Sensor interface with mobile terminal satellite modem and global location system

• US 9,258,796 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Inventors: Battista, Rich
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US14/252,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/99, 455418-419, 455/423, 455/430, 340/426.19, 340/540, 340/989, 340/539.26, 340/10.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/568.1, 342/42, 342/44, 342/46, 342/457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• 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: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system and method for implementing a low-power local-area network for use with a mobile terminal satellite modem. This low-power local-area network enables sensors on an asset to transmit sensor data to a mobile terminal affixed on the asset. The mobile terminal reports the sensor data along with asset position information to a centralized facility via a communications satellite.

Claims

1. A sensor system at an asset location, comprising:

a device having an associated sensor; and

a mobile terminal that is configured to deliver sensor data generated by the associated sensor to an operations center that is remote from the asset location, the mobile terminal further configured to receive a message from the operations center via wireless communication and to communicate information based on the received message to the device, wherein the communicated information is configured to instruct the device to have the associated sensor generate sensor data for delivery to the operations center.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is received via a communication satellite.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is coupled to the mobile terminal via a serial interface.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the serial interface is an RS-485 interface.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a locating device that is coupled to the mobile terminal, the locating device generating information used to identify a location of the asset to which the mobile terminal is attached.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the locating device generates location information that is used, at the operations center, to calculate a location of the asset.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device having an associated sensor is configured to interface with the mobile terminal via a master device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the master device transmits a signal to the device having an associated sensor, the signal used to initiate a generation of sensor data by the associated sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communicated information is further configured to awaken the device.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a mobile terminal at an asset location, a message from an operations center that is remote from the asset location via wireless communication;

delivering information based on the received message to a device having an associated sensor;

initiating, by the device in response to received message, a generation of sensor data by the attached sensor; and

delivering the generated sensor data to the mobile terminal for communication to the operations center.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message is received via a communication satellite.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the device is coupled to the mobile terminal via a serial interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the serial interface is an RS-485 interface.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating, by a locating device that is coupled to the mobile terminal, information used to identify a location of an asset to which the mobile terminal is attached.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the locating device generates location information that is used, at the operations center, to calculate a location of the asset.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the device having an associated sensor is configured to interface with the mobile terminal via a master device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting, by the master device, a signal to the device having an associated sensor, the signal used to initiate a generation of sensor data by the associated sensor.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising awakening the device upon receipt of the delivered information.