Patent Publication Number: US-9893551-B2

Title: Ad-hoc wireless sensor package

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is related to and/or claims the benefit of the earliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listed application(s) (the “Priority Applications”), if any, listed below (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Application(s)). In addition, the present application is related to the “Related Applications,” if any, listed below. 
     Priority Applications 
     For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/727,102, entitled AD-HOC WIRELESS SENSOR PACKAGE, naming JESSE R. CHEATHAM, III, MATTHEW G. DYOR, PETER N. GLASKOWSKY, KIMBERLY D. A. HALLMAN, RODERICK A. HYDE, MURIEL Y. ISHIKAWA, EDWARD K. Y. JUNG, MICHAEL F. KOENIG, ROBERT W. LORD, RICHARD T. LORD, CRAIG J. MUNDIE, NATHAN P. MYHRVOLD, ROBERT C. PETROSKI, DESNEY S. TAN, AND LOWELL L. WOOD, JR. as inventors, filed Dec. 26, 2012, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. 
     For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/727,109, entitled AD-HOC WIRELESS SENSOR PACKAGE, naming JESSE R. CHEATHAM, III, MATTHEW G. DYOR, PETER N. GLASKOWSKY, KIMBERLY D. A. HALLMAN, RODERICK A. HYDE, MURIEL Y. ISHIKAWA, EDWARD K. Y. JUNG, MICHAEL F. KOENIG, ROBERT W. LORD, RICHARD T. LORD, CRAIG J. MUNDIE, NATHAN P. MYHRVOLD, ROBERT C. PETROSKI, DESNEY S. TAN, AND LOWELL L. WOOD, JR. as inventors, filed Dec. 26, 2012, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. 
     For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/727,117, entitled AD-HOC WIRELESS SENSOR PACKAGE, naming JESSE R. CHEATHAM, III, MATTHEW G. DYOR, PETER N. GLASKOWSKY, KIMBERLY D. A. HALLMAN, RODERICK A. HYDE, MURIEL Y. ISHIKAWA, EDWARD K. Y. JUNG, MICHAEL F. KOENIG, ROBERT W. LORD, RICHARD T. LORD, CRAIG J. MUNDIE, NATHAN P. MYHRVOLD, ROBERT C. PETROSKI, DESNEY S. TAN, AND LOWELL L. WOOD, JR. as inventors, filed Dec. 26, 2012, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. 
     For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/729,747, entitled AD-HOC WIRELESS SENSOR PACKAGE, naming JESSE R. CHEATHAM, III, MATTHEW G. DYOR, PETER N. GLASKOWSKY, KIMBERLY D. A. HALLMAN, RODERICK A. HYDE, MURIEL Y. ISHIKAWA, EDWARD K. Y. JUNG, MICHAEL F. KOENIG, ROBERT W. LORD, RICHARD T. LORD, CRAIG J. MUNDIE, NATHAN P. MYHRVOLD, ROBERT C. PETROSKI, DESNEY S. TAN, AND LOWELL L. WOOD, JR. as inventors, filed Dec. 28, 2012, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. 
     For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/934,812, entitled AD-HOC WIRELESS SENSOR PACKAGE, naming JESSE R. CHEATHAM, III, MATTHEW G. DYOR, PETER N. GLASKOWSKY, KIMBERLY D. A. HALLMAN, RODERICK A. HYDE, MURIEL Y. ISHIKAWA, EDWARD K. Y. JUNG, MICHAEL F. KOENIG, ROBERT W. LORD, RICHARD T. LORD, CRAIG J. MUNDIE, NATHAN P. MYHRVOLD, ROBERT C. PETROSKI, DESNEY S. TAN, AND LOWELL L. WOOD, JR. as inventors, filed Jul. 3, 2013, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. 
     For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/961,627, entitled AD-HOC WIRELESS SENSOR PACKAGE, naming JESSE R. CHEATHAM, III, MATTHEW G. DYOR, PETER N. GLASKOWSKY, KIMBERLY D. A. HALLMAN, RODERICK A. HYDE, MURIEL Y. ISHIKAWA, EDWARD K. Y. JUNG, MICHAEL F. KOENIG, ROBERT W. LORD, RICHARD T. LORD, CRAIG J. MUNDIE, NATHAN P. MYHRVOLD, ROBERT C. PETROSKI, DESNEY S. TAN, AND LOWELL L. WOOD, JR. as inventors, filed Aug. 7, 2013, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. 
     Related Applications 
     None. 
     The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to the effect that the USPTO&#39;s computer programs require that patent applicants reference both a serial number and indicate whether an application is a continuation, continuation-in-part, or divisional of a parent application. Stephen G. Kunin,  Benefit of Prior - Filed Application , USPTO Official Gazette Mar. 18, 2003. The USPTO further has provided forms for the Application Data Sheet which allow automatic loading of bibliographic data but which require identification of each application as a continuation, continuation-in-part, or divisional of a parent application. The present Applicant Entity (hereinafter “Applicant”) has provided above a specific reference to the application(s) from which priority is being claimed as recited by statute. Applicant understands that the statute is unambiguous in its specific reference language and does not require either a serial number or any characterization, such as “continuation” or “continuation-in-part,” for claiming priority to U.S. patent applications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Applicant understands that the USPTO&#39;s computer programs have certain data entry requirements, and hence Applicant has provided designation(s) of a relationship between the present application and its parent application(s) as set forth above and in any ADS filed in this application, but expressly points out that such designation(s) are not to be construed in any way as any type of commentary and/or admission as to whether or not the present application contains any new matter in addition to the matter of its parent application(s). 
     If the listings of applications provided above are inconsistent with the listings provided via an ADS, it is the intent of the Applicant to claim priority to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of the ADS and to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of this application. 
     All subject matter of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein by reference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith. 
    
    
     SUMMARY 
     Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element; and powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power. 
     The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  shows a high-level block diagram of an operational environment for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 2  shows a high-level block diagram of a system for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 3  shows a high-level block diagram of a system for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 4A  shows a high-level block diagram of a system for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 4B  shows a high-level block diagram of a system for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 4C  shows a high-level block diagram of an operational environment for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 4D  shows a high-level block diagram of an operational environment for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 4E  shows a high-level block diagram of a system for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 4F  shows a high-level block diagram of a system for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIG. 4G  shows a high-level block diagram of a system for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
         FIGS. 5-12  show operations for powering and/or communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an ad hoc sensor system  100  disposed about a region  101  to be monitored. The ad hoc sensor system  100  may include one or more sensors  102  and one or more sensor monitoring devices  103 . The sensors  102  may be simple single or limited-purpose sensors configured for monitoring one or more characteristics of an environment. For example, the sensors  102  may be thermal sensors, pressure sensors, motion sensors, image capture sensors, audio sensors, electromagnetic sensors, and the like, configured for monitoring of the region  101  and/or one or more items  104  (e.g. machines, people, products, and the like) located within the region  101 . The sensors may be affixed to any surface defining or within the region  101  via various means. In one embodiment, the sensors  102  may include an adhesive composition capable of adhering to a surface within the region  101 . More specifically, the adhesive composition may be a moisture-activated adhesive such that a user may apply a liquid (e.g. water or saliva) to the adhesive composition thereby activating the adhesive and allowing for disposal of the sensor  102  on a surface defining the region  101 . Alternately, the adhesive may be any pressure-sensitive adhesive having sufficient bonding strength to affix a sensor  102  on a surface defining the region  101 . 
     A sensor monitoring device  103  may serve to provide a communications link between the sensors  102  and one or more processing devices  105  (e.g. a cell phone  105 A, a tablet computer  105 B, a laptop computer  105 C, a desktop computer  105 D, and the like and/or a cloud-based network  106  running an application accessible by such devices) which may receive data from the sensors  102  and provide that data to a user  107  monitoring the region  101  and/or the items  104 . The sensor monitoring devices  103  may be pluggable (e.g. configured to be received within or to receive) with respect to one or more standard environmental devices (e.g. a standard 110-volt wall outlet-pluggable sensor monitoring device  103 A, a standard 60-watt light socket-pluggable sensor monitoring device  103 B, and the like) such that the region  101  may be easily retrofitted to employ the ad hoc sensor system  100  by incorporating the sensor monitoring devices  103  into pre-existing power supplies. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the sensor monitoring devices  103  may be configured to scan (e.g. a grid scan) the region  101  and detect the locations of one or more sensors  102  within the region  101 . Such scanning capabilities allow the sensors  102  to be arbitrarily arranged about the region  101  without regard to relative orientations of the sensors  102  and the sensor monitoring devices  103  by a user having limited training with respect to operation of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . Such location detection of the sensors  102  may serve to optimize communications with the sensors  102  in that communications signals may be wirelessly transmitted to and received from the sensors  102  in an at least partially targeted manner (e.g. via a configurable directional antenna) so as to avoid unnecessary power consumption associated with a full broadcast mode to portions of the region  101  not containing sensors  102 . In an exemplary embodiment, a sensor  102  may include at least one passive identification mechanism  108  (e.g. a mechanism operating only in response to an environmental stimulus such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, a retro-reflector, a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) device, and the like) which, upon irradiation of the sensor  102  by, for example, a sensor acquisition signal  109  wirelessly transmitted by a sensor acquisition transceiver  110  (e.g. a radio transceiver, a microwave transceiver, an infrared transceiver, an optical/laser transceiver, and the like) of a sensor monitoring device  103 , the sensor  102  may wirelessly transmit an identification signal  111  indicative of the presence of the sensor  102  within the region  101 . For example, the passive identification mechanism  108  may include a MEMS device configured to receive the sensor acquisition signal  109 , modulate that sensor acquisition signal  109  and retransmit the modulated sensor acquisition signal  109  as the identification signal  111 . 
     The identification signal  111  may simply be a beacon-type signal that simply indicates the presence of a sensor  102  within the currently scanned region (e.g. where the passive identification mechanism  108  is merely a reflective surface on the sensor  102 ). Alternately the identification signal  111  may include data associated with the sensor  102  and stored by the passive identification mechanism  108  (e.g. as an RFID chip). For example, the identification signal  111  may encode data associated with a sensor-type (e.g. thermal, pressure, motion, image, audio, electromagnetic, and the like) of the sensor  102 , sensor operation requirements (e.g. operating power levels, power storage charge times, and the like), and the like. 
     In another embodiment, the passive identification mechanism  108  may provide the identification signal  111  independent of any interaction with the sensor monitoring device  103 . For example, the sensor  102  may include a transducer  112  responsive to an independent signal source  113  (e.g. a flashlight, handheld UV light, and the like). The transducer  112  may convert a signal (e.g. light) from the independent signal source  113  into power sufficient to power the passive identification mechanism  108  to generate the identification signal  111  for transmission to the sensor monitoring device  103 . As such, a user tasked with affixing one or more sensors  102  about the region  101  may, at the same time, temporarily activate the passive identification mechanism  108  via the independent signal source  113  to allow for initial acquisition of the sensor  102  by the sensor monitoring device  103 . It may be the case that the sensor monitoring device  103  is continually monitoring the region  101  and may detect the presence of the sensor  102  within the temporary activation period of the passive identification mechanism  108  via the independent signal source  113 . 
     The sensor monitoring device  103  may scan the region  101  in a zonal manner whereby the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  is progressively directed to various portions of the region  101  and transmits the sensor acquisition signal  109 . Upon detection of a presence of a sensor  102  within a portion of the region  101  currently subject to scanning through receipt of the identification signal  111 , the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  may provide a signal  114  to sensor location detection logic  115  of the sensor monitoring device  103 . The sensor location detection logic  115  may, in turn, correlate the portion of the region  101  currently subject to scanning (e.g. via data associated with a current orientation of one or more control actuators and/or a directional antenna associated with the sensor acquisition transceiver  110 ) with a detected sensor  102  and store sensor location data  116  associated with that portion of the region  101  to a sensor location database  117 . In one embodiment, the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  may scan along a first axis (e.g. an x-axis) and then scan along a second axis (e.g. a y-axis). 
     Further, it may be the case that line-of-sight issues with respect to the relative orientations of the sensors  102 , sensor monitoring device  103  and any intervening items  104  may exist within the region  101 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , an item  104  may be disposed between a sensor monitoring device  103  (e.g. sensor monitoring device  103 B) and a sensor  102  (e.g. sensor  102 A). As such, the ad hoc sensor system  100  may further include one or more at least partially reflective surfaces  118  (e.g. mirrors, electro-optical lenses, light guides, and the like). The reflective surfaces  118  may serve to remedy the line-of-sight issues for a given sensor  102  by providing an alternate signal path between a sensor monitoring device  103  and a sensor  102 . The reflective surfaces  118  may be simple static structures such as mirrors or prisms. Alternately, the reflective surfaces  118  may be controllable structures (e.g. via a control signal generated by the sensor monitoring device  103 ) such that the physical orientation and/or electro-optical properties of a reflective surface  118 A may be modified during a sensor location acquisition scan by the sensor monitoring device  103  of the portion of the region  101  including the reflective surface  118 A such that the effective scanning area of the sensor monitoring device  103  may include portions of the region  101  which are otherwise restricted due to line-of-sight issues. 
     In an alternate embodiment, the ad hoc sensor system  100  may include at least one mobile robotic device  158  configured to traverse the region  101  (e.g. a repurposed robotic device such as a Roomba® product manufactured by iRobot of Bedford, Mass.). The mobile robotic device  158  may include sensor monitoring device  103 C and/or a reflective surface  118 B which may be targeted by another sensor monitoring device  103  (e.g. sensor monitoring device  103 B). The mobile robotic device  158  may traverse the region  101  and conduct acquisition and/or activation operations with respect to the sensors  102  as described above to enable further coverage of the region  101  in regions inaccessible by statically positioned sensor monitoring devices  103 . Further, the mobile robotic device  158  may be equipped with a sensor  102 C which may conduct one or more sensor operations as described above. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the sensors  102  may be configured as passive sensors with no on-board power source for conducting sensing (e.g. thermal, pressure, motion, image, audio, electromagnetic, and the like) operations. As such, the sensor monitoring device  103  may include a sensor operation activation transmitter  119  having a relatively higher power signal (e.g. as compared to the power requirements of the sensor acquisition signal  109  of the sensor acquisition transceiver  110 ) configured for wirelessly transmitting a sensor operation activation signal  120  (e.g. an RF, infrared, optical/laser, ultraviolet, x-ray beam, and the like) to the sensors  102  to initiate sensing operations and the transmission of sensing data to the sensor monitoring device  103 . The sensors  102  may include a power transducer  121  configured to convert the sensor operation activation signal  120  into electrical or optical power  122  usable by sensing element  123  (e.g. electrical circuitry, micro-electromechanical system devices, and the like) configured to carry out the desired sensing operations. Following sensing operations by the sensing element  123 , sensor data  124  may be transmitted to a sensor data transceiver  125  of the sensor monitoring device  103  which, in turn may transmit the sensor data  124  on to the processing devices  105  for further data analysis and review by a user. 
     The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecomunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are endowed with authority to allocate and regulate various communications frequencies. Further, the FCC has established standards for exposure limits (e.g. Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) levels; See “Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields,” Federal Communications Commission Office of Engineering &amp; Technology, OET Bulletin 65, Edition 97-01 (August 1997)) for various frequency ranges (e.g. 0.3 to 100,000 MHz) for occupational/controlled exposure as well as general population/uncontrolled exposures. Such standards are defined in terms of electric field and magnetic field strength as well as power density. Occupational/controlled limits apply in situations in which persons are exposed as a consequence of their employment provided those persons are fully aware of the potential for exposure and can exercise control over their exposure. Limits for occupational/controlled exposure also apply in situations when an individual is transient through a location where occupational/controlled limits apply provided he or she is made aware of the potential for exposure. General population/uncontrolled exposures apply in situations in which the general public may be exposed, or in which persons that are exposed as a consequence of their employment may not be fully aware of the potential for exposure or cannot exercise control over their exposure. 
     Further, the FCC has adopted limits for safe exposure to radiofrequency (RF) energy. These limits are given in terms of a unit referred to as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), which is a measure of the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body, for example, when using a mobile phone. Cell phone manufacturers are required to ensure that their phones comply with these objective limits for safe exposure. Any cell phone at or below these SAR levels (that is, any phone legally sold in the U.S.) is a “safe” phone, as measured by these standards. The FCC limit for public exposure from cellular telephones is a SAR level of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). 
     Still further, the United States Department of Labor&#39;s Occupational Safety &amp; Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted limits for exposure to “ionizing radiation” (e.g. alpha rays, beta rays/high-speed electrons, gamma rays, X-rays, neutrons, high-speed protons, and other atomic particles) and “non-ionizing radiation” (e.g. sound or radio waves) but has no regulated limits for visible light, infrared or ultraviolet light. 
     As such, in order to facilitate the unregulated usage of the ad hoc sensor system  100  in any number of varied environments, in an exemplary embodiment, the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  and/or the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may operate in one or more frequency and power ranges such that the sensor acquisition signal  109  and/or the sensor operation activation signal  120  may not be subject to regulation by one or more entities (e.g. a government institution having jurisdictional authority for a user of the ad hoc sensor system  100  or a non-governmental institution with which a user of the ad hoc sensor system  100  is associated (e.g. contractually associated)). For example, the sensor acquisition signal  109  and/or the sensor operation activation signal  120  may be visible light, infrared, or ultraviolet light signals. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the sensor monitoring device  103  may include a transmission parameter database  126 . The transmission parameter database  126  may include data associated with authorizations and/or restrictions on the transmission of sensor operation activation signal  120 . For example, the transmission parameter database  126  may include global positioning data mapped to authorization data (e.g. governmental regulations established by the FCC, OSHA, and other domestic and foreign rule making authorities) regarding the characteristics or type of sensor operation activation signal  120  that may be authorized for a given location. The sensor monitoring device  103  may further include a position sensor  127  (e.g. a global positioning system (GPS) sensor). The signal control logic  128  configured to control the operation of sensor operation activation transmitter  119  the may query the position sensor  127  to determine a current location of the sensor monitoring device  103 . The signal control logic  128  may then query the transmission parameter database  126  to determine if any restrictions exist for the transmission of the sensor operation activation signal  120  at the present location of the sensor monitoring device  103 . The signal control logic  128  may then set one or more signal transmission parameters (e.g. signal frequency, signal power, and the like) according to those restrictions (e.g. set the sensor operation activation signal  120  to allowable settings as determined from the transmission parameter database  126 ). While described in the context of a governmental regulation, the transmission parameter database  126  may maintain data associated with any transmission parameter that may be used to allow or restrict the transmission of the sensor operation activation signal  120  (e.g. a user-defined transmission parameter, and the like). 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may include one or more laser transmitters configured to transmit the sensor operation activation signal  120  to one or more sensors  102 . Due to regulatory and/or safety issues, it may be the case that the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may further include one or more lens elements configured to at least partially defocus the laser-based sensor operation activation signal  120  emitted by the sensor operation activation transmitter  119 . Alternately, a defocused laser-based sensor operation activation signal  120  may include beam components having varying focal length components. Further, the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may be configured to produce a laser-based sensor operation activation signal  120  of moderate to high divergence such that the power density of the laser-based sensor operation activation signal  120  dissipates over a relatively short distance. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4A , a sensor  102  may include the sensing element  123  but may be independent of a communications package  129  including the passive identification mechanism  108  and/or the power transducer  121 . In this manner, the communications package  129  may be operably coupled (e.g. via a Universal Serial Bus-type connection) to and provide power  122  to multiple sensors  102 . Such a configuration may allow for connection of several limited-purpose sensors  102  configured for divergent sensing operations (e.g. a thermal sensor and a video capture sensor) into a single sensor package with a common communications package  129  configured for receiving power via a common sensor operation activation signal  120 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the signal control logic  128  of the sensor monitoring devices  103  may obtain sensor location data  116  from previous sensor acquisitions. The signal control logic  128  may query the sensor location database  117  for the location of at least one sensor  102  and provide control signals to the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  to direct the sensor operation activation signal  120  in the direction of the at least one sensor  102  (e.g. via configuring one or more actuators or a directional antennal array). The signal control logic  128  may cycle through the detected inventory of sensors  102  and configure the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  to transmit the sensor operation activation signal  120  in the direction of a given sensor  102  during a given time interval associated with that sensor  102  before moving on to transmissions to additional sensors  102 . It may be the case that the sensor operations may be on a time scale greater than a power acquisition time interval for a given sensor  102 . For example, it may be the case that the sensor monitoring device  103  may only be capable of dedicating minutes or hours to transmitting a sensor operation activation signal  120  to a given sensor  102  for power-intensive sensor operations such as buffered sensor data transmission from the sensor  102  to the sensor monitoring device  103 . However, it may be desirable for an image capture sensor  102  (e.g. a still or video image capture sensor  102 ) may operate in a low-power mode to buffer sensor data over a period of days or weeks. As such, a sensor  102  may include an energy storage device  130  (e.g. a capacitor, a battery, and the like) chargeable by the power  122  generated by the power transducer  121  in response to the sensor operation activation signal  120 . The power stored by the energy storage device  130  may be surplus power provided during irradiation of the power transducer  121  by the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  that is not required for sensing operations of the sensing element  123  during that time period. The power stored by the energy storage device  130  may then be used for sensing operations of the sensing element  123  during time periods where the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  is not currently irradiating the power transducer  121 . Power-intensive sensor operations such as buffer sensor data transmission from the sensor  102  to the sensor monitoring device  103  may only occur intermittently when the additional power provided by the sensor operation activation signal  120  is currently being provided to the sensor  102 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the ongoing sensor operations of a sensor  102  may have power requirements such that ongoing transmission of the sensor operation activation signal  120  is required. For example, for real-time audio or video sensing, the sensor operation activation signal  120  may be transmitted in a continuous manner to one or more sensors  102 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4A , the transmission of the sensor operation activation signal  120  to a sensor  102  by the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may be conducted according to a schedule. For example, it may be the case that the sensor operation activation signal  120  may be a high-power signal (e.g. a high-power optical, ultraviolet, or x-ray beam). It may be undesirable to transmit the sensor operation activation signal  120  having such high-power characteristics into a region  101  containing sensitive items  104  and or personnel. As such, the sensor monitoring devices  103  may include a sensor activation schedule database  131 . The sensor activation schedule database  131  may include scheduling data associated with authorized time periods when a high-power sensor operation activation signal  120  may be provided to the sensor  102  to initiate and/or power various sensor operations. For example, it may be desirable to activate the high-power sensor operation activation signal  120  at a time when personnel will generally be absent from the region  101  or when certain sensitive items  104  (e.g. biological matter, volatile chemical compositions) are not scheduled to be within the region  101  (e.g. during the night when a facility including the region  101  is closed). The signal control logic  128  may query the sensor activation schedule database  131  to retrieve scheduling data from the sensor activation schedule database  131  and activate the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  according to that schedule. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4B , in another exemplary embodiment, a sensor  102  may include an energy storage monitoring module  132 . The energy storage monitoring module  132  may monitor one or more energy storage parameters (e.g. energy density, voltage capacity, charge capacity, and the like) of the energy storage device  130  of a sensor  102 . It may be the case that the sensor  102  may include two or more sensing elements  123  configured for different sensing operations. For example, a sensor  102  may include a sensing element  123 A configured for power-intensive sensing operations (e.g. full-motion color video capture) and a sensing element  123 B configured less power-intensive sensing operations (e.g. simple audio capture). As such, it may be the case that the energy storage device  130  may currently have sufficient stored energy for performing low-power sensing operations associated with the sensing element  123 B but may not have sufficient stored energy for performing power-intensive sensing operations associated with the sensing element  123 A. The energy storage monitoring module  132  may compare one or more energy storage parameters of the energy storage device  130  to one or more threshold energy usage parameters associated with the sensing operations of the sensing element  123 A and/or the sensing element  123 B to determine whether or not sufficient power is available for sensing operations by the sensing element  123 A and/or the sensing element  123 B. The energy storage monitoring module  132  may transmit sensor capability data  133  indicative of an energy storage parameter and/or a comparison of the energy storage parameter to a threshold energy usage parameter (e.g. a notification that the sensor  102  is “in network” or “out of network” for a given sensing operation) which may be received by a sensor capability data receiver  134  of the sensor monitoring device  103 . Depending on the required availability of the sensing operations of the sensing element  123 A and/or the sensing element  123 B as indicated by the sensor capability data  133  received by the sensor capability data receiver  134 , the signal control logic  128  may cause the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  to transmit a sensor operation activation signal  120  to the sensor  102  to directly power the sensing element  123 A and/or the sensing element  123 B and/or charge the energy storage device  130  to facilitate continued operations of the sensing element  123 . The transmission of the sensor capability data  133  by the energy storage monitoring module  132  may be in response to a sensing operation request by a sensor monitoring device  103 . For example, the sensor monitoring device  103  may request that a sensor  102  perform a specific sensing operation (e.g. full-motion color video capture) and transmit sensor data  124  accordingly. In response to that request, the energy storage monitoring module  132  may query the energy storage device  130  and provide the sensor capability data  133  (e.g. a notification that insufficient power is currently stored) for that particular sensing operation according to the current energy storage status of the energy storage device  130 . In another exemplary embodiment, the sensing operations of a sensing element  123  may be reconfigured according to an energy storage parameter of the energy storage device  130 . For example, it may be the case that a sensing element  123  may be presently configured for full-motion color video capture sensing operations. However, it may be the case that the energy storage monitoring module  132  may detect that the energy storage device  130  lacks sufficient energy density to properly carry out such power-intensive sensing operations. As such, the energy storage monitoring module  132  may provide one or more configuration signals  135  to a sensing element  123  to reconfigure the sensing element  123  to operate in a less power-intensive mode (e.g. in a grayscale periodic image capture mode). Following recharging of the energy storage device  130  by the sensor operation activation signal  120 , the energy storage monitoring module  132  may provide one or more configuration signals  135  to the sensing element  123  to reconfigure the sensing element  123  to once again operate in a more power-intensive mode (e.g. in a full-color real time video capture mode). 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4A , in another exemplary embodiment, operation of the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may be controlled by an external control signal  136 . The external control signal  136  may be provided to the sensor monitoring device  103  by the one or more processing devices  105  (e.g. a cell phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, and the like of  FIG. 1 ) external to the at the sensor monitoring device  103  at the direction of a user  107 . Alternately, as described above, the sensor monitoring devices  103  may be pluggable with respect to one or more standard environmental devices (e.g. a standard 110-volt wall outlet-pluggable sensor monitoring device  103 A, a standard 60-watt light socket-pluggable sensor monitoring device  103 B, and the like). It may be the case that a wall outlet and/or light socket may be controllable by a switch (e.g. a standard wall-mounted light switch) as would be the case for a standard appliance or light bulb coupled to the wall outlet and/or light socket. The sensor monitoring devices  103  may be likewise be configured such that the same switch may control the sensor monitoring devices  103  to power on the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  when the switch is actuated by a user. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 4A , in another exemplary embodiment, one or more safety features may be employed by the ad hoc sensor system  100  in an attempt to ensure that a high-power sensor operation activation signal  120  is not activated when the personnel or certain sensitive items  104  (e.g. biological matter, volatile chemical compositions) are within the region  101 . For example, a sensor monitoring device  103  may further include at least one safety sensor  137 . The safety sensor  137  may serve to determine if one on more specified objects (e.g. personnel, biological matter, volatile chemical compositions, and the like) are present within the region  101 . In the case where the safety sensor  137  detects the presence of a specified object, the safety sensor  137  may provide a notification signal  138  to the signal control logic  128 . In response to the notification signal  138 , the signal control logic  128  may restrict an otherwise scheduled transmission of the high-power sensor operation activation signal  120  into the region  101 . The safety sensor  137  may include one or more of a motion sensor (e.g. detecting movement of a person within the region  101 ), an image capture sensor operably coupled to image recognition logic (e.g. detecting an image of a person or object within the region  101 ), an RF sensor (e.g. detecting an RFID chip associated with an identification badge of a person or object within the region  101 ), and the like. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the sensor  102  may not employ the energy storage device  130  and/or any type of power-intensive radio transmission components. Rather, the sensing element  123  of the sensor  102  may directly receive the sensor operation activation signal  120  (e.g. an optical beam) and directly modulate that beam according to one or more sensing parameters before the modulated beam is transmitted back to the sensor monitoring device  103  as sensor data  124 . For example, the sensing element  123  may be optical sensing element  123  including at least one MEMS device. The MEMS device may be a device configured to be modified by the sensing parameter (e.g. by temperature or pressure) and modulate the sensor operation activation signal  120  according to such modifications so as to generate sensor data  124  associated with the sensing parameter. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, a sensing element  123  may include at least one passive (e.g. operating only in response to an environmental stimulus) sensing element. For example, the sensing element  123  may include a MEMS device which may be responsive to environmental conditions such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and the like. Upon irradiation of the sensor  102  by a sensor operation activation signal  120  wirelessly transmitted by the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  (e.g. optical/laser transceiver, and the like) of the sensor monitoring device  103 , the sensor  102  may receive the sensor operation activation signal  120 , modulate that sensor operation activation signal  120  according to the environmental conditions and retransmit the modulated sensor operation activation signal  120  as the sensor data  124 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4C , the ad hoc sensor system  100  may include one or more mechanisms for scavenging ambient energy for powering the sensors  102  and/or the sensor monitoring devices  103  of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . For example, the ad hoc sensor system  100  may include at least one electromagnetic transducer array  139  configured for converting electromagnetic radiation (e.g. ambient lighting such as sunlight  140 , interior illumination provided by lighting fixtures, user illumination via one or more handheld devices such as a flashlight or UV wand, ambient radio frequency energy, and the like) into electrical power  141  for powering one or more operations of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . In one embodiment, the electromagnetic transducer array  139  may be provided in the form of one or more window structures  142  incorporated into one or more walls of the region  101 . In this embodiment, the electromagnetic transducer array  139  may include one or more at least partially visibly transparent (e.g. at least a portion of the ambient lighting such as sunlight  140  may pass through) electromagnetic transducers. The electrical power  141  generated by the electromagnetic transducer array  139  may be provided directly to the sensor monitoring devices  103  or one or more ambient energy storage devices  143  for future use by the sensor monitoring devices  103 . 
     In one embodiment, the electromagnetic transducer array  139  may include one or more at least partially visibly transparent polymer solar cells. Such cells may include those as described in “ Visibly Transparent Polymer Solar Cells Produced by Solution Processing”, American Chemical Society  ( ACS )  Nano , Vol. 6, pp. 7185-7190 (2012) by Chen, et al, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     In another embodiment, the electromagnetic transducer array  139  may include one or more at least partially visibly transparent organic solar cells. Such cells may include those as described in “ Near - Infrared Organic Photovolatic Solar Cells for Window and Energy Scavenging Applications”, Applied Physics Letters , Vol. 98, Issue 11, 113305, by Lunt et al., which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     In another embodiment, the electromagnetic transducer array  139  may include one or more at least partially visibly transparent carbon nanotube-based solar cells. Such cells may include those as described in “ Organic solar cells with carbon nanotube network electrodes”, Applied Physics Letters , Vol. 88, 233506 (2006), by Rowell et al., which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     In another embodiment, the electromagnetic transducer array  139  may include one or more at least partially visibly transparent graphene-based solar cells. Such cells may include those as described in “ Organic solar cells with solution - processed graphene transparent electrodes”, Applied Physics Letters , Vol. 92, 263302 (2008), by Wu et al., which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4D , the ad hoc sensor system  100  may include one or more mechanisms for powering the sensors  102  and/or the sensor monitoring devices  103  of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . For example, the ad hoc sensor system  100  may include one or more electrically conductive elements  144  (e.g. an electrically conductive mesh comprising intersecting portions of conductive materials such as metals, polymers, plastics, and the like) configured for transmission of electrical power  141  from at least one power source  145  (e.g. standard 110 volt power obtained from a commercial power grid, a local power generator, a power storage device (e.g. a battery system), and the like) for powering one or more operations of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . More specifically, the electrically conductive elements  144  may be provided in the form of one or more structural elements defining the region  101 . For example, as shown in  FIGS. 4D and 4E , at least one partition portion  146  (e.g. a wall, ceiling, or floor) defining the region  101  may include one or more structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ (e.g. electrically conductive elements  144  at least partially integrated within or at least partially affixed to a surface of a structural element forming the partition portion  146 ). 
     In one embodiment, the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include electrically conductive elements  144  integrated into construction material  147  such as a drywall, wall board or Sheetrock® forming the partition portion  146 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 4E , the construction material  147  may be a layered structure including outer layers  148  (e.g. paper layers) and an internal layer  149  (e.g. a gypsum plaster layer). During fabrication of the construction material  147 , electrically conductive elements  144  may be disposed in at least one layer (e.g. the internal layer  149 ) so as to integrate electrically conductive elements  144  within the construction material  147  thereby providing for the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. It may be the case that a protective coating, film or barrier may be disposed about the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ to prevent degradation of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ by the surrounding construction material  147 . Upon an application of electrical power to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′, the electrical power  141  may be distributed to sensors  102  and/or sensor monitoring devices  103  electrically coupled to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ to power various sensor acquisition and sensing operations. As shown in  FIG. 4E , in one embodiment, a sensor  102  may be electrically coupled to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ by one or more pins  150  inserted through the construction material  147  to contact a conductive portion of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. In another embodiment, the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include one or more inductive elements  151 . The sensor  102  may include one or more cooperating inductive elements  152 . The inductive elements  151  of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ and the inductive elements  152  of the sensor  102  may cooperate to form an inductive coupling  153  to inductively power the sensor  102 . 
     In another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4F , the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include electrically conductive elements  144  at least partially affixed to or disposed upon a surface of a partition portion  146  defining region  101 . For example, the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may be configured as a wallpaper, appliqué or paint. A sensor  102  may be electrically coupled to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ by aligning one or more electrical contacts  154  of a sensor  102  to contact one or more of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ so as to power one or more operations of the sensor  102  via power received from the power source  145 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4G , in the case of a surface type installation of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′, the configuration of the electrically conductive elements  144  may be such that independent modular sheets  155  containing electrically conductive elements  144  may be aligned to operably connect the electrically conductive elements  144 A of a first sheet  155 A with the electrically conductive elements  144 B of a second sheet  155 B (e.g. via conductive contacts at the edge of each sheet) thereby increasing the effective area of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. A sheet  155  including the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may further include one or more indicators  156  (e.g. markings visible under optical or UV frequency illumination) associated with proper placement  157  of the sensors  102 . Such placement may correspond to electrical interconnects disposed within the sheet  155  configured to operably couple the sensors  102  to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ (e.g. one or more pins or vias electrically coupled to the electrically conductive elements  144 ). In one embodiment, the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include indium-tin oxide traces disposed on the partition portion  146  such that the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ are at least partially visually transparent. 
       FIG. 5  and the following figures include various examples of operational flows, discussions and explanations may be provided with respect to the above-described exemplary environment of  FIGS. 1-4G . However, it should be understood that the operational flows may be executed in a number of other environments and contexts, and/or in modified versions of  FIGS. 1-4G . In addition, although the various operational flows are presented in the sequence(s) illustrated, it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in different sequential orders other than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently. 
     Further, in the following figures that depict various flow processes, various operations may be depicted in a box-within-a-box manner. Such depictions may indicate that an operation in an internal box may comprise an optional example embodiment of the operational step illustrated in one or more external boxes. However, it should be understood that internal box operations may be viewed as independent operations separate from any associated external boxes and may be performed in any sequence with respect to all other illustrated operations, or may be performed concurrently. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an operational procedure  500  for practicing aspects of the present disclosure including operations  502  and  504 . 
     Operation  502  illustrates receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element. As shown in  FIG. 4D , the ad hoc sensor system  100  may include one or more mechanisms for powering the sensors  102  and/or the sensor monitoring devices  103  of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . For example, the ad hoc sensor system  100  may include one or more electrically conductive elements  144  (e.g. an electrically conductive mesh comprising intersecting portions of conductive materials such as metals, polymers, plastics, and the like) configured for transmission of electrical power  141  from at least one power source  145  (e.g. standard 110 volt power obtained from a commercial power grid, a local power generator, a power storage device (e.g. a battery or capacitive storage system), and the like) for powering one or more operations of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . More specifically, the electrically conductive elements  144  may be provided in the form of one or more structural elements defining the region  101 . For example, as shown in  FIGS. 4D and 4E , at least one partition portion  146  (e.g. a wall, ceiling, or floor) defining the region  101  may include one or more structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ (e.g. electrically conductive elements  144  at least partially integrated within or at least partially affixed to a surface of a structural element forming the partition portion  146 ). 
     Operation  504  illustrates powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4D , sensors  102  and/or storage devices  143  electrically coupled to at least one sensor  102  may receive electrical power  141  provided by a power source  145  via one or more structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. The electrical power  141  may be provided to the sensors  102  and/or the storage devices  143  to power various sensor acquisition and sensing operations. The sensors  102  may lack an internal power source for conducting sensing operations (e.g. thermal sensing, pressure sensing, motion sensing, image sensing, audio sensing, electromagnetic sensing, and the like). As such, as shown in  FIG. 4E , in one embodiment, a sensor  102  may be electrically coupled to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ by one or more pins  150  inserted through construction material  147  to contact a conductive portion of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. In another embodiment, the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include one or more inductive elements  151  configured to provide an inductive coupling  153  with one or more inductive elements  151  of a sensor  102 . The sensing operations of the sensors  102  may be powered by electrical power  141  transmitted through the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. 
       FIG. 6  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operation  502  of operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  602  and/or  604 .  FIG. 7  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operation  504  of operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  606  and/or  608 . 
     Operation  602  illustrates receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element at least partially integrated within a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 4D and 4E , the electrically conductive elements  144  may be provided in the form of one or more structural elements defining the region  101 . At least one partition portion  146  (e.g. a wall, ceiling, or floor) defining the region  101  may include one or more structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ (e.g. electrically conductive elements  144  at least partially integrated within or affixed to a structural element forming the partition portion  146 ). 
     Operation  604  illustrates receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element at least partially integrated within a portion of drywall defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors. In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4E , the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include electrically conductive elements  144  integrated into construction material  147  such as a drywall, wall board or Sheetrock® forming the partition portion  146 . The construction material  147  may be a layered structure including outer layers  148 (e.g. paper layers) and an internal layer  149  (e.g. a gypsum plaster layer). During fabrication of the construction material  147 , electrically conductive elements  144  may be disposed in at least one layer (e.g. the internal layer  149 ) so as to integrate electrically conductive elements  144  within the construction material  147  thereby providing for the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. It may be the case that a protective coating, film or barrier may be disposed about the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ to provide insulation and prevent degradation of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ by the surrounding construction material  147 . 
     Operation  606  illustrates powering at least one sensor disposed on a surface of the portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by transmitting the electrical power from the at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element to the at least one sensor via one or more electrical connections routed through the portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4E , in one embodiment, a sensor  102  may be electrically coupled to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ by one or more pins  150  inserted through the construction material  147  to contact a conductive portion of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. The electrical power  141  may be provided to the sensors  102  and/or the sensor monitoring devices  103  to power various sensor operations via the pins  150 . Upon an application of electrical power  141  received from the power source  145  to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′, the electrical power  141  may be distributed to sensors  102  and/or sensor monitoring devices  103  electrically coupled to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ to power various sensor acquisition and sensing operations. 
     Operation  608  illustrates powering at least one sensor disposed on a surface of the portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by transmitting the electrical power from the at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element to the at least one sensor via one or more inductive couplings between the at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element and the at least one sensor. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4E , the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include one or more inductive elements  151 . The sensor  102  may include one or more inductive elements  152 . The inductive elements  151  of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ and the inductive elements  152  of the sensor  102  cooperate to form an inductive coupling  153  to inductively power the sensor  102 . Upon an application of electrical power  141  received from the power source  145  to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′, the electrical power  141  may be distributed to sensors  102  and/or sensor monitoring devices  103  electrically coupled to the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ via the inductive coupling  153  to power various sensor acquisition and sensing operations. 
       FIG. 7A  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  702 ,  704 ,  706  and/or  708 . 
     Operation  702  illustrates receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element at least partially disposed on a surface of a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4F , the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may be configured as a wallpaper or appliqué including one or more electrically conductive elements  144  (e.g. metallic foil patterns). In one embodiment, the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may include indium-tin oxide traces such that the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ are at least partially visually transparent. 
     Operation  704  illustrates receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element at least partially integrated into at least one sheet affixed to a surface portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4G , the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may be configured as a wallpaper or appliqué including one or more electrically conductive elements  144  (e.g. metallic foil patterns). In the case of a surface type installation of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′, the configuration of the electrically conductive elements  144  may be such that independent sheets  155  contain modular networks of electrically conductive elements  144  which may be independently or cooperatively coupled to a power source  145 . In one embodiment, the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ disposed on the sheets  155  may include indium-tin oxide traces such that the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ are at least partially visually transparent. 
     Operation  706  illustrates receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element at least partially integrated into the at least one sheet and at least one second structurally integrated electrically conductive element at least partially integrated into at least one second sheet electrically coupled to the at least one sheet to electrically couple the at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element and the at least one second structurally electrically conductive element. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4G , the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may be configured as a sheet  155  (e.g. wallpaper or appliqué) including one or more electrically conductive elements  144 . In the case of a surface type installation of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′, the configuration of the electrically conductive elements  144  may be such that independent sheets  155  containing modular electrically conductive elements  144  may be aligned to operably connect the electrically conductive elements  144 A of a first sheet  155 A with the electrically conductive elements  144 B of a second sheet  155 B (e.g. via conductive contacts at the edge of each sheet  155 ) thereby increasing the effective area of the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′. 
     Operation  708  illustrates receiving electrical power via an electrically conductive paint at least partially disposed on a surface of a portion of a partition defining a region to be monitored by the one or more sensors. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4D , the structurally integrated electrically conductive elements  144 ′ may be applied to a partition portion  146  of a region  101  as a conductive paint composition (e.g. paints containing nickel, copper, carbon, and the like). A user may apply a conductive paint composition from a coupling providing electrical power  141  (e.g. a power outlet) to a location on a partition portion  146  where placement of a sensor  102  is desired. The sensor  102  may be disposed on the conductive paint such that a conductive portion of the sensor  102  contacts the paint in order to receive electrical power via the conductive paint. 
       FIG. 8  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  802 .  FIG. 8  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  804 ,  806 , and/or  808 . 
     Operation  802  illustrates wirelessly transmitting one or more signals indicative of a location of at least one sensor to the one or more sensor monitoring devices. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , a sensor  102  may wirelessly transmit an identification signal  111  indicative of the presence of the sensor  102  within the region  101  which may be received by the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  of the sensor monitoring device  103 . The transmitted identification signal  111  may be a beacon-type signal that simply indicates the presence of a sensor  102  within the currently scanned region. Alternately the received identification signal  111  may include data associated with the sensor  102  and stored by the passive identification mechanism  108 . For example, the identification signal  111  may encode data associated with a sensor-type (e.g. thermal, pressure, motion, image, audio, electromagnetic, and the like) of the sensor  102 , sensor operation requirements (e.g. operating power levels, power storage charge times, and the like), and the like. The sensor location detection logic  115  of the sensor monitoring device  103  may, in turn, correlate the portion of the region  101  currently subject to scanning (e.g. via data associated with a current orientation of one or more control actuators and/or a directional antenna associated with the sensor acquisition transceiver  110 ) with a detected sensor  102  and store sensor location data  116  associated with that portion of the region  101  to a sensor location database  117 . The sensor monitoring device  103  may scan the region  101  in a zonal manner whereby the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  (e.g. a radio transceiver, a microwave transceiver, an infrared transceiver, an optical/laser transceiver, and the like) is progressively directed to various portions of the region  101  and transmits the sensor acquisition signal  109 . The sensor monitoring devices  103  may cycle through a defined set of portions of the region  101  maintained by the sensor location database  117  and transmit the sensor operation activation signal  120  to a given portion of the region  101  during a given time interval associated with that portion of the region  101  before moving on to transmissions to additional portions of the region  101 . The sensor monitoring devices  103  may be configured to scan (e.g. a grid scan) the region  101  and detect the locations of one or more sensors  102  within the region  101 . The sensor location detection logic  115  of the sensor monitoring device  103  may, in turn, correlate the portion of the region  101  currently subject to scanning (e.g. via data associated with a current orientation of one or more control actuators and/or a directional antenna associated with the sensor acquisition transceiver  110 ) with a detected sensor  102  and store sensor location data  116  associated with that portion of the region  101  to a sensor location database  117 . Such scanning capabilities allow the sensors  102  to be arbitrarily arranged about the region  101  without regard to relative orientations of the sensors  102  and the sensor monitoring devices  103  by a user having limited training with respect to operation of the ad hoc sensor system  100 . Such location detection of the sensors  102  may serve to optimize communications with the sensors  102  in that communications signals may be wirelessly transmitted to and received from the sensors  102  in an at least partially targeted manner (e.g. via a configurable directional antenna) so as to avoid unnecessary power consumption associated with a full broadcast mode to portions of the region  101  not containing sensors  102 . 
     Operation  804  illustrates receiving one or more wirelessly transmitted signals from one or more sensor monitoring devices transmitted according to the location of the at least one sensor. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , a sensor monitoring device  103  may include a sensor operation activation transmitter  119  configured for wirelessly transmitting a sensor operation activation signal  120  to the sensors  102  to instruct a sensors  102  to initiate sensing operations and/or the transmission of sensing data to the sensor monitoring device  103 . The signal control logic  128  of the sensor monitoring device  103  may query the sensor location database  117  for a location of at least one sensor  102  and provide control signals to the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  to direct the sensor operation activation signal  120  in the direction of the at least one sensor  102  (e.g. via configuring one or more actuators or configuring a directional antenna array). 
     Operation  806  illustrates receiving one or more wirelessly transmitted radio frequency signals from the one or more sensor monitoring devices. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  may be progressively directed to various portions of the region  101  and transmits a sensor acquisition signal  109  characterized by having a frequency in the radio frequency range of from about 3 kHz to 3000 GHz. 
     Operation  808  illustrates receiving one or more wirelessly transmitted optical frequency signals from the one or more sensor monitoring devices. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the sensor acquisition transceiver  110  may be progressively directed to various portions of the region  101  and transmits a sensor acquisition signal  109  characterized by having a frequency in the optical/visible frequency range of from about 400-790 THz. Use of a sensor acquisition signal  109  in the optical/visible frequency range may have the advantage that such use is largely unregulated by governmental entities. 
       FIG. 9  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operational flow  500  of  FIG. 8  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  802 .  FIG. 9  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operation  804  of operational flow  500  of  FIG. 8  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  902 , 904  and/or  906 . 
     Operation  902  illustrates receiving one or more wirelessly transmitted sensor operation activation signals transmitted according to one or more external control signals. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may be controlled by an external control signal  136  (e.g. a signal not originating from the sensor monitoring device  103 ). 
     Operation  904  illustrates receiving one or more wirelessly transmitted sensor operation activation signals transmitted according to one or more external control signals received from at least one external device. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , an external control signal  136  may be provided to the sensor monitoring device  103  by one or more processing devices  105  (e.g. a cell phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, and the like) external to the at the sensor monitoring device  103  at the direction of a user  107 . The transmission of the sensor operation activation signal  120  by the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  may be controlled by the external control signal  136 . 
     Operation  906  illustrates receiving one or more wirelessly transmitted sensor operation activation signals transmitted according to one or more external control signals received from one or more switches. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the sensor monitoring devices  103  may be pluggable with respect to one or more standard environmental devices (e.g. a standard 110-volt wall outlet-pluggable sensor monitoring device  103 A, a standard 60-watt light socket-pluggable sensor monitoring device  103 B, and the like). It may be the case that a wall outlet and/or light socket may be controllable by a switch (e.g. a standard wall-mounted light switch) as would be the case for a standard appliance or light bulb coupled to the wall outlet and/or light socket. The sensor monitoring devices  103  may be likewise be configured such that the same switch may control the sensor monitoring devices  103  to power on the sensor operation activation transmitter  119  when the switch is actuated by a user. 
       FIG. 10  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operation  504  of operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  1002 ,  1004 ,  1006 ,  1008 ,  1010  and/or  1312 . 
     Operation  1002  illustrates powering one or more thermal sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the sensors  102  may have no independent power source for conducting thermal sensing operations by a thermal sensing element  123  (e.g. a thermistor). As such, the sensors  102  may receive electrical power  141  usable to power sensing element  123  (e.g. electrical circuitry, micro-electromechanical system devices, and the like) of the sensors  102  configured to carry out the desired thermal sensing operations. 
     Operation  1004  illustrates powering one or more pressure sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the sensors  102  may have no independent power source for conducting pressure sensing operations by an pressure sensing element  123  (e.g. a piezoelectric pressure sensor). As such, the sensors  102  may receive electrical power  141  usable to power sensing element  123  usable to power sensing element  123  (e.g. electrical circuitry, micro-electromechanical system devices, and the like) of the sensors  102  configured to carry out the desired pressure sensing operations. 
     Operation  1006  illustrates powering one or more motion sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the sensors  102  may have no independent power source for conducting motion sensing operations by a motion sensing element  123  (e.g. a camera, thermal sensor, pressure sensor, radar sensor, and the like). As such, the sensors  102  may receive electrical power  141  usable to power sensing element  123  (e.g. electrical circuitry, micro-electromechanical system devices, and the like) of the sensors  102  configured to carry out the desired motion sensing operations. 
     Operation  1008  illustrates powering one or more image sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the sensors  102  may have no on-board power source for conducting image sensing operations by an image capture sensing element  123  (e.g. a still or video camera). As such, the sensors  102  may receive electrical power  141  usable to power sensing element  123  (e.g. electrical circuitry, micro-electromechanical system devices, and the like) of the sensors  102  configured to carry out the desired image sensing operations. 
     Operation  1010  illustrates powering one or more audio sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the sensors  102  may have no on-board power source for conducting audio sensing operations by an audio sensing element  123  (e.g. a microphone). As such, the sensors  102  may receive electrical power  141  usable to power sensing element  123  (e.g. electrical circuitry, micro-electromechanical system devices, and the like) of the sensors  102  configured to carry out the desired audio sensing operations. 
     Operation  1012  illustrates powering one or more electromagnetic radiation sensing operations of a sensor via the electrical power. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the sensors  102  may have no on-board power source for conducting electromagnetic radiation (EMR) sensing operations by an EMR sensing element  123 . As such, the sensors  102  may receive electrical power  141  usable to power sensing element  123  (e.g. electrical circuitry, micro-electromechanical system devices, and the like) of the sensors  102  configured to carry out the desiredEMR sensing operations. 
       FIG. 11  further illustrates an operational procedure wherein operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operation  1102 . Further, operation  1102  of operational flow  500  of  FIG. 12  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operations  1104  and/or  1106 . 
     Operation  1102  illustrates wirelessly transmitting one or more signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored by a sensor monitoring device. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the sensor  102  may wirelessly transmit an identification signal  111  indicative of the presence of the sensor  102  within the region  101 . For example, the passive identification mechanism  108  may include a MEMS device configured to receive the sensor acquisition signal  109 , modulate that sensor acquisition signal  109  and retransmit the modulated sensor acquisition signal  109  as the identification signal  111 . 
     Operation  1104  illustrates wirelessly transmitting one or more signals indicative of a sensor type associated with a sensor to at least one sensor monitoring device. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the identification signal  111  may include data associated with the sensor  102 . For example, the identification signal  111  may encode data associated with a sensor-type (e.g. thermal, pressure, motion, image, audio, electromagnetic, and the like) of the sensor  102   
     Operation  1106  illustrates wirelessly transmitting one or more signals indicative of a one or more sensor operation parameters to at least one sensor monitoring device. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the identification signal  111  may include data associated with the sensor  102 . For example, the identification signal  111  may encode sensor operation requirements such as operating power levels of the sensor  102 , power storage charge times of the sensor  102 , uptime of the sensor  102 , and the like. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates an operational procedure wherein operational flow  500  of  FIG. 5  may include one or more additional operations. Additional operations may include operation  1202 . 
     Operation  1202  illustrates wirelessly transmitting sensor data from the one or more sensors to at least one sensor monitoring device. For example, the sensor  102  may not employ the energy storage device  130  and/or any type of power-intensive radio transmission components. Rather, the sensing element  123  of the sensor  102  may directly receive the sensor operation activation signal  120  (e.g. an optical beam) and directly modulate that beam according to one or more sensing parameters before the modulated beam is transmitted back to the sensor monitoring device  103  as sensor data  124 . For example, the sensing element  123  may be optical sensing element  123  including at least one MEMS device. The MEMS device may be a device configured to be modified by the sensing parameter (e.g. by temperature or pressure) and modulate the sensor operation activation signal  120  according to such modifications so as to generate sensor data  124  associated with the sensing parameter. 
     Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the art has progressed to the point where there is little distinction left between hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; the use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software can become significant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologies described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly software implementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles by which the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies described herein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any of which may vary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that optical aspects of implementations will typically employ optically-oriented hardware, software, and or firmware. 
     The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, several portions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described herein applies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing medium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Video Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and a transmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analog communication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wired communications link, a wireless communication link, etc.). 
     In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various aspects described herein which can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, or optical-electrical equipment). Those having skill in the art will recognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such described devices and/or processes into data processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a typical data processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, and/or control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity; control motors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A typical data processing system may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in data computing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems. 
     The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components. 
     While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”