# US 12,761,616 B2 · Systems and methods for monitoring industrial settings with sensor kits utilizing a distributed ledger

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- Number: US 12,761,616 B2
- Document ID: US12761616B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/685,549
- Filed: 2022-03-03
- Published: 2022-06-16
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-13
- Assignees: Strong Force IOT Portfolio 2016, LLC
- Applicants: Strong Force Iot Portfolio 2016, LLC
- Inventors: Charles Cella; Teymour El-Tahry; Richard Spitz; Jeffrey P. McGuckin; Gerald William Duffy, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12761616B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- G05B 19/4183: {characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification}
- G05B 19/41845: {characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity}
- G05B 19/4185: {characterised by the network communication}
- G06N 5/04: Inference or reasoning models
- G06N 20/00: Machine learning
- G16Y 20/10: relating to the environment, e.g. temperature; relating to location
- H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
- H04L 41/0809: {Plug-and-play configuration}
- H04L 41/0886: {Fully automatic configuration}
- H04L 41/16: using machine learning or artificial intelligence
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 67/34: {involving the movement of software or configuration parameters (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416)}
- H04W 40/02: Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
- G05B 2219/31449: Monitor workflow, to optimize business, industrial processes
- G06F 18/2193: {based on specific statistical tests}
- H04N 19/50: using predictive coding (H04N19/61 takes precedence)
- H04W 84/22: with access to wired networks
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS
- G16Y: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS [IoT]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A system and associated method configured for monitoring an industrial setting is disclosed. The sensor kit can include an edge device and a plurality of sensors that capture sensor data and transmit the sensor data via a self-configuring sensor kit network. At least one sensor can capture sensor measurements and output instances of sensor data, generate and output reporting packets, and transmit the reporting packets to the edge device via the self-configuring sensor kit network in accordance with a first communication protocol. The edge device receives reporting packets from the plurality of sensors via the self-configuring sensor kit network, generates a data block based on the sensor data, and transmits the data block to one or more node computing devices that collectively store a distributed ledger that is comprised of a plurality of data blocks.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a backend system comprising one or more servers configured to deploy a smart contract to a distributed ledger on behalf of a user, wherein the smart contract defines one or more conditions relating to collected sensor data and one or more actions that are initiated by the smart contract in response to the one or more conditions being satisfied;
a sensor kit configured for monitoring an industrial setting, the sensor kit comprising:
an edge device; and
a plurality of sensors that capture sensor data and transmit the sensor data via a self-configuring sensor kit network, wherein the plurality of sensors includes one or more sensors of a first sensor type and one or more sensors of a second sensor type, wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors comprises:
a sensing component that captures sensor measurements and outputs instances of sensor data;
a processing unit that generates reporting packets based on one or more instances of sensor data and outputs the reporting packets, wherein each reporting packet includes routing data and one or more instances of sensor data; and
a communication device configured to receive reporting packets from the processing unit and to transmit the reporting packets to the edge device via the self-configuring sensor kit network in accordance with a first communication protocol;
wherein the edge device comprises:
a communication system having a first communication device that receives reporting packets from the plurality of sensors via the self-configuring sensor kit network, and a second communication device that transmits sensor kit packets to a backend system via a public network; and
a processing system having one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions that cause the processing system to:
receive the reporting packets from the communication system;
generate a data block based on sensor data obtained from the reporting packets, wherein the data block includes (i) a block header that defines an address of the data block and (ii) a block body that defines the sensor data and a parent address of another data block to which the data block will be linked; and
transmit the data block to one or more node computing devices that collectively store a distributed ledger that is comprised of a plurality of data blocks.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein generating the data block includes generating a hash value of the block body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein generating the data block includes encrypting the block body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system further determines whether the one or more conditions of th smart contract are satisfied based on at least the sensor data stored in the data block.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the smart contract corresponds to an insurer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the action defined in the smart contract triggers a transfer of funds to an account associated with an operator associated with the sensor kit in response to satisfying the one or more conditions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more conditions include a first condition that determines whether the sensor kit has reported a sufficient amount of sensor data and a second condition that determines whether the reported sensor data indicates that the industrial setting is operating without issue.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the smart contract corresponds to a regulatory body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the action defined in the smart contract triggers an issuance of a token to an operator associated with the sensor kit in response to satisfying the one or more conditions.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more conditions include a condition that determines whether the sensor kit has reported a required amount of sensor data as defined by a regulation.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the edge device is one of the node computing devices.

### Claim 12

A method for monitoring an industrial setting using a sensor kit in communication with a backend system, the sensor kit comprising a plurality of sensors and an edge device, the method comprising:
deploying, by the backend system, a smart contract to a distributed ledger on behalf of a user, wherein the smart contract defines one or more conditions relating to collected sensor data and one or more actions that are initiated by the smart contract in response to the one or more conditions being satisfied;
receiving, by an edge processing system of the edge device, reporting packets from one or more respective sensors of the plurality of sensors, wherein each reporting packet includes routing data and one or more instances of sensor data;
generating, by the edge processing system, a data block based on sensor data obtained from the reporting packets, wherein the data block includes (i) a block header that defines an address of the data block and (ii) a block body that defines the sensor data and a parent address of another data block to which the data block will be linked; and
transmitting, by the edge processing system, the data block to one or more node computing devices that collectively store a distributed ledger that is comprised of a plurality of data blocks.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein generating the data block includes generating, by the edge processing system, a hash value of the block body.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein generating the data block includes encrypting, by the edge processing system, the block body.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving, by the one or more node computing devices, the data block and determining, by the one or more node computing devices, whether the one or more conditions of the smart contract stored in the distributed ledger are satisfied based on at least the sensor data stored in the data block.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the smart contract corresponds to an insurer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the action defined in the smart contract triggers a transfer of funds to an account associated with an operator associated with the sensor kit in response to satisfying the one or more conditions.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more conditions include a first condition that determines whether the sensor kit has reported a sufficient amount of sensor data and a second condition that determines whether the reported sensor data indicates that the industrial setting is operating without issue.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the smart contract corresponds to a regulatory body.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the action defined in the smart contract triggers an issuance of a token to an operator associated with the sensor kit in response to satisfying the one or more conditions.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more conditions include a condition that determines whether the sensor kit has reported a required amount of sensor data as defined by a regulation.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the edge device is one of the node computing devices.

### Claim 23 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the backend system is one of the node computing devices.

### Claim 24 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a first set of sensors of a first sensor type and a second set of sensors of a second sensor type.