Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling remote devices

• US 9,430,936 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US14/629,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/364 Seismic filtering G01V1/37 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31093 Communication between sensors, actuators and gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• 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: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling remote devices are provided. In an embodiment, a system can comprise one or more remotely controlled sensors and actuators. The remote sensors/actuators can interface with uniquely identified remote transceivers that transmit and/or receive data. The embodiment can also comprise a plurality of transceivers each having a unique address, and a controller adapted to communicate with at least one of the transceivers in a preformatted message. A sensor can be associated with at least one transceiver to detect a condition and output a data signal to the transceiver, and an actuator can be associated with a transceiver to receive a control signal and activate a device. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

Claims

1. In a communication system to communicate command and sensed data between remote devices, the system comprising:

a first transceiver configured to send a data packet, the data packet comprising a transceiver address of a remote wireless device, a command indicator comprising a command code, and a data value comprising a message;

a controller associated with the remote wireless device comprising a second transceiver and configured to receive the data packet via the second transceiver and perform a particular function corresponding to the command code;

at least one sensor associated with the second transceiver to detect a condition and output a data signal to the second transceiver; and

at least one actuator associated with the second transceiver to activate a device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller sends a preformatted response message to the first transceiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data packet is concatenated with function codes to provide the controller with multiple function codes, the device configured to perform the functions corresponding to the multiple function codes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique address of at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver is an Internet Protocol address.

5. In a communication system to communicate command and sensed data between remote devices, the system comprising:

a first transceiver configured to send a data packet, the data packet comprising a transceiver address of a remote wireless device, a command indicator comprising a command code, and a data value comprising a message; and

a controller associated with the remote wireless device comprising a second transceiver and configured to receive the data packet via the second transceiver and perform a particular function corresponding to the command code,

wherein the controller receives the data packet requesting sensed data, confirms the transceiver address in the data packet as its own unique address, receives a sensed data signal, formats the sensed data signal into scalable byte segments, determines the number of segments required to contain the sensed data signal, and generates and transmits a preformatted response message comprising at least one packet.

6. A wireless communication device for use in a communication system to communicate commands and sensed data between remote wireless communication devices, the wireless communication device comprising:

a transceiver configured to send and receive wireless communications; and

a controller, operatively coupled to the transceiver, configured to communicate with at least one other remote wireless device via the transceiver with a preformatted message, the controller further configured to receive and format data messages, wherein data messages comprise a receiver address comprising an address of at least one remote wireless device, a command indicator comprising a command code, a data value comprising a scalable message, and a function code corresponding to function status of a device co-located with the transceiver, the controller further configured to implement a function corresponding a command code of a received data message,

wherein the command code comprises at least one of a device-specific code or a non-device-specific code, wherein the device-specific code commands change of a setting of an actuator co-located with the transceiver and the non-device-specific code includes network status/diagnostic commands.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the device co-located with the transceiver is a sensor operatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to format the data value with data sensed by the sensor.