Infrastructure monitoring system and method and particularly as related to fire hydrants and water distribution
First Claim
1. An infrastructure monitoring system comprising:
- an operations center;
a monitoring device coupled to a component of an infrastructure, the monitoring device comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor sensing at least one condition within the infrastructure, a data storage device storing data sensed by each sensor, a transceiver device adapted to transmit and receive data, and a processor communicatively coupled to each sensor, the data storage device, and the transceiver device, the processor configured to;
receive the data sensed by each sensor,determine, based on the data sensed by each sensor, whether there is a problem with the at least one condition within the infrastructure that each sensor sensed,upon determining that there is a problem with the at least one condition within the infrastructure that each sensor sensed, transmitting a message to the operations center via the transceiver device, andperiodically compile sensing data stored in the data storage device and transmit the compiled sensing data to the operations center via the transceiver device, wherein at least two sensors of the plurality of sensors are configured to sense a first condition and at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense a second condition; and
a control device communicatively coupled to at least one of the operations center and the monitoring device, the control device configured to operate a plurality of output devices when signaled by at least one of the operations center and the monitoring device, wherein the control device is positioned within a fire hydrant,wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to determine a status of at least one of the plurality of output devices,wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) device, the RFID device configured to broadcast at least one of manufacturer information, location information, a last service date, device information, and a current status, andwherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is an alarm, the alarm comprising at least one of a visual alarm, an audible alarm, and a tactile alarm.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for an infrastructure monitoring system. The infrastructure monitoring system may include an operations center; a monitoring device, the monitoring device may be coupled to a component of the infrastructure, include at least one sensor sensing at least one condition within the infrastructure, a data storage device storing data sensed by the at least one sensor, a transceiver device adapted to transmit and receive data, and a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the data storage device, and the transceiver device, the processor may be configured to receive the data sensed by the at least one sensor, determine, based on the data sensed by the at least one sensor, if there is a problem with the at least one condition within the infrastructure that the at least one sensor sensed, upon determining that there is a problem with the at least one condition within the infrastructure that the at least one sensor sensed, transmitting a message to the operations center via the transceiver device, and periodically compiling sensing data stored in the data storage device and transmitting the compiled sensing data to the operations center via the transceiver device; and a control device, the control device may be communicatively coupled to at least one of the operations center and the monitoring device, and the control device may be configured to operate at least one output device when signaled by at least one of the operations center and the monitoring device, and the control device may be positioned within a fire hydrant.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An infrastructure monitoring system comprising:
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an operations center; a monitoring device coupled to a component of an infrastructure, the monitoring device comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor sensing at least one condition within the infrastructure, a data storage device storing data sensed by each sensor, a transceiver device adapted to transmit and receive data, and a processor communicatively coupled to each sensor, the data storage device, and the transceiver device, the processor configured to; receive the data sensed by each sensor, determine, based on the data sensed by each sensor, whether there is a problem with the at least one condition within the infrastructure that each sensor sensed, upon determining that there is a problem with the at least one condition within the infrastructure that each sensor sensed, transmitting a message to the operations center via the transceiver device, and periodically compile sensing data stored in the data storage device and transmit the compiled sensing data to the operations center via the transceiver device, wherein at least two sensors of the plurality of sensors are configured to sense a first condition and at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense a second condition; and a control device communicatively coupled to at least one of the operations center and the monitoring device, the control device configured to operate a plurality of output devices when signaled by at least one of the operations center and the monitoring device, wherein the control device is positioned within a fire hydrant, wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to determine a status of at least one of the plurality of output devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) device, the RFID device configured to broadcast at least one of manufacturer information, location information, a last service date, device information, and a current status, and wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is an alarm, the alarm comprising at least one of a visual alarm, an audible alarm, and a tactile alarm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for monitoring an infrastructure, the method comprising:
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receiving, by a monitoring device, data sensed by a plurality of sensors, the monitoring device coupled to a component of the infrastructure, the monitoring device including a data storage device to store data sensed by each sensor, a transceiver device adapted to transmit and receive data, and a processor communicatively coupled to each sensor; determining, by the monitoring device, whether there is a problem with at least one condition within the infrastructure based on the data sensed by each sensor; upon determining that there is a problem with the at least one condition within the infrastructure that each sensor is sensing, transmitting, by the monitoring device, a message to an operations center; and upon the operations center receiving transmission of the message, the operations center transmitting a signal to a control device, the control device communicatively coupled to the operations center, the control device configured to operate a plurality of output devices when signaled by the operations center, wherein the control device is positioned within a fire hydrant, wherein at least two sensors of the plurality of sensors are configured to sense a first condition and at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense a second condition, wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to determine a status of at least one of the plurality of output devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is an alarm, the alarm comprising at least one of a visual alarm, and audible alarm, and a tactile alarm, and wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) device, the RFID device configured to broadcast at least one of manufacturer information, location information, a last service date, device information, and a current status. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A fire hydrant comprising:
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a bonnet, a portion of the bonnet comprising a material that does not interfere with communications, wherein the bonnet is insulated from water within the fire hydrant; and a communications device located within the bonnet, wherein the communications device is an element of an infrastructure monitoring system and is configured to receive data from a monitoring device positioned remotely from the communications device, the monitoring device configured to transmit compiled sensing data to an operations center via the communications device, the monitoring device comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor sensing at least one condition within the fire hydrant, wherein at least two sensors of the plurality of sensors are configured to sense a first condition and at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense a second condition, wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to determine a status of at least one output device of a plurality of output devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is an alarm, the alarm comprising at least one of a visual alarm, an audible alarm, and a tactile alarm, and wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) device, the RFID device configured to broadcast at least one of manufacturer information, location information, a last service date, device information, and a current status.
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Specification