Remote monitoring system

• US 20060028336A1
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthroscopic Surgery Associates Corporation
• Original Assignee: Arthroscopic Surgery Associates Corporation
• Inventors: Silva, Damon, Glenn, Gregory M., Henry, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 9,153,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/80 Arrangements for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• 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: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A remote monitoring system includes a sensor interface, a processor, and a wireless communication interface. The sensor interface receives sensor information from a sensor coupled to the sensor interface. The processor processes the sensor information into at least one data packet for transferring to a server. The wireless communication interface transfers the data packet over wireless communications to the server.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring system comprising:

a sensor interface configured to receive sensor information from a sensor coupled to the sensor interface;

a processor configured to process the sensor information into at least one data packet for transferring to a server; and

a wireless communication interface configured to transfer the at least one data packet over wireless communications to the server.

2. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the sensor information indicates environmental data.

3. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising an analog to digital converter configured to convert the sensor information from analog format to digital format.

4. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the sensor interface is configured to handle a serial data interface protocol.

5. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications comprises telemetry radio communications.

6. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications comprises mobile cellular communications.

7. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to include an identifier of the sensor in the at least one data packet.

9. The remote monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to download executable code into the sensor.

8. The remote monitoring system further comprising a solar battery configured to power the remote monitoring system.

10. A method for operating a remote monitoring system, the method comprising:

receiving sensor information from a sensor coupled to the sensor interface into a sensor interface;

in a processor, processing the sensor information into at least one data packet for transferring to a server; and

transferring the at least one data packet from a wireless communications interface to the server over wireless communications.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the sensor information indicates environmental data.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising converting the sensor information from analog format to digital format.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising handling a serial data interface protocol.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless communications comprises telemetry radio communications.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless communications comprises mobile cellular communications.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising including an identifier of the sensor in the at least one data packet.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising powering the remote monitoring system using a solar battery.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising downloading executable code into the sensor.

19. A software product for a remote monitoring system, the software product comprising:

monitoring software operational when executed by a processor to direct the processor to receive sensor information from a sensor, process the sensor information into at least one data packet, and transfer the at least one data packet to a wireless communications interface for transferring over wireless communications to a server; and

a software storage medium operational to store the monitoring software.

20. The software product of claim 19 wherein the sensor information indicates environmental data.

21. The software product of claim 19 wherein the wireless communications comprises telemetry radio communications.

22. The software product of claim 19 wherein the wireless communications comprises mobile cellular communications.

23. The software product of claim 19 wherein the monitoring software is operational when executed by the processor to direct the processor to include an identifier of the sensor in the at least one data packet.

24. The software product of claim 19 wherein the monitoring software is operational when executed by the processor to direct the processor to download executable code into the sensor.