Electrical power line mounted fire warning system
AssigneeLindsey Firesense, LLC
InventorsJagdishbhai U. Patel, David Q. Zhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical power line mounted fire warning system and a method of monitoring and providing a fire warning using the same are provided. An electrical power line mounted fire warning system includes: a plurality of sensor nodes, each including a housing mountable on an electrical power line, a plurality of sensors supported by the housing and including an IR sensor and/or a bolometer to detect a fire, and optionally including an electromagnetic sensor to detect at least one of a spark, a current surge of the electrical power line, or a line short of the electrical power line, a microcontroller configured to determine existence of a fire or a fire risk based on one or more parameters detected by the plurality of sensors, and a communication device.
Claims37
An overhead electrical power line mounted wildfire warning system comprising:
- a plurality of sensor nodes, each comprising:
- a housing mountable on an overhead electrical power line;
- one or more sensors supported by the housing and comprising an IR sensor and/or a bolometer to detect a wildfire in a vicinity of the overhead electrical power line;
- a microcontroller configured to determine existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk based on one or more parameters detected by the one or more sensors;
- and
- a communication device configured to send a signal away from the sensor node when the microcontroller determines existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk,
- wherein the communication device is configured to send the signal to a neighboring sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes, and the neighboring sensor node is configured to receive the signal and verify the existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk.
A method of monitoring and providing a wildfire warning, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of sensor nodes, each comprising:
- a housing mountable on an overhead electrical power line;
- one or more sensors supported by the housing and comprising an IR sensor and/or a bolometer to detect a wildfire in a vicinity of the overhead electrical power line;
- a microcontroller configured to determine existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk based on one or more parameters detected by the one or more sensors;
- and
- a communication device configured to send a signal away from the sensor node when the microcontroller determines existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk,
- wherein the communication device sends the signal to a neighboring sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes when the microcontroller determines existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk, and the neighboring sensor node receives the signal;
- and
- mounting the plurality of sensor nodes on one or more overhead electrical power lines.
A sensor device comprising:
- a housing mountable on or in proximity of an overhead electrical power line, wherein the housing is mounted on or adjacent to a power pole or a transformer;
- one or more sensors supported by the housing and comprising an IR sensor and/or a bolometer to detect a wildfire in a vicinity of the overhead electrical power line;
- a microcontroller configured to determine existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk based on one or more parameters detected by the one or more sensors;
- and
- a communication device configured to send a signal away from the sensor device when the microcontroller determines existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk,
- wherein the communication device is configured to send the signal to a neighboring sensor device to receive the signal and verify the existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk.
A wildfire warning system comprising:
- a plurality of sensor nodes, each comprising:
- a housing mountable on an electrical power pole or by a transformer;
- one or more sensors supported by the housing and comprising an IR sensor and/or a bolometer to detect a wildfire in a vicinity of the electrical power pole or transformer;
- a microcontroller configured to determine existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk based on one or more parameters detected by the one or more sensors;
- and
- a communication device configured to send a signal away from the sensor node when the microcontroller determines existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk,
- wherein the communication device is configured to send the signal to a neighboring sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes, and the neighboring sensor node is configured to receive the signal and verify the existence of a wildfire or a wildfire risk.
The wildfire warning system of 24, wherein each of the plurality of sensor nodes further comprises a camera.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.