US 6,859,831 · Granted 2005-02-22
The Sensor Network That Lets Equipment Talk to the Internet
Imagine tiny computers with sensors that can be embedded inside machines, buildings, or even roads—and they all talk to each other wirelessly without needing a bunch of cables. This patent protects the technology for creating networks of these small, low-power devices that can monitor, measure, and even control things remotely from anywhere on the internet.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a method and apparatus for creating networked sensor nodes that combine microsensors, low-power processors, and wireless communication in a single compact unit. What's protected here is the specific approach to embedding these nodes in equipment and environments so they can collect data, process it locally, and transmit results back over wireless or wired connections to a central network. The patent guards the architecture that ties these distributed sensors together into an integrated system capable of monitoring and remote control.
Why it matters
This patent represents a foundational approach to the Internet of Things—the idea that everyday objects and infrastructure could become intelligent, connected sensors. Rather than installing expensive, power-hungry monitoring systems, these WINS nodes offered a compact, low-cost alternative that could be deployed in vehicles, factories, hospitals, and environmental monitoring stations. The ability to embed smart sensing directly into existing equipment without major infrastructure overhaul opened up new markets in predictive maintenance, safety monitoring, and real-time environmental data collection.
Real-world use
When a fleet manager monitors truck engine health remotely, or a factory tracks vibration in machinery to predict equipment failure, sensor networks like these are collecting and transmitting that data wirelessly in the background.
Original USPTO abstract
The Wireless Integrated Network Sensor Next Generation (WINS NG) nodes provide distributed network and Internet access to sensors, controls, and processors that are deeply embedded in equipment, facilities, and the environment. The WINS NG network is a new monitoring and control capability for applications in transportation, manufacturing, health care, environmental monitoring, and safety and security. The WINS NG nodes combine microsensor technology, low power distributed signal processing, low power computation, and low power, low cost wireless and/or wired networking capability in a compact system. The WINS NG networks provide sensing, local control, remote reconfigurability, and embedded intelligent systems in structures, materials, and environments.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,859,831
- Filing date
- 2000-10-04
- Grant date
- 2005-02-22
- Assignee
- Sensoria Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- GELVIN DAVID C., GIROD LEWIS D., KAISER WILLIAM J., MERRILL WILLIAM M., NEWBERG FREDRIC, POTTIE GREGORY J., SIPOS ANTON I., VARDHAN SANDEEP
- CPC class
- B60R25/1004
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