Patent ID: 7786894

Claim:
A sensing platform for monitoring a transmission system, comprising: a sensor configured for sensing one or more conditions selected from the group consisting essentially of: a condition of the transmission system; and a condition of an environment around the transmission system, the sensor further configured for producing an output signal related to the sensed condition; a control system operatively associated with the sensor and responsive to the output signal produced by the sensor, the control system configured for: producing output data based on the output signal produced by the sensor; comparing the output data with at least one threshold condition indicative of a normal condition; determining an anomalous condition for at least one of the transmission system and the environment around the transmission system responsive to the comparing; and generating information related to the anomalous condition; a transceiver operatively associated with the control system and configured for receiving transmitted data from a second sensing platform, retransmitting the transmitted data to a third sensing platform, and transmitting the information related to the anomalous condition from the control system to at least one of the second sensing platform and the third sensing platform; and a power conversion system operatively associated with the transmission system and configured for extracting energy from a medium intended to be conveyed by the transmission system and converting the extracted energy into a form useable by the sensing platform.