Remote data monitoring and collection system with multi-tiered analysis

1. A multi-tiered data collection system for use with a remote server, the system comprising:

a data input source;

a transceiver assembly comprising a memory, a controller and a wireless transceiver, the transceiver assembly being communicatively coupled to the data input source and configured to:

receive data from the data input source;

store the received data in the memory (“more detailed data”);

at a preset duty cycle, send a subset of the received data (“less detailed data”), via the wireless transceiver, to the remote server, wherein the less detailed data sent to the remote server is characterized by at least one of: a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, and having been received from a different set of the sensors than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period; and

responsive to a signal from the remote server fetch at least a portion of the more detailed data from the memory and send the fetched more detailed data to the remote server;

wherein the remote server is configured to:

receive the less detailed data sent by the transceiver assembly;

analyze the received less detailed data for an indication of an anomaly;

if the anomaly is indicated, send the signal to the transceiver assembly;

receive the more detailed data sent by the transceiver assembly; and

analyze the received more detailed data to verify the indicated anomaly.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the less detailed data sent to the remote server is characterized by a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period.

3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the remote server is configured to:

automatically analyze the received less detailed data for an indication of an anomaly; and

if the anomaly is indicated, automatically send the signal to the transceiver assembly.

4. A system according to claim 3 , wherein the remote server is further configured to:

automatically analyze the received more detailed data to verify the indicated anomaly.

5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises an earthquake.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises a tsunami.

7. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises an unsafe condition within at least one of a gas well, an oil well and a mine.

8. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises severe weather.

9. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises an unsafe mechanical condition in a structural member of a construct.

10. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises failure of a structural member of a construct.

11. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises an unsafe condition within a geological structure.

12. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises a nuclear radiation level that exceeds a predetermined value.

13. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises an explosion.

14. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the anomaly comprises a decompression.

15. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a cellular telephone.

16. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cellular telephone configured to be communicatively coupled to a wireless carrier network and to:

receive the data sent by the transceiver assembly via the wireless transceiver; and

send the received data via the wireless carrier network to the remote server.

17. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising an application program configured to be executed by a cellular telephone configured to be communicatively coupled to a wireless carrier network, the application program being configured to:

receive the data sent by the transceiver assembly via the wireless transceiver; and

send the received data via the wireless carrier network to the remote server.

18. A system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the remote server is configured to:

accept, through a first user interface, a user-specified data collection parameter; and in response to accepting the user-specified data collection parameter, send the data collection parameter to the transceiver assembly; and

the transceiver assembly is configured to:

receive the data collection parameter; and

in response to receipt of the data collection parameter, change at least one of the resolution and sampling rate of the less detailed data thereafter sent to the remote server.

19. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the remote server is configured to:

generate a first display, in a first user interface, from the less detailed data received from the transceiver assembly;

in response to a user input, generate a second display, in the first user interface, from at least a portion of the more detailed data received from the transceiver assembly and corresponding to a time associated with the data displayed in the first display.

20. A system according to claim 19 , wherein the remote server is further configured, in response to the user input, to send the signal to the transceiver assembly.

21. A multi-tiered data collection system for use with a remote server, the system comprising:

a data input source;

a transceiver assembly comprising a memory, a controller and a wireless transceiver, the transceiver assembly being communicatively coupled to the digital data input source and configured to:

receive data from the data input source;

store the received data in the memory (“more detailed data”);

send a subset of the received data (“less detailed data”), via the wireless transceiver, to the remote server, wherein the less detailed data sent to the remote server is characterized by at least one of: a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, and having been received from a different set of the sensors than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period; and

responsive to a signal from the remote server based on an analysis by the remote server of the less detailed data indicating an anomaly in the results of the analysis, fetch at least a portion of the more detailed data from the memory and send the fetched more detailed data to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to:

analyze the less detailed data according to a first analytic technique; and

analyze the more detailed data according to a second analytic technique;

wherein the second analytic technique has a higher specificity for the anomaly than the first analytic technique.

22. A multi-tiered data collection system for use with a remote server, the system comprising:

a digital data input source;

a transceiver assembly comprising a memory, a controller and a wireless transceiver, the transceiver assembly being communicatively coupled to the digital data input source and configured to:

receive data from the digital data input source;

store the received data in the memory (“more detailed data”);

send a subset of the received data (“less detailed data”), via the wireless transceiver, to the remote server, wherein the less detailed data sent to the remote server is characterized by at least one of: a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, and having been received from a different set of the sensors than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period; and

responsive to a signal from the remote server based on an analysis by the remote server of the less detailed data indicating an anomaly in the results of the analysis, fetch at least a portion of the more detailed data from the memory and send the fetched more detailed data to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to:

display a first user interface configured to accept at least one user-specified criterion; and

automatically analyze the received more detailed data to verify the indicated anomaly, based on at least a portion of the more detailed data meeting the user-specified criterion.

23. A multi-tiered method for remote monitoring of data, the method comprising:

receiving data;

storing the received data in a memory (“more detailed data”);

at a preset duty cycle, sending a subset of the received data (“less detailed data”) to a remote server wirelessly, wherein the less detailed data sent to the remote server is characterized by at least one of: a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, and having been received from a different set of the sensors than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period; and

responsive to a signal from the remote server based on an analysis by the remote server of the less detailed data indicating an anomaly in the results of the analysis, fetching at least a portion of the more detailed data from the memory and sending the fetched more detailed data to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to verify the anomaly by analyzing the more detailed data.

24. A method according to claim 23 , wherein the less detailed data sent to the remote server is characterized by a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period.

25. A method according to claim 23 , further comprising:

receiving, at the remote server, the less detailed data;

automatically analyzing, at the remote server, the received less detailed data for an indication of an anomaly; and

if the anomaly is indicated, automatically sending the signal.

26. A method according to claim 25 , further comprising:

receiving, by the remote server, the more detailed data; and

automatically analyzing, at the remote server, the received more detailed data to verify the indicated anomaly.

27. A multi-tiered method for remote monitoring of data, the method comprising:

receiving data;

storing the received data in a memory (“more detailed data”);

wirelessly sending a subset of the received data (“less detailed data”) to a remote server, wherein the less detailed data sent to the remote server is characterized by at least one of: a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, and having been received from a different set of the sensors than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period; and

responsive to a signal from the remote server based on an analysis by the remote server of the less detailed data indicating an anomaly in the results of the analysis, fetching at least a portion of the more detailed data from the memory and sending the fetched more detailed data to the remote server, wherein:

analyzing the less detailed data comprises analyzing the less detailed data according to a first analytic technique;

analyzing the more detailed data comprises analyzing the more detailed data according to a second analytic technique; and

the second analytic technique has a higher specificity for the anomaly than the first analytic technique.

28. A multi-tiered data collection system for use with a remote server, the system comprising:

a digital data input source;

a transmitter assembly comprising a memory, a controller and a wireless transmitter, the transmitter assembly being communicatively coupled to the digital data input source and configured to:

receive data from the digital input source;

store the received data in the memory (“more detailed data”);

at a preset duty cycle transmit a subset of the received data (“less detailed data”) to the remote server, wherein the less detailed data is characterized by at least one of: a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, and having been received from a different set of the sensors than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period; and

responsive to a signal from the remote server based on an analysis by the remote server of the less detailed data indicating an anomaly in the results of the analysis, automatically fetch at least a portion of the more detailed data from the memory and send the fetched more detailed data to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to analyze the more detailed data to verify the indicated anomaly.

29. A system according to claim 28 , wherein the less detailed data is characterized by a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period.

30. A system according to claim 28 , wherein the remote server is configured to:

receive the more detailed data; and

automatically analyze the received more detailed data to verify the indicated anomaly.

31. A multi-tiered data collection system for use with a remote server, the system comprising:

a digital data input source;

a transmitter assembly comprising a memory, a controller and a wireless transmitter, the transmitter assembly being communicatively coupled to the digital data input source and configured to:

receive data from the digital input source;

store the received data in the memory (“more detailed data”);

automatically analyze a subset of the received data (“less detailed data”) for an indication of an anomaly, wherein the less detailed data is characterized by at least one of: a lower resolution than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, a lower sampling rate than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period, and having been received from a different set of the sensors than the more detailed data stored in the memory for a corresponding time period; and

if the anomaly is indicated, automatically fetch at least a portion of the more detailed data from the memory and send the fetched more detailed data to the remote server, wherein:

the transmitter assembly is configured to analyze the less detailed data according to a first analytic technique; and

the remote server is configured to analyze the more detailed data according to a second analytic technique;

and wherein the second analytic technique has a higher specificity for the anomaly than the first analytic technique.