Remote illumination and detection method, node and system

Abstract

A remote illumination and detection method, node, and system is described. The remote illumination and detection method generates a detection message when motion is detected by a detector. The detector includes a wireless communications module that wirelessly transmits the detection message to a remote sensing device. The remote sensing device includes a camera having a field of view and wirelessly communicates with the detector. The remote sensing device then proceeds to generate an illumination instruction to illuminate an area within the field of view, when the remote sensing device receives the detection message. The remote sensing device transmits the illumination instruction to an illuminator. The illuminator wirelessly communicates with the remote sensing device. The method then illuminates an area near the illuminator, when motion is detected by the detector and the illumination instruction is received by the illuminator.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A remote illumination and detection method comprising,
 generating a detection message when motion is detected by a detector, wherein the detector includes a first wireless communications module;   wirelessly transmitting the detection message to a remote sensing device that includes a camera having a field of view and a second wireless communications module that communicates with the first wireless communications module;   generating an illumination instruction to illuminate an area within the field of view of the remote sensing device when the remote sensing device receives the detection message;   wirelessly transmitting the illumination instruction to an illuminator that is communicatively coupled to a third wireless communications module that is communicatively coupled to the second communication module associated with the remote sensing device;   illuminating an area near the illuminator, when motion is detected by the detector and the illumination instruction is received by the illuminator; and.   powering at least one of the illuminator and the detector with a battery.   
     
     
         2 . The remote illumination and detection method of  claim 1  further comprising, housing the detector and the illuminator in an illumination and detection node that share a same housing, in which the first wireless communication module and the third wireless communications are a same wireless communication module;
 wirelessly communicating the detection message from the illumination and detection node to the remote sensing device; 
 illuminating the area near the illuminator when the illumination instruction communicated by the remote sensing device is received by the illumination and detection node. 
 
     
     
         3 . The remote illumination and detection method of  claim 1  further comprising housing the illuminator in a remote illuminator node that illuminates the area near the illuminator, when the illumination instruction generated by the remote sensing device is received by the remote illuminator node. 
     
     
         4 . The remote illumination and detection method of  claim 1  further comprising,
 housing the detector in a remote detection node that includes the detector that detects motion in the field of view and generates the detection message, when motion is detected; 
 wirelessly communicating the detection message to the remote sensing device; and 
 illuminating the area near the illuminator when the detection message generated by the remote detection node is received by the remote sensing device, which then communicates the illumination instruction to a remote illuminator node. 
 
     
     
         5 . The remote illumination and detection method of  claim 1  wherein the illuminator includes a low power infrared or visible LED output. 
     
     
         6 . The remote illumination and detection method of  claim 1  wherein the detector includes an infrared detector. 
     
     
         7 . The remote illumination and detection method of  claim 1  further comprising charging the battery with a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery. 
     
     
         8 . A remote illumination and detection node comprising,
 an illumination housing;   a wireless network interface module configured to be communicatively coupled to a remote sensing device that further includes a camera having a field of view;   a detector configured to detect motion in the field of view;   a processor configured to transmit a detection message to the remote sensing device, when motion is detected by the detector;   an illuminator operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the illuminator is configured to illuminate a nearby area when the processor receives an illumination instruction to illuminate the nearby area within the field of view from the remote sensing device; and   a battery configured to power the illuminator, the processor, the detector and the wireless network interface module.   
     
     
         9 . The remote illumination and detection node of  claim 8  wherein the remote sensing device includes a smartphone. 
     
     
         10 . The remote illumination and detection node of  claim 8  wherein the remote sensing device includes a wireless communication module that wirelessly communicates with the passive illumination node. 
     
     
         11 . The remote illumination and detection node of  claim 8  wherein the detector includes an infrared detector. 
     
     
         12 . The remote illumination and detection node of  claim 8  wherein the illuminator includes a low power infrared or visible LED output. 
     
     
         13 . The remote illumination and detection node of  claim 8  further comprising a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery, wherein the solar panel charges the battery. 
     
     
         14 . A remote illumination system comprising,
 a remote detector configured to detect motion and communicate a detection message with a wireless communication protocol, when motion is detected;   a remote sensing device communicatively coupled to the remote detector which applies the wireless communication protocol, wherein the remote sensing device includes a camera having a field of view and a remote sensing wireless communications module that receives the detection message from the remote detector, the remote sensing device communicates an illumination instruction to illuminate a particular area when the remote sensing device receives the detection message; and   a remote illumination node that includes,
 a remote illumination housing; 
 a wireless network interface module configured to be communicatively coupled to the remote sensing device; 
 a processor configured to receive the illumination instruction to illuminate a nearby area, when motion is detected by the remote detector; 
 an illuminator operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the illuminator is configured to illuminate the nearby area when the illuminator receives the illumination instruction to illuminate the nearby area. 
   
     
     
         15 . The remote illumination system of  claim 14  wherein the remote detector includes an infrared detector. 
     
     
         16 . The remote illumination system of  claim 14  wherein the remote illuminator node includes a low power infrared or visible LED output. 
     
     
         17 . The remote illumination system of  claim 14  further comprising a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery, wherein the solar panel charges the battery. 
     
     
         18 . A remote illumination system comprising,
 a remote illuminator that illuminates an area near the remote illuminator when the remote illuminator receives an illumination message;   a remote sensing device communicatively coupled to the remote illuminator node, wherein the remote sensing device includes a camera having a field of view and a remote sensing wireless communications module;   a remote detection node that includes,
 a remote detection node housing; 
 a wireless network interface module configured to be communicatively coupled to the remote sensing device; 
 a detector operatively coupled to a processor, the detector configured to detect motion in the field of view and generate a detection message, when motion is detected; 
 the processor operatively coupled to the detector, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the detection message that is communicated wirelessly to the remote sensing device; 
 a battery configured to power the detector, the processor and the wireless network interface module; and 
   the remote illuminator configured to illuminate the nearby area when the detection message generated by the remote detection node is received by the remote sensing device, which then communicates the illumination instruction to the remote illuminator node.   
     
     
         19 . The remote illumination system of  claim 18  wherein the remote illuminator includes a low power infrared or visible LED output. 
     
     
         20 . The remote illumination system of  claim 18  wherein the remote detection node includes an infrared detector. 
     
     
         21 . The remote illumination system of  claim 18  further comprising a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery, wherein the solar panel charges the battery.