US20150256907A1 - Apparatus, system and method for monitoring a drying procedure - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method provide drying procedure information through a user interface. A monitoring device transmits drying procedure data measured by sensors within a structure undergoing the drying procedure to a server. In response to requests received through a communication network from a user interface, the server transmits the drying procedure information that is presented through the user interface. A variety of information and services related to the drying procedure may be provided through the user interface.

Description

RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
• This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/140,165, entitled APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING A DRYING PROCEDURE, filed on Jun. 16, 2008 which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/639,571, entitled APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING A DRYING PROCEDURE, filed on Dec. 15, 2006 which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/877,417 entitled APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING A DRYING PROCEDURE filed on Jun. 25, 2004, which are incorporated by reference in their entirety, herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The invention relates in general to drying procedures and more specifically to an apparatus, system and method for monitoring a drying procedure of a building structure.
• Systems and devices are used to dry the walls, floors, ceilings and other parts of the inside of a building such as a home or office after the building has been exposed to unusually high amounts of moisture or water. Undesired moisture and water may enter one or more rooms of the building through any of several ways. A fire sprinkler system may be activated in response to a fire, for example. Fire fighters often use water to control fires within a building. The building may be flooded due to high water levels that have risen in the surrounding area. In addition, pipes may burst or otherwise leak exposing the building to water and moisture. Conventional systems employ a variety of equipment to dry the interior of a building structure after exposure to water. Air movers such as electric fans are used to move moist air away from building structure components that are being dried such as wet floors, walls, or ceilings. If required, one or more dehumidifiers are used to extract moisture from the air. In some situations, heaters are used to increase the ambient temperature to increase evaporation and decrease drying time. The type of equipment, equipment settings, and drying times should be precisely determined, planned, and adjusted for a drying project.
• Conventional systems, however, have several limitations. For example, the drying procedure must be monitored by drying technicians that must visit the project site often. Occasionally, drying techniques must be adjusted for environmental changes such as changes in temperature and humidity. Further, building occupants may disturb equipment settings or position. For example, a home owner may unplug a fan or other equipment during the night because of noise. When visiting a project site, a technician must often reevaluate the conditions and may need to take measurements and physically inspect the site to determine the appropriate continued action to safely dry the building. Such requirements are expensive and result in relatively slow adjustments since no corrective measures can be taken until after a technician has visited the site. Also, third parties such as insurance companies are often interested in the reasons for adjustments, delays and variations in costs of the drying procedure. Due to conditions out of the control of the drying technician, a project may increase in cost giving the appearance of incompetence, or sometimes, the appearance of deceptive behavior to the third party.
• Accordingly, there is need for an apparatus, system, and method for monitoring a drying procedure of a building structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a drying procedure managing system in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a monitoring system in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention where the communication network includes at least a wireless communication system and an Internet.
• FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method of installing and using the monitoring device and system for monitoring a drying procedure at a building structure in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method performed by the monitoring device of monitoring the drying procedure of the building structure in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of performing a setup procedure.
• FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method performed by the server of monitoring the drying procedure in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of performing of receiving drying procedure data.
• FIG. 8 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of transmitting drying procedure information to the user interface.
• FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary user interface.
• FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a perspective view of a monitoring device in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the invention where the monitoring device includes a scanning mechanism.
• FIG. 11 is an illustration of a perspective sectional view of a building structure in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, drying procedure information based on drying procedure data is presented through a user interface. Sensors at a building structure that is undergoing a drying procedure provide at least a portion of the drying procedure data that is transmitted from the building structure through a communication network to a server. The server generates the drying procedure information based on the received drying procedure data and transmits the drying procedure information through a communication network to the user interface where it is presented to the user. The drying procedure information includes calculations, estimations, measurements, photographs, thermal images, graphs, tables, text, building structure renditions such as three dimensional virtual “walk-through” models, and other information related to the drying procedure performed at the building structure. In the exemplary embodiment, the user interface includes a personal computer connected to the server through the Internet where Web browser software running on the personal computer facilitates the exchanges of messages and information between the user and the server. The monitoring apparatus, system, and method allow monitoring of the drying procedure by any authorized user having access to the server.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a dryingprocedure monitoring system100 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention. Themonitoring system100 is implemented using any combination of devices, hardware, software and firmware that captures drying procedure data at adrying procedure site102 and presentsdrying procedure information116 based on the drying procedure data through aremote user interface104. Thedrying procedure information116 includes any combination of video, audio, and multimedia objects illustrating graphs, tables, images, photographs, interactive virtual models, numbers, and text that describe or otherwise relate to the drying procedure that is being performed, has been performed, or will be performed at abuilding structure106. Thedrying procedure information116 may include estimates, calculated values, and measured values based on the drying procedure data obtained at thebuilding structure106. Examples ofdrying procedure information116 include measured, estimated and calculated values related to drying times, equipment costs, labor costs, electrical power consumption, moisture levels, temperatures, humidity levels, air quality, evacuated water, locations of personnel, locations of equipment, locations of building structures, and locations of damaged structure areas. Further,drying procedure information116 may include photographs, digital images, thermal images, videos or other pictorial representations of thebuilding structure106 or damaged areas. Further, thedrying procedure information116 may include information regarding preferred equipment placement and the preferred status of windows and doors. Thedrying procedure information116, therefore, may convey the progress of the drying procedure, environmental conditions, operational characteristics of drying equipment, or any other information that may be useful to a user interested in the drying procedure.
• In the exemplary embodiment, themonitoring system100 is installed by the drying procedure technician within thebuilding structure106 to be dried by placing themonitoring device108 in a convenient location, typically near the center of a room to be dried, and by strategically placing one ormore sensors110 throughout the room. Themonitoring device108 receives data from thesensors110 and transmits corresponding data messages to aserver112 through acommunication network114. Theserver112 processes the data messages to determinedrying procedure information116 that can be displayed or otherwise presented to a user through auser interface104. As explained in further detail below, theuser interface104 includes a computer that is communicatively connected to theserver112 in the exemplary embodiment. With the appropriate authorization and authentication, a user accesses thedrying procedure information116 using web browser software running on the computer. Although thedrying procedure information116 may include “raw” data in some circumstances, thedrying procedure information116 is presented in a user friendly format such as a graphical, pictorial, or easily read textual presentation. In the exemplary embodiment, multiple views within a virtual “walk-through” model pictorially represent one or more rooms within thebuilding structure106 and show walls, ceilings, and floors with moisture levels represented as colored, shaded or crosshatched sections. In some circumstances, different colors may be used to represent different moisture levels.
• In the exemplary embodiment, the technician enters some of the drying procedure data through a user interface (not shown) of themonitoring device108. Examples of drying procedure data that can be entered by the technician include room dimensions and initial moisture measurements. In some circumstances the drying procedure data may be provided by a database or service. As discussed below for example, weather services may provide drying procedure data such as outdoor temperature and humidity levels. Information may obtained from a internet web site that provides weather related data such as temperature and humidity levels corresponding to particular geographical areas.
• Although asingle sensor110 may be used in some circumstances, a plurality ofsensors110 are strategically placed within thebuilding structure106 that is undergoing the drying procedure in the exemplary embodiment. Thesensors110 may includeperipheral sensors110 connected to themonitoring device108 and integral sensors (not shown) implemented as part of themonitoring device108. Theperipheral sensors110 may be positioned inside or outside the structure and are referred to herein as interior andexterior sensors110. Examples ofsuitable sensors110 include penetrating moisture sensors, non-penetrating moisture sensors, temperature sensors (thermometers), pressure sensors (barometers), electric current sensors, voltage sensors, power sensors, humidity sensors (hygrometers), mold detectors, air particle detectors, and airflow sensors. The number and types ofsensors110 installed at thebuilding structure106 depend on theparticular system100 implementation, the size of thebuilding structure106, the number and size of rooms within thebuilding structure106, the estimated volume of water that must be removed, the distribution of water within thebuilding structure106, the types of materials that are holding excess moisture, the available communication bandwidth, and other factors recognized by those skilled in the art based on these teachings. As discussed below, for example, a non-penetrating remote moisture sensor (scanning moisture sensor) continually scans the room including the ceiling, walls and floor in a second exemplary embodiment where themonitoring device108 includes a scanning mechanism.
• Themonitoring device108 receives the drying procedure data from thesensors110 and the technician, performs any required processing and buffering, and transmits the drying procedure data through thecommunication network114 to theserver112. Thecommunication network114 may be any combination of circuit switched, packet switched, analog, digital, wired and wireless communication equipment and infrastructure suitable for transmitting signals to theserver112. Thecommunication network114, therefore, may include one or more of the following: an Intranet, the Internet, a cellular communication system, a wireless data system, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a private telephone network, a satellite communication system, or point to point microwave system. In the exemplary embodiment, themonitoring device108 is connected to thecommunication network114 through a wireless link provided by thecommunication network114 which includes at least a wireless system and the Internet. Depending on the particular communication network, themonitoring device108 may send signals in accordance with a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), FCC 802.11 standards, a proprietary protocol or other types of communication protocols. An example of suitable wireless link between themonitoring device108 and thecommunication network114 is a wireless Internet link provided through a cellular service provider. The data message signals are routed to theserver112 based on an IP (Internet Protocol) address in the exemplary embodiment. Theserver112 deciphers the incoming signals to extract the appropriate data. The drying procedure data is processed to generate dryingprocedure information116 that can be displayed or otherwise presented through theuser interface104. In the exemplary embodiment, theuser interface104 is implemented with a Web browser application running on a computer connected to theserver112 through the Internet within thecommunication network114. By designating the appropriate IP address, a user can access theserver112 and view thedrying procedure information116. Additional security and authentication mechanisms may also be utilized in some circumstances.
• In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, therefore, drying procedure data measured by at least one sensor at the drying procedure site is transmitted by themonitoring device108 from the dryingprocedure site102 through thecommunication network114 to theserver112. Theserver112 generates dryingprocedure information116 based on the drying procedure data. The dryingprocedure information116 is presented through a user interface to a user, such as a home owner, contractor, or insurance company representative, to provide dryingprocedure information116 such as information related to estimated drying time, necessary equipment, moisture levels, changes in estimated drying times, changes in moisture levels and notice of secondary leaks. The exemplary embodiment of the invention is particularly useful in providing insurance representatives and insurance adjusters an accurate estimate of the required equipment, cost and time to complete the drying procedure before the drying procedure is started. Further, the insurance representative may monitor, in real-time, the drying procedure conveniently from a computer or other device connected to the Internet. Since estimates are produced by a predetermined calculation performed by the server in accordance with recommended practices, accidental as well as intentional inaccuracies of estimates are minimized. Further, if adjustments in the drying procedure are necessary, themonitoring system100 allows the changes to be verified and, in many circumstances, will indicate the reason for the change. For example, if a drying procedure estimate includes a drying time of three days and during the drying procedure it is determined that four days are required, the insurance representative can verify the need for the extra day by accessing thedrying procedure information116. Continuing with the example, themonitoring system110 may determine that the need for the extra day results from the disabling of a fan or a dehumidifier by detecting a relationship between the voltage and current used by the particular device. By providing information that can be evaluated by parties other than the drying technician, errors as well as fraudulent and unscrupulous behavior are minimized. Also, liability of inadequate drying procedures and costs associated with adjustments can be efficiently allocated. For example, if the structure owner interferes with the drying procedure by turning off noisy equipment, the costs of extra drying procedure time is billed directly to the structure owner rather than allocated to the insurance company or the contractor performing the procedure. A drying procedure history is maintained by storing drying procedure data in memory. The drying procedure history can be presented to the user as dryingprocedure information116 allowing the user to access the information for any number of reasons. Analysis of deviations from the expected results and documentation of deviation causes can be easily performed, stored and shared.
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a managingsystem100 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention where thecommunication network114 includes at least awireless communication system202 and anInternet204. The various functional blocks illustrated inFIG. 2 may be implemented in any number of analog or digital circuits, integrated circuits (ICs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), processors or other devices. Thecommunication network114 may include various systems, components and networks that are interconnected. In the exemplary embodiment, thecommunication network114 includes at least awireless communication system202 and theInternet204 which facilitate packet switched communication between themonitoring device108 and theserver112. Other communication infrastructure such as PSTN systems, electronic switches, routers, twisted pair wires, digital subscriber line (DSL) systems, telephone over cable television infrastructure and other systems and equipment may also be connected within thecommunication network114.
• Although asingle monitoring device108 is shown inFIG. 2, more than one monitoring device may108 be used in asingle building structure106 in some circumstances. In addition, asingle monitoring device108 may act a master device and may be in communication with one ormore monitoring device108 performing as slave devices. Any of several techniques may be used to network the master and slave devices including wireless links such as, cellular telephony, Bluetooth, two-way radio, or wired connections using cables.
• In the exemplary embodiment, theuser interfaces110 include a structure owner user interface (structure owner UI)206, a contractor user interface (contractor UI)208 and a third party user interface (third party UI)210 that are connected to theserver112 through theInternet204. Any number of user interfaces206-210 (collectively referred to as user interfaces104) may be used. Although other techniques may be used in some circumstances, the user interfaces206-210 are implemented using web browser software running on computers connected to theInternet204. Suitable examples of web browser software include Microsoft Explorer and Netscape Navigator applications. Suitable operating systems include Windows based systems as well as Macintosh based systems. Although thethird party UI210,contractor UI208 and thestructure owner UI206 may be identical except for their location, the dryinginformation116 accessible by a particular party may be displayed differently or may include less or more information than is accessible by other parties in some situations. For example, an insurance company representative may use athird party UI210 to access cost estimate information for a particular drying procedure. Using an identification (ID) and password, the insurance company representative logs onto theserver112 and enters the appropriate login information, such as a claim number, to access information for a particular drying procedure. A home owner accessing the same drying procedure project through astructure owner UI206 may have limited access to thedrying procedure information116. Some cost estimates, for example, may not be available since they may be considered to be confidential by the insurance company or the contractor. The home owner may only be authorized to access drying procedure associated with their property (102) in some circumstances. Further, the contractor may have additional authorization to provide control instructions to equipment or to themonitoring device108 where other users are restricted from changing the configuration of thesystem100 or equipment. The differences between the user interfaces206-210 in the exemplary embodiment, therefore, may be based on a difference of hardware and software or may only be based on the content that is presented in response to the particular authorization.
• The computer used for a user interface104 (206-210) includes at least an output device such as a video monitor or display and an input device such as a keyboard or computer mouse. Other types of input and output devices can be used in some circumstances. For example, the output device may include a speaker and the input device may include a microphone, a touch-screen, joystick, or a touch pad. In accordance with known techniques, the computer is connected to theInternet204. An example of a suitable connection includes establishing a communication link through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and modem connected to a communication infrastructure such as cable communication system or a PSTN. In some circumstances, other techniques can be used to establish a communication link with theserver112. Other suitable communication links include wireless communication links using WAP or WiFi connections and computer network connections such as Ethernet and token ring systems, for example.
• In the exemplary embodiment, thewireless communication system202 is a cellular telephone system with packet switched mobile data capability such as ARDIS, RAM, or CDPD services. As is known, these systems provide a communication data packet formed offline and a header and error correction that is added prior to transmission. A dedicated communication link, therefore, is not utilized in the exemplary embodiment. In some situations, a circuit switched dedicated communication link may be used. For example, a “dial-in” wireless internet communication service over the cellular telephone system can be used to for thewireless communication link220. Some wireless communication systems, for example, provide wireless internet access with the use of a wireless modem that can be connected to a laptop computer or personal digital assistant (PDA). The wireless communication systems may utilize any communication protocol and modulation such as, for example, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) in accordance with known techniques.
• Thewireless communication system202 forwards the data through the Internet, and possibly other communication networks, to theserver112. In some circumstances, a cellular voice channel may be used to transmit data to theserver112. In such a circumstance, themonitoring device108 establishes a cellular call with a modem connected to theserver112, either directly or through a network. The call can be terminated after data has been transferred and reestablished as needed or it may be maintained throughout the monitoring process.
• Themonitoring device108 includes at least acommunication interface212, adata interface214,memory216 and acontroller218. In the exemplary embodiment, themonitoring device108 includes other circuitry and equipment not illustrated inFIG. 2 such as, for example, power supply circuitry, connectors, housings and other mechanical and electrical components. Further, some of thesensors110 are implemented as part of themonitoring device108 in the exemplary embodiment. The various functional blocks of themonitoring device108 may be implemented in any combination of analog or digital circuits, integrated circuits (ICs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), processors or other devices. Software code running on thecontroller218 facilitates the exchange of signals and information between the various functional blocks of themonitoring device108 to perform the functions described herein as well as facilitating the overall functionality of themonitoring device108. Further, the functional blocks, or portions of the functional blocks may be implemented in other devices. Thecommunication interface212, for example, may be at least partially implemented within a cellular telephone or a single IC device may be used for thememory216 and thecontroller218. Therefore, the various functional blocks inFIG. 2 are presented for illustrative purposes and the described functions may be performed in any of several component configurations or circuitry as will be recognized by those skilled in the art by applying the teachings herein in accordance with known techniques.
• Thecommunication interface212 is any arrangement of hardware and software that facilitates communication through thecommunication link220 with thewireless communication system202. Thecommunication interface212 includes anantenna222 for transmitting and, in some circumstances, receiving radio frequency (RF) signals. Although thecommunication interface212 and thecontroller218 are illustrated as separate functional blocks, at least a portion of thecommunication interface212 can be implemented in thecontroller218. In the exemplary embodiment, the communication interface includes radio frequency (RF) circuitry such as amplifiers (not shown) and filters (not shown). Data received from the data interface214 is processed, modulated and transmitted through thewireless communication link220 in accordance with instructions received from thecontroller218. In the exemplary embodiment, thecommunication interface212 demodulates and processes signals received through thewireless communication link220 and forwards the demodulated signals to thecontroller218 or to thedata interface214. The received signals include control signals for configuring themonitoring device108 and, in some cases, thesensors110 and the drying equipment. An example of asuitable communication interface212 is a wireless modem.
• The data interface214 includes any combination of hardware, software, and firmware for receiving data from the plurality ofsensors110. In the exemplary embodiment, the data interface includes several sensor connectors accessible from the exterior of a housing of themonitoring device108. The data interface includes analog to digital (A/D) converters for converting analog voltage signals from the sensors to a digital format that can be interpreted by thecontroller218. In some circumstances, thesensors110 provide digital signals and the data interface forwards the data to thecontroller218 in a readable format. Accordingly, the connectors and interface protocols within themonitoring device108 are implemented in accordance with the types of devices that are intended to be connected.
• As discussed above, the plurality ofsensors110 include peripheral sensors and integral sensors, where some of the peripheral sensors include exterior sensors installed outside thebuilding structure106 and interior sensors installed within thebuilding structure106 but outside a housing of themonitoring device108. The peripheral sensors include sensors that provide either a digital or analog data signal that can be received by thedata interface214. Although theexternal sensors110 may be communicatively connected to the data interface214 using any of several techniques, theperipheral sensors110 sensors are connected to the data interface using cables in the exemplary embodiment. Other techniques for connecting theperipheral sensors110 include using wireless techniques such as infrared and radio frequency (RF) communication links. Bluetooth devices, for example, may be used to connect thesensors110 to the data interface214 in some circumstances.
• In the exemplary embodiment, theperipheral sensors110 include at least onepower sensor234, at least one penetratingmoisture sensor232 and at least onenon-penetrating moisture sensor230. Thepower sensor234 is any commercially available sensor that at least detects the presence of voltage and current flow through a wire when the sensor is placed near an insulated conductor. A suitable example of a power sensor includes a clamp-on power sensor with Hall Effect semiconductor devices that allow measurement of the magnetic field around the conductor. Thepower sensor234 measures a voltage level between two conductors as well as a measuring the current traveling through the conductors and thereby measuring power.
• The penetratingmoisture sensor232 provides a digital or analog signal indicating the moisture level in a material in which the penetrating moisture sensor is installed. An example of a suitable penetratingmoisture sensor232 includes a two-prong moisture sensor that provides a moisture level data based on the impedance between two probes inserted into the target material. The penetratingmoisture sensor232 is typically installed in materials that can be penetrated such as drywall, some types of wall coverings, and carpeting.
• Thenon-penetrating moisture sensor230 provides a digital or analog signal indicating the moisture level in a material that is not easily penetrated such as concrete, wood, stucco, and tile. An example of a suitablenon-penetrating moisture sensor230 includes a moisture sensor having a plurality of contacts that can be placed against the target surface. A moisture content of the target material is provided based on an impedance between the contacts.
• In the exemplary embodiment, the peripheral sensors include exterior sensors204-242 that are placed outside of the structure. The exterior sensors include at least ahumidity sensor240 such as a hygrometer and atemperature sensor242.
• Any number ofperipheral sensors110 can be used where the number and placement depends on several factors used by technicians in the field. Some examples of the factors that may be relevant in a particular drying procedure include the size of the room, the humidity, barometric pressure and temperature in the room, the location and distribution of moisture in the walls, ceiling and floor, and the number and distribution of drying devices within the room.
• In the exemplary embodiment, themonitoring device108 includes integral sensors including ahumidity sensor238, a temperature sensor (thermometer)228, and a GPS (Global Positioning System)receiver226. Other types of sensors can be used in some circumstances. As described below in further detail, for example, a remote moisture sensor, a distance sensor, and a digital camera are implemented as part of themonitoring device108 in the second exemplary embodiment of the invention that includes a scanning mechanism.
• Thehumidity sensors238,240 provide data signals indicating the relative humidity of the air. Any of several commercially available sensors that provide either an analog or digital output can be used. The data interface214 is configured to communicate with theparticular sensor238,240.
• Thetemperature sensors228,242 provide a digital or analog data signal indicating the temperature of the air. An example of a suitable temperature sensor includes a thermocouple where an analog voltage indicates the temperature. The data interface214 is configured and calibrated to communicate with thetemperature sensors228,242.
• Thecontroller218 is any processor, microprocessor, computer, or processor arrangement capable of running software for performing the functions described herein. Thecontroller218 communicates with thedata interface214, thecommunication interface212 and thememory216 such as an IC memory. Software code running on thecontroller218 enables the functions described herein as well as facilitating the overall operation of themonitoring device108.
• Amemory device216 facilitates storage of data, setting information, identification information and other data. At least a portion of thememory216 is non-volatile memory allowing data to be retained when power is unavailable.
• Aclock248 provides time and date information to thecontroller218. Theclock248 may be implemented as part of thecontroller218 in some circumstances.
• Auser interface246 provides a mechanism for the technician to exchange information with themonitoring device108. An example ofsuitable user interface246 includes a display and a keyboard. Othersuitable user interfaces246 include touch-screen displays and buttons as well as audio devices such as speakers and microphones. In some situations theuser interface246 may include mechanisms that allow theuser interface246 to be removed, locked or otherwise disabled to minimize tampering by unauthorized persons.
• In the exemplary embodiment, themonitoring device108 includes adata port244 for connecting the data interface214 to external equipment or possiblyother sensors110. Thedata port244 is a connector suitable for transferring a data signal or other information to thedata interface214. An example ofsuitable data port244 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector or data ports conforming to IEEE standards. The data interface214 includes the appropriate software and uses the protocols necessary to communicate using thedata port244.
• The various functional blocks described with reference toFIG. 2 may be integrated, arranged and implemented in any of several configurations. Several of the functional blocks may be implemented or may be commercially available as a single device. In some circumstances, for example, a laptop computer may be used to implement one or more of the functional blocks ofFIG. 2. Theuser interface246,controller218,memory216,clock248 as well as at least portions of thecommunication interface212 and the data interface214 may be implemented in the laptop computer.
• FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of using themonitoring device108 for performing a drying procedure. The particular method of using themonitoring device108 depends on several factors such as the particular number and types ofintegral sensors110 andperipheral sensors110, the preferred drying procedure and other factors such as the number of rooms in the structure and the autonomy provided to the technician. For example, in the exemplary method, the technician connects a digital camera (not shown) to the data port to upload images to theserver204. Where themonitoring device108 includes an integral camera (as in the second exemplary embodiment), the images may be captured and uploaded by themonitoring device108 without the technician's intervention. The following method for using themonitoring device108 provides an example and other methods may be used in some circumstances. Other drying procedures may omit or include additional steps. Further, the order of the steps may be changed depending on the particular situation.
• Atstep302, the technician initiates the procedure by providing authentication information to themonitoring device108. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician enters an identification code using theuser interface246. In accordance with known techniques, the technician “logs in”. Themonitoring device108 retrieves appropriate information and allows access based on the technician's information. In addition to establishing communication with theserver112, the initiation step launches a labor-time procedure which monitors and records labor hours for the particular technician. In some situations, structure location information is entered by the technician during the login procedure. In many situations, multiple technicians may login and logout at various times as they arrive at and depart from thedrying procedure location102. For example, where thebuilding structure106 has been flooded due to a plumbing leak, the first technician arriving at thebuilding structure106 will most likely be skilled as a plumber and will have expertise in detecting the source of the leak and repairing faulty plumbing. A drying procedure technician having expertise in proper drying procedures may arrive at a later time. The plumber may leave the location while the drying technician is still providing services. In this example, therefore, the plumber logs in, the drying technician logs in a short time later, the plumber logs out when the plumber's services are complete, and finally the drying technician logs out at time after the plumber has departed. Themonitoring device108 conveys the log in time and log out time of each technician allowing theserver112 to monitor and record the time spent at the drying location for each technician. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment, drying procedure data includes the login and logout times of the technicians.
• Atstep304, the technician captures digital images by taking pictures of the exterior of thebuilding structure106 as well as of the damage of the structure caused by the excessive moisture. As explained above, a plumber may arrive prior to the drying technician in order to repair the leak. In such a circumstance the plumber may take digital pictures of the leak area prior to the repair. Further, the drying technician may take digital pictures of the damaged area both prior to and after exposing hidden damage areas such as under carpeting and within walls and ceilings. Accordingly, step304 may be performed several times during the drying procedure by any number of technicians.
• Atstep306, the technician enters structure location information. The information may be added by typing the street address or by entering a location code that identifies theparticular structure306. In most situations, the first technician arriving at the structure will enter the street address into the monitoring device after logging in. In some situations, the information may be added by a later arriving technician after the first technician has logged in. This may be the case, for example, where a plumber arrives and may wish to avoid any interfacing with themonitoring device108 until the leak is repaired in order to minimize water damage. In some situations, themonitoring device108 compares the location information entered by the technician to the GPS data provided by theGPS receiver226 and indicates an error to the technician if the GPS data in not in accordance with the entered location information. In other situations, theserver112 may compare the GPS data to the location information entered by the technician.
• Atstep308, the digital images are uploaded to theserver112. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician connects the digital camera to thedata port244 of themonitoring device108 and follows an upload procedure. In some circumstances, themonitoring device108 detects the presence of the digital camera and the digital images are automatically uploaded without further technician intervention. In many circumstances, however, the technician chooses the appropriate images to upload by entering the appropriate commands through the user interface146. In the exemplary embodiment, GPS information associated with each photograph is uploaded with the digital images. Where GPS information is not available from the digital camera, the GPS data of theGPS receiver226 is associated with each of the digital images before transmitting the digital images to theserver112. Therefore, each digital image includes information identifying the digital image by geographical location in the exemplary embodiment.
• Atstep310, the technician enters buildingstructure106 dimensions. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician measures the length and height of walls within thebuilding structure106 to provide the necessary information for calculating the volume of areas within thestructure106. The dimensions are entered using theuser interface246. In some circumstances, the technician enters textual information such as the name of the room or other notes. For example, the technician may enter “BEDROOM 1—includes 18 inch by 24 inch skylight” to identify the room and provide additional information that may be useful for determining the optimum drying procedure. Further, polar directional information may also be entered to provide orientation information. For example, information may be entered to indicate that a wall is a north wall of thebuilding structure106. In the exemplary embodiment, thebuilding structure106 dimensions are also utilized to generate images representing the walls, floors, and ceiling of thebuilding structure106 for dryingprocedure information116 as well as for generating an interactivegraphical user interface246 for the technician to enter data.
• Atstep312, the water damage location and dimensions are entered into themonitoring device108. The water damage location and dimensions may include a textual description of the water damage such as “North wall of Master Bedroom 90 inches long, 12 inches high”. In some circumstances, the data is entered using curser to highlight water damaged areas on an illustration presented on the display of theuser interface246. The technician uses an input device such as mouse to click, drag, resize, and otherwise create a representation of the water damaged area. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician enters GPS coordinates to identify a particular damaged area. In some situations, the monitoring device may obtain some or all of the information related to the water damaged area through one ormore sensors110. For example, location information may include GPS coordinates and dimensions of the damaged area may be based on a photograph obtained with a camera.
• Atstep314, the technician installs theperipheral sensors110. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician places and positions theperipheral sensors110 in accordance with prudent moisture measuring techniques. Utilizing accepted standards for measuring moisture and at least partially relying on experience, the technician determines the most appropriate locations for theexternal sensors110. In some circumstances, theserver112 calculates the preferred locations of allsensors110 based on the data provided by technician and themonitoring device108. In such circumstances,sensor110 placement instructions are presented on a display of theuser interface246 to instruct the technician. An example of suitable format for presenting the sensor placement instructions includes an illustration of thebuilding structure110 indicating the appropriate locations for theexternal sensors110 using icons or other representations.
• Atstep316, the technician enters the location of theperipheral sensors110. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician uses a curser to indicatesensor110 locations on a three dimensional illustration of the structure presented on the display of theuser interface246. A computer mouse or other input device is used to move a curser and select positions on the illustration representing the locations of the external sensors. Each sensor is identified by an identifier such as a number. Eachexternal sensor110 is also identified by a particular cable or connector to which it is connected. For example, several connectors of themonitoring device108 may be numbered and the numbers identifying theperipheral sensors110 match the numbers of the connectors.
• Atstep318, the technician installs the drying equipment. Based on the information entered by the technician and other data obtained through themonitoring device108, theserver112 calculates the recommended drying equipment that should be installed and the recommended locations within thebuilding structure106 to position each piece of drying equipment. The technician applies prudent drying procedure practices to determine the appropriate locations and type of equipment and compares the information recommended by theserver112 to such a determination. In some situations, the actual drying equipment and locations chosen by the technician may differ from the recommended drying equipment type and placement. The reasons for using equipment other than the recommended equipment may be based on any number of factors such as the type of equipment immediately available to the technician, electrical power considerations, and technician preferences. Further, the technician may choose to place the drying equipment in locations other than the locations recommended by theserver112 do to prudent practices that are not considered by theserver112. Obstacles within the room limiting equipment placement, for example, may not be conveyed to theserver112 or may not otherwise be reflected in the building structure model representing thebuilding structure106.
• Atstep320, the technician enters the actual location and type of equipment installed in the structure. Where the server recommended equipment matches the actual equipment installed, the technician confirms the equipment installation. In situations where the installed drying equipment differs from the drying equipment recommended by the server, the technician enters information describing the drying equipment used and its location. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician uses theuser interface246 to indicate locations of the equipment on the structure model. An example of suitable method of entering the equipment type and location includes “click-and-dragging” icons representing different types of equipment to the locations within the three dimensional illustration representing thebuilding structure106. In some circumstances, only textual information is entered to indicate that certain equipment has been installed in a particular room within thebuilding structure106.
• Atstep322, the technician receives maintenance instructions indicating the recommended future actions to be taken. The instructions are presented though the display of theuser interface246 in the exemplary embodiment. The maintenance instructions may include textual information indicating any number of steps or measurements that are recommended or preferred. For example, the maintenance instructions may include a message such as “Return in 48 hours to confirm moisture level in North wall of Master Bedroom is less than 14% moisture.” Further, in some circumstances theserver112 may calculate an estimated drying time based on the moisture levels, building structure dimensions and installed equipment. Estimated drying time may be displayed to the technician allowing the technician to determine if the configuration of installed equipment should be modified.
• Atstep324, the technician removes all equipment. The technician obtains several moisture measurements to verify that the structure is adequately dry and enters the values into themonitoring device108 before turning off and removing all drying and monitoring equipment.
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method of monitoring a drying procedure performed at the dryingprocedure site102 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention. Although the monitoring method may be performed by any combination of hardware or devices, the method is performed by themonitoring device108 installed at the dryingprocedure site102 in the exemplary embodiment.
• Atstep402, the setup procedure is performed. During the setup procedure, themonitoring device108 performs initialization procedures, establishes a communication link with theserver112 and conveys setup data to theserver112. An exemplary method of performing the setup procedure is discussed below with reference toFIG. 5.
• Atstep404, sensor data is received from thesensors110. Data signals from theperipheral sensors110 andintegral sensors110 are received at thedata interface214. The data interface performs any required translations or conversions to convert the data signals into sensor data. Where the data signals are analog signals, for example, the data interface214 converts the analog signals into digital sensor data. Other processing may include translating a digital sensor signal into a different standard scale or range. The sensor data, therefore, includes digital values representing the various parameters measured by thesensors110 where the digital values meet a format readable by thecontroller218 in the exemplary embodiment.
• Atstep406, a data message is formed based on the sensor data. Thecontroller218 creates a data message based on the sensor data that conforms to a format that can be received by thecommunication interface212. The sensor data from any number ofsensors110 is included in a single data message. The particular format of the data message depends on the communication interface, the number ofsensors110, the particularwireless communication system202 and other factors that will readily be recognized by those skilled in the art based on these teachings as applied to known techniques.
• Atstep408, the data message is transmitted to theserver112. In the exemplary embodiment, thecommunication interface212 formats the data message in accordance with the protocol of thewireless communication system202 and transmits the message through theantenna222. Radio frequency circuitry adequately amplifies the data message and transmits the data message through thewireless communication channel220 to thewireless communication system202. The data message is conveyed through theInternet204 to theserver112. In some circumstances, thecommunication network114 may include only awired network114 as explained above.
• Atstep410, themonitoring device410 determines if the drying procedure is complete. If the drying procedure is complete the method continues atstep412. Otherwise, the method returns to step404 where new sensor data is received. The method continually cycles throughsteps404 to408 to provide theserver112 with sensor data during the drying process. In some circumstances, sensor data may be received and stored for a particular time period before the data message containing the stored data is transmitted to theserver112. Accordingly, some of the steps of the exemplary method may be repeated or performed in any of several orders.
• Atstep412, a shutdown procedure is performed. The shutdown procedure may include any number of tasks and may be omitted in some circumstances. In the exemplary embodiment, however, a final report is generated and displayed to the technician. The final report may include information such as the total water removed, total drying time, and total electrical power used during the drying procedure. Final instructions to the technician may also be presented in some situations. After all final instructions and reports have been displayed, themonitoring device108 terminates the communication link with theserver112 and powers down.
• FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of performing a setup procedure. The method described with reference toFIG. 5, therefore, provides an exemplary method of performingstep402 ofFIG. 4 discussed above.
• Atstep502, the initialization procedure is performed. In addition to start-up diagnostics and self test procedures, themonitoring device108 establishes a communication link through the communication network with theserver112 when themonitoring device108 is turned on. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a variety of inquiry messages and acknowledgement messages may be exchanged during the initialization procedure. An identifier that uniquely identifies theparticular monitoring device108 is conveyed to theserver112. GPS coordinates obtained from theGPS receiver226 and indicating the location of the monitoring device are transmitted to theserver112.
• Atstep504, a login procedure is performed. In the exemplary embodiment, themonitoring device108 forwards authorization information entered by the technician to theserver112. In response to technician input, a login screen is presented through theuser interface246. The technician enters authentication information such as an identification name and password. The authentication information is transmitted to theserver112 through thecommunication network114. Theserver112 compares the authentication information to stored authentication information and allows access to thesystem100 if the authentication information matches a valid record.
• Atstep506, the digital images are uploaded. In the exemplary embodiment, the software running on thecontroller218 and the data interface214 facilitates the upload process. Themonitoring device108 detects a digital camera connected to thedata port244 and initiates the process by communicating with the digital camera. The technician selects the digital images to upload using theuser interface246. The selected digital images are transmitted through thecommunication interface212 in the appropriate format through thecommunication network114 to theserver112. In the exemplary embodiment, the digital images include GPS coordinates associated with the digital image to indicate the location of the camera at the time the digital photograph was taken. Where the digital camera does not include a feature for including the GPS information, the GPS data provided by theGPS device226 in themonitoring device108 is associated with the digital images.
• At step508, the building structure dimensions are transmitted to thesever112. The technician enters the building structure dimensions using a dimension entry screen displayed through theuser interface246 in the exemplary embodiment. The dimension entry screen includes graphical tools for indicating relative position of walls of the structure. The heights and widths of walls are entered using the keyboard. The dimensions and relative positions of the walls in the structure are formatted and transmitted to theserver112 through thecommunication network114.
• Atstep510, the dimensions of water damaged areas are transmitted to theserver112. In the exemplary embodiment, the technician determines the dimensions of areas on walls, floors, and ceilings having higher than acceptable moisture content using a hand held moisture meter. The dimensions are entered using a water damage entry screen presented through theuser interface246. The water damage entry screen includes a perspective view illustration of thebuilding structure106. The technician, using an input device such a computer mouse, indicates the excessively wet areas on the illustrated walls, floors and ceilings. The information entered is transmitted to theserver112 through thecommunication network114.
• Atstep512, the recommended drying equipment information is received from theserver112. As explained below in further detail, theserver112 determines the drying equipment that will most efficiently dry thebuilding structure106 based on the data provided by the technician and based on recognized standard drying procedure protocol.
• Atstep514, the recommend drying equipment information is presented on the display of theuser interface246. In the exemplary embodiment, a listing of the recommend equipment and an illustration of thebuilding structure106 with icons representing the equipment are displayed.
• Atstep516, the installed equipment information entered by the technician is transmitted to theserver112. The installed equipment information describes the type and location of drying equipment that is actually installed in the structure. In some situations the technician verifies that the installed equipment information matches the recommended equipment information. Otherwise, the technician enters the installed equipment information through theuser interface246. The installed equipment information is formatted and transmitted to theserver112 through thecommunication network114.
• Atstep518, themonitoring device108 receives maintenance instructions from theserver112. In the exemplary embodiment, messages are transmitted from theserver112 to themonitoring device108 through thecommunication network114 in accordance with internet protocol. The messages are deciphered in accordance with known techniques and the teachings herein.
• Atstep520, the maintenance instructions are presented through theuser interface246. In the exemplary embodiment, the instructions are presented in text and provide information relating to the recommended procedure the technician should follow to complete the drying procedure.
• Any number of steps of the setup procedure may be performed during other times of drying procedure. For example, the login procedure atstep504 is performed at any time a drying technician arrives at the structure. Therefore, the method described with reference toFIG. 5 provides one example of a suitable method for performing the setup procedure. Other procedures for establishing communications, authenticating technicians and communicating with the technicians and themonitoring device108 and performing the setup procedure may be performed with other steps, techniques and methods.
• FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method of drying procedure monitoring performed at aserver112 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention. The drying procedure monitoring method may be performed by any combination of hardware, software, and firmware and may be performed by a single device or by multiple devices. In the exemplary embodiment the method is performed by software code running on theserver112 that includes a memory media and a processor that is configured to execute software code to perform the method described herein.
• Atstep602, the setup procedure is performed. Theserver112 exchanges data, and messages with themonitoring device108 through thecommunication network114 to perform initialization procedures, establish a communication link with theserver112 and receive setup data to theserver112. As discussed above, login procedures such as authentication and authorization are performed to identify drying procedure technicians. Further, setup data is received from themonitoring device108 and stored in memory where the setup data may include digital images of thebuilding structure106 and damaged areas, structure dimensions and layout, damage location and dimensions, initial moisture levels, structure identification such as a street address or GPS coordinates, and number and type of active sensors. Based on these teachings, those skilled in the art will recognize the other types of setup data that can be received and stored at theserver112 in some situations.
• Atstep604, theserver112 receives the drying procedure data. As discussed in further detail below with reference toFIG. 7, the server receives a data message including the drying procedure data in the exemplary embodiment. The drying procedure data may include any combination of character strings, numbers, symbols, values, or electronic files that represent one or more parameters, characterizations, identifiers, or descriptions related to the drying procedure performed at thebuilding structure106. Examples of drying procedure data include sensor measurements, technician entered data, environmental conditions at or near the structure location, and data generated by monitoringdevice108. In some circumstances, some information may be received from sources other than themonitoring device108. For example, temperature, humidity, and wind speed data may be obtained from weather service such as web site providing weather information. The information may be used to perform calculations where some data may not be available directly from the drying procedure site or may be used to supplement the information obtained from the site.
• Atstep606, dryingprocedure information116 based on the drying procedure data is transmitted to theuser interface104. As discussed in further detail below with reference toFIG. 8, the dryingprocedure information116 is transmitted to theuser interface104 through thecommunication network114 in response to a request received from theuser interface104 in the exemplary embodiment. Using the drying procedure data received from themonitoring device108, theserver112 creates thedrying procedure information116 by calculation or other processing and generates a message including thedrying procedure information116. The dryingprocedure information116 is presented through theuser interface104 and may include any combination of text, numbers, graphs, photographs, tables, multimedia, video, and audio.
• Atstep608, theserver112 determines if the drying procedure is complete. In the exemplary embodiment, theserver112 determines if moisture measurements within the structure meet the maximum allowable limits suggested by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration provided by the Water Damage Restoration Standard Task Force. If the moisture levels are below the suggested limits, theserver112 determines that the drying procedure is complete. If the drying procedure is complete, the method continues atstep610. Otherwise, the method returns to step604 to continue the monitoring process. Other methods may be used to determine if the drying procedure is complete. In some situations, for example, theserver112 may determine that the procedure is complete based on the time the drying equipment has been in operation and a maximum time limited entered by the technician.
• Atstep610, theserver112 transmits a message indicating that the drying equipment should be turned off. The message is transmitted through thecommunication network114 to themonitoring device108. The message is presented through the monitoringdevice user interface246.
• FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of receiving the drying procedure data. The steps discussed with reference toFIG. 7, therefore provide an exemplary method for performingstep604 ofFIG. 6.
• Atstep702, a data message is received through thecommunication network114. As discussed above, the data message is generated and transmitted in accordance with the protocol of thewireless communication system202 in the exemplary embodiment. The data message represents the drying procedure data acquired at thebuilding structure106 and may include representations of moisture levels, humidity, temperature, power, time, dimensions, GPS coordinates, or any other data related to a characterization, quantization, or description of the drying procedure. Further the data message may include data entered by technicians. An example of a suitable technique for receiving the data message includes receiving a HTTP message in accordance with Internet Protocol techniques communication through wireless communication network.
• Atstep704, the data message is deciphered to extract the drying procedure data. Theserver112 parses and processes the data message to obtain values, text, or other representations of the drying procedure data. In accordance with the particular message protocol, the values and other information are identified and extracted. Where the data message is an HTTP message, theserver112 utilizes well known IP and HTTP techniques to receive the drying procedure data.
• Atstep706, the drying procedure data is stored in memory. The values, text, and other representations of the drying procedure data are indexed and stored to retain the correlation with other parameters and values. For example, moisture levels measured by amoisture sensor230 are associated with theparticular moisture sensor230 and location within the structure. Each parameter or value representing drying procedure data may be correlated, cross-correlated, or associated with any number of other drying procedure data values.
• FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of transmitting drying procedure information to the user interface in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention. The method discussed with reference toFIG. 8, therefore, is an exemplary method of performingstep606 ofFIG. 6.
• Atstep802, a request is received from the user interface. In the exemplary embodiment, the request is an HTTP message submitted through a Web browser application running at theuser interface104. An example of a suitable technique for initiating the HTTP message includes entering commands through a keyboard or mouse. After logging-in, the user navigates to the appropriate web page and selects the desireddrying procedure information116 by, for example, clicking on a radio button representing the particulardrying procedure information116. An HTTP message is generated and transmitted to theserver112 in accordance with known techniques based on the particular selection. In some circumstances, the user may submit several messages prior to specifying particulardrying procedure information116. For example, the user may submit information identifying the particular drying procedure project, a specific location within thebuilding structure106 and other information before submitting a specific request for dryingprocedure information116 associated with the entered criteria. Further, the user may specify the preferred presentation format and may specify, for example, a text, tabular, or graphical and orientation of a graph and graph scale. The user interface pages and options are discussed in further detail below with reference toFIG. 11. The HTTP message defining the request for thedrying procedure information116 is transmitted in accordance with IP and HTTP protocol to theserver112 through thecommunication network114 and received by theserver112 in the exemplary embodiment.
• Atstep804, theserver112 retrieves drying procedure data values from memory. Based on the particular request received from theuser interface104, the appropriate values, parameters, text, symbols, and images are retrieved from non-volatile memory.
• Astep806, the dryingprocedure information116 is calculated using the retrieved drying procedure data. The complexity of the calculation and the number and types of drying procedure data that are used in the calculation depend on the particulardrying procedure information116 that is generated. In some circumstances, the calculation includes applying values to a mathematical formula. Examples of drying procedure information calculated using mathematical formulas include estimate total drying procedure cost, estimated equipment cost, estimated labor cost, accrued total drying procedure cost, accrued equipment cost, accrued labor cost, estimated drying time, accrued drying time, estimated drying procedure cost per gallon evacuated water, accrued drying procedure cost per gallon evacuated water, estimated power, and accrued power. In some circumstances, the drying procedure data is forwarded, reformatted or translated into dryingprocedure information116. For example, digital images or log files may be minimally processed to place the file or digital image in a condition to transmit to theuser interface104. Other examples include values or text that are forwarded to theuser interface104 with minimal manipulation such as moisture values, temperature values, start times, location descriptions and location coordinates for the structure and damaged areas and humidity values. The generation of the drying procedure information may require multiple data manipulation, calculation, estimation, and interpretation and may be performed by specific drying procedure information engines invoked by the monitoring process. For example, a three dimensional graphical representation of the structure may require one or more programs, subroutines, or other software code to generate information that can be interpreted by theuser interface104 to display the three dimensional representation. Models to allow a virtual “walk-through” by the user using theuser interface104 may require relatively extensive calculation and data manipulation to create the models and computer readable files representing those models. Accordingly, the dryingprocedure information116 generated from the drying procedure data may include any of numerous formats and may include a variety of information. The dryingprocedure information116 generated in the exemplary embodiment is discussed in further detail below. In some circumstances, calculations may be performed prior to a request received from theuser interface104 and the resulting values stored in memory for later retrieval.
• Atstep808, a message including thedrying procedure information116 is generated and transmitted to theuser interface104. In the exemplary embodiment, the message is generated and transmitted in accordance with a markup language compatible with the Internet. An example of a suitable markup language includes HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). Other types of formats and protocols can be used such as, for example, techniques in accordance XML (eXtensive Markup Language). The message is formatted to include thedrying procedure information116 and transmitted through the Internet to theuser interface104.
• In the exemplary embodiment, therefore, drying procedure data related to a drying procedure performed at abuilding structure106 is collected and transmitted by amonitoring device108 located at thebuilding structure106 through acommunication network114 to theserver112. Theserver112 stores the values, symbols, text and other drying procedure data in memory. A user that is logged into theserver112 accesses thedrying procedure information116 by navigating and submitting commands through a series of Web page using Web browser software running on theuser interface104. The dryingprocedure information116 may be displayed in a variety of formats and may include any of several calculated, forwarded, or otherwise generated values or images. The following includes a brief description of thedrying procedure information116 than may be generated in the exemplary embodiment. In some circumstances, information may be eliminated, added or combined to provide thedrying procedure information116.
• Digital Images.
• Digital images uploaded from themonitoring device108 are stored in an appropriate format. Examples of some of the numerous suitable formats include the TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), BMP (Bitmapped format), GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), PDF (Portable Document Format) and the PCX (Graphics File Format). The digital images may include photographs of the exterior and interior of thebuilding structure106 as well as photographs of damaged areas within thebuilding structure106. In the exemplary embodiment, the images are forwarded to theuser interface104 upon request and include superimposed indicia or other markings indicating identification, time, date and location information. For example, images of the water damaged areas within thebuilding structure106 include the structure address, GPS location, time and date the image was captured and room name. Other information, such as textual notes entered by the technician may also be displayed with the digital image in some circumstances.
• Specific Instantaneous Values.
• Current values and measurements such as indoor temperature, outdoor temperature, indoor humidity, outdoor humidity, moisture measurements of structure components, times, dates, GPS coordinates, current power consumption and other values transmitted to the112 server from themonitoring device108 are properly formatted and forward to theuser interface104. The specific instantaneous values, therefore, indicate in real time, or in near real time, the environmental and equipment conditions within thebuilding structure106.
• Estimated Values.
• Estimated values may include any of numerous values related to the drying procedure that are based on entered, measured, and stored parameters. The drying procedure data is used to calculate and determine an estimated rate, estimated total, and estimated daily values for drying time, water removal, total cost, labor cost, equipment cost, and consumed power in the exemplary embodiment. Those skilled in the art will recognize the other estimated values that may be generated based on known techniques as applied to the teachings herein.
• Resulting Values.
• The actual values resulting from the drying procedure are calculated from the drying procedure data and include resulting total, resulting daily total resulting daily average, and resulting rate for drying time, water removal, drying procedure cost, labor cost, equipment cost, and consumed power. In addition, a cost per gallon of removed water is calculated by dividing the total cost of the drying procedure by the total number of gallons removed from the structure or room. Other resulting values may be provided in some circumstances.
• Graphs and Tables.
• The values discussed above may be combined or related to provide any number of graphical or tabular presentations including line graphs (frequency polygon), a histograms (bar chart) and tables. Examples of other suitable graphical formats include pie charts and Venn diagrams. The visual presentations supported by the drying procedure monitoring procedure depend at least partially on the particular implementation, the anticipated needs of the users, cost, system bandwidth, processing power, and the types and number of sensors located at the structure. In the exemplary embodiment, bar graphs (histograms) showing the following relationships are selectable by the user: daily moisture levels for each moisture sensor; daily humidity levels relative to target humidity; daily labor costs; daily equipment costs, and daily total drying costs. Further, line graphs showing the following relationships are selectable by the user in the exemplary embodiment: interior temperature and specific humidity vs. time; and exterior temperature and specific humidity vs. time. Further, in implementations where an air quality sensor is installed, a graph showing the daily air quality is selectable by the user.
• Generated Graphical Representations.
• In the exemplary embodiment, the drying procedure data entered by the technician, as well as data collected by the sensors, are utilized to render a graphical representation of thebuilding structure106. The room dimensions and, in some cases, photographs, are used to generate a visual model representing a three dimensional virtual building structure accessible by the user through theuser interface104. The user navigates the model using a mouse, joystick, or other input device to engage in a virtual “walk-through” of thebuilding structure106. Moisture data is represented in the model using color or shading. For example, wet sections on wall, ceiling and floors having a moisture level higher than a maximum base level are represented as blue shapes on the virtual walls, ceilings and floors of the model. Where moisture sensor data is limited, approximations and interpolations are used to generate a blue shape representing a probable moisture pattern. In the exemplary embodiment, a virtual three-dimensional generation engine implemented in accordance with known techniques utilizes the building structure dimensions and moisture sensor measurements to create the virtual structure with moisture information.
• In addition to three dimensional models, two dimensional representations including maps and structure schematics are selectable by the user in the exemplary embodiment. Maps indicate the location, address, and GPS coordinates of thebuilding structure106. Further, each piece of drying equipment is tracked on a map and schematic using icons indicating their location. GPS data that is either entered by a technician or provided by a GPS device connected to the equipment is received from themonitoring device108 and used to position an icon when generating the map or schematic. Water damaged areas are also indicated on the schematic in the exemplary embodiment and may include textual notes entered by the technician.
• In the exemplary embodiment, the calculations discussed above are performed in accordance with known techniques and mathematical formulas and in accordance with the industry practices and guidelines. Such guidelines are presented in industry agencies reference guides such as the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration provided by the Water Damage Restoration Standard Task Force. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize the required equations, mathematical formulas, and techniques for determining and generatingdrying procedure information116 based on the teachings herein.
• Those skilled in the art will readily recognize the various modifications and combinations of the presentations discussed above and the techniques that can be applied to provide thedrying procedure information116 based on these teachings. Other navigation and presentation techniques and mechanisms can be applied to theuser interface104 in some circumstances. Hyper links, for example, may be implemented in some situations to provide the user with an efficient method of navigating through the numerous graphs, maps, schematics and other presentations. Further, the dryingprocedure information116 may be presented in other formats and may include an audio format in addition to or in place of any of the visual presentations discussed.
• As discussed above, theuser interface104 includes web browser software in communication with theserver112 through theInternet204 in the exemplary embodiment. In accordance with known techniques, web pages are received and displayed to the user in response to input entered through an input device such as a keyboard of mouse.
• FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary userinterface web page900 displayed through theuser interface104 and including dryingprocedure information116. In the exemplary embodiment, web browser software running on the personal computer of theuser interface104 receives and processes HTML messages to provide the userinterface web page900 to the home owner, insurance representative, drying procedure contractor or other user. The HTML messages result in images, graphs, tables, text, and other graphics to be displayed on a visual display such as a computer monitor. In some circumstances sounds may be presented through speakers based on the HTML messages. The blocks illustrated inFIG. 9 represent interactive and non-interactive images displayed by the web browser software. Each block, therefore, may represent text, graphics, images, hypertext links, buttons, or other features in accordance with known web browser techniques. The blocks as illustrated inFIG. 9 do not necessarily depict relative positions, sizes, or shapes of the items displayed and the visual display of the blocks may include a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and relative positions. Further, additional features may be included and the represented items may be omitted or modified depending on the particular implementation and situation.
• The userinterface web page900 includes at least drying procedure information which may be in any of several forms or formats as discussed above. In the exemplary embodiment, the drying procedure information is displayed in one of three formats based on the user's preference.Display options904 allow the user to select a line graph format (frequency polygon), a histogram format (bar chart) or a tabular format. Examples of other suitable formats include textual formats, word-processing and spreadsheet formats, audio formats and other graphical formats such as pies charts and Venn diagrams.
• The dryingprocedure information116 may depict the “raw” data entered by the technician or captured by thesensors110 or may depict a relationship within the drying procedure data. The dryingprocedure information116 may illustrate any of numerous relationships such as relationships between the various drying procedure data values and other drying procedure data values and relationships of the drying procedure data values over time. The user selects any of several relationships using thetool bar902 and, in the exemplary embodiment, may select dryingprocedure information116 illustrating relationships of original and calculated drying procedure data values over time and the relationships between the various original and calculated drying procedure data values. The particular drying procedure information presentations, graphs, and illustrations may convey any of numerous relationships and the particular options available to a user will depend on factors such as system resources, system provider preferences and user preferences. Those skilled in the art will recognize the various additional relationships and displays of dryingprocedure information116 based on these teachings and known techniques.
• The userinterface web page900 includesnavigation links908 in the exemplary embodiment. Examples of links that may be included on the userinterface web page900 include ahome link910, anarticle link912,user profile link914, andweather link916. The user may access the home page of the drying procedure service provider or other service provider by selecting thehome link910. Pages containing articles or other useful information and statistics are available by selecting thearticle link912. Theweather link916 provides a connection to an online weather service. Further, when the user selects theuser profile link914, the user is directed to a user profile page where administrative and other user specific preferences may be selected or modified. The user, for example, may change authentication information such as a password using the user profile page.
• Further, the userinterface web page900 may include one ormore advertisements906 in some circumstances. Theadvertisements906 presents targeted drying procedure related advertising to individuals interested in drying procedure products and services.Advertisements906 may not be appropriate in all implementations and, where included, may allow the drying procedure service provider to derive additional revenue. One or more of the sections with theuser interface900 may not be available to some users. For example, advertising targeted to drying procedure technicians and professionals may only be available to contractor users and not to home owners or insurance representatives.
• The exemplary userinterface web page900 may be one of several user interface pages depending on the particular implementation where each page may include particular information or interactive screens for exchanging information with theserver112. Some or all of the objects discussed with reference toFIG. 9 may be omitted in other pages or additional objects may be included. The particular configuration of the user interface pages therefore, will vary with the particular needs of the service providers and users.
• FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a perspective view of amonitoring device1000 in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the invention that includes ascanning mechanism1002. Although themonitoring device1000 may include only integral sensors, a plurality ofconnectors1004 allows connection toexternal sensors110 in the second exemplary embodiment. Themonitoring device1000 may be implemented over several devices, hardware and software. In the exemplary embodiment, however, the monitoring device10000 is implemented in a single unit having ahousing1006,several connectors1002, a non-penetrating moisture sensor (scanning moisture sensor)1008, adistance sensor1010, and adigital camera1012. Thescanning moisture sensor1008, thedistance sensor1010 and thedigital camera1012 form a scanning assembly1022 and are mounted on arotating arm1014. Therotating arm1014 is activated by a motorized mechanism that is controlled by thecontroller218 and allows thearm1014 to rotate a full 360 degrees. Therotating arm1014 includes anelbow1016 allowing anangle1018 of the arm to be adjusted from a few degrees to 180 degrees from arotating axle1020. At an angle of 180 degrees, thescanning sensors1008,1010,1012 are positioned to point at the ceiling directly above themonitoring device1000 when themonitoring device1000 is placed on the floor.
• In the second exemplary embodiment, the non-penetratingremote moisture sensor1008 is a thermal scanning device that remotely identifies temperature differences. Thermal scanners provide a representation of temperatures on a surface of an object that can be correlated to moisture content of the object. Accordingly, an image representing the moisture content of wall, ceiling or floor can be obtained by scanning the target area with the thermal scanning device.
• The motorized mechanism is any hardware, device, or arrangement of devices that moves the scanning assembly1022 in the intended pan and tilt directions. Any of variety of mechanisms can be used in accordance with known techniques. For example, the motorized mechanism may be implemented in accordance with surveillance camera mechanism techniques.
• In the second exemplary embodiment, themonitoring device1000 performs monitoring functions as described with reference to the first exemplary embodiment. In some circumstances, themonitoring device1000 may be integrated with other equipment such as drying equipment. Themonitoring device1000 may be housed within thesame housing1006 as a dehumidifier or may be detachably connected to a dehumidifier adapted to accept and connect to themonitoring device1000. Further, themonitoring device1000 may comprise several modules that are communicatively coupled through wired or wireless communication links. For example, themonitoring device1000 may include a laptop computer and a wireless modem, where the laptop computer includes thecontroller218, thedata interface214, and theuser interface246 and where the wireless modem includes thecommunication interface212. At least one sensor is connected to the laptop through a serial port, Universal Serial Bus (USB) port or other connector. Software running on the laptop facilitates the functions of thecontroller218 as described herein. Another example includes having a detachable module connected to a main housing where the detachable module includes theuser interface246. Other variations and combinations will readily occur to those skilled in the art based on these teachings and known techniques.
• FIG. 11 is an illustration of a cross sectional perspective view of a room withinstructure106 with themonitoring device100 installed prior to the installation of drying equipment. An exemplary configuration is shown inFIG. 11 where severalperipheral sensors110 are connected to the monitoring device through cables. Themonitoring device1000 continually scans the room to obtain temperature and moisture measurements. Digital images of thebuilding structure106 are initially obtained and at periodic intervals during the drying procedure. Thedistance sensor1010 obtains room dimensions during the set up procedure.
• The exemplary embodiments, therefore, provide a system, apparatus and method for monitoring a drying procedure of abuilding structure106. Dryingprocedure information116 is accessed by users through the Internet using web browser software running on a personal computer or other workstation. Thesystem100 allows insurance providers to efficiently monitor the drying procedure of water damage claims where the contractor has installed thesystem100 and provided access to the insurance providers. The use of proper drying procedures can be verified by home owners, insurance provider personnel and contractors. Thesystem100 can be integrated into a comprehensive water damage reconstruction program where damage claims are easily adjusted and approved. Unscrupulous and fraudulent practices are minimized while restoration guidelines can be easily followed and verified. Damage from excessive drying is minimized. Further, complications resulting from under drying such as mold and fungus growth are also minimized. Contractors may track equipment and employees further minimizing inefficient use of resources and loss or theft of equipment.
• Clearly, other embodiments and modifications of this invention will occur readily to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of these teachings. The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. This invention is to be limited only by the following claims, which include all such embodiments and modifications when viewed in conjunction with the above specification and accompanying drawings. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.

Claims (21)

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:

a moisture sensor;

a data interface connected to the moisture sensor and configured to obtain, using the moisture sensor, a moisture measurement of a building material forming a portion of a building structure; and

communication interface circuitry connected to the data interface and configured to provide, to a cellular telephone, information indicative of the moisture measurement for transmission of the information by the cellular telephone through a cellular network.

2. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the information comprises a digital image indicative of the moisture measurement.

3. The device ofclaim 2, wherein the communication interface circuitry is further configured to provide the cellular telephone with a photograph captured at the building structure.

4. The device ofclaim 2, wherein the data interface is further configured to send the digital image to a visual display of a user interface for displaying the information on the visual display.

5. The device ofclaim 3, wherein the information comprises a time stamp.

6. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the data interface is further configured to send the information to a visual display of a user interface for displaying the information on the visual display.

7. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the communication interface circuitry is configured to provide the cellular telephone with information indicative of the moisture measurement for transmission of the information by the cellular telephone through a cellular network to a server.

8. A device comprising:

a moisture sensor; and

a data interface connected to the moisture sensor and configured to obtain a moisture measurement of a building material forming a portion of a building structure using the moisture sensor, the device forming an apparatus for transmitting information indicative of the moisture measurement when connected to a cellular telephone such that the apparatus, in response to instructions from a controller, transmits the information from the cellular telephone through a cellular network.

9. The device ofclaim 8, wherein the information comprises a digital image indicative of the moisture measurement.

10. The device ofclaim 9, wherein the communication interface circuitry is further configured to provide the cellular telephone with a photograph captured at the building structure.

11. The device ofclaim 9, wherein the data interface is further configured to send the digital image to a visual display of a user interface for displaying the information on the visual display.

12. The device ofclaim 10, wherein the information comprises a time stamp.

13. The device ofclaim 8, wherein the data interface is further configured to send the information to a visual display of a user interface for displaying the information on the visual display.

14. The device ofclaim 8, wherein the apparatus transmits the information from the cellular telephone through the cellular network to a server.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, from a moisture sensor, moisture measurement data of a building material forming a portion of a building structure; and

transmitting information indicative of the moisture measurement data through a cellular telephone.

16. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the information comprises a digital image indicative of the moisture measurement.

17. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising:

transmitting a photograph captured at the building structure through the cellular telephone.

18. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising:

capturing the photograph at the building structure.

19. The method ofclaim 18, further comprising sending the digital image to a visual display of a user interface for displaying the information on the visual display.

20. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the information comprises a time stamp.

21. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising:

generating a data message comprising the information; and

transmitting the data message through a cellular network to a server.

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