US 6,285,955 B1Granted

Down hole and above ground data loggers

AssigneeMountain Energy, Inc.

InventorJack M. Goldwasser

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Abstract

The down hole and above ground data loggers according to the present invention can be used with any sensors or probes. The switching associated with different sensors is accomplished on a circuit board in the data logger using an external device. The data loggers can send data to the external device via hard wire or radio frequency. Sending the data via radio frequency eliminates the need for a user to go out to the field. Thus, the user can obtain real time and historical data without having to go out to the field. In one embodiment, a down hole data logger is disclosed that is capable of being installed or deployed in small openings. In another embodiment, an above ground data logger is disclosed. In both embodiments, the data loggers can record analog sensor data or discrete data. The data loggers of the present invention are easy to use, reliable, accurate, cost efficient, and feature rich.

Claims45

Dependent claims

A data logger for collecting analog data or discrete data using a connected analog sensor or a connected discrete sensor, comprising:

a substantially cylindrical tube and a top and a bottom, and including disposed within the tube:
a microcontroller coupled to control logic and power management circuitry bit and adapted to send commands to the control logic and instructions to the power management circuitry;
an analog processor capable of being electrically coupled to any connected analog sensor and adapted to receive analog data therefrom, wherein any connected analog sensor is adapted to receive sensor selection signals from the control logic and voltage selection signals from the power management circuitry, and wherein the analog processor is adapted to convert the analog data to digital data and transmit the digital data to the microcontroller;
a discrete sensor counter electrically coupled to any connected discrete sensor and adapted to receive discrete data from any connected discrete sensor and output counter output data;
a data memory coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to store as real-time data the digital data and the counter output data;
and
a battery coupled to the power management circuitry;
a bottom cap mechanically connected to the bottom of the tube and allowing for the mechanical connection of an analog sensor and a discrete sensor thereto, and thereby being electrically coupled to the analog processor and the discrete sensor counter;
and
a top cap mechanically connected to the top of the tube and including thereon a digital display that is coupled to the microcontroller and capable of displaying the real-time data and a description of each connected sensor at different periods of time.

7 more elements

A method for collecting data from a data collection location using a sensor coupled to a data logger for collecting the data and transmitting the collected data to an external device using a radio frequency, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the sensor;
inserting the selected sensor into a bottom cap of the data logger;
mechanically attaching the bottom cap of the data logger to a cylindrical body of the data logger, thereby electrically coupling the selected sensor to a microcontroller disposed within the cylindrical body of the data logger;
selecting a channel in the data logger associated with the selected sensor;
calibrating the selected sensor for subsequently collecting data;
testing the data logger by viewing test information on a display disposed on a top cap of the data logger;
mechanically attaching a removable protective radio frequency cover having a radio frequency transmitter disposed therein over at least a top surface of the top cap of the data logger so that the radio frequency transmitter becomes electrically coupled between the microcontroller and an antenna disposed on the protective radio frequency cover, and the protective radio frequency cover mechanically covers the display;
disposing the data logger at the data collection location;
collecting the data at the data collection location using the selected sensor;
sending the collected data to the microcontroller;
storing the collected data in a data memory, wherein the data memory is disposed within the cylindrical body of the data logger, is coupled to the microcontroller and is adapted to receive the collected data from the microcontroller;
and
transmitting the collected data to the external device at the radio frequency using the radio frequency transmitter.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.