System and method to monitor and control remote sensors and equipment

• US 9,438,331 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bluetick, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bluetick, Inc.
• Inventors: Mills, Michael C., Krupinski, Matthew P. III, Chiappetta, Luis G. Rodriguez, Fons, Benjamin Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Smarth, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/659,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A processor, memory, first transceiver, second transceiver, plurality of wired and wireless ports, and a power system storing excess energy. Multiple similar systems may mesh communication via first transceiver. Unencrypted data from ports are packaged into unencrypted data structures and forwarded to the second transceiver for transmission according to the telecommunications standard of the second transceiver. A method may include determining if either a predefined time to sample data was reached or if an interrupt was received, and then sampling ports associated with the predefined time or interrupt, to collect data from remote sensors or equipment coupled to the ports, process the sampled data, store the processed data in memory, and evaluate the stored data against a set of rules. If no rules are violated, the sampling continues, and the processed data is packaged and transmitted to a server at a prescheduled time. Actions are taken if rules are violated.

Claims

1. A self-sustaining, autonomous, monitoring, reporting, and control system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a communications bus operationally coupled to the processor and the memory;

a first radio transceiver, operationally coupled to the processor and operating according to a first telecommunications standard;

a second radio transceiver, different from the first radio transceiver, operationally coupled to the processor and operating according to a second telecommunications standard, different from the first telecommunications standard;

a plurality of wired ports, each of the plurality of wired ports defining one of a first plurality of data channels, each one of the first plurality of data channels coupled to the communications bus via a respective telecommunications adapter;

a plurality of wireless ports, each of the plurality of wireless ports defining one of a second plurality of data channels, each of the second plurality of data channels coupled to the communications bus via the second radio transceiver;

a power system configured to convert energy into respective operating voltages for at least the processor, the memory, and the first and second radio transceivers and store excess energy; and

electrical circuits, configured as surge protectors, coupled to each of the plurality of wired ports, an antenna of the first radio transceiver, an antenna of the second radio transceiver, and a power distribution network of the power system, to protect electrical components of the self-sustaining, autonomous, monitoring, reporting, and control system from an overvoltage,

wherein the processor receives unencrypted data from the first and second pluralities of data channels, packages the unencrypted data into predefined unencrypted data structures, and forwards the packaged unencrypted data to the second radio transceiver, where the packaged unencrypted data is transmitted according to the second telecommunications standard.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first radio transceiver is an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISMS) modem.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second radio transceiver is a mobile cellular telephone transceiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power system comprises:

a collection device configured to collect energy from a renewable energy source and convert the energy into electrical power;

a rechargeable battery, operationally coupled to the collection device and configured to store the electrical power; and

a charging/controlling converter, configured to charge the rechargeable battery and convert the stored electrical power to a predefined voltage to operate the system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy is renewable and the renewable energy is the only source of energy for the system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein both the first radio transceiver and the second radio transceiver are terrestrial radio transceivers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first radio transceiver and the second radio transceiver is a satellite radio transceiver.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audio communication system configured to support voice communication between an entity proximal to the system and an entity remote to the system, the audio communication system comprising:

an audio communication input device operationally coupled to the second radio transceiver; and

an audio communication output device operationally coupled to the second radio transceiver.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the audio communication input device is a microphone and the audio communication output device is a speaker.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises:

a main circuit board, wherein the main circuit board;

supports one or more of;

Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), RS-232, and RS-422/RS-485 for wired communications, and has sockets for cellular and industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) radio modems for wireless communications; and

an interchangeable circuit board, wherein the processor and components required by the processor to operate as a computer system are included on the interchangeable circuit board, and the interchangeable circuit board is removably connected to, receives all input from, and provides output to, the main circuit board.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein unencrypted data packaged into predefined data structures is transferred from the second radio transceiver to the processor, unpackaged according to instructions stored in the memory, and forwarded to one or more of the first and second pluralities of data channels.

12. A self-sustaining, autonomous, monitoring, reporting, and control system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a communications bus operationally coupled to the processor and the memory;

a first radio transceiver, operationally coupled to the processor and operating according to a first telecommunications standard;

a second radio transceiver, different from the first radio transceiver, operationally coupled to the processor and operating according to a second telecommunications standard, different from the first telecommunications standard;

a plurality of wired ports, each of the plurality of wired ports defining one of a first plurality of data channels, each one of the first plurality of data channels coupled to the communications bus via a respective telecommunications adapter;

a plurality of wireless ports, each of the plurality of wireless ports defining one of a second plurality of data channels, each of the second plurality of data channels coupled to the communications bus via the second radio transceiver;

a power system configured to convert energy into respective operating voltages for at least the processor, the memory, and the first and second radio transceivers and store excess energy;

a local data entry device operationally coupled to the processor and configured to receive a command to be executed by the processor from an entity proximal to the system; and

a local data output device operationally coupled to the processor and configured to display a result of execution of the command to the entity proximal to the system,

wherein the processor receives unencrypted data from the first and second pluralities of data channels, packages the unencrypted data into predefined unencrypted data structures, and forwards the packaged unencrypted data to the second radio transceiver, where the packaged unencrypted data is transmitted according to the second telecommunications standard.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the local data entry device is one of a push-button, a touch screen, and a keyboard; and

the local data output device is one of a light emitting diode (LED) display and a liquid crystal display (LCD) display.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first radio transceiver is an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) modem.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the second radio transceiver is a mobile cellular telephone transceiver.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein unencrypted data packaged into predefined data structures is transferred from the second radio transceiver to the processor, unpackaged according to instructions stored in the memory, and forwarded to one or more of the first and second pluralities of data channels.

17. A self-sustaining, autonomous, monitoring, reporting, and control system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a communications bus operationally coupled to the processor and the memory;

a first radio transceiver, operationally coupled to the processor and operating according to a first telecommunications standard;

a second radio transceiver, different from the first radio transceiver, operationally coupled to the processor and operating according to a second telecommunications standard, different from the first telecommunications standard;

a plurality of wired ports, each of the plurality of wired ports defining one of a first plurality of data channels, each one of the first plurality of data channels coupled to the communications bus via a respective telecommunications adapter;

a plurality of wireless ports, each of the plurality of wireless ports defining one of a second plurality of data channels, each of the second plurality of data channels coupled to the communications bus via the second radio transceiver; and

a power system configured to convert energy into respective operating voltages for at least the processor, the memory, and the first and second radio transceivers and store excess energy,

wherein the processor receives unencrypted data from the first and second pluralities of data channels, packages the unencrypted data into predefined unencrypted data structures, and forwards the packaged unencrypted data to the second radio transceiver, where the packaged unencrypted data is transmitted according to the second telecommunications standard, and

wherein the processor is configured to execute commands that reduce power consumption of the system from a predefined nominal level to less than or equal to a maximum predefined low level, which is less than the predefined nominal level, during preplanned periods of inactivity.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first radio transceiver is an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) modem.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the second radio transceiver is a mobile cellular telephone transceiver.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein unencrypted data packaged into predefined data structures is transferred from the second radio transceiver to the processor, unpackaged according to instructions stored in the memory, and forwarded to one or more of the first and second pluralities of data channels.