Modularized self-addressing apparatus and method

Abstract

A monitoring and reporting system involves a master control unit; multiple geographically dispersed monitor units, each comprising a base unit including a self addressing radio controller repeater having at least a microcontroller, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and a multi-band communications transceiver; multiple sensors, communicatively coupled to the base unit, including at least one motion, temperature, and electrical sensor; each of the monitor units self-addresses according to complex self-addressing and communicates with at least one other of the monitor units to collectively form an ad hoc network; at least a first of the monitor units operates as a repeater with respect to communications received from either or both (i) of a second of the monitor units located at an equipment location or (ii) the master control unit; and the second of the monitor units will take local readings and report at least one to the master control unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A monitoring and reporting system comprising:
 a master control unit;   multiple geographically dispersed monitor units, each comprising
 a base unit including a self addressing radio controller repeater having at least
 a microcontroller, 
 a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and 
 a multi-band communications transceiver; 
 
 multiple sensors, communicatively coupled to the base unit, including at least
 one motion sensor, 
 one temperature sensor, and 
 one electrical sensor; 
 
   wherein each of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units self-addresses using address information from multiple dimensions according to complex self-addressing;   wherein each of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units communicate with at least one other of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units so as to collectively form an ad hoc network;   wherein at least a first of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units operates as a repeater with respect to communications received by the first of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units from either or both of (i) a second of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units located at an equipment location, or (ii) the master control unit; and   wherein the second of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units will take local readings, using its sensors, and report at least one of the local readings to the master control unit via the repeater.   
     
     
         2 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein a third of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units is the master control unit. 
     
     
         3 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one instruction set, sent by the master control unit to the second control unit, via at least the first control unit, for execution by the second control unit. 
     
     
         4 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein the base unit further comprises at least one of:
 an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a compass.   
     
     
         5 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second geographically dispersed monitor units is battery powered. 
     
     
         6 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second geographically dispersed monitor units is solar powered. 
     
     
         7 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, second or third geographically dispersed monitor units is powered by line power. 
     
     
         8 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units communicate with others of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units using radio bubbles. 
     
     
         9 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units is capable of operating as one or more of a master control unit, a slave control unit or a repeater based upon signals it receives and any other of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units to which it is connected. 
     
     
         10 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein one dimension of the address information includes a physical address. 
     
     
         11 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein one dimension of the address information includes a generated self-address. 
     
     
         12 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-band communications transceiver implements a network communication protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cell phone communication chip set that allows the base unit to communicate with an other base unit via a cellular network. 
     
     
         14 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one instruction set sent by the master control unit, via at least the first control unit, for execution by the second control unit. 
     
     
         15 . The monitoring and reporting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multiple geographically dispersed monitor units is:
 a part of a visual display;   a geo stick;   a part of a remote equipment shelter; or   a part of a remote field pump.