Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
SURVEILLANCE NETWORK FOR UNATTENDED GROUND SENSORS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to surveillance networks for unattended ground
sensors and more
particularly to methods and systems for remote surveillance, transmission,
recording and analysis of
images and sensor data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many different forms of such sun eillance systems are known. The sensors in
such systems may be
connected through a wireless link to a central data collectar. However, these
systems do not
differentiate the sensor data collected, resulting in important data being
buried in huge amounts of
irrelevant data and large numbers of false positives. Such systems cause delay
of the information
flow and do not provide visual confirmation of the remote site that is to be
monitored.
Other common problems with cuxrent surveillance systems include the isolation
of each sensor
array (i.e. they are not networked with the other arrays). This results in
limited situational awareness
for the responding personnel. Also the resulting data is typically raw and
unprocessed, resulting in
large amounts of unnecessary data and false positives. Furtheranore there is
no visual confirmation,
further limiting situational awareness. 'There are also typically long delays
in information flow to
responding personnel resulting in an inability to effectively respond to the
situation.
US Patent Number 4,550,311 discloses a security installation at one site
having remote sensors,
which detect intrusion, fire, etc. and transmit corresponding signals by radio
to a master station.
Us Patent Number 6,317,029 discloses an in situ remote sensing system
including a plurality of
sensors that are distributed about an area of interest, and a satellite
communications system that
receives communications signals from these sensors.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-2-
US Patent Number: 6,171,264 discloses, in a medical measurement system,
measurements taken at
a distance from a hospital. The patient is connected to a measuring system
comprising measuring
sensors and a unit for collecting data comprising a transmitter.
US Patent Number 6,160,993 discloses a method and apparatus for providing
command and control
of remote systems using low earth orbit satellite communications.
US Patent Number 6,466,258 discloses a customer premise or site fitted with
cameras and other
sensors. The sensors are interconnected with a central station, which monitors
conditions.
US Patent Number 6,480,510 discloses a serial intelligent cell and a
connection topology for local
area networks using electrically conducting media.
US Patent Number 6,292,698 discloses a system for communicating with a medical
device
implanted in an ambulatory patient and for locating the patient in order to
selectively monitor
device function, alter device operating parameters and modes and provide
emergency assistance to
and communications with a patient.
US Patent Number 6,148, I 96 discloses a system for transmitting instructions
from a master control
facility to a number of remotely located player unit. The remotely located
player units communicate
through a mobile cell site.
US Patent Number 6,141,531 discloses a wireless communication system using
radio frequencies
for transmitting and receiving voice and data signal with an internal network
with multiple internal
communication path, and an external communication path for linking the
internal network to an
external communications network and is suited to operate in remote locations
that are isolated.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-3-
US Patent Number 5,449,307 discloses an apparatus and method for establishing
and maintaining
control over an area of the sea from a remote location, consisting of a remote
control point, a
number of submersible satellite stations and means for communicating by radio
or conductive cable
between the control point and each station.
US Patent Number 5,816,874 discloses a portable, anchored sensor module for
collecting fresh
water environmental data over a range of depths, is supported relative to a
buoy having a power
supply and control circuitry.
US Patent Number 5,557,584 discloses a system of sonar platforms designed for
use in moderate
depth water is disclosed, with each platform having a plurality of transducer
modules mounted
thereon.
US Patent application publication number 20020057340 discloses integrated
imaging and GPS
network monitoring remote object movement. Cameras detect objects and generate
image signal.
Internet provides selectable connection between system controller and various
cameras according to
object positions.
US Patent application publication number 20020174367 discloses a system and
method for
remotely monitoring sites to provide real. time information which can readily
permit distinguishing
false alarms, and which can identify and track the precise location of an
alarm implemented through
the use of multistate indicators which permits information to be transmitted
using standard network
protocols from a remote site to a monitoring station in real-time,
US Patent application publication number 20020109863 discloses an image
capture, conversion,
compression, storage and transmission system provides a data signal
representing the image in a
format and protocol capable of being transmitted over any of a plurality of
readily available
transmission systems and received by readily available, standard equipment
receiving stations.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-4-
US Patent application publication number 20020153419 discloses a weather
resistant modular
sensor and computing platform reduces costs and enhances versatility of sensor
systems. A
cylindrical shaped modular system provides an architecture for up-grading
sensors, batteries, special
modules, communications, and control.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a plurality of sensors are situated at
different positions in an
area to be monitored (such as a building, a pipeline, a border, a road, etc.)
and are arranged to sense
the presence of an intruder or the movement of an object. Fach sensor is
arranged to transmit
signals representative of what it is sensing to a module which is in or near
the area being monitored
and which then responds by taking appropriate action such as replicating data
(for example images,
notifications, or sensor data) and transmitting to a distant location (for
example, by means of a
cellular or satellite network)
By using distributed computing, cameras, and communication channels with
global coverage,
sensor events can be discriminated, images can be analyzed, and then the
important data can be
transmitted from the module to a central station, providing the responding
person or team with full
situational awareness.
The system according to the invention may include a module, one or more
sensors with a camera, a
server, and a user interface device. The system is connected via a distributed
computing network.
The module allows the system to discriminate sensor events by processing the
raw data and making
sense of it. Therefore, the data is transmitted selectively, making best use
of limited communication
channels. A communication channel with global coverage allows total data
integration for high
level responding personnel, and digital day/night cameras allows for constant
visual confirmation.
Advantages of the present invention include the conversion of :raw data into
meaningful information
to give full situational awareness to responding personnel. Mission critical
data is accessible
concurrently to multiple stations in the responder chain. Visual confirmation
of the situation is
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-5-
provided to reduce false positives. A global footprint allows for deployment
anywhere in the world.
Near real-time alerts allow quick response or prevention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIIE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an overall representation of an embodiment of a system according
to the invention;
Figure 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a module and sensor at a
remote site;
Figure 3 is a block diagram of the organization of an embodiment of a system
according to the
invention;
Figure 4 is a view of an embodiment of a communication system according to the
invention;
Figure 5 is a view of the communications paths within a global system
according to the invention;
Figure 6 is a view of a map illustrating the Use Case Road;
Figure 7 is a view of a map illustrating the Use Case Pipeline;
Figure 8 is a view of an embodiment of a module according to the invention;
Figure 9 is a block diagram of the components thereof;
Figure 10 is an alternative view of the connections in an embodiment of the
invention;
Figure 11 is a block diagram of the software in a module according to an
embodiment of the
invention;
Figure 12 is a view of a sample daytime photo;
Figure 13 is a view of a sample nighttime image captured with an intensified
camera;
Figure 14 is a view of an embodiment of a graphical user interface according
to the invention;
Figure 15 is a view of an image file according to the invention;
Figure 16 is an alternate view thereof;
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-6-
Figure 17 is an alternate view thereof;
Figure 18 is an alternate view thereof;
Figure 19 is an alternate view thereof;
Figure 20 is an alternate view thereof showing a region of interest in higher
quality; and
Figure 21 is a view showing images that have been digitally zoomed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Note in this document the terms "module" and "C3Module" are used
interchangeably.
As seen in Figure 1, a system according to the invention is used to monitor a
remote site 20, for
example a pipeline, a power plant, a border or other location. A.t remote site
20 is deployed at least
one module l, at least one camera 3, at least one sensor 2, and optionally,
other devices. Server 4 is
located at a central station anywhere. Responding personnel can access the
stored data at module 1
or be notified of an event directly from module 1 through connection 10 to
user interface 7 or
indirectly from module 1 to server 4 and network 6 to user interface 5 through
connection 14.
Sensors 2 are preferably covertly deployed in a manner to protect an asset or
monitor a perimeter or
other object at remote site 20. If an intruder enters remote site 20, sensor 2
sends a signal to module
1 through a communication channel 12. Communication channel 12 is preferably
wireless, such as a
digital RF link, although other communication links as known in the art can
also be used. When the
module 1 receives the signal from the sensor, it logs the event and processes
it through the
discrimination patterns stored in module 1. Processing of the sensor event by
module 1 results in a
multitude of actions to be performed. For example, module 1 may instruct
camera 3 to take one or
more images. After these images are taken, they are transmitted from camera 3
to module 1 through
connection 13 (which could be an Ethernet Wireless LAN, or other), where they
are stored.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
_7_
Another possible action after processing the event could be a data movement.
Data to be moved can
be system data (e.g. temperature, power level, operational and other
parameters), event data (e.g.
time, location, type, or others), and image data (e.g. highly compressed or
detailed). In order to
move data, module 1 contacts server 4 through connection 14, which may be a
satellite connection,
a cellulax connection, a RF connection, or other as known in the art. Module 1
then uploads the data
to server 4. The data might be moved also to another module 6 through
connection 11 (which may
be a digital RF, satellite connection, or other as known in the art ).
Responding personnel can download data to module 1 (such as optimized
discrimination patterns or
software updates). To do that, a user connects to module 1 from user interface
7 through connection
10 (which may be an Ethernet connection, a Digital RF connection, or other as
known in the art).
The user then downloads data to module 1 where it is stored. The user can also
download data from
user interface 5, which may be a web browser on a PC, a Laptop, or a PDA,
through network 6
(which may be a public network like the Internet, or a private network) to
server 4 and from there
through connection 14 to module 1.
Figure 2 displays a representation of an equipment assemblage and
interconnection at a remote site.
The core component is module 1. Attached to module 1 are antennas for wireless
communication,
which can be integrated in antenna array 2 or installed externally. Also
connected to module 1 are
one or more cameras 3 and one or more power modules 4.
Module 1 preferably contains the following components:
1. Digital RF Transceiver 103, which may be an 802.11b device or other, as
known in the art.
Transceiver 103 allows local communication with the user interface, other
modules or other
devices.
2. Satellite Modem 104, which may be an Iridium satellite modem or other as
known in the art.
Modem 104 allows global communication with servers, other modules or other
devices.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
_g_
3. GPS receiver 105 allows reception of GPS satellite signals to determine
location of module 1
and update the time base precisely.
4. Sensor receiver 106 may be a Qual-Tron EMIDS receiver or other as known in
the art. Receiver
106 allows reception of sensor alerts, triggered when an intruder enters
remote site, to be monitored.
5. Power manager 102 turns components on and off as necessary to maximize the
battery life.
6. Ethernet switch 107 allows connection of one or more wired devices. These
devices can be
cameras 3 or other devices.
7. Power module 4 provides energy to the module 1 and its peripheral devices.
Other devices can
provide energy as well (e.g. solar cells).
The data in the system is organized in a tree structure, as seen in Figure 3,
and replicated towards
the top node server 305. Each module decides what data to replicate partially
based on the
bandwidth of the communication channel. Module 2, for example, has fast
channel 322 and
therefore transmits a lot of data (e.g. Images, operational data, sensor and
other data) to server 304.
Server 304 in turn, also has a fast channel and transmits all data it receives
from modules 302 and
303 to server 305 through the fast channel 321. Module 30:3 has a slow channel
and therefore
replicates and transmits only a small portion of the logged data through slow
channel 323 to server
304. The discrimination patterns stored in module 303 determine what data gets
replicated
depending on its sensor alert patterns. Module 301 also replicates only a
small portion of the logged
data through slow channel 320 to server 305. Operative user 310 has access to
all locally logged
data through a faster local communication path and can make dlecisions based
on that data. Analyst
user 312 sees only that portion of data logged at module 301 that was
replicated and transmitted to
server 305. Module 301 has discrimination patterns programmed that decide what
data gets
replicated and transmitted to server 305 to be available to high level
decision makers. This
architecture allows concurrent access to mission critical data at many levels
of the system.
The system according to the invention, an alternative embodiment of which is
seen Figure 4,
provides a complete solution for global unattended ground sensor information
gathering and sensor-
triggered imaging for security surveillance. It is a field-ready intelligent
computing and
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-9-
communications system. It is able to synthesize global knowledge and
intelligence from raw data,
which reduces false positives. It preferably employs sensor-triggered high-
resolution digital
day/night imaging, two-way communications to sensor arrays deployed anywhere
in the world and
is managed using a secure map-based graphical user interface from a browser.
Figures 5 shows an embodiment of the communication paths used by a system
according to the
invention. Multiple parallel paths are provided to ensure reliable global
communications.
The system provides for global operation allowing worldwide access to sensor
events and images
and such access is preferably in real or near real-time. As well there are
multiple communication
path options (preferably Iridium, Globalstar, other satellites, cellular,
and/or terrestrial-900MHz ).
The system provides for visual confirmation of events. High-resolution digital
images may be sent
to the user. Night vision, Generation III Intensified cameras are preferably
employed. Image
capture is triggered automatically by sensor events and can be activated on
demand. These images
provide for increased situational awareness
The system also allows for processing of the information and data gathered.
The system
synthesizes global knowledge and intelligence from raw data using sensor
discrimination/pattern
recognition. Such processing significantly reduces false positives from sensor
alerts and allows for
data storing and advanced data mining.
Evidential characteristics of an event are recorded in a module, such as time
stamp and location
information. The information can be sent to multiple notification recipients,
such as decision
makers, commanders, and local operators, thus putting the information into the
hands of multiple
layers of command simultaneously allowing for defensive action to be taken
quickly.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-10-
The system is preferably easy to operate and is capable of simple and rapid
deployment with a low
manpower requirement and cost. The system is preferably designed to be inter-
operable with
existing or future systems by integrating multiple sensor types, including
radiological, and chemical
or biological, or from an unmaned aerial vehicle. Standard network protocols
are preferably used
and modules should have multiple inputloutput ports.
The modules preferably are made using commercial off the shelf hardware, which
besides being
available and economical, are also adaptable and use standard interfaces.
The software used in the system is preferable based on open source and is
secure, reliable, and
adaptable. The software is preferably scalable, customizable, and inter-
operable and includes
sensor discrimination and pattern- recognition algorithms. Such algorithms
should include multiple
trigger scenarios.
The system could be used in a variety of situations and environments,
including military, homeland
security, and law enforcement for uses such as perimeter security, force
protection, intelligence
operations, and border patrol. The system can also be used to protect assets
such as power plants,
hydro dams, transmission lines, pipelines, oil fields, refineries, ports,
airports, roads, and water
supplies as well as protect product movement to the commercial security
industry.
USE CASE: ROAD
Figure 6 shows an example of a use of a system according 1:o the invention,
entitled "Use Case:
Road". In this example, the task of the system is to monitor traffic on a
remote road. The system is
used to monitor pedestrian as well as vehicle traffic on such road. Seismic
(S), magnetic anomaly
(M), and radiological (R) sensors are placed along the road in both directions
from the module.
Connected to the module are two cameras, facing in opposite directions along
the road. The module
can be easily programmed for specific scenarios, for example reporting vehicle
traffic going East to
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-lI-
West only; or reporting pedestrian traffic going West to East only; or
reporting vehicles slower than
60 km/h (e.g. a potential armored track vehicle).
Scenario 1: Walk through
With reference to Figure 6, a person or persons walk through the area from
West to East. The
sensors trigger in the following order:
1. A: Seismic at 16:23 UTC
2. B: Seismic at 16:24 UTC
3. C: Seismic at 16:24 UTC
4. D: Seismic at 16:25 UTC
5. E: Seismic at 16:26 UTC
6. F: Seismic at 16:27 UTC
7. G: Seismic at 16:27 UTC
8. H:Seismic at 16:28 UTC
Since there are no Magnetic Anomaly sensor triggers, the module assumes that
the intruder walking
through carries no metal weapons or tools, which gives this intruder a low
threat level. The trigger
times suggest that the intruder didn't loiter at any time along the path and
moved steadily through
the area. This is determined to be a harmless walk through aazd results in no
raised alert level or
notification.
However the module captures an image at Sensor trigger D arid stores the image
for future use or
post analysis of traffic on the road. This can be useful to reconstruct what
had happened at a certain
time of interest.
Scenario 2: Drive through
Again with reference to Figure 6, a vehicle drives through the area from East
to West. The sensors
trigger in the following order:
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-I2-
1 H: Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:23 UTC
2 G: Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:23 UTC
3 F: Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:23 UTC
4 E: Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:24 UTC
5 D: Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:24 UTC
6 C: Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:24 UTC
7 B: Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:24 UTC
8 A:Seismic and Magnetic Anomaly at 16:24 UTC
Therefore, there are Seismic, as well as Magnetic Anomaly, triggers in very
short time. This is
likely a vehicle driving through on the road. The module captures an image at
Sensor trigger E,
stores it locally, and transmits a report through the network to a user.
Magnetic anomaly sensors with variable gains may be able to classify large and
small vehicles.
Seismic sensors can be used to determine velocity of traffic: In any case the
module will monitor all
sensors and may classify targets (as transmitted to the server) as (for
example):
I S Message: Large truck, driving east at 40 km/hr.
Scenario 3: Radiological Event
Radiological sensors in a linear array may detect radioactive or "hot"
vehicles passing by. Such a
hot vehicle will almost always trigger an alarm and notification.
USE CASE: PIPELINE
Figure 7 shows an example of a use of a system according to the invention,
entitled "Use Case:
Pipeline". In this example, the system's task is to monitor a pipeline in a
remote and inaccessible
area where no vehicle traffic is possible. There is a trail system around the
pipeline, which may be
used by intruders to access the pipeline and sabotage it. The objective of the
system is to provide
alerts and notifications with visual confirmation to a central Command and
Control center.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-13-
Personnel at that center can respond to disturbances and prevent damage being
done to the pipeline.
Figure 7 displays the module, sensors (magnetic and seismic) and cameras used.
Scenario 1: Walk through
A person or persons walk through the area from the Northwest corner down to
the Southeast corner
of the map. The sensors trigger in the following order:
1 A: Seismic at 10:03 UTC
2 B: Seismic at 10:08 UTC
3 J: Seismic at 10:12 UTC
4 G: Seismic at 10:16 UTC
5 H: Seismic at 10:21 UTC
Since there are no Magnetic Anomaly sensor triggers, the module determines
that the intruder
walking through carries no metal weapons or tools, which gives this intruder a
low threat level. The
trigger times suggest that the intruder didn't loiter at any time along the
trail. This is considered a
harmless walk through and does not result in a raised alert level or
notification.
However the module will capture an image at Sensor trigger J and store the
image for post analysis
of activity along the pipeline. This can be useful to reconstruct what had
happened at certain times
of interest at the pipeline.
Scenario 2: Walk in and loitering at pipeline
A person or an animal walks in towards the pipeline from the Northwest corner
down to the pipeline
and then back out to the Northwest corner of the map. The sensors trigger in
the following order:
1 A: Seismic at 10:03 UTC
2 B: Seismic at 10:08 UTC
3 J: Seismic at 10:12 UTC, disturbance at J continues until 10:41 UTC
4 G: Seismic at 10:45 UTC
5 H: Seismic at 10:50 UTC
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-14-
Since there are no Magnetic Anomaly sensor triggers, we can assume that the
intruder walking in
carries no metal objects, which gives this intruder a low initial threat
level. The trigger times
suggest that the intruder walked directly to the pipeline and spent about half
an hour at the pipeline.
This activity elevates the event to a threat or alarm.
The module will capture an image at Sensor trigger J, store it locally, and
move the report through
the network to the end user.
The Module
As seen in Figure 8, the module used in the system according tc~ the invention
is the field computing
unit of the system. As seen in Figure 9, the module is a rugged., field-ready
computer that networks
with the sensors. When the module is deployed, sensor arrays have a master
controller to analyze
inputs from multiple data types and make decisions based on sophisticated
logic. Peripheral
cameras and sensing devices also collect images and data. Integrated
communications components,
as seen in Figure 10, securely transmit images and interpreted data of
significant events to a central
command location anywhere on the planet through satellite. Each module has two-
way
communication ability to remotely upgrade algorithms based on changing
scenarios.
The module employs software to operate its components and evaluate events, as
seen in Figure 11.
The operational specifications of the module preferably include the following:
~ Power consumption from 1mW (in deep sleep mode) to 30 W (when the system is
fully active
with night time illumination for cameras);
~ Typical battery life of 2.5 months depending on battery coni~guration and
usage;
~ Additional batteries and solar panels to extend operational life;
~ a 900MHz terrestrial relay with a range of approximately 2Gkrn, depending on
terrain;
~ Iridium link speed of 2.4 Kbps; and
~ GlobalStar link speed of 7kbps.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
-IS-
The system according to the invention allows for information synthesis in that
actionable
information is created from raw data, reducing false positives. The system
functions in the day or
night and can provide high quality images. The system can communicate globally
with LEO
satellite communications and a 900Mhz terrestrial radio. The system provides
live action
S notification via web interface alerts and email notifications. Events are
displayed on a map in the
user interface in near real-time.
The system provides for rapid and easy deployment, has autonomous
communications and power,
and provides immediate install confirmation. No special skills are required to
install the system and
it can auto-configure.
I0
Preferably the cameras used in the system and in communication with the module
operate in both
daylight and during times of darkness. Preferably the daylight camera is
color, has at least 2 Mega
pixels resolution, uses progressive scan and has a variety of lens options. An
image taken with such
a camera is shown in Figure 12. Preferably the night camera is monochrome, is
capable of
1 S intensifying an image using an intensifier tube such as ITT Ultra 64LP and
also has at least 2 Mega
pixels resolution and is progressive scan. An image taken with such a camera
is shown in Figure
13.
A daytime and night camera can be connected to the module at the same time.
The module will use
20 the correct camera depending on lighting conditions.
A preferred graphical user interface, as seen in Figure 14, incorporates map
based monitoring,
image logs, mission planning, system configuration, and command and control
for the system. Such
an interface also allows for mufti-user real-time management.
2S
The images taken by the cameras can be transmitted by the module to a command
center and/or
server. Figures 1 S through 20 provide examples of wavelet compressed images
with resultant file
size and transmission times using Iridium satellite at 2400 baud.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
- 16-
Figure 15 shows an image file of about 500 bytes with a resultant transmission
time through an
iridium satellite of about 2 seconds.
Figure 16 shows an image file of about 1kB with a resultant transmission time
through an iridium
satellite of about 4 seconds.
Figure 17 shows an image file of about 21~B with a resultant transmission time
through an iridium
satellite of about 8 seconds.
Figure 18 shows an image file of about SkB with a resultant transmission time
through an iridium
satellite of about 20 seconds.
Figure 19 shows an image file of about 25kB with a resultant transmission time
through an iridium
satellite of about 1.5 minutes.
Figure 20 shows an image file wherein a region of interest is displayed in
higher quality. This
image file has a file size of about 3k8 with a resultant transmission time
through an iridium satellite
of about 12 seconds. The region of interest is a wavelet function that can be
applied to any captured
image.
In all of the above cases, the module preferably stores a high resolution
version of each image,
which can later be accessed. Digital zooming can be conducted on such as
images as seen in Figure
21.
The system will employ software for several functions. Embedded software will
run inside the
module, and will include an operating system, sensor event discrimination
algorithms, and a web
user interface. Client side software will run on a personal computer or PDA
for purposes such as
mission planning, mission simulation, mapping interface, and :receiving
notification alerts. Server
software will be run at the data center.
The system will employ discrimination algorithms to avoid false alarms. Real
world sensor data is
used to develop powerful statistical algorithms to discriminate patterns. The
purpose of these
algorithms is to increase the ability to determine between a positive event
and a false positive event.
CA 02482233 2004-09-23
_ 17-
The image confirmation will add to the reliability of the information.
Multiple pattern-recognition
algorithms are employed simultaneously to give the user the ability to monitor
multiple scenarios.
Some of the parameters considered in these algorithms include the type of
sensor activated, the time
span between sensor activations and order of such activations.
The system according to the invention used auto-configuration technology based
on configuration
data and unique )Ds that are stored in chips which are embedded in all devices
and cables. When
the system is installed in the field, the installer gets immediate feedback
and confirmation is sent
(for example to a hand held devices when new cables and devices are connected
and have passed
functional tests. The system is self aware and knows what types of peripherals
are attached e.g.
what type of camera, or battery supply is connected. During deployment the
auto-configuration
software detects and alerts when devices are disconnected c~r cables broken.
The inventory is
updated automatically in the field and available to all users.
The modules preferably operate for long periods of time in remote locations
and therefore must
conserve power. Preferably a bi-directional power bus allows each device to be
provider and source
of power at the same time. This can be used for instance to charge batteries
from solar panels that
are attached to cameras. The power management system provides redundant power
paths to re-route
power when a cable fails. Power status and usage patterns are monitored and
reported continuously
to optimize power efficiency. The power management system automatically
disconnects faulty
equipment to protect the other components in the system.
The power management system works in combination with smart cables. The Module
communicates with and through chips in the cables. Power-control and
information about the
peripheral devices is automatically updated as the system is configured in the
field.
Although the particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been
disclosed in detail for
illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications
of the disclosed apparatus
lie within the scope of the present invention.
