Remote monitoring system
First Claim
1. A method of remote monitoring using a plurality of remote units, each remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:
- receiving through a web site a registration of a pool comprising at least a portion of the plurality of remote units, the registration of the pool comprising;
an indication of each remote unit of the portion of the plurality of remote units;
monitoring a monitored location, the monitoring comprising associating reports received from the portion of the plurality of remote units with the monitored location;
receiving reports from the plurality of remote units, the reports comprising monitoring reports, indicating a sensor reading, and status reports, indicating a change in status of the remote units; and
designating a remote unit of the portion as an active remote unit based on status reports received from the remote units of the portion.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A temperature monitoring service in which remote monitoring units are distributed to customers who then set up monitoring as desired at their facilities. The devices may be registered through a web site using the Internet. Monitoring information may be communicated using a publicly available, wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network. The service may be provided with a system, including a server, which can deliver high levels of monitoring functionality. The server may support streaming monitoring information to a customer for analysis or sending a command activating a device connected to a remote unit. Remote units associated with the same location may be in a pool, comprising one active unit and one or more spare units, in which the server automatically identifies the active unit. The server may support analyzing monitoring information according to an expected cycle pattern of a ventilation system at the monitored facility.
51 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of remote monitoring using a plurality of remote units, each remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:
receiving through a web site a registration of a pool comprising at least a portion of the plurality of remote units, the registration of the pool comprising; an indication of each remote unit of the portion of the plurality of remote units; monitoring a monitored location, the monitoring comprising associating reports received from the portion of the plurality of remote units with the monitored location; receiving reports from the plurality of remote units, the reports comprising monitoring reports, indicating a sensor reading, and status reports, indicating a change in status of the remote units; and designating a remote unit of the portion as an active remote unit based on status reports received from the remote units of the portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of remote monitoring using a server that is able to communicate in an environment comprising at least one remote unit and a computing device, each of the at least one remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:
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for a remote unit of the at least one remote unit, receiving at the server from the remote unit a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of an output of the sensor of the remote unit at a time associated with the report; analyzing the reports to detect a pattern associated with the sensor outputs; when the pattern is detected, subsequently comparing reports of the plurality of reports to the pattern and, when a subsequent comparison indicates a sensor output that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, generating an indication of an improper operating state; and sending information from the server, wherein sending information from the server comprises sending information in response to accessing the server via an agent on a computing device, the information comprising, when the indication has been generated, the indication of the improper operating state. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 25)
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13. A method of remote monitoring using a remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:
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sending, from the remote unit to a server, a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of an output of the sensor at a time associated with the report; and obtaining information from the server, wherein; obtaining information from the server comprises accessing the server using an agent on a computing device; when sensor outputs indicated in the plurality of reports demonstrate a pattern and a report of the plurality of reports comprises an indication of an output of the sensor that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, the obtained information comprises an indication of an improper operating state; and the method further comprises, when the obtained information indicates the improper operating state, initiating by the agent an action programmed on the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 24)
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21. A method of remote monitoring using at least one remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, the method comprising:
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receiving from the remote unit a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of the output of the sensor at a time associated with the report; analyzing the reports to detect a pattern associated with the sensor outputs; and generating an alarm when a subsequent report indicates a sensor output out of a range, the generating comprising; when the pattern is detected, subsequently comparing reports of the plurality of reports to the pattern and, when the comparison indicates a sensor output that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, generating the alarm. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 26, 27)
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28. A method of remote monitoring using at least one remote unit, each of the at least one remote unit comprising a sensor and a transceiver, in an environment, the method comprising:
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for a remote unit of the at least one remote unit, sending, from the remote unit to a server, a plurality of reports, each report comprising an indication of an output of the sensor at a time associated with the report; and obtaining information from the server relating to the plurality of reports, wherein; the at least one remote unit is attached to equipment at customer premises; when sensor outputs indicated in the plurality of reports demonstrate a pattern and a report of the plurality of reports comprises an indication of an output of the sensor that deviates from the pattern by more than a threshold amount, the obtained information comprises an indication of an improper operating state; obtaining information from the server comprises receiving the information at an actuator at the customer premises, the actuator being coupled to the equipment. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification