Remote tower monitoring
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and circuits configured to monitor the displacement of a tower, report the monitored displacement via a networked connection, and determine that the tower is in a non-optimal state. By providing the aspects disclosed herein, an operator of a tower may optimize the tower's function, and potentially prevent the tower from breaking at an earlier stage.
1. A circuit for monitoring a tower, comprising:
a microcontroller circuit configured to control other elements of the circuit, including:
a communications circuit configured to receive a polling signal from a remote location over a network, and to transmit an indication of a sensed parameter being outside a predetermined threshold;
a sensor interfacer circuit configured to receive the sensed parameter from a sensor provided on the tower and to apply at least one correction parameter associated with a height of the sensor on the tower to the sensed parameter using a formulaic algorithm to determine whether the sensed parameter is outside the predetermined threshold,
a case for enclosing the circuit,
wherein the case is attached to a portion of the tower that extends in a perpendicular direction from a surface of the earth on which the tower is installed on, and
the sensed parameter being defined as a movement of only the tower.
2. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor interface is further configured to receive a plurality of sensed parameters from a plurality of sensors provided on the tower and located at different heights on the tower.
3. The circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a backup power circuit.
4. The circuit according to claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of sensors is from a list comprising: an accelerometer, a microphone, and a gyroscope.
5. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein a weather proof casing is provided.
6. The circuit according to claim 1 , further being provided on multiple towers, and monitored via a centralized server.
7. The circuit according to claim 6 , wherein the centralized server, is situated in a location remote to the multiple towers, and is configured to provide a notification based on the sensed parameter being outside the predetermined threshold.
8. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the case is provided with bonding hardware.
9. The circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the bonding hardware is defined as solid conductor.
10. The circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the bonding hardware is defined as a braided conductor.
11. The circuit according to claim 4 , wherein at least two of the plurality of sensors are employed to determine a failure.
12. The circuit according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined threshold is selected based on a value corresponding to a non-failure state of the tower.
13. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the sensed parameter is a change in rotation of only the tower.
14. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the sensed parameter is adjusted based on an environmental condition in a context in which the tower is installed.
15. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the sensed parameter is a change in displacement of only the tower.
16. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the sensed parameter is a change in displacement and rotation of only the tower.
17. The circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller circuit is further configured to correlate the sensed parameter with weather data.