Equipment and method for identifying, monitoring and evaluating equipment, environmental and physiological conditions

• US 20050001728A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fire-Eye Development, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fire-Eye Development, Incorporated
• Inventors: Appelt, Daren R., Brunson, Kevin K.
• Application Number:
  US10/873,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20050001728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for identifying monitoring and evaluating hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions. The system-may-be worn-by safety personnel to detect equipment conditions such as low power supply, environmental conditions such as ambient temperature and/or physiological conditions such as heart rate of a wearer. The system may further include a control unit having electronics operable to communicate signals associated with equipment, environmental and physiological conditions.

Claims

1. A system for identifying, monitoring and evaluating environmental and physiological conditions comprising:

a control unit stored within a housing, the control unit operable to communicate signals associated with environmental and physiological conditions;

an environmental sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the environmental sensor operable to be positioned within an ambient environment;

a physiological sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the physiological sensor operable to detect at least one physiological condition of a person wearing the system; and

an indicator operable to provide an indication representing at least one hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least portions of the environmental sensor integrated into and forming a part of a protective facemask.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least portions of the physiological sensor integrated into and forming a part of a protective facemask.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least portions of the control unit integrated within and forming a part of a protective facemask.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least portions of the indicator integrated into and forming a permanent part of a protective facemask.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more components of the system integrated into and forming a permanent part of the protective mask.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor operable to measure various characteristics of gas mixtures supplied to a person wearing the face mask.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor operable to measure nuclear radiation affecting a person wearing the face mask.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor operable to measure the presence of hazardous biological materials affecting a person wearing the face mask.

10. A system for identifying, monitoring and evaluating environmental and physiological conditions comprising:

a control unit stored within a housing, the control unit operable to communicate signals associated with environmental and physiological conditions;

an environmental sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the environmental sensor operable to be positioned within an ambient environment;

an equipment sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the equipment sensor operable to detect at least one condition of safety equipment associated with a person wearing the system; and

an indicator operable to provide an indication representing a hazardous or potentially hazardous condition.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising at least one component of the environmental sensor or the equipment sensor integrated into and forming a part of a protective facemask.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising at least one component of the control unit integrated within and forming a part of a protective facemask.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising at least one component of the indicator integrated into and forming a part of a protective facemask.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising one or more components of the system integrated into and forming a permanent part of a protective facemask.

15. A system for identifying, monitoring, evaluating and alerting a wearer of at least one critical condition comprising:

a control unit stored within a housing, the control unit operable to communicate signals associated with environmental and physiological conditions;

an environmental sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the environmental sensor operable to be positioned within an ambient environment;

an equipment sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the equipment sensor operable to detect and monitor at least one condition of safety equipment associated with the person wearing the system;

a physiological sensor communicatively coupled to the control unit, the physiological sensor unit operable to detect and monitor at least one physiological condition of a person wearing the system; and

an indicator operable to provide an indication representing the at least one critical condition.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising at least one component integrated into an exterior portion of a protective facemask.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising at least one component integrated into an interior portion of a protective facemask.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising at least one component integrated into a protective facemask.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising more than one component integrated into and made a permanent part of a protective facemask.

20. A warning system for use with safety apparel including a face mask comprising a sensor operable to measure various parameters of gas mixtures proximate to the face mask.

21. A warning system for use with safety apparel including a face mask comprising a sensor operable to measure various parameters of ionizing radiation and radioactive materials proximate to the face mask.

22. A temperature warning system for use with safety apparel including a face mask, the temperature warning system comprising:

at least one temperature sensor operable to detect ambient temperature proximate to the head of a person wearing the face mask;

at least one temperature sensor operable to detect air temperature adjacent to interior and exterior surfaces of-the face mask; and

at least one temperature sensor operable to detect the temperature of air supplied to the face mask.

23. The temperature warning system of claim 22 further comprising at least one processor operable to determine a critical temperature profile in response to one or more temperature readings from the temperature sensors.