XML sensor system

• US 6,505,086 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sensor-Tech Innovations LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Golf Car Systems Inc
• Inventors: Dodd, Jr., William A., Wilde, Donald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US09/682,275
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17-20, 700/65-66, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 700/174, 700/83-88, 700/168, 700/169, 700/170, 700/173, 700/181, 703/21, 703/24, 370/349, 340/686.1, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/991, 340/993, 340/539, 340/854.6, 340/870.16, 340/870.21, 340/511, 340/531, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.5
• US Class Current: 700/65
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31121 Fielddevice, field controller, interface connected to fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server

Abstract

A sensor communication system comprising an array of sensors adapted to transmit sensor data in extensible markup language (XML) format to be received by a data server, the data server communicating the sensor data to a data store and the data store further communicating the sensor data to a data reporting device.

Claims

1. A sensor communication system comprising:

at least one sensor adapted to transmit a sensor data file in XML format;

a data server means adapted to receive the sensor data file from the at least one sensor;

a data store communicatively coupled to the data server means; and

a data reporting means communicatively coupled to the data store.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, wherein the wireless transmitter is adapted to transmit the sensor data file;

a wireless receiver adapted to receive the sensor data file from the wireless transmitter; and

a communications link between the wireless receiver and the data server means.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the data server means; and

an XML validation module stored on the computer-readable medium.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the XML validation module verifies the sensor data file for well-formedness.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

document type definitions stored on the computer-readable medium, whereby the XML validation module compares the document type definitions against the sensor data file.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one data sensor;

an XML encapsulation module stored on the first computer-readable medium that encapsulates the sensor data file with a checksum;

a second computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the data server means; and

a checksum validation module stored on the second computer-readable medium that validates the sensor data file checksum.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a computer-readable communication variables file stored on the data server.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the communication variables file comprises a URL, a login ID and a password.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the communication variables file further comprises a static IP address, a subnet mask ID and a gateway ID.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the communication variables file further comprises an ISP dialup number, an ISP login ID and an ISP password.

11. The system of claim 8 where the communication variables file further comprises a data structure defining the topology of the at least one data sensor.

12. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

a configuration server communicatively coupled to the data server; and

a computer-readable configuration file stored on the configuration server wherein the data server updates the communication variables file according to the configuration file.

13. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

a web server embedded in the data server;

a configuration display page presented by the web server wherein changes to the communication variables file are made responsive to user modifications of the configuration display page.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising an analog modem coupled to the data server, the analog modem adapted to establish communications with the data store.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising an Ethernet interface coupled to the data server, the Ethernet interface adapted to establish communications with the data store.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a primary Ethernet interface coupled to the data server, the primary Ethernet interface adapted to establish communications with the data store;

a secondary analog modem coupled to the data server, the secondary analog modem adapted to establish locations with the data store; and

a computer-readable device control module stored on the data server that first attempts to connect the data server to the data store through the primary Ethernet interface and upon failure to connect, then attempts to connect the data server to the data store through the secondary analog modem.

17. A sensor communication system comprising:

at least one data sensor coupled to at least one mechanical device, the at least one data sensor adapted to quantify the usage and status of the at least one mechanical device;

a data server means adapted to receive a sensor data file from the at least one data sensor;

a data store communicatively coupled to the data server means;

a device rotation algorithm communicatively coupled to the data store, the algorithm adapted to report over-usage and under-usage of the at least one mechanical device; and

a reporting means for recommending the rotation of the at least one mechanical device.

18. The sensor communication system of claim 17 wherein the sensor data files are formatted in XML.

19. The sensor communication system of claim 18 wherein the sensor data file is validated against a DTD.

20. The sensor communication system of claim 18 wherein the sensor data file is validated for well-formedness.

21. A method of aggregating sensor data comprising the steps of:

establishing an XML sensor specification;

establishing a DTD for each sensor manufactured under the XML sensor specification;

saving the DTD on a computer readable medium;

establishing a data server adapted to receive an array of sensor data, the data server communicatively coupled to the computer readable medium;

validating the array of sensor data against the DTD on the computer readable medium.