Low-power user interface device for environmental monitoring system
First Claim
1. An environmental monitoring system to monitor one or more environmental parameters of an environment, the environmental monitoring system comprising:
- at least one environmental sensor unit located in the environment to sense the one or more environmental parameters, the at least one environmental sensor unit comprising a first environmental sensor unit;
at least one computing device located remote from the environment; and
a wireless display device that is located in the environment and is physically separate from the first environmental sensor unit,wherein the first environmental sensor unit comprises;
at least one environmental sensor;
at least one wireless transceiver;
at least one first processor; and
at least one first storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the at least one first processor to carry out a first method comprising;
in response to detecting that a first period of time has passed, transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, a wireless transmission comprising a device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit and first information indicating a value of an environmental parameter of the one or more environmental parameters;
wherein the wireless display device comprises;
a display;
a wireless receiver;
at least one second processor; and
at least one second storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the at least one second processor to carry out a second method comprising;
in response to detecting that the first period of time has passed,monitoring, using the wireless receiver, for the wireless transmission comprising the device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit, of the at least one environmental sensor unit, with which the wireless display device is associated;
in response to receiving the wireless transmission comprising the device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit,
determining from the wireless transmission the value of the environmental parameter of the one or more environmental parameters, and
controlling the display to present second information indicative of the value of the environmental parameter,wherein the first environmental sensor unit and the wireless display device are adapted to communicate using a short-range wireless communication protocol; and
wherein the first environmental sensor unit is adapted to communicate bi-directionally with the at least one computing device and uni-directionally with the wireless display device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of an environmental monitoring system that mitigates complexities in installation and maintenance while complying with strict regulations on operations of the system. The environmental monitoring system may communicate wirelessly between components such as sensor units and display devices, enabling these components to be separately and easily installed in an environment without needing to install wires in the environment to connect them. In addition, in embodiments at least some of the components (e.g., sensor units and display devices) of the environmental monitoring system may be adapted to wirelessly and reliably communicate using specific wireless communication protocols, described in detail herein, that exchange few communications between the components and thereby decrease power consumption of these components. Further, in some embodiments, a display device may include hardware and/or execute software that drive and/or update a display only when a condition is met.
111 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An environmental monitoring system to monitor one or more environmental parameters of an environment, the environmental monitoring system comprising:
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at least one environmental sensor unit located in the environment to sense the one or more environmental parameters, the at least one environmental sensor unit comprising a first environmental sensor unit; at least one computing device located remote from the environment; and a wireless display device that is located in the environment and is physically separate from the first environmental sensor unit, wherein the first environmental sensor unit comprises; at least one environmental sensor; at least one wireless transceiver; at least one first processor; and at least one first storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the at least one first processor to carry out a first method comprising; in response to detecting that a first period of time has passed, transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, a wireless transmission comprising a device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit and first information indicating a value of an environmental parameter of the one or more environmental parameters; wherein the wireless display device comprises; a display; a wireless receiver; at least one second processor; and at least one second storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the at least one second processor to carry out a second method comprising; in response to detecting that the first period of time has passed, monitoring, using the wireless receiver, for the wireless transmission comprising the device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit, of the at least one environmental sensor unit, with which the wireless display device is associated; in response to receiving the wireless transmission comprising the device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit,
determining from the wireless transmission the value of the environmental parameter of the one or more environmental parameters, and
controlling the display to present second information indicative of the value of the environmental parameter,wherein the first environmental sensor unit and the wireless display device are adapted to communicate using a short-range wireless communication protocol; and wherein the first environmental sensor unit is adapted to communicate bi-directionally with the at least one computing device and uni-directionally with the wireless display device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An environmental monitoring system to monitor one or more environmental parameters of an environment, the environmental monitoring system comprising:
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a wireless display device located in the environment; at least one computing device located remote from the environment; and a first environmental sensor unit located in the environment and physically separate from the wireless display device, wherein the first environmental sensor unit comprises; at least one environmental sensor; at least one wireless transceiver; at least one first processor; and at least one first storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the at least one first processor to carry out a first method comprising; in response to detecting a value of an environmental parameter via the at least one environmental sensor, transmitting the value to the at least one computing device via the at least one wireless transceiver; and in response to receiving from the at least one computing device a message indicating that the value of the environmental parameter satisfies an alert condition, transmitting, to the wireless display device and via the at least one wireless transceiver, at least one message comprising the value and indicating the alert; and wherein the wireless display device comprises; a display; a wireless receiver; at least one second processor; and at least one second storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the at least one second processor to carry out a second method comprising; in response to receiving at least one message from the first environmental sensor unit, determining whether the at least one message indicates an alert; in response to determining that the at least one message indicates the alert, updating the display to output the value and the alert; and
in response to determining that the at least one message does not indicate the alert, updating the display to output the value,wherein the first environmental sensor unit and the wireless display device are adapted to communicate using a wireless communication protocol that is selected from a group of wireless communication protocols consisting of Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) protocols and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) protocols, and wherein the first environmental sensor unit is adapted to communicate bi-directionally with the at least one computing device and uni-directionally with the wireless display device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. An environmental monitoring system for monitoring one or more environmental parameters of an environment, the environmental monitoring system comprising:
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at least one computing device located remote from the environment; a first environmental sensor unit located in the environment; and a wireless display device located in the environment, wherein the wireless display device is physically separate from the first environmental sensor unit, wherein the first environmental sensor unit comprises; at least one environmental sensor; at least one wireless transceiver; at least one first processor; and at least one first storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the at least one first processor to carry out a first method comprising; in response to detecting a value of an environmental parameter via the at least one environmental sensor, transmitting the value to the at least one computing device via the at least one wireless transceiver; and in response to receiving from the at least one computing device a message indicating that the value of the environmental parameter satisfies an alert condition, transmitting, to the wireless display device and via the at least one wireless transceiver, at least one message comprising the value and indicating the alert; and wherein the wireless display device comprises; a display; a wireless receiver; at least one second processor; and at least one second storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the at least one first processor to carry out a second method comprising; in response to receiving at least one message from the first environmental sensor unit, determining whether the at least one message indicates an alert; in response to determining that the at least one message indicates the alert, updating the display to output the value and the alert; and in response to determining that the at least one message does not indicate the alert, updating the display to output the value, wherein the first environmental sensor unit and the wireless display device are adapted to communicate using a wireless communication protocol that is selected from a group of wireless communication protocols consisting of protocols compatible with ZigBee, Bluetooth, or IEEE 802.11, and wherein the first environmental sensor unit is adapted to communicate bi-directionally with the at least one computing device and uni-directionally with the wireless display device.
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30. An environmental monitoring system to monitor one or more environmental parameters of an environment, the environmental monitoring system comprising:
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at least one environmental sensor unit located in the environment to sense the one or more environmental parameters, the at least one environmental sensor unit comprising a first environmental sensor unit; at least one computing device located remote from the environment; and a wireless display device that is located in the environment and is physically separate from the first environmental sensor unit, wherein the first environmental sensor unit comprises; at least one environmental sensor; at least one wireless transceiver; at least one first processor; and at least one first storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the at least one first processor to carry out a first method comprising; in response to detecting that a first period of time has passed, transmitting, using the wireless transceiver, a wireless transmission comprising a device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit and first information indicating a value of an environmental parameter of the one or more environmental parameters; and wherein the wireless display device comprises; a display; a wireless receiver; at least one second processor; and at least one second storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the at least one second processor to carry out a second method comprising; in response to detecting that the first period of time has passed, monitoring, using the wireless receiver, for the wireless transmission comprising the device identifier of the first environmental sensor unit, of the at least one environmental sensor unit, with which the wireless display device is associated; in response to receiving the wireless transmission comprising the device identifier for the first environmental sensor unit,
determining from the wireless transmission the value of the environmental parameter of the one or more environmental parameters, and
controlling the display to present second information indicative of the value of the environmental parameter,wherein the first environmental sensor unit and the wireless display device are adapted to communicate using a wireless communication protocol that is selected from a group of wireless communication protocols consisting of protocols compatible with ZigBee, Bluetooth, or IEEE 802.11; and wherein the first environmental sensor unit is adapted to communicate bi-directionally with the at least one computing device and uni-directionally with the wireless display device.
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Specification