Methods and systems for infrastructure performance: monitoring, control, operations, analysis and adaptive learning

Abstract

A system for measuring, monitoring and controlling the performance of bridges and other infrastructure creates a database for analysis of real time performance and learning through adaptive algorithms allowing the performance to be analyzed over time and for changes in performance against the specific bridge or infrastructure and other bridges or infrastructure in the a network of such infrastructure.

1 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A structure monitoring system comprising:
 a plurality of sensor modules configured to be distributed on or near a structure, said sensor modules each including a sensor which senses a structure performance characteristic and generates raw sensor data relevant to a structure or an environmental condition, a power source, and a communications component;   at least one local control unit including a power source, a processor, and a communications component and being configured (1) to be located on or near the structure and to receive the selected data set transmitted from multiple sensor modules, (2) to process data sets received from said multiple sensor modules to generate processed data representative of the structure as a whole, (3) to transmit the processed data sets; and   a remote central unit configured to receive processed data transmitted from the local control unit.   
     
     
         26 . The system as in  claim 25 , wherein at least some of the sensor modules further include a processor configured to receive the sensor data from the sensor, process the data, and transmit the processed data. 
     
     
         27 . The system as in  claim 26 , wherein the sensor modules transmit the selected data set only after a change between a first value in the selected data and a second value in the selected data has occurred which exceeds a threshold amount. 
     
     
         28 . The system as in  claim 25 , wherein at least some of the multiple sensor modules sense different structure performance characteristics and wherein the local control unit processes data representative of said different structure performance characteristics to generate processed data representative of the structure as a whole. 
     
     
         29 . The system as in  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises a strain gauge configured to be coupled to a bridge component and to monitor stress of that bridge component at a rate of a plurality of data points per second wherein the processor is programmed to detect one or more peak stress data points during a fixed time window and to transmit one or more of said selected peak data point(s) to the local control unit. 
     
     
         30 . The system as in  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises a temperature sensor that periodically measures a temperature related to the bridge, wherein the sensor module transmits a measured temperature to the local control unit only after a threshold change in the measured temperature has occurred. 
     
     
         31 . The system as in  claim 30 , wherein the threshold change has a value in a range from 0.1 C.° to 1 C.°. 
     
     
         32 . The system as in  claim 30 , wherein the processor in the local control unit is configured to calculate a rate of temperature change based on a value of the temperature threshold change and a time elapsed for the temperature change to occur. 
     
     
         33 . The system as in  claim 25 , wherein the processor in the local control unit processes data received from the sensor modules to generate a reduced data set and transmits the reduced data set to the remote central unit. 
     
     
         34 . The system as in  claim 25 , wherein the central unit resides on a remote dedicated server. 
     
     
         35 . A method for monitoring a bridge, said method comprising
 providing a bridge monitoring system comprising:   (a) a plurality of sensor modules configured to be distributed on or near a structure, said sensor modules each including a sensor which senses a structure performance characteristic and generates raw sensor data relevant to a structure or an environmental condition, a power source, and a communications component;   (b) at least one local control unit including a power source, a processor, and a communications component and being configured (1) to be located on or near the structure and to receive the selected data set transmitted from multiple sensor modules, (2) to process data sets received from two or more of said multiple sensor modules (3) to transmit the processed data sets; and   (c) a remote central unit configured to receive the processed data set transmitted from the local control unit;   receiving data from the plurality of sensor modules distributed on or near the bridge in the at least one local control unit;   processing the received data in the local control unit located on or near the bridge to generate processed data representative of the structure as a whole; and   transmitting selected data from the processed data from the local control unit to the remote central unit located remotely from the bridge only after a change between a first value in the selected data and a second value in the selected data has occurred which exceeds a threshold amount.   
     
     
         36 . The method as in  claim 35 , further comprising selecting data most relevant to bridge performance and excluding other data less relevant to bridge performance in the processor to produce a reduced data set. 
     
     
         37 . The method as in  claim 35 , wherein the sensor is a strain gauge configured to be coupled to a bridge component and to monitor stress of that bridge component at a rate of at least 50 data points per second, further comprising detecting one or more peak stress data points during a window of one second to six seconds and transmitting said one or more selected peak data point(s) to the local control unit. 
     
     
         38 . The method as in  claim 35 , wherein the sensor is an accelerometer configured to be coupled to a bridge component and to monitor movement of that bridge component at a rate of a plurality of data points per second, further comprising detecting one or more peak acceleration or movement data points during a fixed time window and transmitting said one or more selected peak data point(s) to the local control unit. 
     
     
         39 . The method as in  claim 35 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor further comprising periodically measuring a temperature related to the bridge, wherein the sensor module transmits a measured temperature to the local control unit only after a threshold change in the measured temperature has occurred. 
     
     
         40 . The method as in  claim 39 , wherein the threshold change has a value from 0.1 C.° to 1 C.°. 
     
     
         41 . The method as in  claim 39 , further comprising calculating a rate of temperature change based on a value of the temperature threshold change and a time elapsed for the temperature change to occur. 
     
     
         42 . The method as in  claim 35 , wherein the remote central unit is a virtual unit residing in a remote database. 
     
     
         43 . The method as in  claim 35 , wherein the remote central unit resides on a remote dedicated server.