Communication path for extreme environments
First Claim
1. A method for communicating information between a mobile object and an information receiver source, the method comprising:
- distributing a plurality of N radio frequency signal transceiver devices (“
STCs”
), indexed as n=1, . . . , N with N≧
3, as a mobile object moves within a region, where the STC numbers n and n+1 are spaced apart no further than a selected distance D/K, where D is no greater than a maximum distance of reliable signal transmission between two STCs and K is an integer selected from the integers {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
causing STC no. n to transmit at least one selected information item to at least one of STC nos. n′
=n−
1, n−
2, . . . , n−
K, for n=K+1, K+2, . . . , N, where the selected information item is drawn from a group of items including STC no. for the original source of the information (referred to as the “
source-STC”
);
location of the source-STC that is presently transmitting the information;
temperature at the source-STC location;
pressure at the source-STC location;
concentration of a specified chemical or compound at the source-STC location;
electromagnetic field intensity at the source-STC location;
a visible light index at the source-STC location;
average noise intensity at the source-STC location;
peak noise intensity at the source-STC location;
flux of nuclear particles (alpha, beta, gamma and/or ion) at the source-STC location; and
estimated oxygen content at the source-STC location; and
causing at least one of the STCs no. 1, 2, . . . , K to transmit the at least one selected information item to a signal receiver for analysis of the transmitted signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for using one or more radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs), or other suitable signal transmitters and/or receivers, to provide a sensor information communication path, to provide location and/or spatial orientation information for an emergency service worker (ESW), to provide an ESW escape route, to indicate a direction from an ESW to an ES appliance, to provide updated information on a region or structure that presents an extreme environment (fire, hazardous fluid leak, underwater, nuclear, etc.) in which an ESW works, and to provide accumulated thermal load or thermal breakdown information on one or more locations in the region.
10 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A method for communicating information between a mobile object and an information receiver source, the method comprising:
-
distributing a plurality of N radio frequency signal transceiver devices (“
STCs”
), indexed as n=1, . . . , N with N≧
3, as a mobile object moves within a region, where the STC numbers n and n+1 are spaced apart no further than a selected distance D/K, where D is no greater than a maximum distance of reliable signal transmission between two STCs and K is an integer selected from the integers {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};causing STC no. n to transmit at least one selected information item to at least one of STC nos. n′
=n−
1, n−
2, . . . , n−
K, for n=K+1, K+2, . . . , N, where the selected information item is drawn from a group of items including STC no. for the original source of the information (referred to as the “
source-STC”
);
location of the source-STC that is presently transmitting the information;
temperature at the source-STC location;
pressure at the source-STC location;
concentration of a specified chemical or compound at the source-STC location;
electromagnetic field intensity at the source-STC location;
a visible light index at the source-STC location;
average noise intensity at the source-STC location;
peak noise intensity at the source-STC location;
flux of nuclear particles (alpha, beta, gamma and/or ion) at the source-STC location; and
estimated oxygen content at the source-STC location; andcausing at least one of the STCs no. 1, 2, . . . , K to transmit the at least one selected information item to a signal receiver for analysis of the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A method for determining location of a non-stationary object, the method comprising:
-
providing a radio frequency signal transmitter (“
ST”
) that is attached to or carried by a non-stationery object;causing the ST to transmit a ST signal at a selected time; receiving the transmitted ST signal at each of N spaced apart, noncollinear radio frequency signal receivers (“
SRs”
) at known locations, and measuring an elapsed time for propagation of a received signal from the ST to each SR, with N≧
3; andestimating location coordinates for the ST, based upon comparison of the measured elapsed times, using a quadratic location analysis process. - View Dependent Claims (5)
-
-
6. A method for determining location of a non-stationary object, the method comprising:
-
providing N spaced apart, noncollinear radio frequency signal transceivers (“
source-STCs”
) at known locations, numbered n=1, . . . , N, where source-STC no, n transmits a distinguishable first signal S1(n);providing a mobile radio frequency signal transceiver (“
mobile STC”
) that is attached to or carried by a non-stationery object, where the mobile STC transmits a second distinguishable signal S2(n), after a selected non-negative time delay, in response to receipt of the first signal S1(n), where source-STC no. n receives the second distinguishable signal S2(n) and measures an elapsed time between transmission of the first signal S1(n) and receipt of the second signal S2(n); andestimating location coordinates for the mobile STC, based upon comparison of the measured elapsed times and using a quadratic location analysis process. - View Dependent Claims (7)
-
-
8. A method for determining location of an non-stationary object, the method comprising:
-
providing at least three spaced apart, noncollinear radio frequency signal transceivers (“
source-STCs”
) at known locations, numbered n=n1, n2, n3, . . . with n1≠
n2≠
n3≠
n1, where source-STC no. n transmits a distinguishable first signal S1(n);providing a mobile radio frequency signal transceiver (“
mobile STC”
) that is attached to or carried by a non-stationery object, where the mobile STC;
(i) receives a signal S1(n1) and, after a known time delay Δ
t(n1), transmits a distinguishable signal S2(n1) that is received by the STC number n2;
(ii) receives a signal S1(n2) and, after a known time delay Δ
t(n2), transmits a distinguishable signal S2(n2) that is received by the STC number n3; and
(iii) receives a signal S1(n3) and, after a known time delay Δ
t(n3), transmits a distinguishable signal S2(n3) that is received by the STC number n3;estimating elapsed times, T(1,r), T(2,r) and T(3,r), for signal propagation between the STC number n1 and the mobile STC, between the STC number n2 and the mobile STC, and between the STC number n3 and the mobile STC, respectively; and estimating location coordinates for the mobile STC, based upon comparison of the measured elapsed times and using a quadratic location analysis process. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
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10. A method for determining spatial orientation of M non-stationary objects, the method comprising:
-
providing M radio frequency signal transmitters (“
STs”
) that are attached to or carried by the M non-stationery objects, numbered m=1, . . . , M, at spaced apart, noncollinear positions, where ST no. m transmits a distinguishable ST signal at each of two or more selected spaced apart times and M≧
3;receiving each of the transmitted ST signals at each of N spaced apart radio frequency signal receivers (“
SRs”
) at known locations, no three of which are collinear, and measuring an elapsed time for propagation of a received signal from each ST to each SR, with N≧
3;estimating location coordinates for teach of the STs, based upon comparison of the measured elapsed times, using a quadratic location analysis process; applying a quadratic orientation analysis process to the location coordinates for each of the STs to estimate orientation parameters (α
,β
,γ
,p) for a plane Π
defined by locations of at least three of the STs for a first selected time. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for determining spatial orientation of a non-stationary object, the method comprising:
-
providing N radio frequency signal source-transceivers (“
source-STCs”
) that are spaced apart at known locations, no three of which are collinear, numbered n=1, . . . , N (N≧
3), where source-STC no. n transmits a distinguishable signal S1(n);providing M radio frequency signal mobile transmitters (“
mobile STCs”
), numbered m=1, . . . , M (M>
3), that are attached to or carried by a non-stationery object at spaced apart locations, no three of which are collinear, where each mobile STC receives each signal S1(n) and, after a time delay of length Δ
t(n), transmits a distinguishable mobile STC signal S2(n) at each of two or more selected spaced apart times, and where each signal S2(n) is received by at least one of the source-STCs;determining at least one of (i) a time of propagation of the signal S1(n) from the source-STC number n to the mobile STC number m and (ii) a time of propagation of the signal S2(n) from the mobile STC number m to the source-STC number n, for each source-STC number n and each mobile STC number m estimating location coordinates for each of the mobile STCs, based upon comparison of the measured times of signal propagation, using a quadratic location analysis process; and applying a quadratic orientation analysis process to the location coordinates for each of the STCs to estimate orientation parameters (α
,β
,γ
,p) for a plane Π
defined by locations of at least three of the STCs for a first selected time. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
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16. A method for indicating a path from an initial location in a region toward an exit from the region, the method comprising:
-
providing N spaced apart radio frequency signal transceivers (“
STCs”
), numbered n=1, . . . , N with N≧
3, beginning at an initial location in a region and defining a path from the initial location toward, or in a direction of, an exit from the region;causing STC no. n′
(n′
≧
3) to emit a first audibly perceptible signal for a first time interval;causing STC no. n′
−
1 to emit a second audibly perceptible signal, which is audibly distinguishable from the first audible signal, for a second time interval that follows and does not substantially overlap the first time interval; andcausing STC no. n′
−
2 to emit a third audibly perceptible signal, which is audibly distinguishable from the first audible signal and from the second audible signal, for a third time interval that follows and does not substantially overlap the second time interval. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for indicating a path from an initial location in a region toward an exit from the region, the method comprising:
-
providing N spaced apart radio frequency signal transceivers (“
STCs”
), numbered n=1, . . . , N with N≧
3, beginning at an initial location in a region and defining a path from the initial location toward an exit from the region;causing STC no. n′
(n′
>
3) to emit a first visually perceptible signal for a first time interval;causing STC no. n′
−
1 to emit a second visually perceptible signal, which is audibly distinguishable from the first visual signal, for a second time interval that follows and does not substantially overlap the first time interval; andcausing STC no. n′
−
2 to emit a third visually perceptible signal, which is audibly distinguishable from the first visual signal and from the second visual signal, for a third time interval that follows and does not substantially overlap the second time interval. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of providing present information on a region or structure associated with a region, the method comprising:
-
positioning a radio frequency signal receiver (“
SR”
) at or adjacent to an entrance to a selected region or structure, where the SR has a memory that can be interrogated concerning information in the SR memoryproviding the SR memory with information concerning at least one of the following;
date and time the information was last prepared or modified;
presence or absence, within or adjacent to the region or structure, of at least one fluid or solid substance that can present a toxic, reactive ignitable or corrosive substance, presence or absence, within or adjacent to the region or structure, of at least one fluid or solid substance that can present a chemical hazard, presence or absence ,within or adjacent to the region or structure, of at least one fluid or solid substance that can present a biological hazard, presence or absence, within or adjacent to the region or structure, of at least one fluid or solid substance that can present an explosion hazard, presence or absence, within or adjacent to the region or structure, of at least one fluid or solid substance that can present a nuclear hazard, presence or absence, within or adjacent to the region or structure, of any structural condition that may cause or contribute to a structural collapse; andremedial action, if any, taken in response to a condition associated with the region or structure. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of providing information on a present thermal condition of a region or structure, the method comprising:
-
positioning a radio frequency sensor-signal transmitter (“
SST”
) within or adjacent to a region or structure, where the SST comprises a thermal sensor that senses a local temperature T(t) at a sequence of times and computes a thermal load parameter, defined as
TL(t)=ƒ
t0t{H{T(t′
)−
T(thr)}}pdt′
,
(2)where t0 is a selected time value, H{x}=x (x>
0) and H{x}=(x<
0), T(thr) is an estimated temperature at which thermal breakdown of some at least one object within or adjacent to the region or structure becomes serious and p is a selected positive exponent; andwhen TL(t) exceeds a selected threshold value TL(thr), providing at least one of an audible signal and a visual signal that indicates that the object is approaching, or has reached, a material breakdown. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A method of providing information on a present thermal condition of a region or structure, the method comprising:
-
providing a radio frequency sensor-signal transmitter “
SST”
) that is at least partly enclosed by a layer of electromagnetically responsive material that melts or otherwise dissociates at or near a selected temperature T(melt);providing an electrical current source connected between first and second spaced apart locations on the responsive material, and measuring at least one of (i) an electrical current value between the first and second locations, (ii) an electrical resistance associated with a current path between the first and second locations and (iii) a magnetic permeability associated with a path between the first and second locations; and when at least one of the conditions (i) the measured electrical current value differs substantially from a nominal electrical current value, (ii) the measured electrical resistance value differs substantially from a nominal electrical resistance value and (iii) the measured magnetic permeability value differs substantially from a nominal magnetic permeability value, is satisfied, issuing at least one of an audible signal and a visual signal indicating that the responsive material is approaching, or has reached, a material breakdown. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification