Patent ID: 9218732
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: G08B

Abstract:
1. A method of environmental sensing for use with a) a portable integrated flood and temperature sensor comprising an enclosure enclosing therein a range tester, a plurality of retractable metal probes each extendable from the interior of the enclosure such that a portion of each probe comes in contact with a surface exterior to the enclosure, a temperature sensor, and a level sensor, and b) a wireless network device remote from and being wirelessly connected to said portable integrated flood and temperature sensor, the method comprising: measuring an electrical property at the surface with two or more of the plurality of retractable metal probes; determining with the portable integrated flood and temperature sensor a presence of water on the surface from the measured electrical property; sensing a temperature in the vicinity of said surface with the enclosed temperature sensor; determining an orientation of the integrated flood and temperature sensor with respect to gravity with the enclosed level sensor to confirm that the orientation permits the plurality of retractable metal probes to make contact with the surface; determining with the enclosed range tester if the wireless network device is in range of the range tester including transmitting a range testing signal from the range tester to the wireless network device; in response to the wireless network device being in range of the range tester, receiving from the wireless network device a link for communication with the wireless network; and in response to receiving from the wireless network device the link for communication with the wireless network device, selectively generating a signal indicative of at least one of the determined presence of water, the temperature, and the determined orientation for communication with the wireless network device based on the link.