Utility Pole Mesh Nodes for Remote Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote monitoring and control systems for target zones, such as buildings, are often labor-intensive, expensive, unreliable, and vulnerable to weather, vandalism, and intentional interference, particularly due to high installation and maintenance costs associated with hardwired systems, and the high power requirements of wireless communication links.
Innovation Solution
A communication system utilizing low-power wireless devices and a neighborhood mesh network with nodes mounted on utility poles, powered by standard NEMA Locking 3 Pole Receptacles, that employs ZigBee or RFID technology to communicate with end-user devices and transmit data through a regional computer network to the Internet, reducing costs and enhancing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardwired communication systems are used for remote monitoring and control, then reliability is improved, but installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hardwired mechanical communication infrastructure with wireless communication technology. The monitoring and control system uses wireless transceivers and radio frequency communication to transmit data between field devices and the central monitoring station, eliminating the need for physical cable installation while maintaining system reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If wireless communication links are used to reduce installation cost, then ease of installation is improved, but power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs low-power wireless communication protocols and optimizes transmission parameters to minimize energy consumption. The system uses sleep modes, duty cycling, and efficient data packet formatting to reduce the power requirements of wireless field devices, making them suitable for battery-powered or energy-harvesting applications.
3Area of stationary object
If wireless communication distance is increased to cover wider areas, then monitoring coverage is improved, but cost and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring system into a distributed network of wireless field devices, intermediate relay nodes, and a central monitoring station. This segmented architecture allows data to be transmitted in hops across multiple nodes, extending the effective coverage area without requiring high-power long-range communication from each device, thereby reducing individual device cost and power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system that provides communication of information between an end user device and a remote end user. The system includes a communication node mounted on the upper part of a utility pole, and drawing its power from the utility pole through a standard NEMA Locking 3 Pole Receptacle, and adapted to communicate with a nearby user device using the low-power communication protocol, such as the ZigBee protocol (ANSI IEEE 802.15.4) or Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology, and also adapted to communicate with a neighborhood mesh network of nodes mounted on utility poles. The neighborhood mesh network is capable of communicating, through a regional computer network, with the remote end user.