Patent Application
20060033631
This invention relates to monitoring the level of a fluid in storage tanks, and more particularly to a tank monitoring apparatus and method for monitoring the fluid level in a tank from a remote location, via a cellular communication network.
Fluids such as gasoline, propane, fertilizer, chemicals, fuel oil, and the like are often stored in tanks located in remote areas. It is desirable, and known to equip such remote storage tanks with monitoring equipment having the capability of detecting fluid level, or changes in fluid level, in the tank, and reporting this information to a person, or data collection center located some distance from the tank.
In one prior approach, to monitoring a tank, in this fashion, a monitoring device attached to the tank wirelessly transmits a signal indicative of the fluid level in the tank to a controller located relatively close to the tank. The controller then transmits data derived from the monitor signal to a data collection center located some distance from the tank, through dedicated, or commercially available, telephone communication networks. Examples of this approach are provided by equipment and systems marketed under the trade mark CENTERON®, by the assignee of the present invention.
Although the prior systems work well in a large number of applications, there are some applications in which it is desirable to eliminate the need for having a controller located in proximity to the tank in which the liquid level is being monitored. Specifically, in applications where one or more tanks are permanently located in a grouping of tanks adjacent a processing or distribution facility, for example, the prior approach of having a dedicated controller located near the tanks provides many advantages. For portable tanks, however, or where only a single tank is utilized in a remote location, it is desirable to provide an improved apparatus, system, and method for monitoring the level of fluid in the tank with simplified equipment that eliminates the need for having a controller in relatively close proximity to the tank being monitored.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved method, apparatus, and system for monitoring the level of a liquid in a tank in applications which are less than ideally served by the prior approaches to performing such remote monitoring operations.
The invention provides an improved method, apparatus, and system for remotely monitoring a liquid level in a tank, by broadcasting a signal, indicative of the liquid level in the tank, directly to a cellular communication network, from a liquid level monitor operatively attached to the tank. In some forms of the invention, the liquid level monitor attached to the tank is controlled by signals received directly from the cellular communication network.
In one form of the invention, a stand-alone tank monitor apparatus is provided, for monitoring a liquid-level in a tank. The stand-alone tank monitor apparatus includes a liquid-level sensor providing a sensor-signal indicative of the liquid-level in the tank, and a cellular communication device operatively connected to the liquid-level sensor. The cellular communication device is configured for transmitting a broadcast output signal directly to a cellular communication network. The monitor apparatus may include a remotely operable power supply, and the power supply may include a battery. The monitor apparatus may further include a processor for conserving power by operating the monitor periodically rather than continuously. The processor, of the monitor apparatus may periodically sample and store values of these sensor-signal, according to a sampling schedule, and cause the cellular communication device to transmit the broadcast output signal according to a periodic broadcast schedule differing from the sampling schedule.
In a tank monitor apparatus, according to the invention, the sensor-signal may be an analog signal. Where the sensor-signal is an analog signal, the tank monitor apparatus may include a signal processing circuit having a processor, an analog signal conditioner, an analog to digital (A/D) converter, a power supply, and an Amps Cellular Serial modem and antenna. The signal processing circuit may be configured such that the analog signal conditioner receives the analog sensor-signal, and provides a conditioned analog signal to the A/D converter, with the A/D converter converting the conditioned analog signal to a digital signal, and the processor converting the digital signal to the broadcast output signal for transmission by the cellular modem and antenna.
The invention may also take the form of a tank level monitoring system, utilizing a stand-alone tank monitor apparatus, according to the invention.
The invention may further take the form of a method for remotely monitoring a liquid-level in a tank, wherein the method includes broadcasting a signal indicative of the liquid level in the tank directly to a cellular communication network from a liquid level monitor operatively attached to the tank.
In some forms of the invention, a cellular communication device in a monitor apparatus, according to the invention, is configured for also receiving a broadcast input signal directly from the cellular communication network for modifying a sampling and/or broadcast schedule of the cellular communication device in the monitor apparatus.
The invention may further include providing a data collection server, operatively connected to the cellular communications network, for receiving the broadcast output signal from the cellular communications network.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In the exemplary embodiment of the tank level monitoring system 10, broadcast input signals 17 may be sent back to the stand-alone tank monitor 14, directly from the cellular communications network 18, to modify certain sampling and reporting instructions within the monitor 14, in a manner described in more detail below. Such input instructions may be provided by the user from the data collection center 20, or be provided as inputs through the message device 24.
Examples of tank monitoring apparatuses, of various type suitable for use in the exemplary embodiment, are illustrated in commonly assigned patent applications bearing the Attorney Docket Nos. 502922 and 502924, the teachings and disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference. Specifically, the patent application bearing Attorney Docket No. 502922 discloses a tank monitoring apparatus having an externally protruding antenna, and the patent application bearing Attorney Docket No. 502924 discloses a tank monitor apparatus having an integral internal vent for the pressure sensor. Those having skill in the art will recognize, however, that a stand-along tank monitor, according to the invention, may take a variety of forms other than those specifically disclosed herein or in the referenced commonly assigned patent applications.
As shown in
In the exemplary embodiment of the tank monitor 14, the pressure sensor 26 includes a passive, piezo-resistive pressure sensor (not shown), which provides an analog output sensor-signal indicative of fluid pressure at the bottom of the tank 12 as will be understood by those having skill in the art, the liquid level in the tank 12 can be readily computed from such a pressure signal.
The analog signals generated by the pressure sensor 26 are communicated to the analog signal conditioner 36, via wires enclosed in the umbilical cable 28. The analog sensor-signal from the pressure sensor 26, is conditioned by the analog signal conditioner 36, and provided to the A/D converter 38. The A/D converter 38 converts the conditioned analog signal to a digital signal, which is provided to the processor 40. The processor 40 converts the digital to the broadcast output signal, for transmission by the cellular modem 44 and antenna 46.
The power supply 42, of the exemplary embodiment, includes a battery 48, so that the tank monitor apparatus 14 can provide stand-alone operation, without connection to any type of power source external from the tank monitor 14. It is understood, however, that in other embodiments of the invention, it may be desirable to have the power supply include other remotely operable power-producing components, such as a solar cell, or fuel cell, etc.
In order to facilitate stand-alone operation of the tank monitor apparatus 14, it is desirable to include certain power-conserving provisions within the tank monitor apparatus 14. To this end, the tank monitor apparatus 14, of the exemplary embodiment, includes a magnetically-actuated switching element 50, which is configured to turn off the monitor when a magnet 52 is inserted into a pocket 54 in the housing 32 of the monitor 14. A magnetically actuated switch is preferable, in the exemplary embodiment of the invention, as compared to a mechanically-actuated switch extending through the housing 32, in order to facilitate maintaining a fluid-type construction of the housing 32. For portable tanks, it may be desirable, for instance, to keep the monitor 14 in a turned-off state until it is installed on the tank 12, and fluid is placed in the tank 12. It may also be desirable to keep the monitor turned off, with the magnet 52, when the tank 12 is being transported.
In order to further facilitate stand-alone operation of the tank monitor 14, the processor 40, of the exemplary embodiment is configured to conserve power by operating the monitor 14 only periodically, rather than continuously. Specifically, the processor 40 of the exemplary embodiment of the tank monitor 14 conserves power by operating the monitor 14 only periodically, rather than continuously. For example, the processor may be configured to periodically sample and store values of the sensor-signal, according to a sampling schedule, and to periodically cause the cellular communication device 47 to transmit the broadcast output signal 16, according to a broadcast schedule which differs from the sampling schedule. The processor 40 may be further configured, to interrupt the broadcast schedule, and provide special broadcasts based on the stored values of sensor signals, or changes in sensor signals, as a security measure, to indicate sudden and significant increases or decreases in the level of liquid in the tank 12.
In some embodiments of the invention, the processor 40 may be further configured to allow variation of schedules for sampling and broadcast, and security set points, when the broadcast input signal 17 is received, from the cellular communications network 18, by the cellular communication device 47 of the stand-alone tank monitor apparatus 14.
Various desirable configurations for a processor, in a stand-alone tank monitor apparatus 14, according to the invention, and methods for operating a stand-alone monitor according to the invention, are disclosed and taught in commonly assigned U.S. patent application bearing Attorney Docket No. 502917, the teachings and disclosure of which are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirely herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/600,348, filed Aug. 10, 2004, the teachings and disclosure of which are hereby incorporated in their entireties by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60600348 | Aug 2004 | US |
