U.S. patent application number 11/219271 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-09 for aircraft remote monitoring system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Burke Lakefront Services, Inc.. Invention is credited to Paul J. Panehal, Thomas P. Slavin.
Application Number | 20060048845 11/219271 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35995005 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060048845 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Slavin; Thomas P. ; et
al. |
March 9, 2006 |
Aircraft remote monitoring system
Abstract
An assembly is disclosed that facilitates monitoring one or more
aircraft that are on the ground at an airport or other facility.
The assembly includes a web based camera that can pan, tilt and
zoom, as well as a base that can pan independent of the movement of
the camera. The assembly can be selectively affixed to any aircraft
service vehicle, such as a fuel truck, to monitor one or more the
craft during processes such as fueling, baggage or passenger
unloading, and the like. The camera can be operated remotely and/or
from the service vehicle to provide relatively constant
surveillance of the aircraft. The camera is housed within a
protective environmental chamber so that the assembly can be
utilized outdoors substantially indefinitely.
Inventors: |
Slavin; Thomas P.; (Gates
Mills, OH) ; Panehal; Paul J.; (Seven Hills,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ESCHWEILER & ASSOCIATES, LLC;NATIONAL CITY BANK BUILDING
629 EUCLID AVE., SUITE 1210
CLEVELAND
OH
44114
US
|
Assignee: |
Burke Lakefront Services,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
35995005 |
Appl. No.: |
11/219271 |
Filed: |
September 2, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60607165 |
Sep 3, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/94 ;
348/E7.088 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 7/185 20130101;
G07C 5/008 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/094 |
International
Class: |
B65B 31/00 20060101
B65B031/00 |
Claims
1. An assembly configured for selective mounting to an aircraft
service vehicle, comprising: a camera having one or more of tilt,
pan and zoom capabilities; a base to which the camera is
operatively associated, the base having pan capabilities; means for
selectively mounting the assembly to the aircraft service vehicle;
and an environmental chamber operatively associated with the base
and enveloping the camera.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the chamber includes one or
more sensors to sense environmental conditions within the
chamber.
3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the chamber includes one or
more environmental controls operative to adapt environmental
conditions within the chamber in response to one or more readings
taken by one or more of the sensors.
4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the one or more sensors
comprise at least one of a temperature sensor, pressure sensor and
humidity sensor.
5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the one or more environmental
controls comprise at least one of a heater, fan, humidifier,
de-humidifier, cooling unit, air conditioner and valve.
6. The assembly of claim 3, further comprising: a transceiver that
facilitates transmitting output data and receiving input data.
7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the camera,
base and environmental controls is configured to be controlled
remotely.
8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein output data is selectively
presented on a display.
9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the assembly is mounted upon a
cab of the service vehicle and the display is located within the
cab.
10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the display comprises a TFT or
LCD monitor.
11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein a controller is located within
the cab for controlling at least one of the camera and the
base.
12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the controller within the cab
comprises a joystick.
13. The assembly of claim 8, wherein output data comprises at least
one of video data, environmental sensor data and fueling attribute
data.
14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein fueling attributes comprise
at least one of an authorization code of a person who initiated a
fueling process, a snapshot of an individual who connected fueling
equipment, an image of an aircraft before a fueling process is
initiated, an image of an aircraft after a fueling process has been
completed, a breakdown of fuel additives, sales information, credit
card information, credit card validation data, a quantity of fuel
administered, one or more flow rates occurring during a fueling
process, time stamp data and date stamp data.
15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein data regarding fuel flow is
acquired with at least one of optical pulsers, quadrature pulsers
and single ended pulsers.
16. The assembly of claim 7, wherein an 802.11 b/g standard is
utilized for wireless communications for the assembly.
17. The assembly of claim 7, wherein a 10BaseT TCP/IP connection is
utilized for communications for the assembly.
18. The assembly of claim 3, wherein power is provided to the
assembly via a vehicle associated therewith.
19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein an extra battery is included
within the vehicle for providing power to the assembly.
20. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the camera is operatively
associated to the base via a slip ring.
21. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the chamber comprises at least
one of plastic and metal.
22. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the means for mounting
comprises at least one of bolts, nuts, washers, screws, rivets,
welds, snaps, clasps, buckles, tabs, hooks, latches, ropes, chords,
lashings, glues, tapes, nails and adhesives.
23. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the camera is a web based
camera.
24. The assembly of claim 3, further comprising: a controller that
arbitrates between local and remote commands, where local commands
serve to control the camera and/or base from the aircraft service
vehicle and remote commands serve to control the camera and/or base
from locations remote from the aircraft service vehicle.
25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein the controller allows for
remote or local control of the camera or base, respectively, while
concurrently allowing for remote or local control of the base or
camera, respectively.
26. The assembly of claim 25, further comprising: a local access
point operatively associated with the controller that facilitates
transmission of the remote commands and receipt and display of
video data from the camera via the controller; and a remote access
point operatively associated with the controller that facilitates
transmission of the remote commands and receipt and display of
video data from the camera via the controller.
27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the local access point
comprises: a control enabling device within the aircraft service
vehicle; and a display within the aircraft service vehicle.
28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the control enabling device
comprises a joystick.
29. The assembly of claim 26, further comprising: a power
conditioning component that facilitates converting power from one
or more batteries to respective formats usable by at least one of
the camera, base, controller, local access point and remote access
point.
30. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the remote access point is
wirelessly associated with the controller.
31. The assembly of claim 26, further comprising: a fueling control
system operatively associated with the controller, wherein the
fueling control system regulates fueling of an aircraft by the
aircraft service vehicle and acquires fueling attribute data and
provides the fueling attribute data to a display device via the
controller.
32. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the controller is operatively
associated with a multi-port hub.
33. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the controller causes the
camera to enter an automated state when the vehicle is not active
wherein the camera pans back and forth within a predetermined
range.
34. The assembly of claim 33, wherein the controller allows a user
to over-ride the automated state of the camera.
35. A system adapted to monitor one or more aircraft from an
aircraft service vehicle with which the system is operatively
associated, the system comprising: a multi-port hub operatively
associated with at least one of a camera and a base, where the
camera is operatively associated with the base and the camera is
configured to at least one of pan, tilt and zoom, and the base is
configured to pan; a wireless access point operatively associated
with the multi-port hub, the wireless access point serving as a
point of presence for a wireless network within which the system is
operated and allowing one or more remote devices to send data to
and receive data from at least one of the camera and base.
36. The system of claim 35, further comprising: a local camera
control operatively associated with at least one of the camera and
base and facilitating control over at least one of the camera and
base, the local camera control being located in the aircraft
service vehicle.
37. The system of claim 36, further comprising: a local display
operatively associated with the camera for displaying camera data
to a user within the vehicle.
38. The system of claim 36, further comprising: a fueling control
system operatively associated with the multi-port hub, wherein the
fueling control system regulates fueling of an aircraft by the
aircraft service vehicle and acquires fueling attribute data,
wherein one or more remote devices can at least one of receive the
attribute data and control the fueling control system via the
wireless access point.
39. The system of claim 35, further comprising: a diversity antenna
operatively associated with the wireless access point.
40. The system of claim 35, further comprising: a power
conditioning component that facilitates converting power from one
or more batteries to respective formats usable by at least one of
the camera, base, wireless access point and multi-port hub.
41. The system of claim 35, further comprising: an environmental
housing operatively associated with the base and substantially
isolating the camera from an external environment.
42. The system of claim 41, further comprising: one or more sensors
operable to sense environmental conditions within the housing; and
one or more environmental controls operative to adapt one or more
environmental conditions within the chamber in response to one or
more readings taken by one or more of the sensors.
43. The system of claim 35, further comprising: means for
selectively mounting the camera, base and housing to the aircraft
service vehicle.
44. The system of claim 43, wherein conflicting commands are
arbitrated based upon a first come first serve basis.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention's focus is on monitoring aircraft
while on the ground, in particular, during processes such as
fueling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Substantial resources go into owning and operating an
aircraft. There is the large capital cost associated with
purchasing an aircraft, as well as substantial expenses associated
with fueling, staffing, and servicing the aircraft. Given so large
an investment, it would be highly desirable to be able to monitor
what's going on around the aircraft when it is in a static state.
Monitoring would include visual security and assurance that those
who fuel and/or otherwise service the aircraft do so without
effecting damage. Specifically, it would be very desirable to
monitor the fueling process that all aircraft require, so as to be
able to discern whether fuel loss takes place or damage is caused
to the aircraft (otherwise referred to as one type of "hanger
rash") during this type of operation. Similarly, given the cost and
stringent requirements of both airline and general aviation fueling
operations, it would be desirable to be able to monitor fueling
attributes, such as fuel flow rates, what individual(s) are
performing or otherwise involved with the fueling operation, etc.
Further, given the nefarious intentions of some individuals (e.g.,
terrorists), it is very important to be able to keep a constant eye
on the aircraft, in particular the embarkation or deplaning
process, the loading and/or unloading of baggage, and "on-the-ramp"
maintenance procedures, all by way of example. Finally, given the
fact that aircraft operate at night and during inclement weather,
it is desirable to have such monitoring capabilities proximate to
the aircraft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The following presents a summary of the invention and its
purpose. This summary is not as an extensive overview of the
invention, rather, it is intended to simply identify its key or
critical elements. A more detailed description is presented
later.
[0004] The present invention relates to the monitoring of an
aircraft when the aircraft is in a grounded or static state. The
aircraft may be monitored at all times, including: the fueling
process, during maintenance operations, when passengers of air
freight are being loaded and/or unloaded, as well as when the
aircraft is merely residing on a runway or within a hanger, etc.
According to one or more aspects of the present invention, an
assembly is provided that can be selectively attached to an
aircraft service vehicle (called in the industry "ground service
equipment (GSE),) such as a fuel truck. Said assembly includes a
camera that is housed within a protective environmental chamber. As
such, the assembly can be utilized outdoors in all types of
weather.
[0005] The following description, with annexed drawings set forth
and detail certain illustrative aspects and implementations of the
invention. These are indicative of but a few of the various ways in
which one or more aspects of the present invention may be employed.
Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description of the
invention when considered in conjunction with the annexed
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an implementation
of the present invention at an airport, fixed base or other
aircraft related facility.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an aircraft monitoring
assembly according to one or more aspects of the present
invention.
[0008] FIG. 3 is another schematic illustration of an aircraft
monitoring assembly according to one or more aspects of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration depicting a side view of
a truck cab wherein one or more aspects of the present invention
may be implemented.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating of an
arrangement of components that provide for the implementation of
one or more aspects of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary distributed computing
arrangement over which one or more aspects of the present invention
may be practiced.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a suitable
hardware and software environment wherein one or more aspects of
the present invention may be implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention pertains to monitoring an aircraft,
particularly where the aircraft is in a grounded or static
condition. One or more aspects of the present invention will now be
described with reference to drawing figures, wherein like reference
numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. It should
be understood that the drawing figures and following descriptions
are merely illustrative and that they should not be taken in a
limiting sense. In the following description, for purposes of
explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will
be evident to one skilled in the art, however, that the present
invention may be practiced without these specific details. Thus, it
will be appreciated that variations of the illustrated systems and
methods apart from those illustrated and described herein may exist
and that such variations are deemed as falling within the scope of
the present invention and the appended claims.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an implementation of
the present invention at an airport or other aircraft related
facility. An aircraft service vehicle 102 (in this example a fuel
truck) is outfitted with a monitoring assembly 104 that can be
selectively attached to the vehicle in accordance with one or more
aspects of the present invention. The assembly 104 includes a web
based camera that has pan, tilt and zoom capabilities. The camera
also has a base that has pan capabilities that are independent of
the movement capabilities of the camera. The camera thus allows
relatively constant monitoring of one or more aircraft 106 that are
in a grounded condition at an airport or other facility.
[0015] The camera can, for example, be configured to automatically
pan left and right within a certain range of motion 110 to provide
surveillance of a particular aircraft, for example. Such automated
action may occur, for example, when the service vehicle is not
active (e.g., the vehicle's engine is turned off). For example, an
algorithm can be implemented that causes the base to rotate through
a 180 degree range of motion (e.g., 90 degrees left of center and
90 degrees right of center) when the vehicle is turned off. By way
of further example, when the vehicle is started, control can
automatically revert back to one or more individuals within the
vehicle as well as to one or more individuals away from the vehicle
so that the camera can be "manually" controlled. There may also be
a manual override that allows an individual to have control over
the system at any time. The base can, for example, be controlled to
pan left and right by someone in the vehicle, such as through the
use of a joystick or other type of controller, for example, whereas
pan, tilt and zoom functions of the web based camera can be
controlled (e.g., wirelessly) and/or from anywhere in the world via
a controller or computing device operatively associated with the
Internet, for example. It will be appreciated that the base also
has the capability of being controlled remotely. Similarly, the
camera can be controlled from within the cab. It will be
appreciated that the movement capabilities of the base and web
based camera provide two degrees of "surveying" freedom.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the assembly 104
according to one or more aspects of the present invention. The
assembly 104 includes a web based camera 120 that has pan (side to
side) 122, tilt (up and down) 124 and zoom (in and out) 126
capabilities. In general, the camera operates by forming an image
through a lens section 128 of the camera 120 which is received by
some type of sensors within the camera (e.g., photoelectric
conversion elements such as charge couple devices (CCDs)). Charge
coupled devices, for example, may be located at a focal plane of
the camera and facilitate converting light at the focal plane into
an electronic image. Such charge coupled devices may, for example,
be surface-mounted to a sensor printed circuit board lying within
the focal plane. The charge coupled devices may also, for example,
be sensitive to both visible, ultraviolet, or infrared light for
operation in a variety of lighting conditions. The image signal is
converted by an analog-to-digital converter into a digital signal,
and the digital signal is supplied to a signal processing section
of the camera. The signal processing section generates a video
signal which may be composed of brightness and/or color-difference
signals, for example. The video signal may be generated by way of
signal processing techniques, such as color separation, gamma
correction, etc., for example. The signal processing section may
then forward the video signal to a compression section which
compresses the video signal by a compression process and thereby
generates a compressed coded video signal. The coded video signal
is buffered in a buffer and then made ready for transmission to an
external device via an interface and a network, such as a local
area network, for example.
[0017] In the illustrated example, the camera 120 is outfitted with
a (protocol compliant) transceiver 132 that facilitates the
transfer of output data (e.g., image data, sensor data--discussed
below, etc.) to an associated computer/controller 134, as well as
the receipt of input data (e.g., control signals) from the
associated computer/controller 134. Further, the camera 120 is
positioned upon a base 136 that can also pan laterally from side to
side/left to right 138. Although not illustrated, it will be
appreciated that one or more motors, such as servo-motors, for
example, are generally responsible for movement of the camera and
the base. The base 136 also includes means 140 for selectively
mounting the assembly to a service vehicle, such as the roof of a
fuel truck, for example. It will be appreciated that the means 140
for mounting the assembly 104 includes, bolts, nuts, washers,
screws, rivets, welds, snaps, clasps, buckles, tabs, hooks,
latches, ropes, chords, lashings, glues, tapes, nails, adhesives,
as well as any other types of items and/or arrangements, either
alone or in combination, that can be utilized to selectively
position the assembly onto the vehicle in a substantially stable
manner. It will be appreciated that a slip ring (not shown) may be
juxtaposed between the base 136 and the camera 120. The slip ring
may be electrically conductive thereby serving to provide an
electrical coupling between the camera 120 and base 136. In this
manner, electrical power can be supplied to the camera 120 and
electrical signals (e.g., control signals, digital images) can be
input to and/or output from the camera 120 via the slip ring. This
alleviates wiring needs and thus facilitates unobstructed rotation
of the camera 120 on the base 136 (e.g., for a 360 degree pan).
[0018] FIG. 3 is another schematic illustration of the assembly 104
showing that the assembly 104, in another example, includes a
protective housing or environmental chamber 144 within which the
camera 120 is situated. As such, the assembly can remain outdoors
with the camera functioning indefinitely. The housing 144 is formed
out of an environmentally durable material, such as plastic and/or
treated metal, by way of example. In the illustration, the
enclosure or environmental housing 144 is situated upon the base
136 and as such generally moves with the base 136. It will be
appreciated that while the housing 144 is depicted as having a
substantially cube-like configuration, it can have any suitable
configuration in accordance with one or more aspects of the present
invention, such as an elliptical or dome-like configuration.
[0019] According to one or more aspects of the present invention,
the housing includes a plurality of environmental sensors with
corresponding environmental controls. In the illustrated example,
for instance, the housing 144 includes temperature 146, pressure
148 and humidity 150 sensors. These sensors are operative to sense
respective environmental conditions within the chamber 144.
Readings from these sensors may be transmitted (e.g., wirelessly)
to a controller, such as controller 134 or another computer based
controller, which then can use them to selectively adjust
corresponding controls. For example, a heater 152,
cooler/air-conditioner 154 and/or fan 156 can be selectively
adjusted to regulate the temperature within the housing 144.
Similarly, a humidifier 160 and/or de-humidifier 162 can be
selectively controlled to adjust the moisture content within the
housing 144. Likewise, a valve 164 can be opened and/or closed to
varying degrees in order to control the pressure within the housing
144. Such controls may also be operated in conjunction with one
another to achieve a desired goal. For example, the heater 152,
de-humidifier 162 and valve 164 may be operated in conjunction with
one another to achieve a desired level of moisture within the
housing 144. Such combined use of the controls may be based upon
some type of optimization algorithm, for example. Further, one or
more of the sensed environmental conditions can be relayed back to
a user and presented on a display device (e.g., along with video
data).
[0020] Turning to FIG. 4, a side view of a cab 170 of a maintenance
vehicle 102, in our example a fuel truck that is illustrated
schematically. The assembly 104 is selectively positioned upon the
top of the cab 170 in accordance with one or more aspects of the
present invention. In the illustrated example, a joystick type
apparatus 172 is included in the cab 170 for selectively
controlling movement of one or more parts of the assembly 104. For
example the joystick can effect panning capabilities 138 of the
base 136. Similarly, a display device 174, such as a thin film
transistor (TFT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, is also
present within the cab 170 allowing one or more individuals in the
cab to see what the camera is focused on. This, for example, allows
the driver of the vehicle to see when and/or if fuel is spilling
over when the aircraft is being fueled or if a security breach
takes place. An extra battery 176 is also illustrated allowing for
the provision of electrical power to the assembly 104 (wiring
omitted). The example illustrated shows that multiple extra
batteries can be included and that one or more of the batteries can
be housed within the cab 170 and/or under the hood of the vehicle
or otherwise near the engine of the vehicle 102.
[0021] According to one or more aspects of the present invention,
attributes associated with a fueling operation and/or transaction
can also be logged and included in a data stream and transmitted
back to a user and/or presented on any type of display device. Such
information may comprise, for example, an authorization code of the
individual who initiated the fueling process, a snapshot of who
actually connected the fueling equipment, before and after images
of the fueling process in order to give an indication of whether
hanger rash occurred (or did not occur) and the cause (culprit) of
any such hanger rash, a breakdown of fuel additives, sales
information (e.g., credit card information/validation), quantity of
fuel administered, flow rates and/or other records of the fueling
transaction. Such data may also include time and/or date stamps
that give a record of when, for example, a sales transaction begins
and/or ends, when a fueling process starts and/or stops, when
alarms sound and/or fueling is stopped (automatically) due to an
insufficient flow of one or more additives. It will be appreciated
that data regarding fuel flow (as well as any other fueling
attributes) can be acquired and logged in any suitable manner
according to one or more aspects of the present invention, such as
with optical, quadrature and/or single ended pulsers, for
example.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating of an
arrangement 200 of a plurality of components or modules that
provide for the implementation of one or more aspects of the
present invention. A first block 202 indicates that power is
supplied from a vehicle battery, in the illustrated example a 13.6
volt DC battery. This block feeds into block 204 for
conditioning/conversion of the power to a form more feasible for
use by other components. Block 204 thus feeds out DC/AC power as
required to other components. One block, that block 204 feeds out
to, is block 206, which is a wireless access point or client. In
the illustrated example, this is implemented as 802.11b/g, which is
an 11 megabit per second standard. However, it will be appreciated
that other standards are contemplated and are intended to fall
within the scope of the present invention. The wireless access
point feeds out to block 208 that corresponds to a diversity
antenna that facilitates data transmission to or from the client
206.
[0023] Block 204 also provides power to block 210 which is a
multi-port hub/switch. The multi-port hub/switch 210 is also
operatively connected to the wireless access point 206, as well as
to block 212, which represents a refueling control system. As such,
data can be sent between blocks 210 and 206, as well as between
blocks 210 and 212. Block 204 is further connected to block 214
which corresponds to a camera (previously referenced as 120) to
provide operating power thereto. The multi-port hub/switch 210 is
similarly coupled to the camera 214 to provide control signals
thereto. In the illustrated example, the multi-port hub/switch 210
is operatively coupled to the refueling control system 212 and the
camera 214 via 10BaseT TCP/IP. It will be appreciated, however,
that while transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP)
connections may be utilized, other links, such as RF links and/or
off frequency applications are contemplated and are intended to
fall within the scope of the present invention.
[0024] The camera 214 is further coupled to blocks 216 and 218
which correspond to a local camera screen and a local camera
control respectively. The local camera screen 216 receives data
from the camera 214 (e.g., of images taken by the camera), while
the camera 214 receives data from the control 218 (e.g., pan, tilt,
zoom commands). It will be appreciated that the camera screen 216
may correspond to the display device previously referenced as 174
in FIG. 4, for example. Similarly, local camera control 218 may
correspond to the joystick device referenced as 172 in FIG. 4.
[0025] Finally, block 222, which corresponds to an optional network
based mobile controller, is operatively associated with the hub 210
for sending and receiving data therefrom. Block 222 may be part of
an Ethernet network, for example, that can be included on the
aircraft service vehicle that facilitates a gateway (e.g., Ethernet
to Bluetooth gateway) to the assembly that allows a remote device
(e.g., a PDA having a Visual Basic and/or Visual C application
running thereon) to control the camera and/or base and/or to view
data from the camera, fueling system, etc. Also, the controller 222
facilitates resolving conflicting commands. In one example,
conflicting instructions are arbitrated on a first come first serve
basis. Accordingly, a local command would be carried out in a
situation where it is received just before a contrary remote
command. For example, an instruction coming from the cab of the
vehicle to point the camera northeast would be carried out in lieu
of a command coming from a remote device located away from the
vehicle to point the camera southwest, where the remote command is
receive just after the local command. It will be appreciated that
multiple local commands, multiple remote commands and/or a mixture
of conflicting local and remote commands may be resolved in a
similar manner.
[0026] It should be understood that the implementations described
herein can, at least in part, be realized on a wide variety of
hardware and software platforms (e.g. specialized apparatus,
dedicated computer systems with hardwired logic or programs stored
in memory, discrete logic devices, large scale integrated circuits
(LSIs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),
combinations of computer components with other non-computer
components). It is also to be understood that the examples provided
herein may be implemented in various environments (e.g. networked
architectures utilizing clients and servers, public and private
computer networks, computer networks of commercial on-line
services, internal corporate local area networks (LANs),
intranets).
[0027] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary distributed computing
arrangement over which one or more aspects of the present invention
may be practiced. The arrangement includes multiple computing
devices that can be utilized to access pictures from the camera
and/or to control operation(s) of the camera, for example. More
particularly, a plurality of computing devices (e.g. personal
computers (PCs) 310a, minicomputers 310b, personal digital
assistants (PDAs) 310c, workstations 310d, laptops 310e, etc) are
directly or indirectly interconnected via a network to a computer
or server 314 operatively associated with the monitoring assembly
104 (e.g., through wireless RF techniques). It will be appreciated
that the computers may be linked over different topologies or zones
as the network may comprise numerous configurations (e.g. Internet
316a, intranets 316b, wide area networks (WANs), LANs, SNA
networks, extranets) supported by any of a variety of connection
types or mediums (e.g. telephone line and modem, integrated
services digital network (ISDN), T1, T2, T3, T4, DS1 or other high
speed telecommunications connections and appropriate connection
device, television cable and modem, satellite link, optical fiber
link, Ethernet or other local area network technology wire and
adapter card, wireless link, radio or optical transmission
devices).
[0028] A CPU 320 is shown operatively coupled to read only memory
(ROM) 322 and main memory 324 in client computer 310a. ROM 322 is
operative to store static information and instructions utilized
during CPU processing, while main memory 324 stores information and
instructions executable by the CPU 320 as well as temporary
variables or other intermediate processing information. Main memory
324 may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and/or
other volatile storage medium. Also coupled to the CPU 320 are one
or more input devices 326 (e.g. alphanumeric keyboard, pointer
device, mouse, joystick, trackball, stylus, motion pad, cursor
direction keys, voice activated control device, wireless input
device, and/or other equipment or peripherals that facilitate user
interaction with the computers). Similarly, one or more output
devices 328 (e.g. cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display
(LCD), speakers, headphones) for presenting audio and/or video
information to a user are also operatively coupled to the CPU 320.
Software 330 (e.g. HTML browser software, application programs,
application program interfaces (APIs), operating systems) stored in
main memory 324 of the device 310a is executable via the CPU 320 to
provide much of the functionality associated with the client
computer 310a. It will be appreciated that generally all of the
distributed computing devices and computer 314 may possess similar
arrangements.
[0029] A user working at the client computer 310a can utilize an
input device 326, in association with a graphical user interface
(GUI), for example, to submit a request for images from the camera
and/or to submit movement commands to the camera. A user can, for
example, enter a uniform resource locator (URL) or web address
corresponding to computer 314 into browser software running on the
client computer with a keyboard or engage a link with a mouse. The
computer 314 receives the signal(s) from the client computer 310a
and transmits the same to the assembly 304 in order to control the
camera and/or extract images there-from. In this manner, an
individual can "keep an eye on" a grounded or static aircraft
irrespective of the relative location of the individual to said
aircraft. The individual can watch streaming video, for example, of
the aircraft, as a fuel truck approaches the aircraft and fuels the
aircraft. Further, the user can zoom in and/or otherwise adjust the
camera to see areas of interest, such as the name tag(s) of the
individual(s) performing the (re)fueling operation or any other
security related visually determinable function.
[0030] It is to be appreciated that any types, combinations and/or
suites of protocols, working alone or in combination, in order to
support network communications, are suitable for use in accordance
with one or more aspects of the present invention (e.g. HTTP, HTTP
1.1, transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP),
remote procedure call (RPC), remote method invocation (RMI), Java
database connectivity (JDBC), open database connectivity (ODBC),
secure sockets layer (SSL), network file system (NFS), FTP, telnet,
simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), point-of-presence 3 (POP3),
serial line Internet protocol (SLIP), point-to-point protocol
(PPP), user datagram protocol (UDP), Internet control message
protocol (ICMP), interior gateway protocol (IGP), exterior gateway
protocol (EGP), border gateway protocol (BGP), handheld device
transfer protocol (HDTP), wireless application protocol (WAP),
cellular digital packet data (CDPD), code division multiple access
(CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), time
division multiple access (TDMA), personal digital communications
(PDC), personal handy-phone system (PHS), personal handy-phone
system-wireless local loop (PHS-WLL), FLEX, integrated digital
enhanced network, (IDEN), digital enhanced cordless
telecommunications (DECT)).
[0031] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a suitable
computing environment wherein one or more aspects of the present
invention may be implemented. It is to be appreciated that the
environment is but one possible computing environment and is not
intended to limit the present invention. Further, inventive aspects
described herein may be practiced with any of a variety of computer
system configurations (e.g. single-processor or multiprocessor
computer systems, minicomputers, PCs, workstations, laptops, PDAs,
palmtops, mainframe computers, personal computers, hand-held
computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer
electronics, each of which may be operatively coupled to one or
more associated devices of similar or different types). Illustrated
aspects of the invention may also be practiced in distributed
computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote
processing devices that are linked through a communications
network. In such an environment, program modules may be located in
a memory storage device of both local and remote devices.
[0032] The environment includes a computer 420, including a
processing unit or CPU 422, a system memory 424, and a system bus
426 that couples various system components including the system
memory to the processing unit 422. The processing unit 422 may be
any of various commercially available processors. It is to be
appreciated that dual microprocessors and other multi-processor
architectures also may be employed as the processing unit 422. The
system bus may be any of several types of bus structure including a
memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus
using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures
(e.g. PCI, VESA, Microchannel, ISA, EISA). The system memory may
include read only memory (ROM) 428 and random access memory (RAM)
430. A basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic
routines that help to transfer information between elements within
the computer 420, such as during start-up, is stored in ROM
428.
[0033] The computer 420 also may include, for example, a hard disk
drive 432, a magnetic disk drive 434, e.g. to read from or write to
a removable disk 436, and an optical disk drive 438, e.g. for
reading from or writing to a CD-ROM disk 440 or other optical
media. The hard disk drive 432, magnetic disk drive 434, and
optical disk drive 438 are connected to the system bus 426 by a
hard disk drive interface 442, a magnetic disk drive interface 444,
and an optical drive interface 446, respectively. Computer-readable
media associated with the drives can be any available media that
can be accessed by the computer 420. By way of example, and not
limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage
media and communication media. Computer storage media includes
volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media (e.g.
hard disk, removable magnetic disk, compact disk (CD), magnetic
cassettes, flash memory cards, Bernoulli cartridges, RAM, ROM,
EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), other
medium which can be used to store desired information) implemented
in any method or technology for storage of information such as
computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or
other data which can be accessed by the computer 420, including
components and/or computer-executable instructions that are to be
installed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present
invention. Communication media typically embodies computer readable
instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a
modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport
mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term
modulated data signal means a signal that has one or more of its
characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode
information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,
communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or
direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,
infrared and other wireless media.
[0034] A number of program modules may be stored in the drives and
RAM 430, including an operating system 448, one or more application
programs 450, other program modules 452, and program data 454. The
operating system 448 may be any suitable operating system or a
combination of operating systems. A user may enter commands and
information into the computer 420 through one or more user input
devices (e.g. keyboard 456, mouse/pointing device 458, microphone,
joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner (all not shown)). These
are often connected to the processing unit 422 through a serial
port interface 460 that is coupled to the system bus 426, but may
be connected by other interfaces (e.g. parallel port, game port,
universal serial bus (USB), IR interface). A display device (e.g.
monitor 462) is also connected to the system bus 426 via an
interface (e.g. video adapter 464). In addition to the monitor 462,
the computer 420 may include other peripheral output devices (e.g.
speakers, printers (not shown)).
[0035] The computer 420 may operate in a networked environment
using one or more logical and/or physical connections to one or
more remote computers 466. The remote computer 466 may be a
workstation, a server computer, a router, a peer device or other
common network node, and typically includes many or all of the
elements described relative to the computer 420, although, for
purposes of brevity, only a memory storage device 468 is
illustrated. The logical connections depicted in FIG. 4 may include
any of a variety of networks (e.g. local area network (LAN) 470,
wide area network (WAN) 472). Such networking environments are
commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks,
intranets and the Internet.
[0036] When employed in a LAN networking environment, the computer
420 is connected to the local network 470 through a network
interface or adapter 474. When used in a WAN networking
environment, the computer 420 typically includes a modem 476, or is
connected to a communications server on the LAN, or has other means
for establishing communications over the WAN 472, such as the
Internet. The modem 476, which may be internal or external, is
connected to the system bus 426 via the serial port interface 460.
In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to
the computer 420, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote
memory storage device 468. It will be appreciated that the network
connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a
communications link between the computers 420 and 466 may be
used.
[0037] A component, as used herein, may refer to a computer-related
entity (e.g. hardware, a combination of hardware and software,
software, software in execution, a process running on a processor,
a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a
program, a computer, an application running on a server, a server).
Additionally, a system may comprise a structure having one or more
modules, where a module may include computer hardware and/or
software (e.g. computer readable memory encoded with software
instructions, computer configuration to carry out specified tasks,
application program stored in computer readable memory, server on
which an application runs, software object). Also, various aspects
of the present invention may employ technologies associated with
facilitating unconstrained optimization (e.g. back-propagation,
Bayesian, Fuzzy Set, Non Linear regression, or other neural network
paradigms including mixture of experts, cerebellar model arithmetic
computer (CMACS), Radial Basis Functions, directed search networks,
and functional link nets).
[0038] Although the invention has been illustrated and described
with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations
and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the
reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed
drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed
by the above described components (assemblies, devices, circuits,
systems, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a "means") used
to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless
otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified
function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally
equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the
disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein
illustrated exemplary implementations of the invention. In
addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been
disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such
feature may be combined with one or more other features of the
other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any
given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that
the terms "including", "includes", "having", "has", "with", or
variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and
the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner
similar to the term "comprising." Also, the term "exemplary" as
used herein is merely meant to mean an example, rather than the
best.
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