Emergency equipment power sources

• US 9,478,121 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: En-Gauge, Inc.
• Original Assignee: En-Gauge, Inc.
• Inventors: McSheffrey, Brendan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afrifa-Kyei, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US14/299,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 307/25, 307/43, 340/539.1, 340/436, 340/904, 342/27, 342/28, 342/76, 169/60, 169/61, 169/56, 169/30, 169/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/18 Indicating, recording or alarm devices actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Energy harvesting devices provide power to devices of emergency equipment stations (e.g., fire extinguisher station, fire alarm pull station, defibrillator station, etc.) distributed throughout a facility to monitor one or more internal or external conditions (e.g., identifiable objects detected near the station, presence of an obstruction restricting access to the station, etc.) and relay information about the monitored conditions to a central station.

Claims

1. An apparatus for remote inspection comprising:

a gauge powered by an energy harvesting device and configured to be in communication with a volume defined by a portable tank for detection and display of a pressure condition of content contained within the volume, wherein the energy harvesting device is a small autonomous device associated with the gauge and configured to harvest energy from inside a building, and wherein the portable tank includes a fire extinguisher;

a processor configured to receive and process data from the energy harvesting device and one or more modules of the gauge, wherein the processor allocates power harvested by the energy harvesting device to the one or more modules of the gauge, and wherein the processor transmits power distribution data through communications circuitry to a central station located remotely from the apparatus;

a sensor to detect a predetermined external condition of the portable tank; and

an electronic circuit disposed in communication with the gauge and adapted to signal to the remote central station upon detection of a predetermined internal condition including an out-of-range pressure condition of the portable tank detected by a detector of the gauge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor detects a removal of the portable tank from an installed position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor detects an obstruction to viewing of the portable tank.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor detects an obstruction to access of the portable tank.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gauge is further powered by an auxiliary power supply.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the energy harvesting device includes a piezoelectric crystal for harvesting electrical energy from mechanical strains.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the energy harvesting device includes a solar panel for harvesting electrical energy from ambient light energy.

8. An apparatus for remote inspection comprising:

a gauge powered by an energy harvesting device and configured to be in communication with a volume defined by a portable tank for detection and display of a pressure condition of content contained within the volume, wherein the energy harvesting device is a small autonomous device associated with the gauge and configured to harvest energy from inside a building, wherein the gauge is further powered by an auxiliary power supply;

a processor configured to receive and process data from the energy harvesting device and one or more modules of the gauge, wherein the processor allocates power harvested by the energy harvesting device to the one or more modules of the gauge, and wherein the processor transmits power distribution data through communications circuitry to a central station located remotely from the apparatus;

a sensor to detect a predetermined external condition of the portable tank; and

an electronic circuit disposed in communication with the gauge and adapted to signal to the remote central station upon detection of a predetermined internal condition including an out-of-range pressure condition of the portable tank detected by a detector of the gauge.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a sensor to detect a predetermined external condition of the portable tank.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the sensor detects a removal of the portable tank from an installed position.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the sensor detects an obstruction to viewing of the portable tank.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the sensor detects an obstruction to access of the portable tank.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the energy harvesting device includes a piezoelectric crystal for harvesting electrical energy from mechanical strains.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the energy harvesting device includes a solar panel for harvesting electrical energy from ambient light energy.