communication with the central monitoring unit, wherein the sensing device is a wireless condition sensing device, the method further comprising the steps of

(e) declaring an aware state when a non-complaint condition is sensed by the wireless condition sensing device;

(f) after an aware state of a sensed condition has been declared by the wireless condition sensing device, declaring an alert after a predetermined number of cycles of the condition being sensed or declaring a normal state if the condition is not sensed during one of the predetermined number of cycles; and

(g) declaring an alert when the wireless detector unit fails to communicate with the central monitoring unit within a predetermined time period or when the wireless sensor device fails to communicate with the wireless detector unit within a predetermined time period.

17. A data sensing and threat detecting multi-hop network comprising a plurality of wireless detector units each having a transmitter and a receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving information and each having a data processor and further comprising a plurality of wireless sensor devices each having a transmitter and a receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving information and each having a data processor, said detector unit data processors and said sensor device data processors having programming which allows communication alternately to and from more than one of others of said detector units and said sensor devices in a manner such that transmission of data from said sensor devices to said detector units and communication from said detector units to said sensor devices may be effected over alternate wireless paths whereby the transmission of data from said sensor devices to said detector units and communications from said detector units to said sensor devices may be effected using optimized wireless paths, and the network further comprising means for blanketing substantially all of physical space in a venue with low-cost devices for sensing data in a quantity of said low-cost devices so that substantially all of physical space in the venue can be sampled inexpensively, said means for blanketing comprising a plurality of sub-sensor devices equipped with low power wireless communications technology and each having a transmitter and a receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving information and each having a processor whereby the distance over which said sub-sensor devices can transmit data is limited by the low power wireless communications technology thereof, said sub-sensor processor programmed for communication with an associated one of said sensor devices which is sufficiently nearby to receive data transmitted from said respective low power wireless communications technology sub-sensor device, the network further comprising a central monitoring unit which is programmed to communicate to and from said detector units for management of routing of transmissions of data between said sensor devices and said detector units over optimized paths, wherein the network has

first programming to provide a plurality of running average baselines of at least one sensed value, at recurring times for each of said baselines, of at least one of said sensor and sub-sensor devices;

second programming to declare a potential alert when a sensed value of said at least one of said sensor and sub-sensor devices is at a value which is either (1) greater than a corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or a corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is greater) plus a corresponding predetermined upper fluctuation buffer value, or (2) less than a corresponding predetermined lower threshold value or a corresponding running average baseline value (whichever is less) less a corresponding predetermined lower fluctuation buffer value;

third programming to declare an aware state of the sensing device when the sensed value of said at least one of said sensor and sub-sensor devices either (1) from a value at a normal state increases beyond a corresponding predetermined upper threshold value to a value which is greater than a corresponding predetermined upper modified threshold value, wherein the corresponding predetermined upper modified threshold value is greater than the corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or (2) from a value at a normal state decreases beyond a corresponding predetermined lower threshold value to a value which is below a corresponding predetermined lower modified threshold value, wherein the corresponding predetermined lower modified threshold value is less than the corresponding predetermined lower threshold value; and

fourth programming to declare a normal state when the sensed value either (1) from the aware state decreases to a value which is less than the corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or (2) from the aware state increases to a value which is greater than the corresponding predetermined lower threshold value.

19. A network according to claim 17 wherein said sensor and sub-sensor devices include at least one wireless condition sensing device, and wherein the network further has

fifth programming for declaring an aware state when a non-compliant condition is sensed by said wireless condition sensing device;

sixth programming for, after an aware state of a sensed condition has been declared by said wireless condition sensing device, declaring an alert after a predetermined number of cycles of the condition being sensed or declaring a normal state if the condition is not sensed during one of the predetermined number of cycles; and

seventh programming for declaring an alert when one of said wireless detector units fails to communicate with the central monitoring unit within a predetermined time period or when one of said wireless sensor devices fails to communicate with the respective wireless detector unit within a predetermined time period.

18. A data sensing and threat detecting multi-hop network comprising a plurality of wireless detector units each having a transmitter and a receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving information and each having a data processor and further comprising a plurality of wireless sensor devices each having a transmitter and a receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving information and each having a data processor, said detector unit data processors and said sensor device data processors having programming which allows communication alternately to and from more than one of others of said detector units and said sensor devices in a manner such that transmission of data from said sensor devices to said detector units and communication from said detector units to said sensor devices may be effected over alternate wireless paths whereby the transmission of data from said sensor devices to said detector units and communication from said detector units to said sensor devices may be effected using optimized wireless paths, and the network further comprising means for blanketing substantially all of physical space in a venue with low-cost devices for sensing data in a quantity of said low-cost devices so that substantially all of physical space in the venue can be sampled inexpensively, said means for blanketing comprising a plurality of sub-sensor devices equipped with low power wireless communications technology and each having a transmitter and a receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving information and each having a processor whereby the distance over which said low power wireless communications technology sub-sensor devices can transmit data is limited by the low power wireless communications technology thereof, said sub-sensor processor programmed for communication with an associated one of said sensor devices which is sufficiently nearby to receive data transmitted from said respective low power wireless communications technology sub-sensor device, the network further comprising a central monitoring unit which is programmed to communicate to and from said detector units for management of routing of transmissions of data between said sensor devices and said detector units over optimized paths, wherein the network has

programming to declare an aware state of at least one of the sensor and sub-sensor devices when a sensed value of the at least one of the sensor and sub-sensor devices either (1) from a value at a normal state increases beyond a corresponding predetermined upper threshold value to a value which is greater than a corresponding predetermined upper modified threshold value, wherein the corresponding predetermined upper modified threshold value is greater than the corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or (2) from a value at a normal state decreases beyond a corresponding predetermined lower threshold value to a value which is below a corresponding predetermined lower modified threshold value, wherein the corresponding predetermined lower modified threshold value is less than the corresponding predetermined lower threshold value;

and

programming to declare a normal state when the sensed value either (1) from the aware state decreases to a value which is less than the corresponding predetermined upper threshold value or (2) from the aware state increases to a value which is greater than the corresponding predetermined lower threshold value.

20. A network according to claim 18 wherein said sensor and sub-sensor devices include at least one wireless condition sensing device, and wherein the network further has

programming for declaring an aware state when a non-compliant condition is sensed by said wireless condition sensing device;

programming for, after an aware state of a sensed condition has been declared by said wireless condition sensing device, declaring an alert after a predetermined number of cycles of the condition being sensed or declaring a normal state if the condition is not sensed during one of the predetermined number of cycles; and

programming for declaring an alert when one of said wireless detector units fails to communicate with the central monitoring unit within a predetermined time period or when one of said wireless sensor devices fails to communicate with the respective wireless detector unit within a predetermined time period.