System and method for monitoring and controlling remote devices

• US 7,053,767 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Statsignal Systems Incorporated (Statsignal)
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas D., Huff, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/139,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/539.1, 340/539.26, 340/539.17, 340/870.01, 340/870.11, 713/202, 713/1, 700/276, 700/1, 702/33, 702/14, 702/45, 702/41, 702/127, 370/254, 370/310, 370/315, 370/326, 370/327, 370/328, 370/329, 370/351, 370/345.5, 370/395.34
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25198 Brouter: transfers data from wireless to wired networks, router: wired to wired
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31162 Wireless lan
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• 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: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 : for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a system for monitoring a variety of environmental and/or other conditions within a defined remotely located region. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system is configured to monitor utility meters in a defined area. The system is implemented by using a plurality of wireless transmitters, wherein each wireless transmitter is integrated into a sensor adapted to monitor a particular data input. The system also includes a plurality of transceivers that are dispersed throughout the region at defined locations. The system uses a local gateway to translate and transfer information from the transmitters to a dedicated computer on a network. The dedicated computer, collects, compiles, and stores the data for retrieval upon client demand across the network. The computer further includes means for evaluating the received information and identifying an appropriate control signal, the system further including means for applying the control signal at a designated actuator.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a system comprising:

remotely collecting data from at least one originating transmitter coupled to a sensor;

processing the data into a RF signal;

transmitting the RF signal to another nearby transmitter coupled to a sensor;

retransmitting the RF signal to a gateway, wherein the RF signal may be further retransmitted by additional transmitters coupled to a sensor prior to being transmitted to the gateway;

translating the data in the RF signal into a network transfer protocol;

sending the translated data to a computer, wherein the computer is configured to appropriately respond to the data generated by the at least one sensor by generating an appropriate control signal;

sending the control signal via the network to the gateway;

translating the control signal from a network transfer protocol into a RF control signal;

transmitting the RF control signal to one or more of another nearby transmitters coupled to a sensor;

retransmitting the RF control signal, wherein the RF control signal may be further retransmitted by the additional transmitters coupled to a sensor;

receiving the RF control signal;

translating the received RF control signal into an analog signal; and

applying the analog signal to an actuator to effect the desired system response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF signal contains a concatenation of information comprising encoded data information and transmitter identification information from the originating transmitter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of translating and applying the received RF control signal are performed only by an identified transceiver electrically integrated with an actuator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the network transfer protocol is TCP/IP.

5. A system for controlling remote devices comprising:

a computer configured to execute at least one computer program that generates at least one control signal responsive to a system input signal;

said computer integrated with a wide area network (WAN);

at least one gateway connected to the WAN configured to receive and translate the at least one control signal;

said gateway further configured to transmit an RF signal containing the control signal and destination information;

at least one wireless transceiver coupled to an actuator and a sensor, and configured to receive the RF signal from the gateway and retransmit the RF signal;

a destination wireless transceiver configured to receive and translate the retransmitted RF signal to an analog output signal, the destination wireless transceiver electrically coupled with an actuator; and

an actuator configured to receive the analog output signal from the destination wireless transceiver, the actuator further configured to translate the analog output signal into a response;

the system input signal comprising;

a concatenation of information including data from a said sensor, transceiver identification information from an originating transceiver, and transceiver identification information for each transceiver coupled to a said sensor that receives and retransmits the RF signal.

6. The system defined in claim 5, at least one computer program further comprising:

a first segment for evaluating a system input signal to identify an originating transceiver;

a second segment for evaluating the system input signal and identifying transceivers that relayed the system input from the originating transceiver to the gateway;

a third segment for evaluating the system input signal transmitted from the originating transceiver; and

a fourth segment responsive to the first, second, and third segments for determining an action to be taken based upon the data from a sensor, the identified originating transceiver, and the identified transceivers.

7. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein each wireless transceiver is configured to transmit a relatively low-powered radio-frequency (RF) signal.

8. A system for managing an arrangement of application-specific remote devices comprising:

a computer configured to execute a multiplicity of computer programs, each computer program executed to generate at least one control signal in response to at least one application system input, said computer integrated with a wide area network (WAN);

at least one gateway connected to the WAN configured as a two-way communication device to receive and translate the at least one control signal and the at least one application system input;

said gateway further configured to translate and transmit an RF signal containing the control signal and destination information, said gateway further configured to receive and translate the at least one application system input and source information;

at least one wireless transceiver coupled to an actuator and a sensor per computer program and configured to receive and retransmit the RF signal;

a destination wireless transceiver configured to receive and translate the retransmitted RF signal to an analog output signal, the destination wireless transceiver electrically coupled with an actuator and a sensor;

an actuator coupled to the destination wireless transceiver and configured to receive the analog output signal from the destination wireless transceiver, the actuator further configured to translate the analog output signal into a response; and

a sensor coupled to the destination wireless transceiver and configured to translate a physical condition into an analog version of the application system input.

9. The system as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver is configured to transmit a relatively low-power radio-frequency (RF) signal.