Multiple device telemetry network

• US 9,871,673 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Muetzel, Ronald, Roesch, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Haile, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US13/800,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20160204958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/70 Arrangements in the main station, i.e. central controller
• 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: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A telemetry network may be a communication network that comprises a plurality of telemetry devices. The plurality of telemetry devices may comprise a parent device and at least one child device. The parent device may be capable of sending data to and receiving data from an external network outside the communication network; and the child device may connect to the parent device and may be capable of sending data to and receiving data from the parent device and communicating with the external network via the parent device. Each telemetry device of the plurality of telemetry devices may provide an individual local network to end users.

Claims

1. A telemetry network, comprising:

a plurality of telemetry devices forming a communication network between a plurality of external facilities, wherein at least two external facilities are wind turbine towers, the plurality of telemetry devices comprising;

a parent telemetry device capable of sending data to an external network outside the communication network and receiving data from the external network, wherein the parent telemetry device is dynamically selected from the plurality of telemetry devices to optimize performance of the telemetry network; and

at least one child telemetry device, wherein the at least one child telemetry device is capable of sending data to the parent telemetry device and receiving data from the parent telemetry device and communicating with the external network via the parent telemetry device through a network,

wherein the at least one child telemetry device is capable of sending data to another child telemetry device and receiving data from another child telemetry device through the network; and

wherein each telemetry device of the plurality of telemetry devices is mounted to one of the external facilities and provides an individual local Wi-Fi network to end users.

2. The telemetry network according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of parent telemetry devices, wherein the plurality of telemetry devices further comprises a sub-parent telemetry device that is a child telemetry device of the parent telemetry device and is a parent telemetry device of at least one child telemetry device.

3. The telemetry network according to claim 1, wherein the external network is one of a cellular network, a satellite, a Local Area Network (LAN), and a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) network.

4. The telemetry network according to claim 1, wherein the parent telemetry device is located within a communication range of the external network and the at least one child telemetry device is located outside the communication range of the external network.

5. The telemetry network according to claim 1, wherein a telemetry device of the plurality of telemetry devices is movable with respect to the wind turbine towers, and wherein the dynamic selection of the parent telemetry device is at least partially based on the location of the movable telemetry device.

6. The telemetry network according to claim 2, wherein the sub-parent telemetry device is dynamically selected from the at least one child telemetry device of the parent telemetry device to optimize performance of the telemetry network.

7. The telemetry network according to claim 1, further comprising dynamically incorporating a movable telemetry device into the telemetry network when the movable telemetry device enters the communication network.

19. The telemetry network of claim 1, wherein the telemetry devices coupled to the wind turbine towers each include a telemetry box, the telemetry box comprising a user interface, a database, and data processing software for analyzing sensor data collected from at least one sensor of the wind turbine tower and stored in the database.

8. A method of forming a telemetry network, the telemetry network comprising a plurality of telemetry devices, wherein at least two of the telemetry devices are coupled to wind turbine towers, the method comprising:

assigning a telemetry device as a parent device, the parent device being capable of sending data to an external network outside a local communication Wi-Fi network provided by the parent device and receiving data from the external network, wherein the parent device is dynamically selected from the plurality of telemetry devices to achieve an optimal performance of the telemetry network; and

assigning at least one telemetry device as an at least one child device of the parent device, the at least one child device being connected to the parent device through a network and being capable of sending data to the parent device and receiving data from the parent device and communicating with the external network via the parent device,

wherein each of the plurality of telemetry devices is capable of serving as a parent device and a child device, and wherein each of the plurality of telemetry devices mounted with a separate external facility.

9. The method of forming a telemetry network according to claim 8, wherein the at least one child device is capable of sending data to another child device and receiving data from another child device;

and

forming an individual local Wi-Fi network to end users via each telemetry device of the plurality of telemetry devices.

10. The method of forming a telemetry network according to claim 8, further comprising a plurality of parent telemetry devices and further comprising assigning one of the at least one child device as a sub-parent device, wherein the sub-parent device is a parent device of at least one child device.

11. The method of forming a telemetry network according to claim 8, wherein the external network is one of a cellular network, a satellite, a Local Area Network (LAN), and a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) network.

12. The method of forming a telemetry network according to claim 8, wherein the parent device is located within a communication range of the external network and the at least one child device is located outside the communication range of the external network.

13. The method of forming a telemetry network according to claim 8, further comprising moving at least one telemetry device with respect to the wind turbine towers and switching the assignment of the parent device from one telemetry device to another.

14. The method of forming a telemetry network according to claim 10, wherein the sub-parent device is dynamically selected from the at least one child device of the parent device achieve an optimal performance of the telemetry network.

18. The method of forming a telemetry network according to claim 8, further comprising communicating with a first external facility with the parent device and communicating with a second external facility with the child device.

15. A telemetry box, comprising:

a circuit capable of serving as a parent device or a child device in a telemetry network, the circuit configured for mounting to and communicating with a wind turbine tower, the circuit including a user interface, a database, and data processing software for analyzing sensor data collected from at least one sensor of the wind turbine tower and stored in the database; and

the telemetry network comprising;

at least one telemetry device that is movable with respect to the wind turbine tower;

a parent telemetry device capable of sending data to an external network outside a local communication network and receiving data from the external network outside; and

at least one child telemetry device, wherein the at least one child telemetry device is capable of sending data to the parent telemetry device through a network and receiving data from the parent telemetry device and communicating with the external network via the parent telemetry device,

wherein the parent telemetry device is dynamically selected from a plurality of telemetry devices to achieve an optimal performance of the telemetry network, and wherein the selection of the parent telemetry device is at least partially based on the location of the at least one movable telemetry device.

16. The telemetry box according to claim 15, wherein the at least one child telemetry device is capable of sending data to another child telemetry device and receiving data from another child telemetry device;

and

each telemetry device provides an individual local Wi-Fi network to end users.

17. The telemetry box according to claim 15, wherein the parent telemetry device is located within a communication range of the external network and the at least one child telemetry device is located outside the communication range of the external network.