Rapid deployable global sensing hazard alert system

• US 9,019,096 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Savannah River Alliance LLC, US Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLS
• Inventors: Cordaro, Joseph V., Tibrea, Steven L., Shull, Davis J., Coleman, Jerry T., Shuler, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/037,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 370/338, 370/310, 370/407, 455/521
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A rapid deployable global sensing hazard alert system and associated methods of operation are provided. An exemplary system includes a central command, a wireless backhaul network, and a remote monitoring unit. The remote monitoring unit can include a positioning system configured to determine a position of the remote monitoring unit based on one or more signals received from one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit. The wireless backhaul network can provide bidirectional communication capability independent of cellular telecommunication networks and the Internet. An exemplary method includes instructing at least one of a plurality of remote monitoring units to provide an alert based at least in part on a location of a hazard and a plurality of positions respectively associated with the plurality of remote monitoring units.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring unit for use in a hazard detection and alert system, the remote monitoring unit comprising:

a communications module configured for bidirectional communication with a central command via a wireless backhaul network; and

a positioning system configured to determine a position of the remote monitoring unit based on one or more signals received from one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit.

2. The remote monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit comprise one or more satellites included in the Iridium satellite constellation.

3. The remote monitoring unit of claim 1, further comprising a sensor, wherein the remote monitoring unit communicates an output of the sensor to the central command via the wireless backhaul network.

4. The remote monitoring unit of claim 3, wherein the remote monitoring unit is configured to communicate the output of the sensor to the central command via the wireless backhaul network only when the output of the sensor changes by more than a threshold percentage.

5. The remote monitoring unit of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises a radiation detector.

6. The remote monitoring unit of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises one of a chlorine detector or a hydrogen sulfide detector.

7. The remote monitoring unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable battery; and

a betavoltaic battery configured to provide a trickle charge to the rechargeable battery.

8. The remote monitoring unit of claim 1, further comprising a human machine interface configured to provide an alert to a user, wherein the human machine interface comprises one of a display, a speaker, or a light emitting device, and wherein the human machine interface is configured to provide the alert to the user based on an output provided by the sensor or based on a command received from the central command.

9. The remote monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the remote monitoring unit is configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining, based on the one or more signals received from the one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit, a first current time;

determining, based on one or more signals received from one or more GPS satellites, a second current time;

determining a time difference between the first current time and the second current time; and

determining whether to provide an alarm based at least in part on the time difference.

10. The remote monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the remote monitoring unit is portable and configured to be worn by a user.

11. The remote monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless backhaul network comprises an access point; and

the remote monitoring unit is configured to communicate with the access point independent of cellular telecommunication networks and the Internet.

12. A hazard detection and alert system comprising:

a central command;

a wireless backhaul network; and

a remote monitoring unit comprising;

a communications module configured for bidirectional communication with the central command via the wireless backhaul network; and

a positioning system;

wherein the wireless backhaul network provides at least a portion of the bidirectional communication capability independent of cellular telecommunication networks and the Internet.

13. The hazard detection and alert system of claim 12, wherein the positioning system is configured to determine a position of the remote monitoring unit based on one or more signals received from one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit.

14. The hazard detection and alert system of claim 13, wherein:

each of the one or more signals received from the one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit comprises a unique random number;

the remote monitoring unit is configured to provide the unique random number to the central command; and

the central command is configured to validate the unique random number received from the remote monitoring unit by comparing it to a second number received by a device of the hazard detection and alert system from the one or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit, wherein the device is believed to be within a threshold distance from the remote monitoring unit.

15. The hazard detection and alert system of claim 12, wherein the wireless backhaul network comprises a plurality of access points respectively configured to communicate with a plurality of remote monitoring units.

16. The hazard detection and alert system of claim 12, wherein the wireless backhaul network comprises:

an access point configured for bidirectional communication with the remote monitoring unit; and

a satellite communications module configured to upload to the central command via a satellite link information received by the access point from the remote monitoring unit, wherein the satellite link comprises on or more satellites located in Low Earth Orbit.

17. The hazard detection and alert system of claim 12, wherein the wireless backhaul network provides all of the bidirectional communication capability independent of cellular telecommunication networks and the Internet.

18. A method for operating a hazard detection and alert system, the method comprising:

receiving, via a wireless backhaul network, sensor data from a plurality of remote monitoring units;

receiving, via the wireless backhaul network, positioning data describing a plurality of positions respectively associated with the plurality of remote monitoring units;

determining the existence and location of a hazard; and

instructing at least one of the plurality of remote monitoring units to provide an alert based at least in part on the location of the hazard and the plurality of positions;

wherein the alert indicates a proximity between the location of the hazard and the position of the remote monitoring unit providing the alert.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the alert indicates the proximity by adjusting a frequency of an alert noise.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising instructing at least one of the plurality of remote monitoring units to switch to a beacon mode in which the remote monitoring unit continuously broadcasts its position.