Mobile card reader for lightning protection systems
AssigneeERICO International Corporation
InventorsGreg Martinjak, Bradford McIntyre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile card reader can be configured to connect to an input module of a mobile device. The mobile card reader can scan a magnetic stripe card from a structure exposed to lightning strikes in order to output a lightning-indicator signal to the input module. The lightning-indicator signal can be analyzed to determine a magnitude of a lightning strike to which the magnetic stripe card and the structure have been exposed.
Claims20
A mobile reader system for a lightning protection system that includes a magnetic stripe card configured to retain data on a data-storage stripe and to have a portion of the data erased from the data-storage stripe in response to one or more lightning strikes on a structure, the mobile reader system comprising:
- a mobile reader body that supports a magnetic reader assembly and an output module, the magnetic reader assembly being configured to read the data-storage stripe to output a lightning-indicator signal to the output module;
- and
- one or more computer-implemented modules configured to:
- receive the lightning-indicator signal via an input module in communication with the output module;
- and
- identify, based on analysis of the lightning-indicator signal, an indicator of a maximum current passing through a portion of the structure from the one or more lightning strikes.
A lightning protection system for a structure that is exposed to one or more lightning strikes, the lightning protection system including:
- a magnetic stripe card configured to retain data on a data-storage stripe and to have a portion of the data erased in response to the one or more lightning strikes;
- a mobile reader body supporting a magnetic reader assembly that includes an output module, the magnetic reader assembly being configured to read the data-storage stripe to output a lightning-indicator signal via the output module;
- and
- one or more computer-implemented modules configured to:
- receive the lightning-indicator signal via an input module of a handheld computing device that is in communication with the output module;
- and
- identify, based on analysis of the lightning-indicator signal, an indicator of a maximum current passing through the structure from the one or more lightning strikes.
A method of monitoring a structure that is exposed to one or more lightning strikes, the method comprising:
- retrieving from the structure a magnetic stripe card, the magnetic stripe card being configured to retain data on a data-storage stripe and having had a portion of the data erased in response to the one or more lightning strikes on the structure;
- scanning the data-storage stripe with a mobile reader system to provide a lightning-indicator signal at an output module of the mobile reader system;
- receiving the lightning-indicator signal, via the output module, at an input module of a mobile computing device;
- and
- identifying, based on computer-implemented analysis of the received lightning-indicator signal, an indicator of a maximum current passing through a portion of the structure from the one or more lightning strikes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.