Environmental Monitoring System Which Leverages A Social Networking Service To Deliver Alerts To Mobile Phones Or Devices

• US 20110230160A1
• Filed: 03/19/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NimbeLink Corp
• Original Assignee: NimbeLink Corp
• Inventors: Felgate, Arthur Everett
• Granted Patent: US 9,460,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for remote monitoring of environmental conditions at a site and transmitting alerts to interested parties'"'"' mobile devices via a social networking service is described. The system employs a wireless communications device, partially exposed outside a small, metal enclosure, to transmit SMS (text message) alerts to a social networking site. Interested parties, including other devices, receive the alerts by simply subscribing to the ‘user’ device. Thus, no configuration of the device by interested parties is required. Temperature alerts are generated by the device without user-configured or fixed thresholds. A wall-mounted installation of the device conceals the external antenna within the wall cavity.

Claims

1. ) An Environmental Monitoring System comprising:

a) One or more sensors;

b) A microcontroller;

c) A wireless communications device configured to transmit wireless alerts to a social networking site.

2. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein one of the sensors is a motion sensor.

3. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein one of the sensors is a temperature sensor.

4. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein one of the sensors is a humidity sensor.

5. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein one of the sensors is a switch contact closure input.

6. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the wireless alert is an SMS text message.

7. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the wireless alert is a cellular data packet.

8. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the social networking site is Twitter.

9. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the social networking site is Facebook.

10. ) The Environmental Monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the social networking site is a private network.

11. ) A method of sending an alarm comprising the steps of:

a) Sensing an alarm condition;

b) Encoding said alarm condition;

c) Transmitting said encoded alarm condition via a short text message (SMS);

d) Alerting a receiver of said message via a social networking site.

12. ) The method of claim 11 wherein the receiver is a mobile phone.

13. ) The method of claim 11 wherein the receiver is a device or a machine.

14. ) The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of checking the remaining balance of a prepaid cellular account.

15. ) A method of receiving wireless environmental alerts from a remote location comprising the steps of:

a) Subscribing to a social networking service account;

b) Placing a device at a remote location;

c) Turning on the device;

d) Receiving wireless alerts on a mobile device whereby no additional configuration steps are needed.

16. ) The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of connecting power to a device.

17. ) The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of enabling wireless SMS alert notifications from the social networking service.

18. ) A method of machine-to-machine communications comprising the steps of:

a) A device publishing status or alarm updates to a social networking site;

b) A second device subscribing to updates from said first device, whereby information is transferred from the first device to the second device by the social networking service.

19. ) The method of claim 18 wherein the social networking service is Twitter.

20. ) The method of claim 18 further including the step of configuring the social networking accounts of the first and second devices.