US 10,704,960 B2Granted

Low-power user interface device for environmental monitoring system

AssigneeDigi International Inc.

InventorsHarry J. Schechter, Jeremy V. Macdonald, Diane Deng, Kyle W. Gilpin

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Abstract

Embodiments of an environmental monitoring system that mitigates complexities in installation and maintenance while complying with strict regulations on operations of the system. The environmental monitoring system may communicate wirelessly between components such as sensor units and display devices, enabling these components to be separately and easily installed in an environment without needing to install wires in the environment to connect them. In addition, in embodiments at least some of the components (e.g., sensor units and display devices) of the environmental monitoring system may be adapted to wirelessly and reliably communicate using specific wireless communication protocols, described in detail herein, that exchange few communications between the components and thereby decrease power consumption of these components. Further, in some embodiments, a display device may include hardware and/or execute software that drive and/or update a display only when a condition is met.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An apparatus for use with an environmental monitoring system to monitor one or more environmental parameters of an environment, the environmental monitoring system comprising the apparatus located in the environment, at least one environmental sensor unit to sense the one or more environmental parameters and located in the environment, and at least one computing device located remote from the environment, the apparatus being separate and distinct from the at least one environmental sensor unit and the at least one computing device and comprising:

a housing;
a display integrated with the housing;
a wireless receiver;
at least one processor disposed in the housing;
and
at least one storage medium disposed in the housing, the at least one storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out a method comprising:
in response to detecting that a first period of time has passed,
monitoring, using the wireless receiver of the apparatus, for a wireless transmission comprising a device identifier of a first environmental sensor unit, of the at least one environmental sensor unit, with which the apparatus is associated;
in response to receiving, using the wireless receiver of the apparatus, the wireless transmission comprising the device identifier for the first environmental sensor unit,
determining from the wireless transmission a value of an environmental parameter of the one or more environmental parameters, and
controlling the display of the apparatus to present information indicative of the value of the environmental parameter.

8 more elements

An environmental monitoring system for monitoring one or more environmental parameters of an environment, the environmental monitoring system comprising:

at least one computing device located remote from the environment;
a first environmental sensor unit located in the environment;
and
a display device located in the environment, the display device being separate and distinct from the at least one computing device and the first environmental sensor unit,
wherein the first environmental sensor unit comprises:
at least one environmental sensor;
at least one wireless transceiver;
at least one first processor;
and
at least one first storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the at least one first processor to carry out a first method comprising:
in response to detecting a value of an environmental parameter via the at least one environmental sensor, transmitting the value to the at least one computing device via the at least one wireless transceiver;
and
in response to receiving from the at least one computing device a message indicating that the value of the environmental parameter satisfies an alert condition, transmitting, to the display device and via the at least one wireless transceiver, at least one message comprising the value and indicating an alert;
and
wherein the display device comprises:
a housing;
a display integrated with the housing;
a wireless receiver;
at least one second processor disposed in the housing;
at least one second storage medium disposed in the housing, the at least one second storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the at least one second processor to carry out a second method comprising:
in response to receiving, using the wireless receiver of the display device, at least one message from the first environmental sensor unit,
determining whether the at least one message indicates the alert;
in response to determining that the at least one message indicates the alert, updating the display of the display device to output the value and the alert;
and
in response to determining that the at least one message does not indicate the alert, updating the display of the display device to output the value.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/830,938Filed 4 Dec 2017 · continuation
Priority: 29 May 2015
Published: US 2018/0087970 A129 Mar 2018
Granted: 7 Jul 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G01K 1/024
Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers: for remote indication
H04Q 9/00
Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from
H04Q 2209/40
Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems: using a wireless architecture
H04Q 2209/43
Using a wireless architecture: using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth® or Zigbee®

Family

Application14/726,135Parent of this continuation · filed 29 May 2015
Application14/966,074Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Dec 2015
US 2018/0087970 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Mar 2018
US 9,857,233 B2Parent of this continuation
US 9,247,322 B1Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0349116 A1Published application
US 10,704,960 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.