# US 11,998,780 B2 · Fire-fighting control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,780 B2 - Document ID: US11998780B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/930,962 - Filed: 2022-09-09 - Published: 2023-01-05 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-14 - Assignees: Akron Brass Company - Applicants: Akron Brass Company - Inventors: Michael A. Laskaris; Jason Cerrano; James M. Johnson; Daniel B. Teixeira - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998780B2 ## CPC - A62C 31/28: Accessories for delivery devices, e.g. supports - A62C 37/04: {with electrically-controlled release} - A62C 31/005: {using nozzles} - A62C 37/00: Control of fire-fighting equipment (heat-sensitive devices G01K) - A62C: FIRE-FIGHTING (fire-extinguishing compositions, use of chemical substances in extinguishing fires A62D1/00; spraying, applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces in general B05; alarm arrangements G08B, e.g. fire alarms actuated by smoke or gases G08B17/10) ## Abstract A fire-fighting system includes a pump, a nozzle for directing fluid flow from the pump to a target area, a discharge valve controlling fluid flow between the pump and the nozzle, a sensor coupled to the nozzle, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. The sensor detects movement of the nozzle and generates a signal indicative of the detected movement. The controller communicatively coupled is configured to receive the signal from the sensor, and control at least one of the discharge valve, the pump, and the nozzle based on the detected movement of the nozzle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fire-fighting system comprising: a pump; a nozzle for directing fluid from said pump to a target area, said nozzle comprising a first pressure sensor configured to detect a first fluid pressure of the fluid at said nozzle; a discharge valve controlling fluid flow between said pump and said nozzle; a second pressure sensor configured to detect a second fluid pressure of the fluid at said discharge valve; and a controller communicatively coupled to said first pressure sensor and said second pressure sensor, said controller configured to: control operation of at least one of said pump and said discharge valve based on a user-requested fluid pressure and the detected first fluid pressure at said nozzle in a primary mode of operation; and control operation of said at least one of said pump and said discharge valve based on the user-requested fluid pressure and the detected second fluid pressure at said discharge valve in a secondary mode of operation when signal communication between said first pressure sensor and said controller is interrupted. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fire-fighting system of claim 1, wherein said nozzle further comprises a transceiver communicatively coupled to said first pressure sensor and configured for wireless communication with said controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fire-fighting system of claim 2, wherein said nozzle further comprises a user-interface communicatively coupled to said transceiver and configured to receive the user-requested fluid pressure from a user, said transceiver configured to transmit the user-requested fluid pressure to said controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fire-fighting system of claim 3, wherein said controller is further configured to control operation of said at least one of said pump and said discharge valve based on the user-requested fluid pressure last received at said controller from said transceiver. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fire-fighting system of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to control operation of said discharge valve by controlling an actuation state of said discharge valve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fire-fighting system of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to control operation of said pump by at least one of: (i) controlling a speed of said pump and (ii) controlling an actuation state of an additional valve of said fire-fighting system, wherein the additional valve is coupled in fluid communication with said pump. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fire-fighting system of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to determine that communication between said first pressure sensor and said controller has been interrupted by determining that the time since a last received signal from said first pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined time threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fire-fighting system of claim 1, wherein the user-requested fluid pressure is a preset pressure associated with said nozzle and stored on a memory located at said nozzle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fire-fighting system of claim 1, wherein said nozzle is a first nozzle and said discharge valve is a first discharge valve, the fire-fighting system further comprising: a second nozzle for directing fluid flow from said pump to a target area, said second nozzle comprising a third pressure sensor configured to detect a third fluid pressure of fluid at said second nozzle; a second discharge valve controlling fluid flow between said pump and said second nozzle; and a fourth pressure sensor configured to detect a fourth fluid pressure of the fluid at said second discharge valve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fire-fighting system of claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to: control operation of at least one of said pump and said second discharge valve based on a user-requested fluid pressure at said second nozzle and the detected third fluid pressure of fluid at said second nozzle in the primary mode of operation; and control operation of said at least one of said pump and said second discharge valve based on the user-requested fluid pressure at said second nozzle and the detected fourth fluid pressure at said second discharge valve in a tertiary mode of operation when communication between said third pressure sensor and said controller is interrupted. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The fire-fighting system of claim 1 further comprising a fire-fighting device, wherein said pump and said controller are located at said fire-fighting device and said nozzle is configured to be positioned remote from said fire-fighting device. ### Claim 12 A method of controlling a fire-fighting device including a pump, said method comprising: receiving, at a controller, a first pressure signal from a first pressure sensor coupled to a nozzle, the first pressure signal indicative of a first fluid pressure of a fluid at the nozzle; receiving, at the controller, a second pressure signal from a second pressure sensor located remote from the first pressure sensor, the second pressure signal indicative of a second fluid pressure of fluid at a discharge valve that controls fluid flow between the pump and the nozzle; controlling operation of at least one of the pump and the discharge valve based on a user-requested fluid pressure and the first pressure signal in a primary mode of operation; and controlling operation of the at least one of the pump and the discharge valve based on the user-requested fluid pressure and the second pressure signal in a secondary mode of operation when signal communication between the first pressure sensor and the controller is interrupted. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising transmitting, via a transceiver communicatively coupled to the first pressure sensor, the first pressure signal to the controller. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: receiving, at a user-interface communicatively coupled to the transceiver, the user-requested fluid pressure from a user; and transmitting, via the transceiver, the user-requested fluid pressure to the controller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving a plurality of user-requested fluid pressures from the transceiver, wherein said controlling operation of the at least one of the pump and the discharge valve is based on the most recently received user-requested fluid pressure of the plurality of user-requested fluid pressures. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein said controlling operation of the at least one of the pump and the discharge valve in the primary mode of operation and the secondary mode of operation comprises controlling an actuation state of the discharge valve. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein said controlling operation of the at least one of the pump and the discharge valve in the primary mode of operation and the secondary mode of operation comprises controlling operation of the pump by controlling a speed of the pump. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising determining that communication between the first pressure sensor and the controller is interrupted by determining that a time since a last received signal from the first pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined time threshold. ### Claim 19 A controller for use with a fire-fighting device including a pump, said controller configured for communication with a first pressure sensor coupled to a nozzle, said controller further configured for communication with a second pressure sensor located remote from the first pressure sensor, said controller configured to: receive a first pressure signal from the first pressure sensor, the first pressure signal indicative of a first fluid pressure of a fluid at the nozzle; receive a second pressure signal from the second pressure sensor, the second pressure signal indicative of a second fluid pressure of fluid at a discharge valve that controls fluid flow between the pump and the nozzle; control operation of at least one of the pump and the discharge valve based on a user-requested fluid pressure and the first pressure signal in a primary mode of operation; and control operation of the at least one of the pump and the discharge valve based on the user-requested fluid pressure and the second pressure signal in a secondary mode of operation when signal communication between the first pressure sensor and the controller is interrupted. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The controller of claim 19, wherein said controller is further configured to determine that communication between the first pressure sensor and the controller is interrupted by determining that a time since a last received signal from the first pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined time threshold.