System and methods for remote monitoring

• US 9,939,540 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cornell University
• Original Assignee: Cornell University
• Inventors: Calupca, Thomas, Clark, Christopher W., Fladung, Sam, Kempf, Amanda, Robbins, Matthew, Spaulding, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Baghdasaryan, Hovhannes
• Application Number:
  US14/239,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20160070010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,426 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/001 Acoustic presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/01 Measuring or predicting earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/14 Signal detection

Abstract

A system that detects signals and transmits data regarding certain detected signals for further analysis is disclosed. The detected signals may be analyzed to determine whether any of the detected signals correspond to a source. The system may transfer in near-real time data and information regarding the data to one or more client devices. Methods for detecting signals and transmitting data associated with the detected signals are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals, comprising:

a data detection device monitoring an area by receiving and recording sound signals generated by one or more sources located in the area, wherein the data detection device comprises a hydrophone separate from a buoy;

said data detection device including a processor, the processor configured to compare characteristics of a segment of the recorded sound signals to a recorded library of characteristics, the characteristics comprising a minimum frequency value and a maximum frequency value, the processer assigning each segment a numerical value between 1 and 10 based on the comparison and defining a priority set of recorded sound signals having a frequency between 50 and 350 Hertz, wherein a higher numerical value corresponds to a higher likelihood that the recorded sound signal is associated with a particular source;

a communication infrastructure including a first communication link and a second communication link transmitting the priority set of recorded sound signals to a processing device, wherein the first communication link and the second communication link are of different types or modes and said communication infrastructure transmitting the priority set of recorded sound signals over one of the two different communication links, and if transmission is interrupted, then said communication infrastructure switches transmission to the other of the two different communication links;

the processing device generating an alert when the priority set includes one or more recorded sounds signals of the particular source; and

a client device receiving the alert indicating the particular source is detected in the area.

2. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 1, wherein the particular source is a marine animal.

3. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 1, wherein one of the first communication link and the second communication link is an Iridium satellite phone communication link.

4. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 1, wherein one of the first communication link and the second communication link is a cellular phone communication link.

5. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 1, wherein the client device comprises a vessel.

6. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 2, wherein the marine animal is a right whale.

7. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 1, wherein the characteristics further include and a duration of time, an amplitude, a bandwidth, and a starting frequency value.

8. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 1, wherein the segment is 2 seconds.

9. A method for determining a source located within an area, comprising the steps of:

recording by a data detection device sound signals generated by a source located in the area, the data detection device comprising a hydrophone separate from a buoy;

comparing by a processor of the data detection device characteristics of a segment of the recorded sound signals to a recorded library of characteristics, the characteristics comprising a minimum frequency value and a maximum frequency value;

assigning by the processor of the data detection device a numerical value to each segment based on the comparing step, the numerical value between 1 and 10;

defining by the processor of the data detection device a priority set of recorded sound signals with each of the recorded sound signals having a frequency value between 50 and 350 Hertz, wherein a higher numerical value of each segment of recorded sound signal corresponds to a higher likelihood that the recorded sound signal is associated with a particular source;

transmitting by one or more communication links the priority set of recorded sound signals to a processing device;

comparing by the processing device each recorded sound signal of the priority set to a library of source recordings;

sorting out by the processing device one or more recorded sound signals from the priority set that are not found in the library;

generating by the processing device an alert when the sorted priority set includes one or more recoded sound signals of the particular source; and

sending the alert to a client device indicating the particular source is detected in the area.

10. The method for determining a source located within an area according to claim 9, wherein said transmitting step further comprises the step of:

switching between two or more different communication links when transmission is interrupted on one of the two or more different communication links.

11. The method for determining a source located within an area according to claim 10, wherein one of the two or more different communication links is an Iridium satellite phone communication link.

12. The method for determining a source located within an area according to claim 10, wherein one of the two or more different communication links is a cellular phone communication link.

13. The method for determining a source located within an area according to claim 9, wherein the client device comprises a vessel.

14. A system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals, comprising:

a data detection device monitoring an area by receiving and recording sound signals generated by one or more sources located in the area;

said data detection device including a processor, the processor comparing characteristics of a 2 second segment of each recorded sound signal to a recorded library of characteristics, the characteristics comprising one or more selected from the group;

a duration of time, an amplitude, a bandwidth, and starting frequency value a minimum frequency value, a maximum frequency value, the processer further assigning each segment a numerical value between 1 and 10, wherein a higher numerical value corresponds to a higher likelihood that the recorded sound signal is associated with a right whale marine animal;

a communication infrastructure including a first communication link and a second communication link transmitting the priority set of recorded sound signals to a processing device, wherein the first communication link and the second communication link are of different types or modes and said communication infrastructure transmitting the priority set of recorded sound signals over one of the two different communication links, and if transmission is interrupted, then said communication infrastructure switches transmission to the other of the two different communication links;

the processing device generating an alert when the priority set includes one or more recorded sounds signals of the particular source; and

a vessel receiving the alert indicating the particular source is detected in the area.

15. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 14, wherein the data detection device comprises a hydrophone separate from a buoy.

16. The system for remote monitoring of a location to identify sources generating sound signals according to claim 14, wherein the data detection device records sound signals having a frequency between 50 and 350 Hertz.