The invention relates to a method and a monitoring system for wireless controlling of functioning of a stock of equipment according to the preambles of the independent claims related thereto.

The intention of this invention is particularly to monitor the functioning of one or more actuators, such as a motor, a valve, a switch, a relay and/or the like, existing in a stock of equipment and being based on a galvanic connection in an electric circuit, such as utilizing, enabling or switching off electric current, by monitoring the status thereof wirelessly.

On the marked today there are monitoring systems based on radio frequency that are suitable for the above mentioned purpose of use, which consist of a moni- toring device equipped with an RFID-transponder in connection with each actuator to be monitored and a central processing unit monitoring the RFID-functionings and one or more RFID-base stations coupled therewith through an at least data trans- mitting connection.

RFID-transponders consist at least of a microcircuit for storing electronic information in a memory therein and for processing the information by a microprocessor, programmable logic and/or the like therein for processing external radio signals entering the RFID-transponder and signals departing therefrom and for generating operating current required by the functionings of the RFID-transponder, and an antenna for receiving and sending radio signals. There are also RFID-transponders in use that are equipped with a tamper-detect-facility that is meant for indicating of incorrect use of an actuator being in connection with the RFID-transponder.

The biggest problem in the monitoring systems being used today is first of all that that the RFID-transponders used therein are active by the operating principle thereof, which means that the functioning thereof is based on accumulators or batteries supplying power thereto. This causes many kinds of problems in practice, because, first of all, the lifetime of batteries may vary significantly, which is why the service and maintenance of a monitoring system based on the use of batteries requires periodical and replacement of batteries or charging of accumulators taking place with sufficiently short intervals . Especially in monitoring and measuring applications, wireless data transmission technologies, such as ISM-radio links, Bluetooth-, ANT+-, WiFi- and ZigBee- as well as infrared-connections are typically used. All the above require a source of energy, such as a battery or an accumulator, in order to operate, wherein, depending on the technique, they may use a lot or energy with respect to the resources of the target of use. Before long even the applications that need very little energy use up any non-fixed energy source, due to which the energy source has to be replaced or charged.

What has been said before restricts the use of active RFID-transponders especially in applications, in which: - there are multiple, possibly even hundreds of measuring points in one and the same space,

- there is no way to get access to the RFID-measuring device any more after installation thereof e.g. without disassembling the structures,

- cabling of current supply is impossible due to arduousness, expenses or quantity thereof,

- single power sources, such as accumulators, batteries or supercapacitors are insufficient with respect to the required operating frequency and operating time.

Traditional RFID-transponders along with their mi- crocircuits and antennas are installed on a substrate, such as a plastic film or a paper sticker, and surrounded from all over with a protective layer, which is why it is not possible to get into physical contact with the microcircuit of this type of an RFID-transponder . Instead, there is on the market today also an integrated RFID-circuit , marketed e.g. with the trade name EM4325, which is packed in a traditional surface mount box. This type of solution may be furnished on a traditional circuit board along with a desired type of antenna, enabling furthermore a physical connection with the signal processing and internal functioning of the RFID-circuit.

The most important characteristic of the above mentioned integrated RFID-circuit is the tamper detect -facility utilized therein and especially the possibility for a physical connection with the facility in question. The tamper detect -function is traditionally meant to be utilized in subjects of use, in which it is important to be able to recognize in case e.g. some of the devices having an RFID-circuit have been tried to be opened unauthorized or the functioning of the RFID-transponder has been tried to manipulate otherwise. The tamper detect -facility is typically carried out with a mechanical structure, such as a metallized tape or film that conducts electricity and that gets broken beyond repair, if e.g a housing containing the RFID-detector is opened. The tamper detect -facility is therefore in traditional solutions used in a nonrecurring manner, because the purpose of the facility is only to inform the software reading the RFID-detector that the detector and the housing or device surrounding the same are no more reliable.

It is an aim of the method and monitoring system according to the present invention to achieve a decisive improvement in the problems described above and thus to raise essentially the level of prior art prevailing in the field. In order to carry out this aim, the method and the monitoring system according to the invention are mainly characterized by what has been presented in the characterizing parts of the independent claims related thereto.

As the most important advantages of the method according to the invention may be mentioned simplicity and efficiency of the device configuration applicable for the same as well as use thereof, wherein wireless remote monitoring may be carried out with a monitoring system that can be put together with very affordable costs. The simplicity and efficiency of the invention is based on the tamper detect -facility of the RFID-transponder being utilized therein, the facility being connected e.g. to a point information of a galvanic circuit, such as e.g. a relay or a switch, in a target being monitored, the status of which may therefore be monitored continuously with a frequency suitable for the purpose. When the monitoring frequency is high, monitoring the change of status takes place almost in real time, which makes possible utilization of the invention also is applications wherein short reaction time is a critical requirement.

When advantageously utilizing in the monitoring system monitoring devices based on passive RFID-transponders that do not need an energy source in order to operate, the invention makes possible flexible placement of the RFlD-monitoring devices also in places where it is either hard, impossible or unnecessary to get in touch with after assembly, but from which it is, however, vital to get continuous measuring or status information.

As a furthermore advantageous embodiment, thanks to an integrated RFID-circuit, such as e.g. EM4325 or the like IC-component being utilized in the invention, it is also possible to monitor temperatures in a process with a temperature sensor integrated in the said circuit, which for its part furthermore widens the possibilities for utilization of the monitoring system according to the invention.

As a significant advantage with respect to other wireless technologies is furthermore the natural scaling ability of the RFID. An RFlD-system is able to scale seamlessly from one measuring point to tens of thousands. It is therefore possible to connect multiple RFID-base stations to look like one in a software-based manner, wherein e.g. a whole building with measuring points can be easily read without the need for any additional measures regarding the software handling the process. E.g. in Bluetooth- and ZigBee-technologies this is not as straightforward.

In the monitoring system according to the invention, a central processing unit reading the status information of the monitoring devices equipped with the RFID-detectors keeps track on all the measuring points being monitored with the monitoring devices in the coverage area of the RFID-base station at any given time. Thus, the RFID-technology serves therefore as a part of its normal operation a possibility to include even hundreds of detectors in a small area, the status of which may be read when needed e.g. 100-300 times a second depending on the base station. The monitoring system according to the invention is therefore suitable to be used even in very large entireties.

What is the most important, when utilizing passive RFID-detectors, is the fact that it is possible to completely avoid problems related to non-functional or expiring batteries, as each of the RFID-sensors operate on power received from an external radio signal being directed thereto in the scanning.

Other advantageous embodiments of the method and monitoring system according to the invention have been presented in the dependent claims related thereto.

In the following description, the invention is being illustrated in detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which: in figure 1

is shown the basic operating principle of a monitoring system operating according to the method according to the invention, in figure 2

is shown an advantageous integrated RFID-circuit utilized in the monitoring system being carried out according the method according to the invention, in figure 3

is shown as a perspective view one typical subject of use of the method and monitoring system according to the invention, in figure 4

is shown as a perspective view an advantageous circuit board embodiment according to the invention, and in figure 5

is shown an exemplary scanning logic of the monitoring system.

The invention relates first of all to a method for wireless controlling of functioning of a stock of equipment, wherein the intention is particularly to monitor the functioning of one or more actuators 1, such as a motor, a valve, a switch, a relay and/or the like, existing in the stock of equipment and being based on a galvanic connection in an electric circuit, such as utilizing, enabling or switching off electric current, by monitoring the status thereof wirelessly. In the monitoring a radio-frequency operated moni- toring system is being used, which consists of: one or more monitoring devices 2 being provided with a RFID-transponder 2a and existing in connection with each actuator to be monitored at any given time, whereby the RFID-transponder 2a therein comprises at least a microcircuit for storing electronic information in a memory thereof and for processing of the information by a microprocessor, programmable logic and/or like thereof, for processing external radio signals entering the RFID-transponder and signals departing therefrom, for generating operating current required by the functionings of the RFID-transponder and/or for the like functionings, and an antenna 2b for receiving and dispatching radio signals, whereby each RFID-transponder is furthermore being provided with a tamper-detect-facility T that is meant for indicating an incorrect use of an actuator being in connection with the RFID-transponder; and a central processing unit 3 administrating the RFID-functionings as well as one or more RFID -base stations 3a being in an at least data transmitting connection with the above. In the wireless monitoring of the stock of equipment, each RFID-transponder 2; 2a of the monitoring devices in connection with the actuators 1, being coupled with the monitoring system, is being scanned in successive intervals. The monitoring of the state of the stock of equipment is being carried out by utilizing the tam- per-detect-facility T of the RFID-transponder 2a of the monitoring device in connection with each actuator 1, wherein the connections TL for the functioning in question of each RFID-transponder are being coupled with an electric circuit S comprising the galvanic connection to be monitored in the actuator 1 espe- cially according to figure 1 in order to recognize the on/off-status Sk.

As an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, in the monitoring of the stock of equipment, a monitoring device 2 is being used that is provided with a passive RFID-transponder 2a, wherein, according to the principle shown in figure 1, the microcircuit of the RFID-transponder draws the operating current required by its functionings from an external radio signal Rs being directed thereto during scanning.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, in the monitoring of the stock of equipment, an integrated RFID-circuit 2a' coupled on surface mounting technique on a circuit board or like, such as an EM4325-IC-component as shown in figure 2 or like having connections TL at least for the tamper-detect-facility, is being used. Especially in the EM4325-IC-component shown in figure 2, the tamper-detect-couplings TL are arranged from the feet 2 and 3 and correspondingly its antenna couplings AL from legs 1 and 8.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, in the monitoring device 2 controlling the stock of equipment, especially with reference to figure 4, one or more RFID-transponders operating on UHF-frequency are being used, the tamper-detect-facility T of the integrated RFID-circuit 2a' of which is coupled with the galvanic circuit S Sa being in connection with a detector arrangement that is integrated in the RFID-circuit in question and that monitors circum- stances in the process to be monitored, such as pressure, temperature and/or the like, which principle manifests itself especially in figure 1. Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, according to figure 1, during the scanning a radio signal Rs is being transmitted by the central processing unit 3 through the RFID-base station 3a, being provided therewith in a built-in manner or being separate with respect thereto, whereafter the central processing unit 3 recognizes a response being received from the monitoring devices 2 being registered with the monitoring system.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, identifiers of the RFID-transponders of the monitoring devices 2, having been registered with the system, are being stored in a database in the RFID-base station 3a, whereby information is being transmitted and returned through the RFID-base station in a controlled manner only between the same and the monitoring devices 2 being registered with the monitoring system.

As a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, based on a change in the status information having been notified in the scanning from one or more monitoring devices 2, the information in question is being transmitted by the central processing unit 3 to a system H administrating the functioning of the stock of equipment, whereby after performing measures to be taken in the stock of equipment a command is being transmitted by the central processing unit 3 to the monitoring de- vice/devices 1 in question to nullify the status thereof .

The reading process is carried out in practice in a way that the central processing unit 3 sends requests to the RFID-base station 3a, which the base station executes while sending feedback on the requests back to the central processing unit. A list of the identifiers (measuring points) in the range can be fetched by sending an inventory command to the RFID-base station, which returns a list of the identifiers in the range of its antennas.

As a part of the normal inventory list, the base station forwards identifier-specific information, based on which the central processing unit software is able to identify the identifiers in which the tamper-detect-input is active. Based on this information the central unit executes the predetermined measures, whereafter, as the necessary operations are carried out, confirmed e.g. by the process supervisor by pressing a button, the central processing unit transmits a command to one or more the RFID-detectors in each of the monitoring devices in the space in question that nullifies the situation.

The above mentioned is repeated in the next reading time. A change of status recognized by the central processing unit gets advantageously nullified only after it can be confirmed that the tamper-detect in the RFID-detectors stays nullified for one new reading time. In other cases, it can be deducted that the previously detected status has not yet changed back to the default state. With this logic especially interpreting the same status twice as a status that requires measures, is prevented.

In figure 3 is shown an exemplary utilization target of the method according to the invention, i.e. a normal pressure valve, in connection with which is coupled a monitoring device 2 closed inside a protective case that functions by the method according to the invention.

On the other hand, the invention also relates to a monitoring system for wireless controlling of functioning of a stock of equipment, wherein the intention is particularly to monitor the functioning of one or more actuators 1, such as a motor, a valve, a switch, a relay and/or the like, existing in the stock of equipment and being based on a galvanic connection in an electric circuit, such as utilizing, enabling or switching off electric current, by monitoring the status thereof wirelessly by using a radio-frequency operated monitoring system. The radio-frequency operated monitoring system consists of one or more monitoring devices 2 being provided with a RFID-transponder 2a and existing in connection with each actuator to be monitored at any given time and a' central processing unit 3 administrating the RFID-functionings as well as one or more RFID -base stations 3a being in an at least data transmitting connection with the above, whereby in order to carry out the wireless monitoring of the stock of equipment, each RFID-transponder 2; 2a of the monitoring device in connection with the actuator 1, being coupled with the monitoring system, is being scanned in successive intervals . The RFID-transponder 2a in the monitoring device 2 comprises at least a microcircuit for storing electronic information in a memory thereof and for processing of the information by a microprocessor, programmable logic and/or like thereof, for processing external radio signals entering the RFID-transponder and signals departing therefrom, for generating operating current required by the functionings of the RFID-transponder and/or for the like functionings, and an antenna 2b for receiving and dispatching radio signals. Each RFID-transponder 2a is furthermore being provided with a tam- per-detect-facility T that is meant for indicating an incorrect use of an actuator being in connection with the RFID-transponder. The monitoring of the state of the stock of equipment is arranged on the principle shown e.g. in figure 1 by utilizing the tam- per-detect-facility T of the RFID-transponder 2a of the monitoring device in connection with each actuator 1, wherein the connections TL for the functioning in question of each RFID-transponder are being coupled with an electric circuit S comprising the galvanic connection to be monitored in the actuator with reference to figure 1 especially in order to recognize the on/off-status Sk.

As an advantageous embodiment of the monitoring system according to the invention, the monitoring device being used therewith comprises a passive RFID-transponder 2; 2a, the microcircuit of which draws the operating current required by its functionings from an external radio signal Rs being directed thereto during scanning. Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the monitoring system according to the invention, the RFID-transponder of the monitoring device 2 belonging thereto comprises an integrated RFID-circuit 2a', being coupled on surface mounting technique on a circuit board or like, such as an EM 325-IC-component or like shown in figure 3, which has connections TL at least for the tamper-detect-facility.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the monitoring system according to the invention, e.g. with reference to the embodiment shown in figure 4, the RFID-transponder of the monitoring device 2 belonging thereto comprises one or more RFID-circuits 2a' , the tamper-detect-facility T of which are coupled with the galvanic circuit S; Sa that is coupled with a detector arrangement that is integrated in the RFID-circuit in question and that monitors circumstances in the process to be monitored, such as pressure, temperature and/or the like.

In figure 4 is shown an advantageous monitoring device to be utilized in the monitoring system according to the invention, in the circuit board of which are arranged multiple RFID-detectors following the state of the actuator, the RFID IC-components 2a' of which are on a same circuit board with a terminal block RL that enables easy coupling of the circuit board.

Flow of current in an electric circuit in general is meant by galvanic connection in this connection, wherein the invention makes possible, e.g. with reference to the general principle shown in figure 1, the monitoring of the on/off-status S; Sk, Sa of especially electric actuators. With suitable cou- plings it is, however, also possible to carry out the monitoring differing from the pure on/off-principle by determining to the monitoring device e.g. limit values that will be expected from the value zones given by the actuator that is to be monitored. As an example of such, a detector may be mentioned that gives its measuring information as current values, at the upper end of the hysteresis area of which the on-coupling limit value is determined and respectively at the lower end of the hysteresis area the limit value of the off-coupling.

It is clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown or described above, but instead, it can be modified in various ways with respect to each purpose and target of use within the limits of the basic idea. Therefore, it is first of all clear that in the invention, any kind of IC-component enabling an external connection to the tamper detect -facility can be used, in which IC-component there may furthermore be other technical functionings that further carrying out the monitoring. Respectively, a circuit board provided with e.g. an EM4325 IC-circuit, can be supplemented with suitable additional components, such as condensers for storing up energy that is taken from the radio signal etc.

It if furthermore possible to carry out the central processing unit differing from the principle shown in figure 1 in way that it comprises one or more RFID-base stations in an integrated manner. On the other hand in the embodiment according to figure 1 it is possible to arrange data transmission between the RFID-base station and the central processing unit in a wireless manner or with wired connections . Furthermore, for the part of the central processing unit, it is possible to arrange it to control the base stations on cloud server principle or on the other hand to carry out the controlling of the central processing unit with an administration system working on cloud server principle etc.