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US 12,663,771 B2Granted
Remote monitoring systems and methods
AssigneeBoone Cable Works & Electronics, Inc.
InventorMichael R. Prochnow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure relates to remote monitoring systems and methods, such as for monitoring the condition of bulk solids, such as agricultural grain, pelletized materials and/or equipment. The systems and methods described herein integrate analog and digital monitoring technologies and enable such technologies to be managed and controlled by one or more users.
Claims20
A monitoring system, comprising:
- a gateway having at least one interface configured to communicate information and commands;
- a computing apparatus in communication with the gateway and configured to send commands to and receive information from the gateway;
- an analog monitoring circuit, comprising:
- a first data link interface coupled to the gateway interface to provide bidirectional communication of data;
- a first controller including a first link terminal, a group address terminal, a switch select terminal and a data terminal, the first link terminal being coupled to the first data link interface;
- a driver network including a plurality of driver outputs and an address input terminal, the address input terminal being coupled to the group address terminal;
- an analog-to-digital converter including an analog input and a digital output, the digital output coupled to the data terminal;
- and
- a switch network having a switch address terminal and a plurality of analog sensor terminals, the switch network including plurality of switches coupled between the analog input and the analog sensor terminals, the switch address terminal coupled to the switch select terminal;
- and
- a digital monitoring circuit, comprising:
- a second data link interface coupled to the gateway interface to provide bidirectional communication of data;
- a second controller including a second link terminal, a digital group select terminal and a controller bus terminal, which is coupled to the second data link interface;
- a communications bridge having a bridge communication terminal and an input/output terminal, the bridge communication terminal being coupled to the controller bus terminal;
- and
- a multiplexer having an address terminal, a multiplexer output terminal and a plurality of digital sensor terminals, the address terminal coupled to the digital group select terminal, and the multiplexer output terminal being coupled to the input/output terminal.
13 more elements
A monitoring system, comprising:
- a gateway configured to communicate information and commands;
- a computing apparatus in communication with the gateway and configured to send commands to and receive information from the gateway;
- an analog monitoring circuit, comprising:
- a first data link interface configured to provide bidirectional communication between the gateway and the analog monitoring circuit;
- a first controller configured to control the analog monitoring circuit and to return response data responsive to the commands received through the first data link interface;
- a driver network configured to connect a respective sensor group to a switch network responsive to a sensor group select signal provided by the first controller;
- an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert signals at a plurality of analog inputs to respective digital signal at a respective digital output;
- the switch network having a plurality of analog sensor terminals, the switch network configured to couple one or more of the analog sensor terminals to respective analog inputs of the analog-to-digital converter responsive to a sensor select signal provided by the first controller;
- and
- a digital monitoring circuit, comprising:
- a second data link interface configured to provide bidirectional communication between the gateway and the digital monitoring circuit;
- a second controller configured to control the digital monitoring circuit and to return response data responsive to commands received through the second data link interface;
- a multiplexer configured to couple a respective digital sensor group to an output of the multiplexer responsive to a digital group sensor select signal provided by the second controller;
- and
- a communications bridge configured to control reading one or more sensors on a selected sensor group responsive to a sensor identification signal provided by the second controller.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.