Expandable dock control system

• US 9,628,178 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keith Donald Brookins
• Original Assignee: Keith Donald Brookins
• Inventors: Brookins, Keith Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Van
• Application Number:
  US14/923,529
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/06 using hydraulic transmission; using pneumatic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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]

Abstract

An expandable dock monitor and control system having a communicating pile light assembly. The communicating pile light assembly has an electrical system with a controller assembly. The communicating pile light assembly is mounted onto a pile at a dock. The expandable dock monitor and control system further has a gateway/controller system, a local interface device and at least one sentinel. The sentinel has transmitting circuitry to transmit specific event information to a nearest and/or respective communicating pile light assembly, which relays the transmitted specific event information to the gateway/controller system, which deciphers then notices the local interface device. The controller assembly has an RGB and white light controller section, an accelerometer/remote sensor inputs/relay outputs section, a transceiver/digital address tag section and a power supply section. The expandable dock monitor and control system additionally has a remote interface device and a remote access gateway.

Claims

1. An expandable dock monitor and control system, comprising:

A) a communicating pile light assembly comprising an electrical system having a controller assembly, said communicating pile light assembly is mounted onto a pile at a dock;

B) a gateway, controller system;

C) a local interface device; and

D) at least one sentinel comprising transmitting circuitry to transmit specific event information to a nearest and/or respective said communicating pile light assembly, which relays transmitted said specific event information to said gateway, controller system, which deciphers then notices said local interface device, a plurality of said communicating pile light assembly creates a grid or net permitting transmitting of said specific event information and communications between said plurality of said communicating pile light assembly.

2. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said controller assembly comprises a Red, Green and Blue color model and white light controller section.

3. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said controller assembly comprises an accelerometer, remote sensor inputs, relay outputs section.

4. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said controller assembly comprises a transceiver, digital address tag section.

5. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said controller assembly comprises a power supply section.

6. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further comprising a remote interface device and a remote access gateway.

7. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is a dock trash sentinel that comprises a sensor, switch and/or a scale with said transmitting circuitry to detect and transmit that a trash bin container is ready for pick up.

8. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is a dock water supply sentinel that comprises a sensor and/or switch to detect that water is flowing in a water line for leak detection.

9. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is a dock pile strike detection sentinel that comprises a motion, vibration or accelerometer sensor and/or switch located in said communicating pile light assembly with said transmitting circuitry to detect and transmit that a respective said pile was struck and/or hit.

10. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is a vessel high-water detector sentinel that comprises a bilge high-water alarm sensor and/or switch with said transmitting circuitry to detect and transmit that a vessel has higher than normal water.

11. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is a vessel on fire detector sentinel that comprises a fire, heat or smoke alarm sensor and/or switch with said transmitting circuitry to detect and transmit that a vessel may be on fire.

12. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is a vessel owner panic, emergency alarm detector sentinel that comprises a panic button or switch with said transmitting circuitry to transmit notice of a panic or emergency situation and location.

13. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is an area security door ajar detector sentinel that comprises a sensor and/or switch with said transmitting circuitry to notify that a security door or gate is open or ajar.

14. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is a locater sentinel that acts as a tracking device to identify its location by proximity to a respective said communicating pile light assembly.

15. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further comprising a remote area entry enabler comprising a switch to open a door or other anything requiring a contact closure.

16. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said at least one sentinel is hardwired to said communicating pile light assembly and/or operates wirelessly by radio frequency.

17. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said communicating pile light assembly comprises a tip cone that mounts upon a base cone assembly that houses said electrical system, said tip cone is threaded for a mast bolt and secures said base cone assembly by compression onto said pile.

18. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said electrical system comprises a tip cone light source assembly.

19. The expandable dock monitor and control system set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one rib, each of said at least one rib comprises sidewalls and an elongated cavity, said at least one rib is mounted onto said pile.