(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2004/0100394A1
`Hitt
`(43) Pub. Date:
`May 27, 2004
`
`US 2004O10O394A1
`
`(54) DISTRIBUTED ENVIRONMENTAL
`CONTROL IN A WIRELESS SENSOR
`SYSTEM
`
`(76) Inventor: Dale K. Hitt, San Jose, CA (US)
`Correspondence Address:
`PATENT LAW GROUP LLP
`2635 NORTH FIRST STREET
`SUTE 223
`SAN JOSE, CA 95134 (US)
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`(22) Filed:
`
`10/692,476
`Oct. 24, 2003
`e 19
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/421,963, filed on Oct.
`28, 2002.
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51) Int. Cl." ..................................................... G08C 19/04
`
`(52) U.S. CI. .340/870.11; 340/870.16; 340/539.26;
`340/3.1; 700/275
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method for providing environmental monitoring and con
`trol includes providing a network of wireleSS nodes, the
`wireleSS nodes includes an array of Sensor nodes and an
`array of actuator nodes, each wireleSS node including a
`wireleSS transceiver, a processor and one of a Sensor device
`or an actuator device. The method further includes Sending
`a message from a first wireleSS node to a Second wireleSS
`node through wireleSS communication; and processing the
`message at the Second wireleSS node. In operation, the
`message may include Sensor data or a control command
`operative to control the Sensor device or the actuator device
`in the Second wireleSS node. In one embodiment, a Sensor
`node processes Sensor data and generate a control command
`a message to be transmitted to an actuator node. In
`another embodiment, the actuator node transmits a message
`to a Sensor node to request Sensor data or control commands.
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`Emerson Exhibit 1005
`Emerson Electric v. Ollnova
`IPR2023-00624
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 1 of 13
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004
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`Sheet 2 of 13
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 3 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`Figure 3 - Message Routing
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`330
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`351 Building
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00004
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 4 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`Figure 4 - Transceiver Routing
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`4O2
`Synchronous Transceiver Activation
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`Receive Message
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`Retransmit
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`Receipt
`Confirmation
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`408
`Process Message in Node
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00005
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 5 of 13
`Figure 5 - Sensor Data Routing
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`502
`Periodic Sensor Data Acquisition
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`Data Filtering and Statistics
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`Data Compression
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`Data Storage
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`Synchronous Transceiver
`Activation
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`Routing through transceiver
`network
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`Actuator Node
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`Monitor Node
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`Remote Computer
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00006
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 6 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`Figure 6 - Transceiver Synchronization
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`Listen for messages
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`Activate Transceiver
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`Message to
`Send
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`Determine route to destination
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`Wait for available channel
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`Transmit
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`Wait for Receipt Confirmation
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`Confirmation
`TimeOut
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`Synchronization
`Timeout?
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`Power Down Transceiver
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 7 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`Figure 7 - Diagram of Soil Probe
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`754
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`Probe Body 750
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`Senor 760
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00008
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 8 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`Figure 8 - Separable Probe Body
`TOP PART 85 O
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`Top View
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`ears
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`Solar Cell
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`Antenna
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`Botton View
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`Probe Body 854
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`Sensor Mast
`Connection
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`Sensor Mast Top Zoomed View
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`856
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`inside
`Threads
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00009
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 9 of 13
`Figure 9
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 10 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`Figure 10 - Configuration and Dimensions of Probe Body
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`Figure 10A
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`Figure 10B
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`7.62 cm
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`984 in
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`s'.
`: a
`Keystone Electronics holder
`0.5 in deep
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`Sensors
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`Sensors,
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`Moisture
`Sensors
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`Keystone electronics tolder
`(Doesn't quitfit in 2.5 in internal diameter)
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00011
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 11 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00012
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`Patent Application Publication May 27, 2004 Sheet 12 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394A1
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`IPR2023-00624 Page 00013
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`Patent Application Publication May 27,2004 Sheet 13 of 13
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`US 2004/0100394 Al
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`Figure 13 - CommonLine Control
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`Sprinkler Controller
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`PR2023-00624 Page 00014
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`US 2004/010O394A1
`
`May 27, 2004
`
`DISTRIBUTED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLINA
`WIRELESS SENSOR SYSTEM
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`0001) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provi
`sional Patent Application serial No. 60/421,963, filed Oct.
`28, 2002, entitled “System for Environmental Monitoring
`and Control,” of Dale K. Hitt, which application is incor
`porated herein by reference in its entirety.
`0002 This application is related to the following concur
`rently filed and commonly assigned U.S. patent applica
`tions: U.S. patent application Ser. No.
`, entitled
`“Wireless Sensor System For Environmental Monitoring
`And Control,” of Dale K. Hitt; U.S. patent application Ser.
`No.
`, entitled “Scheduled Transmission. In AWireless
`Sensor System,” of Dale K. Hitt; U.S. patent application Ser.
`No
`, entitled “Wireless Sensor Probe,” of Dale K.
`Hitt et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No., entitled “RF
`Based Positioning and Intrusion Detection Using AWireless
`Sensor Network,” of Dale K. Hitt; and U.S. patent applica
`tion Ser. No.
`, entitled “Two-Wire Control of Sprin
`kler System,” of Dale K. Hitt et al. The aforementioned
`patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in
`their entireties.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`0003. The invention relates to a wireless sensor system
`for environmental monitoring and/or control and, in particu
`lar, to Systems and methods for an improved environmental
`monitoring and control System utilizing distributed wireleSS
`Sensor platforms to provide continuous Samples from mul
`tiple Sensor types and multiple Sensor positions and to
`establish multiple control points without the need for a
`centralized control.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
`0004 Control systems for automatic irrigation systems
`used for landscape and agricultural maintenance are known.
`Most common types of environmental monitoring and con
`trol for irrigation Systems incorporate a means of controlling
`the Start time and duration of watering cycles via a central
`timing controller. The need to adjust a watering cycle due to
`the environmental influence is necessary in order to Save
`natural resources, reduce costs, and to improve the growing
`environment for plants. Such environmental conditions
`include temperature changes, relative humidity, precipita
`tion, wind and cloud cover. In conventional control System,
`the primary means for halting an automatic watering cycle
`when certain environmental event occurs is by an operator
`manually Suspending the cycle at the irrigation controller. In
`most Situations this proves to be an ineffective means of
`conserving resources due to the inconsistent and inefficient
`methods followed by the operator. In fact, quite often the
`operator ignores the need to Suspend the watering cycle
`altogether, and in Some cases neglects to resume the water
`ing cycle when required, leading to both over-watered and
`under-watered landscaping.
`0005. It is because of this unreliable and inconvenient
`manual method that environmental Sensors were developed
`that allow for an automatic interruption of the controller due
`to an environmental condition. The use of Sensors for
`
`irrigation Systems has proven to be an effective and eco
`nomical method of conserving water, energy, and money.
`0006. One of the major drawbacks of the conventional
`environmental Sensors is the extensive installation time and
`difficult methods required for a proper installation. A Soil
`moisture Sensor is usually installed in the ground by boring
`of an precisely sized hole, placing the Sensor at the appro
`priate depth to measure the Soil properties in the root Zone,
`placing a slurry of water and Soil in the hole to assure that
`the Sensor has good contact with the Soil and try to restore
`the Soil in the hole to its previous condition as much as
`possible So that the Sensor provides readings that correctly
`reflect the state of the soil. If the soil is not restored properly,
`water and fertilizer can drain down along the hole to the
`Sensor and corrupt the Sensor readings.
`0007. It is common for soil to be stratified into regions of
`varying textures, composition and drainage properties. Dig
`ging a hole and refilling it with Slurry disrupts these Strata
`around the Sensor and decreases the accuracy of the Sensor
`readings.
`0008. As the soil cycles from wet to dry, it is possible to
`Shrink back from the Senor and loose contact. If this hap
`pens, the Sensor can no longer read the Soil Status properly.
`Sometimes, rewetting the Soil is not Sufficient to restore the
`Sensor contact and the Sensor must be reinstalled.
`0009. The wires that run from the sensors up through the
`Soil to the Surface are then routed either to a central
`controller directly or to a central controller through a wire
`less transmission System. This method is burdensome in
`time, tools required and is prone to unsuccessful installation
`through poor Seating of the Sensor in the Soil, poor repre
`Sentation of the target Soil by the Sensed Soil that was
`disturbed by installation, and electrical noise in connecting
`wires. The central controller receives the Signals from the
`remote Sensors and determines whether or not to Start the
`next irrigation cycle for a particular irrigation Zone.
`0010) By way of example, conventional sensors and
`Sensor controlled irrigation Systems are described in U.S.
`Pat. No. 5,424,649 to Gluck et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,437
`to Lishman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,732 to Brandisini; U.S. Pat.
`No. 5,083,886 to Whitman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,913 to Bron;
`and U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,248 to Marino; and U.S. Pat. No.
`5,813,606 to Ziff. FIG. 1 duplicates FIG. 1 of the Ziff patent
`and illustrate a radio controlled Sprinkler control System
`where a transmitter including a moisture Sensor communi
`cates with a receiver controlling the actuation of the Sprin
`klers. The Sprinklers are actuated by a Signal generated by
`the moisture Sensor disposed to measure the moisture level
`of the ground.
`0011. The cultivation of agricultural crops has evolved
`over the years as the Size and Scale of farms has increased
`from Small family farms to large-scale farms. Irrespective of
`a farm's size, variations in terrain, Soil conditions and
`weather exposure produce non-uniformities of field condi
`tions which affect the preparation and growing of crops. In
`order to optimize crop yields, farmerS have historically kept
`track of rainfall, humidity and temperature, as well as Soil
`conditions and the occurrence of pest infestations. Soil has
`been analyzed to determine nitrogen levels and various other
`conditions. Furthermore, advances have been made with the
`introduction of field condition Sensing and data collection
`
`IPR2023-00624 Page 00015
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`US 2004/010O394A1
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`May 27, 2004
`
`that enable groSS categorization of agronomic information
`on a field. However, further improvements are needed that
`will enable better collection and management of information
`So that yields can be increased, without increasing the costs
`of production.
`0012 Recently, in-ground moisture sensors have been
`combined with an irrigation controller to control an irriga
`tion cycle of an area of Soil. More particularly, Such irriga
`tion controllers have been used to control Stationary irriga
`tion devices Such as those used in golf courses and in
`orchards. However, Such Systems were limited in that in
`ground Sensors have required costly long range wireleSS
`communications Systems to Send data back to a central
`monitoring and control unit. Therefore, it is cost prohibitive
`to provide a large number of Sensors in order to cover a large
`agricultural field being processed by a large-scale irrigation
`device Such as a center-pivot irrigation device. Furthermore,
`Such Stationary irrigation Systems are not Suitable for irri
`gating large-scale agricultural fields due to the large number
`of Sprinklers needed on the irrigation System. Furthermore,
`an agricultural field needs to be periodically cultivated and
`a complex in-ground irrigation System will cause problems
`when the field is being turned over and prepared for its next
`cultivation cycle.
`0013. Other areas of recent improvement in the field of
`agriculture involve the use of precision agriculture products.
`Precision agriculture products typically utilize variable-rate
`application devices, global positioning System (GPS)
`devices, and geographic information Systems (GIS). Satel
`lite-based global positioning Systems enable the determina
`tion of precise locations within a field of interest. Geo
`graphic information Systems enable data management of
`detected conditions on a field of interest.
`0.014. One presently available representative differential
`global positioning System is manufactured by Trimble, and
`is sold under the product name Direct GPS for Arc View,
`Trimble Surveying and Mapping Division, 645 North Mary
`Avenue, P.O. Box 3642, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94.088-3642.
`0.015. One representative geographic information system
`(GIS) is presently available from Environmental System
`Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), 380 New York Street, Red
`lands, Calif. 92373-8100, under the name “ARCVIEW.RTM
`for Agriculture.” Such a GIS system enables the manage
`ment of agricultural information by way of a graphical user
`interface. The GIS system consists of software implemented
`on a computer, and forms a graphical display that easily
`enables a user to tabulate data and evaluate collected data for
`making decisions about a crop being cultivated.
`0016 Far-distance data collection techniques have been
`used for determining certain agronomic features on a field
`being Studied. Satellites imaging techniques and aerial pho
`tography techniques have enabled the collection of vast
`arrays of data in order to characterize agronomic informa
`tion on large fields of interest. For example, thermal imaging
`cameras have been used to determine thermal characteristics
`of a field being observed. However, Such cameras produce
`an array of pixels having limited resolution, and further, the
`cameras can only collect information periodically when
`weather conditions permit flight overhead. The presence of
`certain crop and Soil conditions can manifest themselves in
`the form of a thermally detectable variation upon the land.
`Detection can also be performed in the visible, infrared and
`
`ultraViolet ranges, enabling the determination of correlated
`features with Such information.
`0017. However, the ability to collect agronomic informa
`tion on a field of interest via far-distance imaging techniques
`often has limited capabilities. For example, inclement
`weather conditions can block the ability to detect agronomic
`features. For cases of Satellites, the presence of cloud cover
`can disrupt detection of Such information. During certain
`periods of a growing cycle for a crop, the timing of Such
`information can be critical to Successful harvesting. The data
`from these techniques is not available continuously, there
`fore is inappropriate for providing real-time feedback for
`control of irrigation Systems. Hence, an improved technique
`that enables the continuous detection of Such agronomic
`information during any time of day, and under any type of
`weather condition, is desired. Furthermore, a Sensing device
`that enables the detection of an increased number of different
`agronomic features is also desired. Even Furthermore, Sens
`ing devices that enable closed-loop control of irrigation is
`required.
`0018. Although precision agriculture products have
`recently enhanced the ability to increase crop yields, further
`improvements are needed to reduce the overall cost and
`usability of Such Systems while improving the effectiveness.
`For example, improvements are needed to Sensor based,
`closed-loop control of Such Systems to better control the
`application of water and/or chemicals to a field based upon
`the real-time detection of needs. Furthermore, improve
`ments are needed to the Sensing Systems in order to reduce
`their overall cost, while enhancing their effectiveness.
`0019. There are a variety of systems for monitoring
`and/or controlling any of a number of Systems and/or
`processes, Such as, for example, manufacturing processes,
`irrigation Systems, personal Security Systems, and residential
`Systems to name a few. In many of these Systems, a central
`host computer in communication with a wide area network
`monitors and/or controls a plurality of remote devices
`arranged within a geographical region. The plurality of
`remote devices typically uses remote Sensors to monitor and
`actuators to respond to various System parameters to reach
`desired results. A number of automated monitoring Systems
`use computers or dedicated microprocessors in association
`with appropriate Software to proceSS System inputs, model
`System responses, and control actuators to implement cor
`rections within a System. In control Systems, the dependence
`on a central controller reduces the reliability of the System
`because a failure in this controller brings down the System.
`0020 Various schemes have been proposed to facilitate
`communication between the host computer and the remote
`devices within the System, including RF transmission, and
`control Signal modulation over the local power distribution
`network. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,166 describes a
`power-line carrier backbone for inter-element communica
`tions. As recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,190, there is a
`growing interest in home automation Systems and products
`that facilitate Such systems. Recognizing that consumers
`will soon demand interoperability between household sys
`tems, appliances, and computers, the Electronics Industry
`ASSociation (EIA) has adopted a standard, known as the
`Consumer Electronics Bus (CEBus). The CEBus is designed
`to provide reliable communications between residential
`devices.
`
`IPR2023-00624 Page 00016
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`US 2004/010O394A1
`
`May 27, 2004
`
`0021 One problem with the use of control systems
`technology to distributed Systems is the cost associated with
`developing the local communications infrastructure neces
`Sary to interconnect the various devices. A typical approach
`to implementing control System is to install a local network
`of hard-wired Sensors and actuators along with a local
`controller. Not only is there expense associated with devel
`oping and installing appropriate Sensors and actuators, but
`the expense of connecting functional Sensors and actuators
`with the local controller is often prohibitive. Another pro
`hibitive cost is the expense associated with the expense
`asSociated with programming the local controller.
`0022. Accordingly, an alternative solution for imple
`menting a distributed control System Suitable for monitoring
`and controlling remote devices that overcomes the short
`comings of the prior art is desired.
`0023 U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,442 discloses a wireless auto
`mation System with a centralized remote control that con
`trols I/O devices for providing electrical power to appliances
`from power outlets of the power mains in building. The
`remote control and I/O devices comprise RF transceivers,
`and the System includes dedicated repeater units for repeat
`ing Signals to I/O devices out of the range of the remote
`control.
`0024 U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,179 describes a method for
`Synchronizing communications over a backbone architec
`ture in a wireleSS network. The System invokes two control
`lers, one of which is a master and another which is an
`alternate master which will be activated only when the
`master is out of work. Dedicated repeaters and I/O devices
`in the System are commonly designated as nodes. There are
`generally functional difference between repeater nodes and
`end (I/O) nodes.
`0025 U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,968 discloses a wireless auto
`mation System with flexible message routing. A central
`Station produces a Signal for a I/O device; the Signal contains
`a route code, an address code, an identifying code and a
`message code. Dedicated repeaters in the architecture
`receive the Signals and follow a Specified procedure for
`repeating Signal. RepeaterS may also be addressed as end
`nodes, e.g. in order for the controller to download routing
`tables.
`0026 U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,489 describes a communica
`tion System having dedicated repeaters organized in a pyra
`midal configuration. The repeaters are bidirectionally
`addressable and may receive interrogation Signals telling a
`repeater that it is the last repeater in the chain. The repeaters
`are not connected to appliances and do not perform any
`functions besides repeating and routing Signals.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`0.027 According to one embodiment of the present inven
`tion, a method for providing environmental monitoring and
`control includes providing a network of wireleSS nodes, the
`wireleSS nodes includes an array of Sensor nodes and an
`array of actuator nodes, each wireleSS node including a
`wireleSS transceiver, a processor and one of a Sensor device
`or an actuator device. The method further includes Sending
`a message from a first wireleSS node to a Second wireleSS
`node through wireleSS communication; and processing the
`message at the Second wireleSS node. In operation, the
`
`message may include Sensor data or a control command
`operative to control the Sensor device or the actuator device
`in the Second wireleSS node. In one embodiment, a Sensor
`node processes Sensor data and generate a control command
`as a message to be transmitted to an actuator node. In
`another embodiment, the actuator node transmits a message
`to a Sensor node to request Sensor data or control commands.
`0028. The present invention is better understood upon
`consideration of the detailed description below and the
`accompanying drawings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`0029 FIG. 1 is a radio controlled sprinkler control sys
`tem as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,606.
`0030 FIG. 2, including insert FIG. 2A, is a schematic
`diagram of a wireleSS environmental monitoring and control
`System according to one embodiment of the present inven
`tion.
`FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the operation
`0031
`of a wireleSS environmental monitoring and control System
`according to one embodiment of the present invention.
`0032 FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of
`each wireleSS node for receiving and transmitting messages
`within the environmental monitoring and control System
`according to one embodiment of the present invention.
`0033 FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the sensor data
`processing and routing operation according to one embodi
`ment of the present invention.
`0034 FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the transceiver
`Synchronization operation according to one embodiment of
`the present invention.
`0035 FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a
`Sensor node according to one embodiment of the present
`invention and the installation of the Sensor node in the
`ground.
`0036 FIGS. 8 and 9 are two embodiments of a sensor
`node of the present invention constructed using Separable
`probe body.
`0037 FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate differential embodi
`ments of the Sensor nodes of the present invention.
`0038 FIG. 11 illustrates variations on the probe body
`configuration.
`0039 FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use
`of the environmental monitoring and control System of the
`present invention for occupancy detection.
`0040 FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an automatic sprin
`kler system 1300 incorporating the two-wire control system
`according to one embodiment of the present invention.
`0041
`FIG. 14 is a timing diagram illustrating the opera
`tion of the sprinkler system of FIG. 13 according to one
`embodiment of the present invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`0042. In accordance with the principles of the present
`invention, a wireless environmental monitoring and control
`System utilizes an array of wireleSS Sensors for providing
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`May 27, 2004
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`extended range and multiple control points within the array.
`The wireleSS environmental monitoring and control System
`can Support Sensing and irrigation control over a large area
`without the need for a central controller. By providing
`distributed monitoring and control, the control System of the
`present invention can be used to realize more efficient water
`utilization and improved crop yield.
`
`A. Multi-hop Wireless Sensor Irrigation Control
`System
`FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless envi
`0.043
`ronmental monitoring and control System according to one
`embodiment of the present invention. In general, wireleSS
`environmental monitoring and control System 130 (System
`130) is configured to include one or more irrigation Zones
`where each irrigation Zone can include one or more Sensor
`nodes and one or more actuator nodes. System 130 can also
`include other nodes providing other Supporting functions as
`will be described in more detail below. The sensor nodes,
`actuator nodes and other nodes in system 130 form a
`wireleSS communication network in which messages, Such
`as Sensor data, operating data, and commands, are commu
`nicated wirelessly between the nodes.
`0044) In FIG. 2, wireless environmental monitoring and
`control system 130 (system 130) is illustrated with irrigation
`Zones 157 and 159. In the present embodiment, irrigation
`Zone 157 is supported by sensor nodes 160 and 162 and an
`actuator node 164. Actuator node 164 controls one or more
`irrigation valves for providing irrigation within Zone 157.
`Sensor nodes 160 and 162 can represent different types of
`Sensors for providing Sensor data or commands to actuator
`164 to control the irrigation of Zone 157. Actuator 164 is thus
`disposed to receive Sensor data or commands from one or
`more sensor nodes. Irrigation Zone 159 is supported by
`sensor nodes 170 and 172, actuator nodes 174 and 176 and
`a repeater node 177. Actuator nodes 174 and 176 each
`control one or more irrigation valves for providing irrigation
`within Zone 159. Similar to Zone 157, sensor nodes 170 and
`172 can represent different type of Sensors and can transmit
`Sensor data or commands to multiple actuator nodes 174 and
`176. Each of actuator nodes 174 and 176 can receive sensor
`data or commands from one or more Sensor nodes.
`0.045
`Wireless environmental monitoring and control
`system 130 can also include other nodes for providing other
`Supporting functions. Referring to FIG. 2, the Sensor and
`actuator nodes within system 130 also communicate with
`nodes with monitoring capabilities only. For example, a
`local monitor node 166 is provided for communication with
`any one of the Sensor and actuator nodes. Local monitor
`node 166 can be coupled to a personal computer 188 for
`receiving, Storing and/or processing data received from the
`Sensor nodes or actuator nodes. Agateway node 168 can also
`be provided to facilitate access to a local area network or the
`internet. In the present embodiment, gateway node 168 is
`connected through a local area network to a computer 190
`which provides access to the Internet or an intranet. In this
`manner, monitoring and/or control of System 130 can be
`facilitated remotely through a local area network through the
`Internet. A repeater node 177 is also provided. Repeater
`node 177 does not provide other functions and act only to
`relay messages between the nodes in System 130. In one
`embodiment, a Sensor node or an actuator node can also act
`as a repeater node for relaying messages between other
`
`nodes. System 130 can also include a user interface node
`(not shown) whereby a user can access the network of Sensor
`and actuator nodes for reading data and for providing
`control.
`0046. In system 130, each sensor node and each actuator
`node incorporates a wireleSS communication transceiver to
`enable wireleSS communication between the nodes. An
`insert FIG. 2A in FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a sensor/
`actuator node according to one embodiment of the present
`invention. In the present description, a Sensor node, an
`actuator node or other nodes in the System will be collec
`tively referred to as “a wireless node” in the environmental
`monitoring and control System of the present invention. In
`FIG. 2A, a wireless node 150 includes an antenna 152, a
`wireless transceiver 154, a processor 156 and a node com
`ponent 158. The wireless transceiver of each wireless node
`may communicate with a memory 155 that Stores a unique
`transceiver identifier that identifies the wireless network.
`Depending on the function of the wireleSS node, the node
`component may further include Sensor or actuator compo
`nents. For example, if wireless node 150 is a sensor node,
`node component 158 will be implemented as a sensor
`component, Such as a Soil moisture Sensor oran temperature
`sensor. If wireless node 150 is an actuator node, node
`component 158 will be implemented as an actuator compo
`nent for providing the drive Voltage to drive one or more
`irrigation valves.
`0047. Each wireless node in system 130 can be powered
`by a power Source, Such as by Solar power or by battery
`power. In one embodiment, the wireleSS node is powered by
`a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery may be
`recharged periodically via a Solar panel. In one embodiment,
`the transceiver circuit is independently powered So that
`when the wireleSS node is acting merely as a repeater for
`relaying transmissions to other wireless, the transceiver does
`not drain power away from the Sensor or the actuator
`component. In one embodiment, the battery power level or
`the Solar power level at each wireleSS node is measured and
`monitored So that power failures at any node can be
`detected.
`0048 Processor 156 controls the operation of the wireless
`transceiver and the node component. Processor 156 usually
`includes a data interface configured to receive and/or trans
`mit Signals to node component 158. If the Signal output from
`the Sensors/actuator components is an analog signal, the data
`interface may include an analog-to-digital converter (not
`shown) to digitize the Signals. For example, processor 156
`can be operated to receive incoming control data from
`transceiver 154 and use the control data to control the
`actuator component. Processor 156 can also be operated to
`receive Sensor data from a Sensor component and direct the
`Sensor data to be transmitted to an actuator node through the
`transceiver. Processor 156 can also be provided with pro
`gramming data to derive control data for an actuator node
`based on the Sensor data received.
`0049. In accordance with the present invention, the wire
`leSS node can be built using different degrees of the inte
`gration. In one embodiment, the transceiver circuit, the
`processor and the memory are integrated in the same hous
`ing as the Sensor or actuator component. In another embodi
`ment, the transceiver circuit may be installed in close
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`US 2004/010O394A1
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`May 27, 2004
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`proximit