In situ remote sensing

• US 6,317,029 B1
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ORBCOMM SENS LLC (ORBCOMM Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AeroAstro, Inc.
• Inventors: Fleeter, Richard David
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/130,854
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.32, 340/539, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 455/12.1, 235/382, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/10.32
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576

Abstract

The in situ remote sensing system of this invention includes a plurality of sensors that are distributed about an area of interest, and a satellite communications system that receives communications signals from these sensors. The satellite communications system determines the location of each sensor at the time that the sensor transmits its communications signal, thereby facilitating the mapping of the value of the sensed parameter about the area of interest. In a preferred embodiment, the satellite communications system transmits a trigger signal to the sensors that are within the satellite antenna'"'"'s field of view, and the sensors transmit only in response to the trigger signal. The sensors may be conventional active transmitters or passive transponders that receive their operating energy from a received trigger signal. The sensing devices within the sensor may also provide the operating energy for the sensor using, for example, photocells, piezoelectrics, and thermocouples.

Claims

1. A remote sensing system comprising:

a plurality of remote sensors, each sensor of the plurality of sensors including;

a sensing device that determines a value of a parameter being sensed, and

a transmitter that emits a communications signal in dependence upon the value of the parameter being sensed, and

a satellite communications system that receives the communications signal from at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors and determines therefrom;

the value of the parameter being sensed at the at least one sensor, and

a location of the at least one sensor at a time when the at least one sensor emitted the communications signal.

2. The remote sensing system of claim 1, wherein the satellite communications system includes:

at least one satellite that receives the communications signal and transmits a relayed signal based upon the received communications signal, and

a ground station that receives the relayed signal and determines therefrom the value of the parameter being sensed and the location of the at least one sensor at the time when the at least one sensor emitted the communications signal.

3. The remote sensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the satellite communications system includes a trigger transmitter that transmits a trigger signal,

the at least one sensor further includes a means for receiving the trigger signal, and

the transmitter emits the communications signal in further dependence upon receiving the trigger signal.

4. The remote sensing system of claim 3, wherein:

the means for receiving the trigger signal is also a means of providing power to emit the communications signal from the at least one sensor.

5. The remote sensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the satellite communications system includes a directional antenna that receives the communications signal from the at least one sensor when the at least one sensor is within a field of view of the directional antenna, and

the satellite communications system determines the location in dependence upon an orientation axis of the directional antenna when the communications signal is received.

6. The remote sensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the satellite communications system determines the location in dependence upon at least one of a time of receipt of the communications signal and a frequency of the communications signal.

7. The remote sensing system of claim 1, wherein the satellite communications system includes:

a first satellite that receives the communications signal and transmits therefrom a first relayed signal,

at least one second satellite that receives the communications signal and transmits therefrom an at least one second relayed signal,

a control station that receives the first relayed signal and the at least one second relayed signal and determines therefrom the value of the parameter being sensed and the location of the at least one sensor at the time when the at least one sensor emitted the communications signal.

8. The remote sensing system of claim 1, wherein

the sensing device of the at least one sensor also provides power to emit the communications signal.

9. The remote sensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor also includes a means for determining the location, and a means for encoding the location within the communications signal, and,

the satellite communications system determines the location by decoding the location from within the communications signal.

10. A remote mapping system, comprising:

a plurality of transmitters that are each located within an area of interest, each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters produces a transmission signal having a transmission signature,

wherein the transmission signature of at least one transmitter of the plurality of transmitters is substantially the same as the transmission signature of at least one other transmitter of the plurality of transmitters; and

a satellite communications system including;

a receiver that receives the each transmission signal from each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters, and

a processor that processes the each transmission signal from the plurality of transmitters and determines a location associated with the each transmission signal within the area of interest to facilitate a mapping based upon the location associated with the each transmission signal within the area of interest.

11. The remote mapping system of claim 10, wherein the satellite communications system further includes:

an antenna having a field of view that is smaller than the area of interest, and

a means for sweeping the antenna about the area of interest;

wherein the receiver is operably coupled to the antenna to receive the each transmission signal from the each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters when the each transmitter is within the field of view of the antenna.

12. The remote mapping system of claim 10, further including

a plurality of sensing devices, each sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices being operably coupled to the each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters, such that the transmission signal from the each transmitter is dependent upon a value of a parameter that is sensed by the each sensing device.

13. The remote mapping system of claim 12, wherein the value of the parameter corresponds to a measure of at least one of thermodynamic properties, transport properties, electromagnetic fields, flux strengths, spectral properties, radiation, moisture content, chemical composition, acceleration, and motion.

14. The remote mapping system of claim 12, wherein:

the sensing device of at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors provides power to transmit the transmission signal.

15. The remote mapping system of claim 10, wherein:

the satellite further includes a trigger transmitter that transmits a trigger signal,

each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters further includes a means for receiving the trigger signal, and

the each transmitter transmits the transmission signal in further dependence upon the trigger signal.

16. The remote mapping system of claim 10, wherein:

the means for receiving the trigger signal provides power to transmit the transmission signal.

17. The remote mapping system of claim 10, wherein

the transmission signal is an emission of light energy.

18. A method for in situ remote sensing comprising the steps of:

distributing a plurality of sensing devices about an area of interest,

sensing an each parameter value corresponding to each sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices,

transmitting an each communications signal from the each sensing device in dependence upon the corresponding each parameter value,

receiving the each communications signal from the each sensing device via a satellite, and

determining an each location of the each sensing device based upon receiving the each communication signal from the each sensing device at the satellite, the each location of the each sensing device being the each location of the each sensing device within the area of interest when the each sensing device transmitted the each communications signal,

thereby facilitating a mapping of the each parameter value to the each location within the area of interest.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps of:

transmitting a trigger signal from the satellite,

receiving the trigger signal at at least one of the plurality of sensing devices, and

transmitting the communications signal from the at least one sensing device in further dependence upon receiving the trigger signal.

20. The method of claim 18, further including the step of

scanning the area of interest via a directional antenna on the satellite by changing an orientation of the directional antenna, such that the each communication signal is received from the each sensing device when the each sensing device is within a field of view of the directional antenna that is determined by the orientation of the directional antenna;

and,

the step of determining the each location of the each sensing device is based on the orientation of the directional antenna.