Multimodal climate sensor network

• US 9,332,322 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Niemeyer, Greg, Naima, Reza, Garcia, Antero, Kaltman, Eric Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus
• Application Number:
  US13/520,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/584, 340/539.1, 340/870.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 specially adapted to detect a particular component physical analysis of gaseous biological material G01N33/497
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/845 where the measuring is synchronized between sensing devices
• 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

Techniques and systems are disclosed for monitoring multiple indoor and outdoor climate parameters and wirelessly transmitting the monitored data to a network for on-line analysis and dissemination. In one aspect, a monitoring device includes multiple sensors to monitor air quality modalities and generate corresponding monitored air quality data. The monitoring device includes a processor in communication with the multiple sensors to receive and process the monitored air quality data generated from the multiple sensors. Additionally, the monitoring device includes a display unit in communication with the processor to display the processed air quality data. The monitoring device includes a data communication unit to transmit the processed air quality data to a server. The server stores and optimizes the data through cross-calibration and makes the data available to persons who have purchased the monitoring devices and who wish to share the data in a social network.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a server; and

a plurality of monitoring devices, one monitoring device of the plurality of monitoring devices comprising;

a sensor bay comprising;

multiple sensors to monitor air quality modalities and generate corresponding monitored air quality data;

multiple interchangeable sensor boards to allow users to implement custom combinations of sensors, wherein each sensor is disposed on a corresponding one of the multiple interchangeable circuit boards; and

a motherboard coupled to the multiple interchangeable sensor boards through a common data and power bus shared by the multiple interchangeable sensor boards, wherein the motherboard relays messages among the multiple interchangeable sensor boards and supplies power to the multiple interchangeable sensor boards through the common data and power bus; and

a processor in communication with the multiple sensors to receive and process the monitored air quality data generated from the multiple sensors;

a cross-calibration system in communication with the processor to use data obtained from one sensor in the multiple sensors to continuously calibrate other sensors in the multiple sensors;

a display unit in communication with the processor to display the processed air quality data; and

a data communication unit to transmit the processed air quality data to the server;

wherein the server is configured to provide a Web interface to allow users to review the monitored air quality data from the multiple monitoring devices, wherein the Web interface comprises a first graphical user interface widget to organize the multiple monitoring devices into one or more groups, and wherein the first graphical user interface widget comprises a neighborhood chart which identifies multiple sensors included in a user'"'"'s neighborhood and compares contribution of each location in the user'"'"'s neighborhood as a percent of a total pollution output of the user'"'"'s neighborhood.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the multiple sensors comprise at least two selected from the following:

a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a noise sensor, a CO₂ sensor, and a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor.

3. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor bay comprises multiple circuit boards, wherein each sensor is disposed on a corresponding one of the multiple circuit boards.

4. The monitoring device of claim 3, wherein the sensory bay comprises interface slots to receive the multiple circuit boards with the corresponding sensors, and wherein the interface slots are configured to interchangeable receive different circuit boards with corresponding sensors.

5. The monitoring device of claim 1, comprising a display unit to present a level of each monitored air quality modality.

6. The monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the display unit comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged to show the level of each monitored air quality modality.

7. The monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a position detector to detect a change in a location of the monitoring device.

8. A system comprising:

a server to receive and store monitored air quality data;

multiple monitoring devices in communication with the server to monitor air quality modalities, each monitoring device comprises

multiple sensors to monitor the air quality modalities and generate corresponding air quality data;

a processor in communication with the multiple sensors to receive and process the air quality data generated from the multiple sensors;

a display unit in communication with the processor to display the processed air quality data; and

a data communication unit to transmit the processed air quality data to a server as the monitored air quality data; and

,

a cross-calibration system in communication with the processor to use data obtained from one sensor in the multiple sensors to continuously calibrate other sensors in the multiple sensors;

wherein the server is configured to provide a Web interface to allow users to review the monitored air quality data from the multiple monitoring devices, wherein the Web interface comprises a first graphical user interface widget to organize the multiple monitoring devices into one or more groups, and wherein the first graphical user interface widget comprises a neighborhood chart which identifies multiple sensors included in a user'"'"'s neighborhood and compares contribution of each location in the user'"'"'s neighborhood as a percent of a total pollution output of the user'"'"'s neighborhood.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the server is configured to provide a Web interface to allow users to review the monitored air quality data from the multiple monitoring devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the Web interface comprises:

a first graphical user interface widget to organize the multiple monitoring devices into one or more groups.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface widget to organize the multiple monitoring devices into one or more groups comprises:

an indication of total pollution for each group; and

a contribution of each monitoring device in each group.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the Web interface comprises:

a second graphical user interface widget to display a time-dependent pattern of at least one of the monitored air quality modalities.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the Web interface comprises:

a third graphical user interface widget to allow users to conduct on-line discussions.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, monitored air quality data from each of multiple sensor devices, wherein the monitored air quality data from at least one of the sensor devices comprises multiple air quality modalities monitored using multiple sensors

at a cross-calibration system, using data obtained from a first sensor in the multiple sensors to continuously calibrate other sensors in the multiple sensors to determine accuracy of the multiple sensors;

storing, at the server, the received monitored air quality data;

presenting, from the server, a graphical user interface to receive user input to organize the received monitored air quality data into one or more groups;

organizing the received monitored air quality data from the multiple sensor device devices into the one or more groups based on the received user input; and

displaying the received monitored air quality data organized into the one or more groups;

the method further comprising;

configuring the server to provide a Web interface to allow users to review the monitored air quality data from the multiple sensor devices, wherein the Web interface comprises a first graphical user interface widget to organize the multiple sensor devices into one or more groups, and wherein the first graphical user interface widget comprises a neighborhood chart which identifies multiple sensors included in a user'"'"'s neighborhood and compares contribution of each location in the user'"'"'s neighborhood as a percent of a total pollution output of the user'"'"'s neighborhood.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the received monitored air quality data organized into the one or more groups comprises:

displaying total pollution for each group; and

displaying a contribution of each sensor device in each group to the total pollution.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the received monitored air quality data organized into the one or more groups comprises:

displaying a breakdown of the different air quality modalities.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the multiple sensors are configured to monitor at least two selected from the following:

light, temperature, humidity, noise, CO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOC).

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a widget to allow two or more users to conduct an on-line discussion.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphical user interface comprises:

a widget to organize the multiple sensor devices into one or more groups.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the graphical user interface widget to organize the multiple sensor devices into one or more groups comprises:

an indication of total pollution for each group; and

a contribution of each monitoring device in each group.

21. The method of claim 14, comprising displaying a time-dependent pattern of at least one of the monitored air quality modalities.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein continuously calibrating other sensors in the multiple sensors includes calibrating the other sensors periodically at a set period of time.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein continuously calibrating other sensors in the multiple sensors includes calibrating the other sensors each time a reading of the first sensor is obtained.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein continuously calibrating other sensors in the multiple sensors includes calibrating the other sensors each time the server or a user requests calibration.