US 8,803,683 B2Granted

System, method, and device for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in storage tanks

AssigneesTrackPoint Systems, LLC, Florida Power & Light Company

InventorsBenjamin A. Schnitz, Claude T. Masters, George D. Survant

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Abstract

A system for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank includes a sensing device having a fluid level sensor, an accelerometer, a wireless transceiver, and a microcontroller for detecting the volume of liquid in the storage tank in response to determining that the storage tank is not moving and sending an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount. The system also includes a central tracking computer having a tracking database and being interfaced to the Internet, and a master control unit attached to the storage tank. The master control unit is for: receiving the alert message from the sensing device; obtaining the location of the storage tank; and communicating the alert message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A system for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank, comprising:

a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device including:
a fluid level sensor for detecting a level of liquid in the storage tank;
an accelerometer;
a sensing device wireless transceiver;
and
a sensing device microcontroller in communication with the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the sensing device wireless transceiver, the sensing device microcontroller executing instructions for:
detecting, using the fluid level sensor, the level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving;
converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank;
and
sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount;
a central tracking computer having a tracking database and being interfaced to the Internet;
and
a master control unit attached to the storage tank, said master control unit including:
a solar panel for converting light-energy into electrical power;
a control unit battery for receiving and storing said electrical power from said solar panel;
a GPS receiver module for receiving signals from a global positioning system and determining a location of said storage tank;
a cellular data transceiver module for communicating with said central tracking computer via a cellular data network interfaced to the Internet;
a local wireless network master transceiver module in wireless communication with the sensing device wireless transceiver;
and
a control unit microcontroller for:
controlling said local wireless network master transceiver module to receive the alert message from the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device;
controlling said GPS receiver module to obtain the location of the storage tank;
and
controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the alert message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.

21 more elements

A method for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank, comprising:

detecting, using a fluid level sensor of a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, a level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using an accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving;
converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank;
sending, using a sensing device wireless transceiver of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount;
receiving, using a local wireless network master transceiver module of a master control unit, the alert message from the sensing device wireless transceiver;
obtaining, using a GPS receiver module of the master control unit, a location of the storage tank;
and
communicating, using a cellular data transceiver module of the master control unit, via a cellular data network and the Internet, the alert message and the location of the storage tank to a central tracking computer for storage in a tracking database.

4 more elements

A wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device comprising:

a fluid level sensor for detecting a level of liquid in a storage tank;
an accelerometer;
a sensing device wireless transceiver;
and
a sensing device microcontroller in communication with the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the sensing device wireless transceiver, the sensing device microcontroller executing instructions for:
detecting, using the fluid level sensor, the level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving;
converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank;
and
sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message when the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount.

6 more elements

A method of operating a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, comprising:

detecting, using a fluid level sensor, a level of liquid in a storage tank, in response to determining, using an accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving;
converting, using a sensing device microcontroller, the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank;
and
sending, using a sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/554,833Filed 20 Jul 2012 · continuation in part
Priority: 13 Sep 2006
Published: US 2013/0181829 A118 Jul 2013
Granted: 12 Aug 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G08C 17/02
Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link: using a radio link
G01F 23/22
Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm: by…
G01F 23/80
Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm:…
G06Q 10/08
Administration; Management: logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Family

Application60/825,560Us provisional application · filed 13 Sep 2006
Application11/854,201Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Sep 2007
Application13/152,061Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Jun 2011
US 7,978,065 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jul 2011
Application61/509,816Us provisional application · filed 20 Jul 2011
Application61/638,943Us provisional application · filed 26 Apr 2012
US 2013/0181829 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 Jul 2013
Application13/152,061Parent of this continuation
US 2008/0061963 A1Published application
US 2011/0227727 A1Published application
US 8,890,683 B2Related patent
US 8,803,683 B2This patent

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