Patent Grant
7545265
The present invention relates generally to a management apparatus, and particularly to a management information system with real-time interaction for environmental monitoring, which integrates evaluation and monitored results by real-time interaction and by performing analysis and comparison for enhancing performance of environmental monitoring.
In modern days, information technology (IT) and network communication technology develop rapidly. The level of their influences is getting increasingly diverse. No matter government organizations, companies, or academic institutions, applications of IT and network communications are prevailing. For example, the portal sites of government organizations, the commercial websites of various firms, and the academic websites of all kinds of schools are applications of IT combined with network communications at present day. Currently, people have more and more awareness and common senses of environmental protection, which make people take account of influences of environmental pollution. In order to acquire various environmental monitoring with emphasis on on-site techniques, at present, a mobile environmental radiation monitoring system is developed, which can collects and display monitored results, and can integrate and analyze data as well. However, the system stresses on displaying the monitored results only, as shown in
Thereby, pollution on the on-site monitoring personnel caused by environmental changes in the field will force the monitoring operations to stop, which further results in inability in execution of rescue actions for environmental pollution according to the monitored results. Hence, it is necessary for current management system for environmental monitoring to apply the information technology and network communication technology flourishing at present. Thereby, various environmental changes can be adapted for guiding the monitoring personnel to avoid polluted environments.
Accordingly, a novel management system for environmental monitoring for solving the problems described above can not only improve the drawbacks of the management system for environmental monitoring in the prior art, but also give more accurate monitored results by means of real-time interactive adjustments. Thereby, monitoring personnel will be free from pollution thanks to the real-time warning on polluted environments. Consequently, a management system with real-time interaction for environmental monitoring according to the present invention can solve the problems described above.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a management system with real-time interaction for environmental monitoring, which analyzes monitored environmental quality integrally, and manages planning and area of monitoring operations. Monitoring of environmental quality can adjust the planning and area of monitoring operations interactively. If the analyzed monitored results of the environmental quality exceeds a threshold standard, it can be an index of warning.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a management system with real-time interaction for environmental monitoring and a method thereof, which provide a monitoring apparatus of the management system for environmental monitoring for monitoring in a safe area of monitoring operations. When a data processing apparatus analyzes the monitored data of the monitoring apparatus and found that the monitored data exceeds threshold data, a management apparatus is forced to transmit a warning data to the monitoring apparatus for transmitting a warning signal, or for instructing to evacuate current area of monitoring operations for avoiding dangers.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a management system with real-time interaction for environmental monitoring and a method thereof, wherein after a server system of the management system for environmental monitoring receives monitored data of the monitoring apparatus, the server system transmits analysis data to the monitoring apparatus according to the analysis results of the monitored data. Thereby, the monitoring apparatus can acquire real-time analysis results.
The management system with real-time interaction for environmental monitoring according to the present invention includes a monitoring apparatus and a server system. The server system includes a data processing apparatus, which analyzes monitored data produced by the monitoring apparatus to generate resultant analysis data, and adjusts real-timely the area of monitoring operations required by monitoring apparatuses at different geographic locations, and a first management apparatus, which connects to the data processing apparatus and to the monitoring apparatus via network for sending data for monitoring operation, which includes planning and area of monitoring operations. The monitoring apparatus monitors environmental quality and produces monitored data according to the data of monitoring operations sent by the first management apparatus, transmits the monitored data to the first management apparatus, and receives resultant analysis data transmitted by the first management apparatus. In addition, the management system for environmental monitoring according to the present invention further includes a second management apparatus, which transmits the data of monitoring operations and the resultant analysis data to the monitoring apparatus, and transmits the monitored data received from the monitoring apparatus to the first management apparatus.
In order to make the structure and characteristics as well as the effectiveness of the present invention to be further understood and recognized, the detailed description of the present invention is provided as follows along with preferred embodiments and accompanying figures.
The monitoring apparatus 70 monitors an environmental quality, which includes an air quality, a radiation dose, or a water quality. The monitoring apparatus 70 produces monitored data according to the monitored result of the environmental quality, and sends the monitored data to the first management apparatus 54 via the network 80. The first management apparatus 54 transmits the monitored data to the data processing apparatus 52, which analyzes the monitored data and generates analysis data according to the analysis result. The data processing apparatus 52 transmits the analysis data to the first management apparatus 54, and transmits the analysis data to the monitoring apparatus 70 via the network 80. Besides, if the area of monitoring operations is close to the second management apparatus 60, the monitoring apparatus 70 can first transmit the monitored data to the second management apparatus 60, which, then, transmits the monitored data to the first management apparatus 54. In addition, the first management apparatus 60 transmits the analysis result of the monitored data to the monitoring apparatus 70 by way of the second management apparatus 60.
For descriptive positioning management data, the data processing unit 522 converts the descriptions of monitoring operations input by the input unit of positioning management data 524 to corresponding threshold data and positioning management data for storing to the data storage unit 528 and the positioning data storage unit 530. The message device 552 produces corresponding data of monitoring operations according to the positioning management data provided by the second storage unit 554 and the data processing apparatus 52. The produced data of monitoring operations includes the management operation unit 548, which determines the operation modes of the monitoring apparatus 70, for example, automatic and manual operation modes. After the data of monitoring operations produced by the message device 552 is converted to the corresponding data-link format readable by the monitoring apparatus 70 by way of the data-link conversion unit 546, it is transmitted to the second management apparatus 60 and the monitoring apparatus 70 by the network service unit 544 via the second connection unit 542. In addition, the monitored data sent back by the monitoring apparatus 70 is transmitted to the data-link conversion unit 546 by the second connection unit 542 for verifying integrity and rationality thereof. The management operation unit 548 displays the operational status of the monitoring apparatus 70, which uses different font colors and descriptions as basis of distinguishing online and offline.
To continue, the second management apparatus 60 connects to the second connection unit 542 via the network 80. Thereby, it can login to the network service unit 544 by way of the second connection unit 542. When the second management apparatus 60 completes login, it can connect to the management apparatus 54 via through the network service unit 544 for inquiring the data storage unit 528 and the positioning data storage unit 533 of the data processing apparatus 52. For example, the second connection unit 542 is a router, the network service unit 544 is a Microsoft web server, and the network service unit 544 connects to the second connection unit 542, which connect to the network 80 for making the second management apparatus 60 connect to the network service unit 544 through the network 80. Thereby, an environmental action module 70 can further login to the second management apparatus 60 for receiving the data of monitoring operations sent by the first management apparatus 54.
For example, the monitoring range of the monitoring apparatus 70 is three kilometers within a location A. Thereby, the decision personnel input the monitoring range of the monitoring apparatus 70 to the data processing apparatus 52 through the input unit of positioning management data 524. The data processing apparatus 52 reads threshold data and positioning management data from the data storage unit 528 and the positioning data storage unit 530 according to the monitoring range of the monitoring apparatus 70, and synthesizes an electronic map and marks the geographic location of the location A. Then, use the geographic location of the location A as the center and draw a circle with a radius of three kilometers as management information geographic map layers for being positioning management data of the monitoring apparatus 70. The message device 552 of the first management apparatus 54 combines the positioning management data of the data processing apparatus 52 according to the second storage unit 554 to produce data of monitoring operations of the monitoring apparatus 70 at the location A. Before the monitoring apparatus 70 starts monitoring, it first logins to the network service unit 544 through the network 80 for receiving the data of monitoring operations corresponding to the location A sent by the message device 552. Thereby, the monitoring apparatus 70 can monitor within the range three kilometers centered at the location A according to the data of monitoring operations.
The monitoring unit 74 is an on-site direct-reading instrument. The monitoring unit 74 and the positioning unit 76 are placed together for collecting geographic location information of the monitoring unit 74 and time information, and for storing them as positioning data. For example, the monitoring unit can be a wind gauge or a high-pressure ion chamber (HPIC) for radiation monitoring. The PDA outputs signals by RS-232 or Bluetooth to select corresponding monitoring instrument according to the requests of monitoring items. The positioning unit 76 is a GPS receiver used for collecting geographic location information of the wind gauge or the HPIC and time information. The first connection unit 78 connects to the network 80; thereby the mobile electronic apparatus 72 connects to the management system for environmental monitoring 40 via the network 80 connected by the first connection unit 78 for receiving the data of monitoring operations, and for transmitting the monitored data and the positioning data collected by the monitoring unit 74 and the positioning unit 76.
Next, as shown in the step S430, according to the evaluation or decision requests of the evaluation or decision personnel, input the threshold data, which includes a threshold value, a management method of the threshold value, a transmission form of instructions, a management method of the area of monitoring operations, warning of dangerous restricted area, and a distance for proximity warning. If the threshold value exceeds a tolerance value of the environmental quality, then a warning signal is sent to the monitoring apparatus 70. However, when the monitoring apparatus 54 becomes abnormal, the monitored values of the monitored data appear lower or appear same digits continuously. Thereby, in addition to inputting the threshold value, it is necessary to assign the management method of the threshold value to prevent situations when the monitoring apparatus is abnormal. The transmission form of instructions is the emergency warning method when the monitored values of the monitored data exceed tolerance values of environmental quality. The emergency warning method includes short messages and alarms. For example, normal transmission form of instructions is a short message with a single-beep alarm sending back to the monitoring apparatus 70. If the monitoring apparatus 70 does not receive the returned short message, then the short message is sent again with a fixed time interval until the monitoring apparatus 70 receives the returned short message.
The positioning management data is selected from geographic map layer data of a point, a line, a plane, or the whole area. The data processing apparatus 52 can assign to draw the geographic location of a line, a plane, or the whole area. If the data processing apparatus 52 has stored planned geographic map layer data, then the geographic map layers requested by the positioning management data. Hence, the area to receive environmental monitoring does not need to be assigned area of monitoring operations additionally in the geographic map layer data of the while area, but only has to stand on the assigned area of monitoring operations, which area is based on the planned geographic map layer data. In addition to giving warning alarm of danger when the monitoring apparatus 70 is about to enter a dangerous area, when the monitoring apparatus 70 escapes the area of monitoring operations assigned by the positioning management data, a warning sign of false location will be given to the monitoring apparatus 70. Thereby, the first management apparatus 50 needs to configure warning of false locations.
Then, following the step S440, if the data processing apparatus 52 has stored planned geographic map layers, which is assigned to be the positioning management data in the step S430, then drive the management system for environmental monitoring 40 to transmit a request signal after completing inputting the positioning management data for requesting the evaluation or decision personnel to select the geographic map layers and the file path required by the positioning management data. Then, following the step S450, after the geographic map layers required by the positioning management data is input, the management system for environmental monitoring 40 will convert the data format of the positioning management data automatically, and will store it to the positioning data storage unit 530. Besides, the management system for environmental monitoring 40 will produce data of monitoring operations real-timely in accordance with the threshold data and the positioning management data via the message device 552. If it is found that the positioning management data is missing or the format is not valid in the process of converting and file saving, it will be required to mend or re-input the positioning management data. At last, as shown in the step S460, inputting data of monitoring operations to the management system for environmental monitoring 40 is completed.
Afterwards, as shown in the step S530, in accordance with the working requirements of environmental monitoring and currently online monitoring apparatuses 70, draw up the planning of monitoring operations for environmental monitoring as well as various monitoring items and corresponding area of monitoring operations for respective monitoring apparatuses 70, thereby the corresponding monitoring apparatuses of the planning of monitoring operations are dispatched to execute environmental monitoring. Then, following the step S540, drive the monitoring apparatuses 70 to start monitoring, wherein the monitoring apparatuses 70 are installed in the site to be monitored according to the planning of monitoring operations, and connect to the monitoring unit 50 and the positioning unit 76 automatically for be able to connect to the first management apparatus 54 of the server system 50 through the network 80 upon requests of working requirements, and then return the monitored data and the positioning data back to the first management apparatus 54. As shown in the step S550, the first management apparatus 54 receives the monitored data transmitted by the monitoring apparatus 70 by way of the second connection unit 522 through the network 80. When the monitoring apparatus 70 transmits the monitored data to the server system 50 through the network 80, the data-link conversion unit 546 will be driven to check integrity and rationality of the monitored data and the positioning data. Besides, the management operation unit 548 will be driven to display real-timely the monitored data of the corresponding monitoring apparatus 70. After the monitored data and the positioning data are checked to be integral and reasonable by the data-link conversion unit 546, they are then transmitted by the data-link conversion unit 546 to the input unit of monitored data 526. If the monitored data is not integral or not reasonable in comparison with the positioning data, then a message of replenishing the monitored data is sent to the monitoring apparatus 70 for driving the monitoring apparatus 70 to replenish the monitored data corresponding to the positioning data.
Then, following the step S560, input the monitored data and the positioning data checked by the data-link conversion unit 546 via the input unit of monitored data 526 to the data processing apparatus 52. Then, drive the data processing unit 522 of the data processing apparatus 52 to analyze and compare the monitored values of the monitored data and the positioning data, and store them to the data storage unit 528 and the positioning data storage unit 530, respectively, for feedbacking the analyzed and compared results of the monitored data to the message device 552 simultaneously.
For example, after the monitoring apparatus 70 completes monitoring in the assigned area of monitoring operations, the monitored data acquired by environmental monitoring is stored to the data storage unit 528 and the positioning data storage unit 530. If the monitoring apparatus 70 is found to escape the assigned area of monitoring operations, a warning of false location is given immediately and a guiding message of correction is given as well, especially when the monitored values of the monitored data deviate from normal values.
For example, by on-site visual results, it is apparent that a monitored value exceeds the threshold value with unreasonable low value or even being zero. Such situation happens when the monitoring apparatus 70 is abnormal. The situation is found automatically by the second storage unit 554, and the data of monitoring operations is sent by the message device 552 for displaying on the management operation unit 548 and on the monitoring apparatus 70 that sent the data of monitoring operations. Thereby, the managerial personnel and the executive monitoring personnel can adopt corresponding calibration and adjustment. The monitored data and the positioning data collected by the data processing apparatus 52 are still stored to the data storage unit 528 and the positioning data storage unit 530 of the data processing apparatus 52. However, the data processing apparatus will mark the monitored data as problematic data for preventing misemploy.
Afterwards, following the step S630, judge if the monitored values of the monitored data exceed the threshold values of the positioning management data. If so, then the step S640 is executed. Otherwise, the step S650 is executed. In the step S640, different warnings corresponding to different danger levels of environmental pollution are displayed on the management operation unit 548. It is chosen to transmit a warning signal directly and simultaneously to the monitoring apparatus 70, or to notify after confirmation by the managerial personnel via the management operation unit 548. In order to avoid ignorance of the managerial personnel, if the warning signal is not transmitted to the monitoring apparatus 70 after a set time duration, then the first management apparatus 54 will transmit the warning signal to the monitoring apparatus 70 automatically. Moreover, the data processing apparatus 52 can provide evacuation directions and guiding messages according to the requirements of the monitoring apparatus 70, and said evacuation directions and guiding messages are transmitted to the monitoring apparatus 70 by the first management apparatus 54.
Next, following the step S650, judge if the monitored data deviates from the threshold data. If so, then the step S660 is executed. Otherwise, the step S670 is executed. In the step S660, transmit immediately the monitored data to the message device 552, integrate corresponding data of monitoring operations from the second storage unit 552 according to the deviation extent of the monitored data, and display descriptive information, which describes the situation of deviation, of the corresponding deviated monitored data on the management operation unit 548. The managerial personnel of the management operation unit 548 can decide whether to feedback the analyzed and compared results by the data processing apparatus 52 to the evaluation and decision personnel, or to notify them after having set up deviation ratio and frequency. In order to prevent disturbance on the server system 50 owing to excess such messages, the managerial personnel of the management operation unit 548 can set threshold parameters of deviation ratio and frequency according to circumstances. When the analyzed and compared results reach the threshold parameters, the message describing that the monitored data exceeds the threshold data will be displayed. According to the analyzed and compared results, the managerial personnel can judge whether to select going to feedback evaluation and decision and to interactive operation of environmental monitoring. If feedback evaluation and decision is selected, the analyzed and compared results will be stored to the data storage unit 528, and the server system 50 will transmit interactive message to the evaluation and decision personnel. If action modification of environmental monitoring is selected, it is regarded as the feedback analyzed and compared results and will be recorded in the data storage unit 528. The server system 50 will submit a message of requesting modification simultaneously to the evaluation and decision personnel.
Then, in the step S660, the management operation unit 548 will display pictures of modifying execution items of environmental monitoring and selecting area of monitoring operations. By direct selecting, the area of monitoring operations can be modified, which zooms in or zoom out with fixed aspect ratio according to the original planning range, and re-inputs planning of and area of monitoring operations. For avoiding disturbance, this task can be executed only in the server system 50. Besides, the evaluation and decision personnel can undergo planning of monitoring operations and the corresponding area thereof in the second management apparatus 60, and send them back to the server system 50 via the network 80. Then, the managerial personnel of the management operation unit 548 can refer to the planning of monitoring operations. In addition, the management operation unit 548 will display influenced monitoring apparatuses, and transmit interactive calibration information to the monitoring apparatuses to be modified simultaneously for performing modification operations real-timely.
Moreover, in the step S660, after interactive modifications, the monitored data of the monitoring apparatus 70 performs adjustments in accordance with interactively calibrated monitoring threshold data. Then, the step S630 is re-executed for discovering if the overall monitored data increases by means of re-analyzing and re-comparing by the data processing unit 522. If it does, it means that the operators of the monitoring apparatus 70 will encounter dangers if environmental monitoring continues. Thereby, the step S640 is executed to transmit a warning signal to the monitoring apparatus, and the evacuation guiding direction is transmitted to the monitoring apparatus 70. If the positioning data of the monitored data deviates from the positioning management data, then the area of monitoring operations re-planned by the data processing apparatus 52 is transmitted to the monitoring apparatus 70 for providing the monitoring apparatus 70 with direction guidance for turning to the re-planned area of monitoring operations. For example, the monitoring apparatus 70 first performs monitoring in a residential area according to industrial-standard environmental quality. It is thereby necessary to adjust the monitoring apparatus 70 interactively with the server system 50 so that the monitoring apparatus 70 changes to perform monitoring according to normal-standard environmental quality.
Next, following the step S670, judge if the positioning data of the monitored data complies with the positioning management data. If so, then the step S690 is executed. Otherwise, the step S680 is executed. In the step S680, a warning signal of false monitoring location, which does not include the message needing reply from the managerial personnel, is transmitted directly to the monitoring apparatus 70. The operators of the monitoring apparatus 70 return to the area of monitoring operation corresponding to the original planning of monitoring operations according to the received warning signal of false monitoring location. By means of the originally planned area of monitoring operations transmitted by the first management apparatus 54 to the monitoring apparatus 70, the direction guidance to the originally planned area of monitoring operations is provided to the monitoring apparatus 70. In the step S690, it is judged that the monitored values of the monitored data do not exceed the threshold data, and the monitored data does not deviate form the threshold data. Besides, the positioning data complies with the positioning management data. Thereby, the analyzed and compared results are stored to the corresponding monitored data, and are marked as normal data.
To sum up, the geographic management system for environmental monitoring provided by the present invention can solve execution problems after planning of monitoring operations in the past time. Thereby, the managerial personnel and users can master execution conditions of respective monitoring apparatuses real-timely and effectively. By linking and integrating related data, execution, management, evaluation and decision can be made interactively. Hence, monitoring efficiency, safety, and resultant quality can be enhanced.
Accordingly, the present invention conforms to the legal requirements owing to its novelty, unobviousness, and utility. However, the foregoing description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, not used to limit the scope and range of the present invention. Those equivalent changes or modifications made according to the shape, structure, feature, or spirit described in the claims of the present invention are included in the appended claims of the present invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060020427 | Kahn et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
| 20060031040 | Wolfe | Feb 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080150736 A1 | Jun 2008 | US |
