Pump monitoring system

Abstract

A plurality of pump related monitoring devices can communicate wirelessly with displaced user circuits. The user circuits can in turn acquire data via a respective monitoring device associated with a pump, pump control system, pump motor, backup batteries and the like all without limitations. If desired, the user circuits can carry out a polling process relative to a plurality of monitoring devices.

1 . A pump monitoring system comprising 
 at least one sensor of a pump related condition;    control circuitry coupled to the at least one sensor;    a wireless transceiver coupled to the control circuits, the control circuits, in response to a received wireless control signal transfer received information from at least one sensor to the transceiver for transmission.    
   
   
       2 . A system as in  claim 1  which includes a plurality of sensors of different pump related conditions, members of the plurality are coupled to the control circuits.  
   
   
       3 . A system as in  claim 1  where the control circuits include a programmable processor and control software.  
   
   
       4 . A system as in  claim 3  where the software responds to the received wireless control signal.  
   
   
       5 . A system as in  claim 4  where the software responds to a device identifier in the received wireless control signal.  
   
   
       6 . A system as in  claim 5  where the software compares the received device identifier to a pre-stored value.  
   
   
       7 . A system as in  claim 6  where, responsive to a match between the received identifier and the stored value, the software carries out a function received in the wireless control signal.  
   
   
       8 . A system as in  claim 1  where the control circuits sense a pre-established unit address.  
   
   
       9 . A system as in  claim 8  where the control circuits receive and store a unit address, via the transceiver, when in a first mode.  
   
   
       10 . A system as in  claim 9  where the control circuits receive a unit address, via the transceiver, and compare same to the pre-stored unit address when in a second mode.  
   
   
       11 . A system as in  claim 10  where the software, in response to a match, transmits received sensor information via the transceiver.  
   
   
       12 . A system as in  claim 11  which includes a plurality of sensors of pump related conditions coupled to the control circuits.  
   
   
       13 . A system as in  claim 12  which includes a displaced base element having a base transceiver that transmits wireless control signals to the transceiver.  
   
   
       14 . A system as in  claim 13  where at least some of the transmitted wireless control signals each include a unit address.  
   
   
       15 . A system as in  claim 13  where the base unit includes a multi-mode circuitry with one mode responsive to a received request, assigning and transmitting a unit address.  
   
   
       16 . A system comprising: 
 a plurality of pump monitoring units, each of the units including at least one pump-related sensor and a wireless transceiver;    a base unit that includes multi-mode control circuits with one mode that assigns unit addresses to respective pump monitoring units and another mode that requests information from addressed monitoring units.    
   
   
       17 . A system as in  claim 16  where at least some of the monitoring units each include a plurality of pump-related sensors.  
   
   
       18 . A system as in  claim 16  where the multi-mode control circuits include software for one of retrieving pre-assigned monitoring unit addresses, or, generating pre-assigned monitoring addresses.  
   
   
       19 . A system as in  claim 16  where at least some of the monitoring units store a respective assigned unit address.  
   
   
       20 . A system as in  claim 19  where at least some of the monitoring units each include a plurality of pump-related sensors.  
   
   
       21 . A system as in  claim 20  where at least some of the sensors are selected from a class which include at least pump motor sensors, fluid level sensors, battery condition sensors, power sensors, pressure sensors, and fluid flow sensors.  
   
   
       22 . A method comprising: 
 sensing a plurality of conditions relative to at least one pump and associated circuits;    generating signals indicative of respective sensed conditions;    receiving at least one wireless command signal, and    responsive thereto, wirelessly transmitting indicia corresponding to sensed conditions.    
   
   
       23 . A method as in  claim 22  which includes receiving and storing a designator.  
   
   
       24 . A method as in  claim 23  which includes comparing a received designator to a stored designator.  
   
   
       25 . A system comprising: 
 a motor condition sensor;    control software that acquires motor condition information from the sensor, then control software is responsive to a received identifier that matches a previously stored identifier to forward the acquired motor condition information at least in part wirelessly, to a displaced location.    
   
   
       26 . A system as in  claim 25  which includes a plurality of sensors the members of which provide respective condition information to the software.  
   
   
       27 . A system as in  claim 26  which includes circuitry that stores the identifier.  
   
   
       28 . A system as in  claim 27  where the software has a first mode of operation where it receives an identifier and stores same in the circuitry.  
   
   
       29 . A system as in  claim 28  where the software has a second mode which responds to the received identifier and compares it to the stored identifier.  
   
   
       30 . A system as in  claim 29  which includes a wireless transceiver.  
   
   
       31 . A system as in  claim 30  which includes a displaced command unit in wireless communication, via the transceiver, with the software.  
   
   
       32 . A system as in  claim 31  where the command unit includes command software for communicating with a plurality of displaced transceivers.  
   
   
       33 . A system as in  claim 31  where the command unit includes circuitry to store, at least in part, information relative to a plurality of motor conditions.  
   
   
       34 . A system as in  claim 33  where the command unit includes motor condition analysis software which compares received motor condition information to at least one set point.  
   
   
       35 . A system as in  claim 34  where the command unit includes alarm indicating software responsive to results of analysis software comparisons.  
   
   
       36 . A system as in  claim 35  where the command unit provides at least one of a visual and/or an audible alarm indicator.