Communications system

• US 9,106,980 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imergy Power Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Imergy Power Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Parakulam, Gopalakrishnan R., Prabhu, Omkar G., Rasu, Veluchamy, Bhat, Sunil
• Primary Examiner(s): HENSON, MISCHITA L
• Application Number:
  US13/084,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 702/63
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An apparatus and method for monitoring energy storage devices is disclosed. A monitoring system that monitors an energy storage device collects and stores operating data from the device and relays that data through a communications system to one or more servers. The servers can store the operating data from each of the monitored energy storage devices.

Claims

1. A monitoring system, comprising:

a microprocessor configured to receive a system identifier and data from an energy storage device and from external sensors;

a communications device coupled to the microprocessor; and

memory coupled to the microprocessor to store data;

wherein the monitoring system is configured to operate in multiple states, the multiple states comprising;

a first state, wherein in the first state, the communication device is configured to;

transmit system information to each of a plurality of servers external to the monitoring system to register the monitoring system with the plurality of servers, the system information comprising the system identifier; and

receive an acknowledgement to the transmitted system information from each of the plurality of servers; and

a second state, wherein in the second state, the communication device is configured to;

transmit a copy of the received data to one or more of the plurality of servers;

support a plurality of messaging services; and

communicate with each of the plurality of servers using a respective messaging service selected from the plurality of messaging services;

wherein the monitoring system transitions from the first state to the second state after receiving the acknowledgement from each of the plurality of servers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple states further comprise:

a third state for determining a type of the respective messaging service used to communicate with each of the plurality of servers; and

one or more transmit or receive states coupled to the second state;

wherein;

the monitoring system transitions from the third state to the second state when the type of respective messaging service is determined, and wherein the monitoring system transitions from the second state to one or more transmit or receive states based on said type of respective messaging service.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more transmit or receive states includes a send GPRS state and a receive GPRS state.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more transmit or receive states includes a send SMS state and a receive SMS state.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the multiple states further include a fourth state, wherein in the fourth state, the monitoring system retrieves the system identifier from the energy storage device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to:

transmit the copy of the received data to a first server selected from the plurality of servers; and

transmit the copy of the received data to a second server selected from the plurality of servers when the transmission to the first server is not successful, the second server being different from the first server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein if no server from the plurality of servers is available, the monitoring system stores the data for later transmission to at least one available server from the plurality of servers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each acknowledgement received indicates validation of the monitoring system by a respective one of the plurality of servers.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device receives a time acknowledgment from the microprocessor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the energy storage device utilizes the time acknowledgment from the microprocessor to time stamp at least one event.

11. The system of claim 1, further including a power supply that receives power from the energy storage device, from a battery, or from an external power source depending on availability, wherein the monitoring system can continue to monitor the energy storage device and or the external sensor under any power circumstance.

12. A communications system, comprising:

a server system including a plurality of different servers;

one or more monitoring systems, each of the one or more monitoring systems being coupled to a respective energy storage device and the plurality of different servers; and

a data base coupled to the server system;

wherein each of the one or more monitoring systems is configured to operate in multiple states, the multiple states comprising;

a first state, wherein in the first state, each monitoring system is configured to;

receive a system identifier from the respective energy storage device;

transmit system information to each of the plurality of servers to register the monitoring system with the plurality of servers, the system information comprising the system identifier; and

receive an acknowledgement to the transmitted system information from the plurality of servers; and

a second state, wherein in the second state, the monitoring system is configured to;

support a plurality of messaging services; and

transmit data from the respective energy storage device to at least one of the plurality of servers using a respective messaging service selected from the plurality of messaging services;

wherein the monitoring system transitions from the first state to the second state after receiving the acknowledgement from each of the plurality of servers, and wherein the transmitted data is stored in the data base.

13. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of servers includes one or more GPRS based servers.

14. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of servers includes one or more SMS based servers.

15. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of servers includes one or more user request servers.

16. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of servers includes one or more test servers for sending and receiving test fixture data through a network to one or more test fixtures.

17. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the server system can provide commands to at least one of the monitoring systems.

18. The communications system of claim 12, wherein data from at least one of the monitoring systems is analyzed to provide performance and maintenance reports.

19. A method of monitoring an energy storage device, comprising:

performing a first process comprising the steps of;

transmitting system information to each of a plurality of servers external to a monitoring system to register the monitoring system with the plurality of servers; and

receiving an acknowledgement to the transmitted system information from each of the plurality of servers; and

performing a second process comprising the steps of;

collecting data from the energy storage device using the monitoring system;

transmitting a copy of the data to a first server selected from the plurality of servers using a respective messaging service selected from a plurality of messaging services supported by the monitoring system; and

transmitting, when the transmitting to the first server is not successful, the copy of the data to a second server selected from the plurality of servers, the second server being different from the first server;

wherein the second process is performed after receiving the acknowledgement from each of the plurality of servers during the first process.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second process further includes the steps of:

determining that none of the second plurality of servers is available; and

storing the data for a period of time before reporting the data to at least one of the second plurality of servers that become available.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting the copy of the data includes determining a type of each of the respective messaging services.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first process further comprises retrieving a system identifier from the energy storage device, wherein the system information comprises the system identifier.