System and method for transmitting pollution information over an integrated wireless network

• US 7,739,378 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas David
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US12/206,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 340/853.2, 340/853.3, 340/853.8, 709/224, 370/230
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers

Abstract

A pollution information message system provides a system and method for generating and transmitting pollution information messages. In one embodiment, the pollution information message system employs a transceiver network with a plurality transceivers coupled to monitoring devices. Control room operators receive a pollution information message from an identifiable transceiver. The transceiver, identified by an identification code, indicates a location and the nature of the detected pollution.

Claims

1. A system which communicates a pollution information message, the system comprising:

a pollution detector, the pollution detector comprising an interface unit coupled to a detector unit, the interface unit receiving pollution information from the detector unit, the pollution detector configured to generate a pollution information signal if a pollution level exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected;

a first transceiver having a unique identification code indicating a location of the first transceiver, the first transceiver configured to receive the pollution information signal from the pollution detector and generate a pollution information message, the pollution information message including the unique identification code of the first transceiver, pollution detector type, detected pollution levels, and pollution detector operational status, the first transceiver configured to transmit the pollution information message to a second transceiver, wherein the second transceiver is one of a plurality transceivers in a transceiver network;

the second transceiver configured to receive the pollution information message and retransmit the pollution information message to a site controller;

wherein the site controller is located between the second transceiver and a management controller, the site controller configured to receive the pollution information message from the second transceiver and convert the pollution information message into a suitable format for communicating to the management controller;

wherein the management controller configured to receive the pollution information message from the site controller and store the received pollution information message in a memory, the memory further including the unique identification code and the associated location of the first transceiver, identification code associated with each of the plurality of transceivers in the transceiver network and information identifying a specific destination where a pollution alert will be sent based upon the detected pollution levels in the received pollution information message; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to provide an appropriate indication of the operational status of the pollution detector in the received pollution information message to an operator, the processor configured to calculate one or more predetermined transmission paths for the plurality of transceivers and broadcast out the predetermined transmission paths to the plurality of transceivers, wherein the predetermined transmission paths are calculated using the identification code associated with each of the plurality of transceivers, the processor further configured to determine status of the plurality of transceivers by polling status information from the plurality of transceivers and redefine the communication path for one or more of the plurality of transceivers upon a malfunction indicated in the status information of one or more of the plurality of transceivers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the site controller intermediary further comprises a portion of an Internet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the site controller further comprises a portion of a digital communication system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the site controller further comprises a portion of a public switched telephone network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the site controller further comprises a combination of portions of at least an Internet, a digital communication system and a public switched telephone network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the site controller further comprises a combination of portions of at least an Internet and a public switched telephone network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the site controller further comprises a combination of portions of at least an Internet, a digital communication system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the site controller further comprises a combination of portions of at least a digital communication system and a public switched telephone network.

9. A method for communicating pollution information messages, the method comprising:

generating a pollution information signal by a pollution detector if a pollution level exceed a predetermine threshold;

sending the pollution information signal to a first transceiver;

generating a pollution information message with the first transceiver in response to receiving the pollution information signal from the pollution detector, the pollution information message having at least an identification code uniquely assigned to the first transceiver, pollution detector type, detected pollution levels, and pollution detector operational status;

communicating the pollution information message from the first transceiver to a second transceiver, wherein the second transceiver is one of a plurality of transceivers in a transceiver network;

receiving by the second transceiver the pollution information message and retransmit by the second transceiver to a site controller;

receiving the pollution information message from the second transceiver by the site controller, wherein the site controller is located between the second transceiver and a management controller;

converting by the site controller the received pollution information message into a suitable format for communicating to the management controller;

receiving the pollution information message by the management controller from the site controller and store the received pollution information message in a memory of the management controller, the memory further including the unique identification code and the associated location of the first transceiver, identification code associated with each of the plurality of transceivers in the transceiver network and information identifying a specific destination where a pollution alert will be sent based upon the detected pollution levels in the received pollution information message; and

providing by a processor coupled to the memory, an appropriate indication of the operational status of the pollution detector in the received pollution information message to an operator;

calculating by the processor, one or more predetermined transmission paths for the plurality of transceivers and broadcast out the predetermined transmission paths to the plurality of transceivers, wherein the predetermined transmission paths are calculated using the identification code associated with each of the plurality of transceivers stored in the memory;

determining by the processor, status of the plurality of transceivers by polling status information from the plurality of transceivers and redefine the communication path for one or more of the plurality of transceivers upon a malfunction indicated in the status information of one or more of the plurality of transceivers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the converting further comprises converting the pollution information message into a suitable Internet signal, and wherein the site controller is a portion of an Internet.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the converting further comprises converting the pollution information message into a suitable digital signal, and wherein the site controller is a portion of a digital communication system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the converting further comprises converting the pollution information message into a suitable telephone signal, and wherein the site controller is a portion of a public switched telephone network.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the converting further comprises converting the pollution information message into a suitable Internet signal, and wherein the site controller is a portion of at least an Internet, a digital communication system and a public switched telephone network.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the signal from a mobile detector configured to detect pollution such that generating the pollution information message and such that a location of the mobile detector is approximated by location information associated with the identification code of the first transceiver.