Trusted monitoring system and method
Methods and apparatus for monitoring remotely located objects with a system comprised of at least one master data collection unit, any number of remote sensor units, and a central data collection server are described. The master unit is configured to monitor any object, mobile or stationary, including monitoring multiple remote sensor units associated with the objects being monitored. The master unit may be in a fixed location, or attached to a mobile object. The master unit is configured for monitoring objects that enter and leave the area where it is located. The master unit may act as a parent controller for one or more child devices, wherein the child devices can be remote sensors or monitors of various measurable conditions including environmental conditions, substance identification, product identification and biometric identification. The master unit is able to discover new remote sensor units as they enter or leave the area where the master unit is located. The master unit can be remotely reprogrammed. The reprogramming can be accomplished with authenticated instructions.
1 . A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
a plurality of sensors authorized and configured to communicate in the monitoring system; and
an electronic device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to receive data in a secure manner from the sensors when a task authorization message is received and authenticated as having been transmitted from a remote master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least a sensor from which to receive the data;
and wherein the electronic device authenticates and encrypts the received data prior to transmitting the received data to the remote master device.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to be activated from a sleep mode upon receiving the task authorization message.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to transmit the received data in a secure manner to the remote master device.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensors are configured to broadcast a sensor identification number, and wherein the task authorization information identifying the sensor comprises at least a portion of the broadcast sensor identification number.
5 . A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are configured to communicate in a secure manner in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
a plurality of non-system sensors configured to sense information, wherein the non-system sensors are not authorized to communicate securely in the monitoring sensor; and
an electronic device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to receive data from the non-system sensors when a task authorization message is received and authenticated as having been transmitted from a remote master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least a non-system sensor from which to receive the data;
and wherein the electronic device authenticates and encrypts the received data prior to transmitting the received data to the remote master device.
6 . The monitoring system of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to be activated from a sleep mode upon receiving the task authorization message.
7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to transmit the received data in a secure manner to the remote master device.
8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the non-system sensors are configured to broadcast a sensor identification number, and wherein the task authorization information identifying the non-system sensor comprises at least a portion of the broadcast sensor identification number.
9 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to encode context information into a message containing the received data, and to transmit the received data message in a secure manner to the remote master device, wherein the context information comprises data identifying a time and a location from which the data was received.
10 . A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
a plurality of sensors configured to sense information, wherein the sensors are authorized and configured to communicate in the monitoring system, and wherein the sensors are configured to be in a sleep mode until activated by a task authorization message received from a master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system; and
an electronic master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to transmit the task authorization message to the sensors, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least a sensor from which to receive sensed information;
and wherein the sensor encodes a digital signature and encrypts the sensed information prior to transmitting the sensed information to the electronic master device.
11 . The monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to be activated from a sleep mode upon receiving a second task authorization message from a remote master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to transmit the received information in a secure manner to the remote master device.
13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the sensors are configured to intermittently broadcast a sensor identification number while in the sleep mode, and wherein the task authorization information identifying the sensor comprises at least a portion of the broadcast sensor identification number.
14 . A monitoring system, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of communication devices that are authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, the system comprising:
a plurality of sensors; and
an electronic device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system and configured to receive data from the sensors when a task authorization message is received and authenticated as having been transmitted from a remote master device authorized to communicate in the monitoring system, wherein the task authorization message comprises information identifying at least a sensor from which to receive the data;
and wherein the electronic device authenticates and encrypts the received data prior to transmitting the received data to the remote master device via a first communication pathway, and wherein the electronic device is configured to confirm receipt of the transmitted data by the remote master device.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the electronic device transmits the received data to the remote master device via a second communication path if the electronic device does not confirm receipt of the data by the remote master device.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first communication pathway comprises a satellite network and wherein the second communication pathway comprises a local wireless network.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first communication pathway comprises a local wireless network and wherein the second communication pathway comprises a satellite network.