System and apparatus for using a wireless smart device to perform field calculations

• US 9,933,401 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TSI Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TSI Incorporated
• Inventors: Poecher, Arndt, Bark, Gerald M., Menon, Rajagopala
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tighe, Dana
• Application Number:
  US13/879,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,358 Days
• Field of Search: 454239, 454256, 454370, 73 232, 73 2801, 62126, 62127, 62131, 374183
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/83 by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 1/18 with arrangements for signalling that a predetermined value of an unspecified parameter has been exceeded G01D1/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/086 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0009 General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment G01N1/22 takes precedence

Abstract

There is disclosed a system and apparatus for connecting remote and environmental sensors and other operating systems to a portable computing and communications device. The portable device configured to receive and process a set of data and transmit a response or message to at least the user on the quality of the data received. The portable device adapted to reconfigure the remote sensors or operating systems to produce a new set of data.

Claims

1. An air quality measurement system for measuring at least one parameter of a set of parameters in a fluid flow, the measuring system comprising:

a handheld probing device having an extended or telescoping body portion with a sensor assembly disposed at one end of the probing device configured to measure the at least one parameter, the handheld probing device having a user interface thereon configured for a user to initiate measurement of the at least one parameter and to passively and wirelessly transmit in real time parameter data therefrom, the sensor assembly including a pre-calibrated sensor element; and

a smart handheld communications and processing device having a screen display thereon and a smart device operating system and a software application program disposed in a smart device housing, the smart device configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data in real time with local and remote wireless networks, the smart device adapted to wirelessly receive in real time a set of parameter data from the handheld probing device upon the user initiating the measurement, said smart handheld communications device operating system and software application program adapted to process the parameter data and generate a message when the at least one parameter of the fluid flow exceeds a predefined range.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is sent to a message destination selected from the group consisting of the screen display, a remote printer, a remote server, and a remote controller adapted to receive the message.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-calibrated sensor element is selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is selected from the group consisting of a particle counter, a viable biological particle detector and a non-viable biological particle detector.

5. The air quality measurement system of claim 1, wherein the software program of the smart device is configured to generate measurement data and a calibration report for an apparatus being measured.

6. The air quality measurement system of claim 5, wherein the smart device further includes a camera device for capturing images to be used with the calibration report.

7. The air quality measurement system of claim 1, wherein the software application program includes applications to guide a user through any of air flow measurements, duct traverse measurement, fume hood calibration, bio safety calibration and air flow balancing.

8. An air quality measurement system for measuring and calibrating a controller used for controlling fluid flow in a selected space comprising:

a handheld probing device having an extended or telescoping body portion with a sensor assembly disposed at one end of the handheld probing device configured to measure at least one parameter characteristic or data of the fluid flow, the probing device having a user interface thereon configured for a user to initiate measurement of the at least one parameter and to passively and wirelessly in real time transmit parameter data therefrom; and

a smart handheld communications and processing device having a screen display thereon and a smart device operating system and a software application program disposed in a smart device housing, the smart device configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data in real time with local and remote wireless networks, the smart device adapted to wirelessly receive in real time a set of parameter data from the handheld probing device upon the user initiating the measurement, said smart handheld communications device operating system and software application program adapted to process the parameter data and generate a message when the at least one parameter of the fluid flow exceeds a predefined range, and

wherein the controller is wirelessly coupled to the smart handheld communications and processing device and is adapted to receive and be responsive to the message by changing the fluid flow in the selected space.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to include a sensor element selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor element, a humidity sensor element, and a pressure sensor element.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor assembly is selected from the group consisting of a particle counter, a viable biological particle detector and a non-viable biological particle detector.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor assembly is a pre-calibrated sensor element.

12. A system for improving indoor air quality and air flow within a facility comprising:

an air quality monitoring system adapted to detect biologically viable and non-biologically viable particles, said air quality monitoring system wirelessly transmitting a set of air quality data upon request initiated by a user;

a smart handheld communications and processing controller having a smart device operating system and a software application program disposed in a smart device housing, the smart device configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data in real time with local and remote wireless networks, the smart handheld controller adapted to wirelessly receive the set of air quality data directly from said monitoring system and analyze the air quality data, upon the user initiated request said smart handheld communications and processing controller further adapted to wirelessly transmit an instruction to at least change the air quality data, wherein the software application program includes applications to guide the user through any of air flow measurements, duct traverse measurement, fume hood calibration, bio safety calibration and air flow balancing; and

a ventilation system having at least one air cleansing device and at least one airflow control device, the ventilation system responsive to the wirelessly transmitted instruction, and outputs of the user guided applications received, directly from said smart handheld communications and processing controller to reconfigure the air cleansing device and the airflow control device to change the air quality data within the facility.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the air quality monitoring system further includes at least one sensor to measure a desired parameter in the facility, the parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, humidity, air velocity, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and industrial gases.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the air cleansing device is selected from the group consisting of a filter, an irradiation apparatus and a gel capture device.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the air control device is selected from the group consisting of a blower, an adjustable vent, a set of adjustable baffles, and a set of adjustable louvres.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the handheld controller is selected from the group consisting of a tablet PC, a smartphone, a cellphone, and a notebook computer.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the handheld controller receives air quality data through a wireless protocol selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, radio frequency and optically.

18. An air quality measurement device for measuring at least one parameter of a set of parameters in a fluid flow, the measuring device comprising:

a smart handheld communications and processing device having a screen display thereon and a smart device operating system and a software application program disposed in a smart device housing, the smart device configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data in real time with local and remote wireless networks, the smart device adapted to wirelessly receive in real time the set of parameter data from a passive handheld probing accessory couplable thereto, said smart handheld communications device operating system and software application program adapted to process the at least one parameter data in real time on a user initiated measurement and generate a message when the at least one parameter of the fluid flow exceeds a predefined range, wherein the handheld probing accessory includes a sensor assembly disposed at one end of the handheld probing accessory for measuring the at least one parameter.

19. The air quality measurement device of claim 18, wherein the software program of the smart device is configured to generate measurement data and a calibration report for an apparatus being measured.

20. The air quality measurement device of claim 18, wherein the software application program includes applications to guide a user through any of air flow measurements, duct traverse measurement, fume hood calibration, bio safety calibration and air flow balancing.