Patent AU-2021105029-A4 (AU)
Title: Monitoring and alert system and method for sensorially perceptible devices
Inventor: ANDREW LEARY
IPC: E05B17/22
Filed: 2021-08-05
Granted: 2021-09-30
Abstract: The present invention provides a monitoring and alert system for retro-fitting to 
latching mechanisms including: a master control unit to be located proximate to an 
operator of the system, comprising: a user interface having: input means to enable 
an operator to arm the system and then allow it to operate with minimal interaction 
of the operator; and output means for alerting the operator as to the status of the 
system in relation to a plurality of prescribed conditions; master processing means 
to provide the functionality of the master control unit; master power supply means 
for providing local power to the master control unit; and slave power supply 
monitoring means to monitor the level of local power supplied to the master control 
unit and indicate when this is below a prescribed threshold for reliable operation 
thereof; one or more slave units each being fixedly attached to a discrete latching 
mechanism for detecting the latching status thereof, each slave unit comprising: 
sensing means to detect whether the latching mechanism is in a latched state or an 
unlatched state, slave processing means to provide the functionality of the slave 
unit; slave power supply means for providing local power to the slave unit; and slave 
power supply monitoring means to monitor the level of local power supplied to the 
slave unit and indicate when this is below a prescribed threshold for reliable 
operation thereof; communication means comprising a master transceiver forming 
part of the master control unit and a slave transceiver forming part of each slave 
unit for wirelessly communicating periodically status and alert signals between the 
master control unit and each of the slave units; wherein the master processing 
means and the slave processing means are designed to invoke various initialising 
processes for the master control unit and each of the slave units during a start-up 
mode involving interaction with the operator via the user interface, these initialising 
processes including identifying the latching status of each of the slave units; and 
wherein during a running mode: the master processing means is designed to 
invoke: a system state process to ascertain the latest latching status of each of the 
slave units whilst ensuring minimal power consumption by the master control unit; 
a power state process to check with the slave power supply monitoring means that 
the local power level is not below the prescribed threshold; a user interface process 
to process input signals from the input means and update the output means to 
convey the latest latching and power state status to the operator; and the slave
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processing means is designed to invoke a slave unit status routine to transmit a 
power alert signal if the slave power supply monitoring means indicates that the 
local power is below the prescribed threshold, and the latching status of the slave 
unit, whilst ensuring minimal power consumption by the slave unit.
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