Patent ID: 8134462

Claim:
A sensor system comprising: a casing designed to float on a surface of a body of water; a first sensor mounted to the casing, the first sensor configured to generate a first signal representing a characteristic of the water; a second sensor mounted to the casing, the second sensor configured to generate a second signal representing a characteristic of an atmosphere above the surface of the water; a processor mounted inside the casing, the processor configured to generate and store a pattern that evolves over time of expected external environmental behavior based on the first and second signals, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an alarm signal upon detecting a pattern in the first and second signals that is not found in the pattern of expected external environmental behavior; a transceiver configured to transmit the alarm signal; an energy source mounted inside the casing, the energy source being operatively coupled to the first and second sensors, the transceiver and the processor; and a remote station configured to relay the transmitted alarm signal to a user.