ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DEVICE

• US 20140278735A1
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leeo, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leeo, Incorporated
• Inventors: GETTINGS, Adam M., STEVENS, Andrew G., HOVLAND, Bjorn H.
• Application Number:
  US14/263,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278735A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.28
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/72 Signcrypting, i.e. digital signing and encrypting simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• 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

Abstract

An environmental monitoring device that monitors the operation of a legacy electronic device is described. In particular, a sensor in the environmental monitoring device provides sensor data that represents an environmental condition in an external environment that includes the environmental monitoring device. This environmental condition is associated with the operation of the legacy electronic device in the external environment. The environmental monitoring device analyzes the sensor data and provides feedback about the operation of the legacy electronic device based on the analyzed sensor data. Moreover, the sensor provides the sensor data without or excluding communication and/or electrical coupling between the environmental monitoring device and the legacy electronic device. In this way, the environmental monitoring device facilitates monitoring, analysis and feedback of the sensor data without directly interacting with the legacy electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna;

an interface circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to communicate with a set of electronic devices, wherein the set of electronic devices at least includes other electronic devices than the electronic device, and wherein the set of electronic devices are located in separate environments;

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, which stores a program module configured to be executed by the processor, the program module including;

instructions for receiving sensor data from the set of electronic devices, wherein the sensor data represents environmental conditions in the environments;

instructions for analyzing the sensor data, wherein the analysis involves comparing the sensor data from a given electronic device in the set of electronic devices with the sensor data from a remainder of the set of electronic devices; and

instructions for determining a risk metric for an environment associated with the given electronic device based on the analyzed sensor data.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the environment is included in a physical object;

and

wherein the program module further includes instructions for calculating a financial value associated with the physical object based on the determined risk metric.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the financial value includes one of:

a commercial value of the physical object; and

an insurance premium for the physical object.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the physical object includes one of:

a portion of a building, the building, a container, a vehicle, a chemical, and a train car.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the environment includes a physical object;

and

wherein the program module further includes instructions for calculating a financial value associated with the physical object based on the determined risk metric.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the financial value includes one of:

a commercial value of the physical object; and

an insurance premium for the physical object.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a sensor configured to provide sensor data that represents an environmental condition in an environment that includes the electronic device;

wherein the program module further includes instructions for accessing the sensor data from the sensor in the electronic device; and

wherein the analysis includes the sensor data from the sensor in the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the environments are associated with different entities.

9. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to determine a risk metric, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for receiving sensor data from a set of electronic devices, wherein the sensor data represents environmental conditions in external environments of the set of electronic devices, and wherein the set of electronic devices at least includes electronic devices other than the electronic device;

instructions for analyzing the sensor data, wherein the analysis involves comparing the sensor data from a given electronic device in the set of electronic devices with the sensor data from a remainder of the set of electronic devices; and

instructions for determining the risk metric for an external environment associated with the given electronic device based on the analyzed sensor data.

10. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the external environment is included in a physical object;

and

wherein the computer-program mechanism further includes instructions for calculating a financial value associated with the physical object based on the determined risk metric.

11. The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the financial value includes one of:

a commercial value of the physical object; and

an insurance premium for the physical object.

12. The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the physical object includes one of:

a portion of a building, the building, a container, a vehicle, a chemical, and a train car.

13. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the external environment includes a physical object;

and

wherein the computer-program mechanism further includes instructions for calculating a financial value associated with the physical object based on the determined risk metric.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the financial value includes one of:

a commercial value of the physical object; and

an insurance premium for the physical object.

15. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the set of electronic devices includes the electronic device.

16. A processor-implemented method for determining a risk metric, wherein the method comprises:

receiving sensor data from a set of electronic devices, wherein the sensor data represents environmental conditions in external environments of the set of electronic devices, and wherein the set of electronic devices at least includes electronic devices other than the electronic device;

using the processor, analyzing the sensor data, wherein the analysis involves comparing the sensor data from a given electronic device in the set of electronic devices with the sensor data from a remainder of the set of electronic devices; and

determining the risk metric for an external environment associated with the given electronic device based on the analyzed sensor data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the external environment is included in a physical object;

and

wherein the method further comprises calculating a financial value associated with the physical object based on the determined risk metric.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the financial value includes one of a commercial value of the physical object;

and an insurance premium for the physical object.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the external environment includes a physical object;

and

wherein the method further comprises calculating a financial value associated with the physical object based on the determined risk metric.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the financial value includes one of:

a commercial value of the physical object; and

an insurance premium for the physical object.