State validation using bi-directional wireless link
First Claim
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1. A building monitoring and control and control system utilizing bi-directional radio frequency communication comprising:
- at least one master unit including a radio frequency transmitter and receiver; and
a plurality of remote units having a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, the remote units capable of transmitting to and receiving from the master unit of the building monitoring and control system, the remote units having a first low power consumption state in which the remote units can neither receive nor transmit, a second power consumption state in which the units can receive, and a third power consumption state in which the units can transmit;
means for validating a sensor event, the means for validating including means for requesting reading of the sensor initiated by the master unit and means for reading the sensor by the remote unit responsive to the means for requesting;
wherein the plurality of remote units comprises sensors for detecting one or more of temperature, pressure, humidity, air flow, BTU'"'"'s, water, damper position, valve position, light, smoke, CO, CO2, movement, noise, vibration, glass breakage, window opening or closure, door opening or closure, or water flow;
wherein the remote units have a reading sensor state in which the sensors are read by the coupled remote units, wherein the reading sensor state is entered in response to a read message received from the master unit;
wherein the means for validating includes means for transmitting sensor data from the remote unit to the master unitwherein the means for validating sensor data includes at least two different validation processes; and
the means for validating includes means for identifying the sensor and means for determining which of the validation processes to use depending on the identified sensor.
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Abstract
Building monitoring and control systems including bi-directional radio frequency links between master and remote units wherein the remote units operate in a low power, non-receiving state a majority of the time is disclosed. The bi-directional capability allows coordinated scheduling which aids in allowing the remote units to transmit data only at periodic time intervals to extend battery life. The bi-directional capabilities also allow for re-read requests for alarm validation and for putting remote units in armed and disarmed states for power conservation.
87 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A building monitoring and control and control system utilizing bi-directional radio frequency communication comprising:
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at least one master unit including a radio frequency transmitter and receiver; and a plurality of remote units having a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, the remote units capable of transmitting to and receiving from the master unit of the building monitoring and control system, the remote units having a first low power consumption state in which the remote units can neither receive nor transmit, a second power consumption state in which the units can receive, and a third power consumption state in which the units can transmit; means for validating a sensor event, the means for validating including means for requesting reading of the sensor initiated by the master unit and means for reading the sensor by the remote unit responsive to the means for requesting; wherein the plurality of remote units comprises sensors for detecting one or more of temperature, pressure, humidity, air flow, BTU'"'"'s, water, damper position, valve position, light, smoke, CO, CO2, movement, noise, vibration, glass breakage, window opening or closure, door opening or closure, or water flow; wherein the remote units have a reading sensor state in which the sensors are read by the coupled remote units, wherein the reading sensor state is entered in response to a read message received from the master unit; wherein the means for validating includes means for transmitting sensor data from the remote unit to the master unit wherein the means for validating sensor data includes at least two different validation processes; and the means for validating includes means for identifying the sensor and means for determining which of the validation processes to use depending on the identified sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for communicating between a remote unit and a master unit in a radio-frequency building monitoring and control system, wherein:
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the remote unit is capable of transmitting to and receiving messages from the master unit of the building monitoring and control system; the remote unit has a non-communicating low power consumption state in which the remote unit can neither receive nor transmit, a receiving state in which the remote unit can receive, and a transmitting state in which the remote unit can transmit; the remote unit has at least one sensor for producing a sensor change event; and wherein the at least one sensor may be for detecting temperature, BTU'"'"'s, pressure, humidity, air flow, water, damper position, valve position, light, smoke, CO, CO2, movement, noise, vibration, glass breakage, window opening or closure, door opening or closure, or water flow; the method comprises; waiting for the sensor change event while in the non-communicating state; entering the transmitting state and transmitting a message upon detecting the sensor change event; entering the receiving state and waiting for acknowledgment of the data transmission; validating the sensor event, wherein the validating step comprises; receiving a request for a sensor re-read from the master unit, and the remote unit responding to the sensor re-read request by reading the sensor and transmitting a message to the master unit; wherein validating sensor data step includes at least two different validation processes; the validating step further comprising identifying the sensor, and determining which of the validation processes to use depending on the identified sensor; and returning to the waiting for sensor change step. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A building monitoring and control system utilizing bi-directional radio frequency communication comprising:
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at least one master unit including a radio frequency transmitter and receiver; and a plurality of remote units each having a radio frequency transmitter and receiver; and wherein; the remote units are capable of transmitting to and receiving from the master unit of the building monitoring and control system and capable of generating polling events in response to a poll message received from the master unit; the remote units each have at least one timer for generating a timeout event; the remote units each have at least one sensor for measuring selected variables; the selected variables comprise temperature, pressure, humidity, air flow, water, BTU'"'"'s, damper position, valve position, light, smoke, CO, CO2, movement, noise, vibration, glass breakage, window opening or closure, door opening or closure, or water flow; the remote units are capable of generating a sensor event in response to a sensor change of measurement; and the remote units each have a non-communicating state with low power consumption and in which the remote units can neither receive nor transmit, and a receiving state having higher power consumption than the non-communicating state and in which the units can receive, and the selected remote units are in the receiving state only after selected event occurrences; the selected events are selected from the group consisting of timeout events, polling events, and sensor events; wherein the remote units have a reading sensor state in which the sensors are read by the coupled remote units, wherein the reading sensor state is entered in response to a read message received from the master unit; the system further including means for validating a sensor event, the means for validating including means for requesting reading of the sensor initiated by the master unit and means for reading the sensor by the remote unit responsive to the means for requesting; the means for validating includes means for transmitting sensor data from the remote unit to the master unit; wherein the means for validating sensor data includes at least two different validation processes; and the means for validating include means for identifying the sensor and means for determining which of the validation processes to use depending on the identified sensor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A building monitoring and control and control system utilizing bi-directional radio frequency communication comprising:
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at least one master unit including a radio frequency transmitter and receiver; and a plurality of remote units having a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, the remote units capable of transmitting to and receiving from the master unit of the building monitoring and control system; wherein the plurality of remote units comprises sensors for detecting one or more of temperature, pressure, humidity, air flow, BTU'"'"'s, water, damper position, valve position, light, smoke, CO, CO2, movement, noise, vibration, glass breakage, window opening or closure, door opening or closure, or water flow; wherein the remote units have a reading sensor state in which the sensors are read by the coupled remote units; wherein the reading sensor state is entered in response to a read message received from the master unit, the system including means for validating a sensor event, the means for validating including means for requesting reading of the sensor initiated by the master unit and means for reading the sensor by the remote unit responsive to the means for requesting; the means for validating includes means for transmitting sensor data from the remote unit to the master unit; wherein the means for validating sensor data includes at least two different validation processes; and the means for validating include means for identifying the sensor and means for determining which of the validation processes to use depending on the identified sensor.
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Specification