Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6472988?dq=%22edwin+asa+markham%22
Timestamp: 2017-11-22 07:37:01
Document Index: 404007137

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 371', 'art 21', 'arts 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'arts 21', 'arts 21']

Patent US6472988 - System for monitoring wearers of protective respiratory equipment - Google Patents
A monitoring system for monitoring wearers of respiratory equipment and a mobile part and to a base station for use in such a system. To reduce the risks for wearers of respiratory equipment, system data are continuously transmitted to a base station by a mobile part which is attached to a compressed-air...http://www.google.com/patents/US6472988?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6472988 - System for monitoring wearers of protective respiratory equipment
Publication number US6472988 B1
Application number US 09/700,894
PCT number PCT/EP1999/002573
Also published as CA2337631A1, DE19822412A1, DE19822412B4, DE59914367D1, EP1077742A1, EP1077742B1, EP1077742B2, WO1999059676A1
Publication number 09700894, 700894, PCT/1999/2573, PCT/EP/1999/002573, PCT/EP/1999/02573, PCT/EP/99/002573, PCT/EP/99/02573, PCT/EP1999/002573, PCT/EP1999/02573, PCT/EP1999002573, PCT/EP199902573, PCT/EP99/002573, PCT/EP99/02573, PCT/EP99002573, PCT/EP9902573, US 6472988 B1, US 6472988B1, US-B1-6472988, US6472988 B1, US6472988B1
Inventors Sven Feld, Christian Giudici, Thorsten Kiesewalter
Patent Citations (5), Referenced by (40), Classifications (7), Legal Events (5)
US 6472988 B1
1. A monitoring system for monitoring a wearer of respiratory equipment, the monitoring system comprising:
a mobile part connectible to a compressed-air breathing apparatus;
at least one sensor allocated to the mobile part for acquiring status data; and
a base station capable of communicating with the mobile part via a wireless connection;
wherein the mobile part includes:
a warning apparatus for generating at least one of visual and audible signals as a function of the acquired status data;
a radio transmitting apparatus for transmitting the acquired status data to the base station; and
a central control unit for transmitting a message for logging the mobile part on or off at the base station;
and wherein the base station includes:
a radio receiving apparatus for receiving the status data transmitted from the mobile part; and
a second warning apparatus which generates visual and/or audible signals as a function of the received status data.
2. The monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the status data includes status data of the compressed-air breathing apparatus.
a central control apparatus connectible to at least one sensor for acquiring status data;
a radio transmitting apparatus for the wireless transmission of the acquired status data to the base station;
wherein the central control unit is capable of transmitting a message for logging the mobile part on or off at the base station.
a radio receiving apparatus for receiving the status data transmitted from the mobile part;
a second warning apparatus for generating visual and/or audible signals as a function of the received status data; and
a display device for displaying the status data of the mobile part.
The present application is the U.S. national stage application, under 35 U.S.C. § 371, of PCT Application No. PCT/EP99/02573, having an international filing date of Apr. 16, 1999.
Fire departments employ respiratory equipment, so-called compressed-air breathing apparatuses, which are independent of ambient air conditions. Such apparatuses enable fire fighters to still carry on their work in rooms which are completely smoke-filled. The breathing air required for this is carried on the back in one or two steel or composite-material cylinders. The operating pressure of such cylinders is 200 or 300 bar depending on type, with a cylinder capacity of 4 and 6 liters, respectively, of compressed air. Use is made, for example, of a Dräger PA94+ compressed-air breathing apparatus with two 4-liter, 200 bar steel cylinders. In this case, the air supply is 1600 liters, which is sufficient for a mission, or use, duration of approx. 20 minutes in the case of medium-heavy work. Normally, the mission time of the personnel, who act exclusively as a team, is monitored by a fireman who makes a note of the starting time of the mission. If, after a certain length of time, there has been no communication from a team, then action can be taken and rescue measures initiated. However, such a manual procedure involves some inherent risks, because the monitoring fireman must calculate for all personnel the remaining mission time, which may vary because of different starting times. Furthermore, it is difficult to locate a fireman who is in distress if he is unable to trigger an alarm.
I. Mobile Part 21
FIG. 3 shows, in the form of a block diagram, the schematic construction of one of the four mobile parts 21. Mobile part 21 includes, inter alia, the following components: a central control unit 30, in this case a so-called microcontroller with integral real-time clock; a memory 100; an interface 75 for connecting a headphone 80; and an interface 77 for the connection of, for example, an external personal computer. Connected as monitoring sensors to central control unit 30 are a pressure sensor 42, a temperature sensor 48, a motion sensor 44 and a sensor 46 for detecting the triggering of an emergency-call apparatus by the wearer of the respiratory equipment. With the aid of a digital speech output apparatus 70, predetermined announcement texts can be output as normal speech to the respiratory-equipment wearer via connected headphone 80. The system conditions detected by sensors 42, 44, 46 and 48 and supplied to microcontroller 30 can be transmitted to base station 20 via a UHF transmitter 60 and via a transmitting antenna 62. A voltage source 105 supplies mobile part 21 with the required voltage. Voltage source 105, in the form of a battery, can be attached to the outside of the housing of mobile part 21. Since pressure sensor 42 requires a different voltage than the other components, it is supplied with the required DC voltage via a DC voltage converter 107.
FIG. 4 shows, in the form of a block diagram, an exemplary embodiment of base station 20. The entire base station 20 is controlled by a central control unit 30′. An operator is able to enter control commands using a keyboard 110. Messages from the monitoring system are output on a liquid-crystal display 170. Central control unit 30′ receives data from each mobile part 21 via a UHF receiver 120 and a decoder 140. For example, seven light-emitting diodes—of which merely three, identified by reference numerals 152, 154 and 156, are shown—are used for the visual display of the operating state. Firstly, there are four red illuminated displays, each of which is allocated to one of the mobile parts 21. They indicate that an emergency call has been triggered. A further red light-emitting diode (LED) signals a low battery voltage in base station 20. The other two green LEDs are used to indicate the strength of the received UHF radio signal and the valid received data. A buzzer 160 is used to provide an audible output of warning and alarm messages. Base station 20 collects the incoming data from mobile parts 21 and displays them on liquid-crystal display 170. To ensure the readability of the information even in darkness or when there is insufficient illumination, display 170 is equipped with background illumination. It operates automatically and is switched on or off depending on the ambient brightness. In addition, it is possible to switch off the illumination generally by pressing a key. Base station 20 is controlled, for example, by keypad 110, which includes 3×4 fields, and which can be made of a self-adhesive membrane keyboard. This keyboard 110 can also be of splashproof design.
US20080015457 * Aug 6, 2007 Jan 17, 2008 Silva Carlos D Device for Monitoring Respiratory Movements
CN103007456A * Dec 28, 2012 Apr 3, 2013 北京安氧特科技有限公司 Timing warning device used for chemical oxygen-generating respirator
U.S. Classification 340/573.1, 600/534, 340/573.7, 340/539.1
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:FELD, SVEN;GIUDICI, CHRISTIAN;KIESEWALTER, THORSTEN;REEL/FRAME:011637/0993;SIGNING DATES FROM 20010206 TO 20010219
Owner name: SCOTT TECHNOLOGIES INC, FLORIDA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG;REEL/FRAME:020507/0426