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The present invention is generally directed to a system for monitoring a variety of environmental and/or other conditions within a defined remotely located region. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system is configured to monitor utility meters in a defined area. The system is implem

The present invention is generally directed to a system for monitoring a variety of environmental and/or other conditions within a defined remotely located region. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system is configured to monitor utility meters in a defined area. The system is implemented by using a plurality of wireless transmitters, wherein each wireless transmitter is integrated into a sensor adapted to monitor a particular data input. The system also includes a plurality of transceivers that are dispersed throughout the region at defined locations. The system uses a local gateway to translate and transfer information from the transmitters to a dedicated computer on a network. The dedicated computer, collects, compiles, and stores the data for retrieval upon client demand across the network. The computer further includes means for evaluating the received information and identifying an appropriate control signal, the system further including means for applying the control signal at a designated actuator.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A system for remote data collection, assembly, storage, and event detection and reporting, comprising: a computer configured to execute at least one computer program that formats and stores select information for retrieval upon demand from a remotely located device, sai

The invention claimed is: 1. A system for remote data collection, assembly, storage, and event detection and reporting, comprising: a computer configured to execute at least one computer program that formats and stores select information for retrieval upon demand from a remotely located device, said computer integrated with a wide area network (WAN); a plurality of transceivers dispersed geographically at defined locations, each transceiver electrically interfaced with a sensor and configured to receive select information and identification information transmitted from another nearby wireless transceiver electrically interfaced with a sensor in a predetermined signal type and further configured to wirelessly retransmit in the predetermined signal type the select information, the identification information associated with the nearby wireless transceiver, and transceiver identification information associated with the transceiver making retransmission; and at least one gateway connected to the wide area network configured to receive and translate the select information, the identification information associated with the nearby wireless transceiver, and transceiver identification information associated with one or more retransmitting transceivers, said gateway further configured to further transmit the translated information to the computer over the WAN. 2. A method for collecting information and providing data services, comprising: adaptively configuring at least one transmitter electrically interfaced with a sensor wherein the transmitter generates an information signal consisting of a transmitter identification code and an information field, wherein the information signal is received by another nearby transmitter electrically interfaced with a sensor and repeated in the same signal type as received to additional transmitters each electrically interfaced with a sensor for communicating the information signal to a gateway, the gateway providing access to a WAN; translating the information signal within the gateway into a WAN compatible data transfer protocol; transferring the information signal via the WAN to a computer wherein the computer is configured to manipulate and store data provided in the information signal; and granting client access to the computer. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the WAN is the Internet. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of adaptively configuring at least one transmitter electrically interfaced with a sensor is modified to include a global positioning system receiver. 5. A system for monitoring remote devices, comprising: at least one sensor adapted to generate an electrical signal in response to a physical condition; at least one wireless transmitter electrically interfaced with the sensor and configured to encode the electrical signal, the wireless transmitter further configured to transmit the encoded electrical signal and transmitter identification information in a radio-frequency (RF) signal; one or more additional wireless transmitters each electrically interfaced with a sensor and configured to receive the RF signal and retransmit the RF signal; at least one gateway connected a wide area network (WAN) configured to receive and translate the retransmitted RF signal, the gateway further configured to deliver the encoded electrical signal and transmitter identification information to a computer on the WAN; and a computer configured to execute at least one computer program that formats and stores select information responsive to the electrical signal for retrieval upon demand from a remotely located device. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein each wireless transmitter is configured to transmit a relatively low-power radio-frequency (RF) signal. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one gateway is permanently connected to the WAN. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the gateway translates the encoded electrical signal, the transmitter identification, and the transceiver identification information into TCP/IP for communication over the WAN. 9. A system for controlling a remote device comprising: a target remote device having an actuator to be controlled; a computer configured to execute at least one computer program that generates at least one control signal responsive to a system input signal; said computer integrated with a wide area network (WAN); a gateway connected to the WAN configured to receive and translate the at least one control signal a wireless transmitter coupled with the gateway for transmitting a wireless signal that contains the control signal; a first wireless transceiver electrically interfaced with an actuator for receiving the wireless signal and further retransmitting the wireless signal to the target remote device; and logic coupled to the target remote device for extracting the control signal from the retransmitted wireless signal and imparting an action on the actuator in response to the extracted control signal. 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising: a plurality of additional wireless transceivers each coupled to an actuator and configured to receive the wireless signal and to retransmit the wireless signal, wherein one of the plurality of additional wireless transceivers receive the wireless signal from the wireless transmitter and another one of the plurality of the additional wireless transceivers retransmits the wireless signal to the first wireless transceiver. 11. The system of claim 9, further comprising: a plurality of additional wireless transceivers each coupled to an actuator or a sensor and configured to receive the wireless signal and to retransmit the wireless signal, wherein one of the plurality of additional wireless transceivers receive the wireless signal from the wireless transmitter and another one of the plurality of the additional wireless transceivers retransmits the wireless signal to the first wireless transceiver. 12. A system for remote data collection, assembly, storage, and event detection and reporting, comprising: a computer configured to execute at least one computer program that formats and stores select information for retrieval upon demand from a remotely located device, said computer integrated with a wide area network (WAN); a plurality of non-earth orbiting transceivers dispersed geographically at defined locations, each transceiver integrated with a sensor and configured to receive select information and identification information transmitted from another nearby wireless transceiver in a predetermined signal type and further configured to wirelessly retransmit in the predetermined signal type the select information, the identification information associated with the nearby transceiver and transceiver identification information associated with the transceiver making retransmission; and at least one gateway connected to the wide area network configured to receive and translate the select information, the identification information associated with the nearby wireless transceiver, and transceiver identification information associated with one or more retransmitting transceivers, said gateway further configured to further transmit the translated information to the computer over the WAN. 13. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one gateway is permanently connected to the WAN. 14. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the gateway translates the encoded electrical signal, the transmitter identification, and the transceiver identification information into TCP/IP for communication over the WAN.