Patent ID: 8665082

Claim:
An apparatus for monitoring a remote site, the apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to: receive a command to enable the sensor, detect an environmental condition at the remote site upon receipt of a command to enable the sensor, obtain raw data concerning the detected environmental condition at a location of the remote site at a date and time; a memory device configured to store calibration information; a control board including a microprocessor and a plurality of communication ports, one of the communication ports providing a link to the remote sensor, the control board configured to: receive the raw data from a variety of types of data collection devices, including the remote sensor, process the raw data based on at least the calibration information stored in the memory device, place the processed data into at least one packet in real-time, wherein the at least one packet is limited to a predetermined maximum byte length based on control board report settings, transmit the at least one packet in a wireless communication from the control board to a sensor, wirelessly download updates to the stored calibration information, and transmit the at least one data packet to a designated server configured to: identify a sensor associated with the packet, extract data indicating a type of the detected environmental condition, a measurement of the detected environmental condition, the remote location, and the date and time, determine that the measurement of the detected environmental condition meets an alarm level preset by a customer associated with the identified sensor, and generate a notification to the customer indicating that the detected environmental condition meets the preset alarm level; a battery configured to provide primary power to the control board; and a solar panel configured to recharge the battery.