METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A UNIVERSAL WIRELESS PLATFORM FOR ASSET MONITORING

• US 20150097671A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Laflen, John Brandon, Hasan, SM Shajedul, Wik, Steven William, Polishchuk, Yakov, Zhao, Yang, Biel, Patrick Jay
• Granted Patent: US 9,870,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/02 involving measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 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: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A metrological interface device includes a printed circuit board (“PCB”) including at least one metrological sensor communication interface and at least one first wireless communication interface. The metrological interface device is in communication with a metrological sensing device via the metrological sensor communication interface. Each metrological sensing device is coupled to a physical asset. Each metrological interface device is configured to receive the metrological data from the metrological sensing device. The metrological interface device is configured to receive metrological data from the metrological sensing device via the metrological sensor communication interface. Metrological data represents physical measurement data associated with the physical asset. Each metrological interface device is configured to advertise connection availability to a plurality of mobile computing devices, and also configured to receive a connection request from a connecting mobile computing device, and is additionally configured to create an active connection with the connecting mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a plurality of metrological interface devices, each said metrological interface device comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising at least one metrological sensor communication interface, and at least one first wireless communication interface, wherein each said metrological interface device is in communication with a metrological sensing device via said metrological sensor communication interface, wherein each metrological sensing device is configured to detect metrological data from a physical asset, each said metrological interface device is configured to receive the metrological data from the metrological sensing device; and

a plurality of mobile computing devices, at least one said mobile computing device comprising a memory device, a processor coupled to said memory device, and a second wireless communication interface coupled to said memory device and to said processor, wherein said second wireless communication interface is configured to communicate with said metrological interface devices via said first wireless communication interface, said mobile computing device configured to;

scan for available said metrological interface devices, wherein the available said metrological interface devices are a subset of said plurality of metrological interface devices;

transmit a connection request to at least one of the available said metrological interface device;

create an active connection with at least one of the available said metrological interface devices; and

communicate with at least one of the connected said metrological interface devices.

2. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said metrological interface device is configured to:

advertise connection availability to said mobile computing devices;

receive a connection request from a connecting mobile computing device;

establish an active connection with the connecting said mobile computing device; and

stop advertising connection availability to remaining said mobile computing devices.

3. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said metrological interface device is further configured to:

determine whether a connection state to the connected said mobile computing device has changed;

release the connection to the connected said mobile computing device; and

resume advertising connection availability to said mobile computing devices.

4. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said metrological interface device is further configured to:

determine whether a connection condition to the connected said mobile computing device has changed; and

change a data connection to the connected said mobile computing device from an active connection to a dormant connection, the dormant connection substantially representing a connection where data communication is halted and less energy is consumed than in an active connection.

5. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile computing devices are configured to communicate with said metrological interface devices by performing steps including at least one of:

requesting metrological data from said at least one metrological interface device;

calibrating said at least one metrological interface device; and

receiving metrological data from said at least one metrological interface device.

6. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each said metrological interface device has firmware encoded in said PCB, wherein the firmware governs at least one of communication protocols, interface protocols, encryption, data formats, and power management.

7. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each said mobile computing device is configured to:

store, at said memory device, at least one analytical application, the analytical application programmed to run on heterogeneous mobile computing devices; and

analyze metrological data, at said memory device, using the analytical application.

8. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the at least one analytical application is designed based upon a set of application programming interface (API) libraries associated with the connecting said metrological interface devices wherein the set of API libraries allow the at least one analytical application to provide substantially similar features on heterogeneous mobile computing devices.

9. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each said first wireless communication interface and each said second wireless communication interface is configured to communicate using protocols including at least one of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and wireless local area network protocols.

10. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each said PCB comprises at least one metrological sensor communication interface configured to interface with the communicating said metrological sensing device using a standard interface protocol including at least one of universal serial bus (USB), recommended standard 232 (RS232), Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), serial peripheral interface bus (SPI), analog, and a generic I/O interface.

11. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each said mobile computing device is configured to establish a data connection to a plurality of said metrological interface devices, substantially simultaneously.

12. The computer-implemented system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile computing devices are mobile computing devices including at least one of a tablet computer, a smartphone, and a phablet.

13. A computer-based method performed by a mobile computing device, the mobile computing device including a memory device, a processor coupled to the memory device, and a wireless communication interface capable of communicating with at least one metrological interface device, the method comprising:

scanning for available metrological interface devices wherein the available metrological interface devices are a subset of the plurality of metrological interface devices;

creating an active connection with the at least one available metrological interface device; and

communicating with the at least one connecting metrological interface device.

14. The computer-based method in accordance with claim 13, wherein scanning for metrological interface devices includes scanning for a printed circuit board (PCB) configured to transmit metrological data.

15. The computer-based method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising determining a signal strength associated with the connection.

16. The computer-based method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

determining a connection state between the at least one connected metrological interface device and the mobile computing device has changed due to at least one of;

the signal strength falling below a signal strength threshold;

communication frequency between the metrological interface device and the mobile computing device falling below a communication interval threshold;

an elapsed connection period between the metrological interface device and the connecting mobile computing device exceeding a total connection time limit; and

remaining battery life in the metrological interface device decreasing below a battery life threshold; and

releasing a connection to the metrological interface device.

17. The computer-based method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising requesting metrological data from the at least one connecting metrological interface device.

18. The computer-based method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising receiving metrological data from the at least one metrological interface device, wherein metrological data substantially represents measurement data determined by the associated metrological sensing device through measuring physical characteristics of a physical asset.

19. The computer-based method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising:

calibrating the metrological data using a calibration method on at least one of;

the metrological interface device; and

the mobile computing device.

20. The computer-based method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising communicating with the at least one metrological interface using protocols including at least one of Bluetooth low energy and 802.11.

21. A metrological interface device comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising;

at least one metrological sensor communication interface; and

at least one first wireless communication interface,

wherein said metrological interface device is in communication with a metrological sensing device via said metrological sensor communication interface, wherein each metrological sensing device is coupled to a physical asset, each said metrological interface device is configured to receive the metrological data from the metrological sensing device, said metrological interface device configured to;

receive, from the metrological sensing device via said metrological sensor communication interface, metrological data, metrological data substantially representing physical measurement data associated with the physical asset;

advertise connection availability to a plurality of mobile computing devices;

receive a connection request from a connecting mobile computing device; and

create an active connection with the connecting mobile computing device.

22. The metrological interface device of claim 21, wherein said metrological interface device is configured to:

advertise connection availability to the plurality of mobile computing devices;

receive a connection request from a connecting mobile computing device;

establish an active connection with the connecting mobile computing device; and

stop advertising connection availability to the remaining mobile computing devices.

23. The metrological interface device of claim 22, wherein said metrological interface device is further configured to:

determine whether a connection state to the connected mobile computing device has changed;

release the connection to the connected mobile computing device; and

resume advertising connection availability to the mobile computing devices.

24. The metrological interface device of claim 22, wherein said metrological interface device is further configured to:

determine whether a connection state to the connected mobile computing device has changed; and

change connection to said connected mobile computing device from an active connection to a dormant connection, the dormant connection substantially representing a connection where data communication is halted and less energy is consumed than in an active connection.

25. The metrological interface device of claim 21, wherein said metrological interface device has firmware encoded in said PCB, wherein the firmware governs at least one of communication protocols, interface protocols, encryption, data formats, and power management.

26. The metrological interface device of claim 21, wherein said wireless communication interface is configured to communicate using protocols including at least one of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and 802.11.

27. The metrological interface device of claim 21, wherein said PCB comprises at least one metrological sensor communication interface configured to interface with said communicating metrological sensing device using a standard interface protocol including at least one of USB, RS232, analog, I2C, SPI, and a generic I/O interface.

28. The metrological interface device of claim 21, further comprising a chassis substantially housing said PCB.

29. The metrological interface device of claim 21, wherein said metrological interface device is coupled to the metrological sensing device and enclosed within a chassis.