Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – Plural transmitters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-30
2003-09-23
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2735)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
Plural transmitters
C340S539230, C340S870160, C340S632000, C340S870070, C361S600000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06624760
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to monitoring systems, particularly to wireless monitoring systems utilizing remote sensors, and more particularly to a wireless monitoring system which includes a base station composed of a host computer and an interrogation transceiver, and one or more electronic sensor platforms, each including a variety of binary and analog, internal and external sensors.
With the rapid dismantlement of nuclear weapons production in the United States as well as in other countries, the stored nuclear material inventories around the world have grown at a disproportionate rate. To ensure the safety, security, and accountability of the material, a plutonium management system is needed. One such system under development is the Materials Monitoring System (MMS) being developed by Sandia National Laboratories, which is a pilot system to demonstrate a flexible, site-independent system to remotely monitor the stored nuclear materials and other high value assets. The MMS integrates the collection, processing, and dissemination of information regarding high value materials, such as plutonium, during processing, transportation and long-range storage thereof, for domestic and international safeguards and treaty verification. The initial purpose of the MMS is to deliver the right sensor data to the right user around the world and account for the nuclear material in near real-time. As noted however, the system is equally applicable to any high value asset which requires continuous monitoring and surveillance.
The MMS incorporates numerous site or location sub-systems which interface with the overall MMS whereby information from each sub-system can be integrated into the overall MMS. This is accomplished by the present invention which comprises a sub-system monitor and utilizes a host computer which functions at the MMS interface, with invention comprising an Interrogator Transceiver (IT), and one or more Electronic Sensor Platforms (ESP's) which include a variety of sensors. The IT interrogates, or submits requests, for data in individual ESP's and receives the resulting data supplies by the ESP's, the requests being received from the host computer and the resulting data supplied to the host computer. A supporting component is a code written to perform the system control and management functions, which code is not part of the present invention and thus is not described in greater detail. The two principle components of the recent invention are the IT and the ESP's. Each ESP includes a variety of internal and external sensors, and is capable of controlling other devices as well as incorporating the data from these other sensors into its data stream. The sensor mix is designed to provide the maximum flexibility while providing key attributes of the state of health of the ESP itself. The ESP's communicate with the IT over a Radio Frequency (RF) link, allowing many ESP's to be remotely positioned around a facility; this wireless monitoring system allows the user to collect data with minimal impact on normal facility operation. Furthermore, the RF messages are authenticated so that the user has high confidence that the received data has not been altered and that the ESP has not been spoofed, tampered with or damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide for remote monitoring of nuclear materials and other high value assets.
A further object of the invention is to provide a wireless monitoring system which includes one or more electronic sensor platforms, each utilizing a variety of sensors.
A further object of the invention is to provide a wireless monitoring system which includes one or more Electronic Sensor Platforms (ESP's) and an Interrogator Transceiver (IT) for transmitting data between the one or more ESP's and a host computer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a monitoring system wherein the ESP's communicate with the IT over an RF link, enabling many ESP's to be remotely positioned, and the RF messages are authenticated so that the user has high confidence that the received data has not been altered.
Another object of the invention is to provide a monitoring system which includes at least one ESP whose primary function is to check internal and/or external security or accountability sensors and report any changes of state of these sensors.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ESP which has the capability to gather sensor data from internal and/or external sensors and transmit these data at programmed state of health intervals or when polled by a request for data.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ESP which includes status sensors, tamper indicating detectors, and expansion ports, and which communicates data from these sensors or detectors with an interrogator transceiver over an RF link.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. Basically the invention involves one or more ESP's and an IT operatively connected to a host computer of an overall monitoring system. The ESP's, IT, and host computer comprise a wireless monitoring system suitable for a wide range of remote data collection applications. Each of the ESP's is battery powered and support a variety of internal and external sensors, and is capable of controlling other devices as well as incorporating the data from these other sensors into its data stream. The sensor mix provides the maximum flexibility while providing key attributes of the state of health of the ESP itself. The ESP sensors include status sensors and tamper indicating detectors, with the status sensors indicating temperature, battery voltage, and transportation mode indication; with the tamper detectors including a fiber optic seal, a motion sensor, and case tamper switches. In addition, each ESP includes undedicated ports which are available for a wide range of user applications. The one or more ESP's communicates with the IT over an RF link, allowing the ESP's to be remotely positioned. The RF messages are authenticated using an appropriate encryption algorithm so that the user has high confidence that the received data has not been altered and that the ESP has not been spoofed, tampered with or damaged. Thus, the present invention provides a wireless sub-system integrated with an overall material monitoring system, which is particularly applicable for the monitoring of any high value asset during processing, transportation, and storage thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5467083 (1995-11-01), McDonald et al.
patent: 5871451 (1999-02-01), Unger et al.
patent: 5919141 (1999-07-01), Money et al.
patent: 6028555 (2000-02-01), Harano
patent: 6049273 (2000-04-01), Hess
patent: 6167258 (2000-12-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 6252510 (2001-06-01), Dungan
patent: 6300871 (2001-10-01), Irwin et al.
patent: 6342843 (2002-01-01), Hahn et al.
patent: 6469639 (2002-10-01), Tanenhaus et al.
patent: 6492601 (2002-12-01), Cain et al.
Kinzel Robert L.
Sheets Larry R.
Carnahan L. E.
Evans T. P.
Horabik Michael
Sandia National Laboratories
Wong Albert K.
LandOfFree
Monitoring system including an electronic sensor platform... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Monitoring system including an electronic sensor platform..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Monitoring system including an electronic sensor platform... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3064813