Methods and apparatus to perform remote monitoring

#This disclosure relates generally to remote monitoring objects of interest, and, more particularly, to performing remote monitoring in constrained networks.

#The proliferation of wireless communication technologies has enhanced the ability to communicate information from remote locations that are off-the-grid (in terms of wired communication networks) to central facilities/base stations at which the information can be analyzed. The expansion of such wireless communication technologies is, in turn, spurring the development of monitoring technologies designed to monitor geographically remote objects of interest. Such monitoring technologies leverage available wireless communication technologies to transmit monitoring data to a central facility for processing.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example remote monitoring system having an example remote monitor in communication with an example base station.

#FIG. 2 is block diagram of the example remote monitor of FIG. 1 having an example image capture controller, an example image analyzer and an example image packager.

#FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example first image, an example second image, and an example difference image created by the example image capture controller of FIG. 2.

#The figures are not to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts.

#The proliferation of wireless communication technologies has enhanced the ability to communicate information from remote locations that are off-the-grid (in terms of wired communications) to central facilities/base stations at which the information can be analyzed. The expansion of such wireless communication technologies is, in turn, spurring the development of monitoring technologies designed to monitor geographically remote objects of interest. Such monitoring technologies leverage available wireless communication technologies to transmit monitoring data to a central facility for processing. In some applications, various circumstances, including the geographical locations of objects to be monitored and/or the environment in which such objects are located present challenges. For example, the amount of data being collected by remote monitoring system(s) are often quite large and the geographical locations of the monitors typically requires transmission of data over long distances. Unfortunately, in some cases, traditional wireless networks (e.g., 4G, WiFi, microwave, etc.) are not available in such locations, do not provide sufficient coverage in such locations, and/or are not energy/cost effective. Although, less sophisticated wireless communication networks/equipment are available, such communication technologies are typically bandwidth constrained and are unable to reliably transmit large quantities of data. Even in cases where system bandwidth is sufficient to transmit the remote monitoring data, limited access to power sources in remote regions further reduce the viability of currently available remote monitoring solutions.

#Methods, system, apparatus, and articles of manufacture disclosed herein perform low power remote monitoring using bandwidth-constrained wireless communication technologies. The disclosed methods perform image capture at a rate that is adjustable based on an amount of activity occurring within a field of interest. Adjusting the rate of image capture in this manner reduces the amount of data that is captured, processed and ultimately transmitted to the remote base station when the amount of activity occurring in the field of interest is less than a threshold amount and increases the amount of data that is captured, processed and ultimately transmitted to the remote base station when the amount of activity occurring in the field of interest is greater than a threshold amount. Thus, the systems and methods disclosed herein conserve energy by providing a greater emphasis on information that identifies activity occurring in the field of interest and less emphasis on information that indicates a lack of activity occurring in the field.