Firefighting device feedback control

• US 8,245,790 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Company Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Company Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Lozier, Todd Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US12/174,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 169/24, 169/25, 169/43, 169/46, 169/52, 169/54, 169/56, 169/70, 239/69, 239/159, 239/160, 239/164, 239/166, 2395871-5873, 700/283, 701/50, 285/277, 285/912, 285/920
• US Class Current: 169/43
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/005 Special arrangements or adaptations of the spraying or distributing parts, e.g. adaptations or mounting of the spray booms, mounting of the nozzles, protection shields nozzles B05B1/00; spray pistols B05B9/01
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0075 including folding means
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/00 Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in oil wells E21B29/08, A62C35/00; in mines or tunnels E21F5/00 ; for nuclear reactors G21C9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 31/02 Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 31/22 specially adapted for piercing walls, heaped materials, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 31/28 Accessories for delivery devices, e.g. supports
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 99/009 Methods or equipment not provided for in groups A62C99/0009 - A62C99/0081
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/652 whereby the jet can be oriented

Abstract

A control system for a fire fighting component includes a detector for detecting a position of at least a portion of a fire fighting component relative to an axis, which generates an output position signal indicative of the position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting component, and a controller in communication with the detector and receiving the output position signal. The controller generates a display output signal based on the output position signal. The system further includes a display that is in communication with the controller and receives the display output signal. The display generates an icon that is a graphical representation of the fire fighting device, and configures the icon based on the output display signal wherein the configuration of the icon indicates the position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device.

Claims

1. A control system for a fire fighting device, said control system comprising:

a detector for detecting a position of at least a portion of the fire fighting device relative to an axis said detector generating an output position signal in of the position of the first portion of the fire fighting device;

a controller in communication with said detector and receiving said output position signal, said controller generating a display output signal based on said output position signal; and

a display in communication with said controller and receiving said display output signal, said display generating a manipulatable icon, said icon being a graphical representation of the fire fighting device, said display configuring said icon based on said output display signal wherein the configuration of said icon indicates the position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device, said display generating an input position signal in response to a manipulation of said icon, and said controller adjusting the position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device in response to said input position signal.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said fire fighting device comprises a fluid delivery device.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein said fluid delivery device comprises a monitor.

4. The control system according to claim 3, further comprising a base, said monitor being rotatable about said base, said detector generating, an output position signal indicative of the rotational position of said monitor about said base.

5. The control system according to claim 3, said monitor including an outlet, said outlet being rotatable about an axis, said detector generating an output position signal indicative of the rotational position of said outlet about said axis.

6. The control system according to claim 3, further comprising a nozzle and a second detector, said second detector generating an output position signal indicative of the configuration of the nozzle.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein in said icon includes a first icon portion and a second icon portion, said second icon portion being movable with respect to said first icon portion, said second icon portion indicating the angular position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device.

8. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said detector generates output position signals indicative of the position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device.

9. The control system according to claim 8, wherein one of said output position signals has a different ramp up rate than the other signal or signals.

10. The control system according to claim 1 further comprising a second detector for detecting a position of a second portion of the fire fighting device relative to an axis, said detector or generating a second output position signal indicative of the position of the second, portion of the fire fighting device, the controller being in communication with said second detector and receiving said second output position signal, said controller generating a second display output signal based on said second output position signal;

wherein said display generates a second manipulatable icon, said second icon being a graphical representation of the second portion of the fire fighting device, said display configuring said second icon based on said second output display signal wherein the configuration of said second icon indicates the position of the second portion of the fire fighting device, said display generating a second input position signal in response to manipulation of said second icon; and

said controller adjusting the position of the second portion of the fire fighting device in response to said second input position signal.

11. A control system for a fire fighting device, said control system comprising:

a detector for detecting a position of at least a portion of the fire fighting device relative to an axis, said detector generating an output position signal indicative of the position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device;

a controller in communication with said detector and receiving;

said output position signal; and

a display in communication with said controller, said display generating a manipulatable icon, said icon being a graphical representation of the firefighting device, wherein an input position signal to said controller is generated in response to a manipulation of said icon, and said controller adjusting the position of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device in response to said input position signal based on said output position signal of said detector.

12. The control system according to claim 11, wherein said lire fighting device comprises a fluid delivery device.

13. The control system according to claim 12, wherein said fluid delivery device comprises a monitor.

14. The control system according to claim 13, further comprising a base, said monitor being rotatable about said base, said detector generating an output position signal indicative of the rotational position of said monitor about, said base.

15. The control system according to claim 14, further comprising a second detector, said monitor including an outlet, said outlet being rotatable about an axis, and said second detector generating an output position signal indicative of the rotational position of said owlet about said axis, and said controller adjusting the position of said monitor about said base and/or said outlet about said axis based on said input position signal and said output position signals of said detectors.

16. The control system according to claim 13, wherein said controller generates a display output signal based on said output position signal from said detector, said display generating an icon based on said display output signal, said icon being a graphical representation of said monitor, and said display configuring said icon based on said output display signal wherein the configuration of said icon indicates the position of said monitor.

17. The control system according to claim 16, wherein said icon includes a first icon, portion and a second icon portion, said second icon portion being movable with respect to said first icon portion, said second icon portion indicating the angular position of said monitor.

18. The control system according to claim 11 further comprising a second detector for detecting a second portion of the fire fighting device relative to an axis, said second detector generating a second output position signal indicative of the position of the second fire fighting component, said controller being in communication with said second detector and receiving said second output position signal;

wherein said display generates a second manipulatable icon, said second icon being a graphical representation of the portion of the at least a portion of the fire fighting device, wherein an input position signal to said controller is generated in response to a manipulation of said icon, and said controller adjusting the position of the second portion of the fire fighting component in response to said second input, position signal based on said second output position signal of said second detector.

19. A method of controlling:

the position of a fire fighting device, said method comprising;

detecting the position of the fire fighting device;

generating an output position signal based on said detecting;

displaying a graphical icon based on said output position signal, wherein the configuration of said icon indicates the position of the fire fighting device;

manipulating said icon;

generating an input position signal based on the manipulating of said icon; and

adjusting the position of the fire fighting device based on said input position signal and said output position signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said detecting the position of the fire fighting device includes detecting the position of the fire fighting device with respect to two axes, said generating an output position signal includes generating an output position signal for each axis, and said adjusting including the position of the fire fighting device relative to at least one of said axes based on said input position signal and said output position signals.

21. The method of controlling the position of a fire fighting device according to claim 19, further comprising:

detecting a position of a portion of the fire fighting device;

generating a second output position signal based on said detecting;

displaying a second graphical icon based on said second output position signal, wherein the configuration of said second icon indicates the position of the portion of the fire fighting device;

manipulating said second icon;

generating a second input position signal based on the manipulating of said second icon; and

adjusting the position of the portion of the fire fighting device based on said second input position signal and said second output position signal.

22. The method of controlling the position of a fire fighting device according to claim 19, wherein said manipulating said icon step includes touching said icon and dragging said icon in an arcuate path.

23. A method of indicating the position of a fire fighting device, said method comprising:

detecting the position of the fire fighting device;

generating an output position signal based on said detecting;

generating an icon based on said output position signal;

configuring said icon as a geometrical representation of the fire fighting device;

changing the configuration of the icon to indicate the position of the fire fighting device based on said output position signal

manipulating the configuration of said icon; and

generating an input position signal in response to manipulating the configuration of said icon.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said detecting the position of the fire fighting device includes detecting the position of the fire fighting device with respect to two axes, said generating an icon includes generating an icon for each axis.

25. The method of indicating the position of a fire fighting device according to claim 23, further comprising:

detecting the position of a portion of the fire fighting device;

generating a second output position signal based on said detecting;

generating a second icon based on said second output position signal;

configuring said second icon as a geometrical representation of the portion of the fire fighting device;

changing the configuration of;

aid second icon to indicate the position of the portion of the fire fighting device based on said second, output position signal;

manipulating the configuration of said second icon; and

generating a second input position signal in response to manipulating the configuration of said second icon.

26. The method of indicating the position of a lire fighting device according to claim 23, wherein said manipulating the configuration of said icon step includes touching the icon and dragging the icon in an arcuate path.