Transmission line measuring device and method for connectivity and monitoring
First Claim
1. A data acquisition device for acquiring data from a location comprising:
- at least one sensor for determining at least one of a parameter and image associated with the location;
a radio interface for communicating to at least one of a monitoring device and at least one neighboring data acquisition device via a radio communication link within a selected range; and
a processing device connected to the at least one sensor and the radio interface, the processing device being programmed to receive and process inputs from the at least one sensor, and to generate messages for transmission via the radio interface;
wherein a network comprises a plurality of the data acquisition device and the monitoring device, and the processing device is configured to participate in multi-hop communications via the radio communication link with the other data acquisition devices and the monitoring device;
wherein each of the data acquisition devices is assigned a unique address, and configured to perform a self-assembling process that automatically configures the data acquisition device to communicate within the network, the processing device being configured to perform the self-assembling process by receiving a configuration message transmitted from the monitoring device via the radio communication link and forwarding the configuration message after incrementing a hop count provided therein, and by replying to a copy of the configuration message having a minimum hop count among copies of the configuration message transmitted by one or more of the other data acquisition devices; and
wherein the unique address of each of the data acquisition devices is a Media Access Control (MAC) address and the radio interface in each of the data acquisition devices is an encrypted radio interface configured to employ the self-assembling process that assembles each of the data acquisition devices into a communication network that obviates manual configuration of the radio interface in each of the data acquisition devices.
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Abstract
A method for connecting low power radios into a self-assembling and self-healing network with multiple portals to higher speed networks such as, but not limited to, electrical or optical Ethernet is provided for monitoring transmission lines, for example, or other monitoring application. An arrangement of sensors is provided (e.g., sensors can be associated with clamps or positioned along infrastructure being monitored and without dependence on any clamps or other devices) that are designed to communicate and operate in an geographically distributed array to provide increased and autonomous monitoring of large utility, highway, communication and similar networks. A unique collection of sensors (e.g., an anemometer with no moving parts) provides comprehensive diagnostics for improved operation of large geographic scale utility, highway, communication and similar infrastructure.
106 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A data acquisition device for acquiring data from a location comprising:
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at least one sensor for determining at least one of a parameter and image associated with the location; a radio interface for communicating to at least one of a monitoring device and at least one neighboring data acquisition device via a radio communication link within a selected range; and a processing device connected to the at least one sensor and the radio interface, the processing device being programmed to receive and process inputs from the at least one sensor, and to generate messages for transmission via the radio interface; wherein a network comprises a plurality of the data acquisition device and the monitoring device, and the processing device is configured to participate in multi-hop communications via the radio communication link with the other data acquisition devices and the monitoring device; wherein each of the data acquisition devices is assigned a unique address, and configured to perform a self-assembling process that automatically configures the data acquisition device to communicate within the network, the processing device being configured to perform the self-assembling process by receiving a configuration message transmitted from the monitoring device via the radio communication link and forwarding the configuration message after incrementing a hop count provided therein, and by replying to a copy of the configuration message having a minimum hop count among copies of the configuration message transmitted by one or more of the other data acquisition devices; and wherein the unique address of each of the data acquisition devices is a Media Access Control (MAC) address and the radio interface in each of the data acquisition devices is an encrypted radio interface configured to employ the self-assembling process that assembles each of the data acquisition devices into a communication network that obviates manual configuration of the radio interface in each of the data acquisition devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification