Active air cylinder monitoring device

Abstract

Active monitoring device for tracking and geolocating air cylinders. The active monitoring device (AD) for an air cylinder according to the present invention comprises a self-contained wireless electronic sensor (1) fixed to the body of the air cylinder (2), an electronic receiver (5) disposed in a defined space, and a dedicated algorithm receiving, via said electronic receiver (5), the information sent by said electronic sensor (1) in order to calculate the detection of pressurization or depressurization events in the internal cavity of said air cylinder (2). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Active device for monitoring air cylinders

[0001] The present invention relates to an active monitoring device implementing an electronic sensor fixed, for example, on air cylinders belonging to a set called "Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)" in order to geolocate them, to detect and control events relating to their use, such as: pressurization, depressurization, temperature and use of the cylinder.

[0002] The use of these air cylinders is traditionally untracked and not located over long distances, which prevents controlled and monitored management of all the cylinders. This therefore necessitates more controls to track their use, particularly for periodic inspection and requalification.

[0003] Most air cylinder checks are carried out visually by agents who are responsible for tracking defects that could pose a risk during use. As a result, little information is sent back to the command station to ensure complete traceability.

[0004] Furthermore, during interventions or during pressurization and / or depressurization, the cylinder undergoes significant temperature variations. Therefore, the cylinder temperature is not constantly monitored, making it impossible to determine its condition during potential thermal shocks during interventions, or its fill level during the pressurization and / or depressurization process.

[0005] Solutions using passive UHF RFID tag technologies (radio frequency bands ranging from 860 MHz to 960 MHz) are known, implementing a passive tag (i.e., without its own power source) and energy stimulation and reading systems. These systems are either stationary or mobile.

[0006] Stationary systems are positioned at transit points, but generate false negatives, either because they are beyond the theoretical reading distance of the stationary antenna, or because the tag's position causes it to be obscured by the bottle or other elements, often metallic, significantly reducing the theoretical reading distance. These false negatives lead to traceability errors.

[0007] UHF RFID handheld reader systems allow for closer proximity to tags, but they require regular and intensive human intervention, resulting in limited appeal compared to optical identification methods such as barcodes or data matrices. Furthermore, they are not immune to false negatives because users read batches of tags en masse and cannot easily verify missing ones. Finally, the The required durability does not allow the use of short-range active systems, whose energy consumption-size-price ratio makes continuous temperature measurement impossible over periods exceeding approximately 3 years.

[0008] The active monitoring device for tracking and geolocating air cylinders according to the invention makes it possible to overcome these drawbacks.

[0009] The active air cylinder monitoring device according to the present invention comprises a self-contained wireless electronic sensor fixed to the body of the air cylinder, an electronic receiver disposed in a determined space and a dedicated algorithm receiving via said adapted receiver the information sent by said electronic sensor in order to calculate the detection of pressurization or depressurization events in the internal cavity of said cylinder.

[0010] The active monitoring device for an air cylinder, according to the present invention, makes it possible to measure the temperature of said cylinder.

[0011] The active air cylinder monitoring device according to the present invention makes it possible to identify and geolocate the presence of said air cylinder in a given location.

[0012] The active air cylinder monitoring device according to the present invention makes it possible to calculate the geolocation of the air cylinder with a degree of accuracy between 5 and 10 meters.

[0013] The active monitoring device for an air cylinder, according to the present invention, comprises an electronic sensor which operates over a temperature range between -40°C and +85°C.

[0014] The active monitoring device for an air cylinder, according to the present invention, comprises an electronic sensor which resists when subjected to a temperature of 950°C for 10 seconds.

[0015] The active air bottle monitoring device according to the present invention comprises an electronic sensor which sends information to an electronic receiver by radio frequency waves at 868MHz.

[0016] The active air bottle monitoring device according to the present invention comprises an electronic receiver which is connected to a power source enabling its operation and receiving the data transmitted by the electronic sensor.

[0017] The active air cylinder monitoring device according to the present invention includes an alert system to warn the user of certain events related to the use of the air cylinder, such as excessive exposure to fire, abnormal filling of the cylinder, or absence of the cylinder within the location perimeter.

[0018] The following description, with reference to the attached drawings given by way of non-limiting examples, will allow for a better understanding of the invention, its characteristics, and the advantages it is likely to provide:

[0019] [Fig-1] is a view illustrating an ARI air cylinder comprising the active device of monitoring according to the present invention.

[0020] [Fig.2] is a view illustrating the adapted receiver enabling communication of the electronic sensor with the dedicated algorithm of the active monitoring device according to the present invention.

[0021] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Fig. 1 shows an air cylinder 2, known per se, having a cylindrical profile rounded at the ends and on which an active monitoring device DA according to the present invention is positioned. This air cylinder 2 can, for example, belong to an assembly called a "Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)".

[0023] The active monitoring device DA consists of a small autonomous wireless electronic sensor 1, an electronic receiver 5 and a dedicated algorithm for analyzing the data and information sent by said sensor.

[0024] The electronic sensor 1 consists of an acrylic shell in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped which is fixed to the body of the air bottle 2 or to the air inlet 3 without altering its usability and without altering its properties to allow normal operation and not call into question the certification of this type of bottle.

[0025] The electronic sensor 1 has a non-rechargeable lithium battery and is totally independent in its operation of the bottle 2, which has no contraindication concerning the attachment of such a device to its constitution.

[0026] For this purpose, the electronic sensor 1 operates at ultra-low energy consumption, ensuring a battery life of more than 10 years.

[0027] The air bottle 2 consists of an air inlet 3 and a cap 4 allowing the air inlet 3 to be opened or closed.

[0028] The electronic receiver 5 consists of a housing with a central indicator light 6 allowing the connection status of said electronic receiver 5 to be known.

[0029] The housing of the electronic receiver 5 can be made, for example, of polycarbonate in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with rounded edges.

[0030] The electronic receiver 5 can be positioned in a defined space, such as, for example, a vehicle or a building, and connected to a power source enabling its operation and receiving the data transmitted by the electronic sensor 1.

[0031] It is noted that said power supply may be of the 5V DC at 2A type with a cylindrical electrical connector of diameter 5.5mm - ID 2.1mm - with a positive polarity, or any other type of very low voltage power supply.

[0032] The electronic sensor 1 operates over a temperature range between -40°C and +85°C.

[0033] Also, the electronic sensor 1 resists or does not ignite when subjected to a temperature of 950°C for 10 seconds, thereby ensuring the self-extinguishing requirements after this thermal stress.

[0034] The electronic sensor 1 has a maximum protection rating of IP 68, meaning that it is completely protected against dust and is submersible to a depth of more than 1 meter without this producing harmful effects on said sensor.

[0035] The electronic sensor 1 sends information via radio frequency at 868 MHz to the electronic receiver 5. This frequency is chosen to ensure long-range data transmission for continuous processing by the dedicated algorithm. It also prevents overloading and interference with the existing 2.4 GHz bands commonly used for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

[0036] By way of non-limiting example, the air bottle 2 has dimensions of approximately 60cm in height including the cap 4 and an external diameter of 15cm.

[0037] The electronic sensor 1 has dimensions which are between 16mm and 20mm for the length and width and 1.5mm and 3mm for the height.

[0038] The electronic receiver 5 has dimensions which are between 150 and 160mm for the length, 110 and 115mm for the width and 25 and 30mm for the height.

[0039] The positioning of the electronic sensor 1 fixed on the body of the air bottle 2 makes it possible to observe the heating produced during pressurization thanks to the temperature data collected and thus to know when a bottle has just been inflated and by extension the number of times it has been.

[0040] The pressurization / depressurization process of the air cylinder 2 takes place at a fixed filling station. The operator follows the established procedure for inflating the air cylinders 2, which causes heating measured by the active monitoring device DA. The dedicated algorithm then calculates the variations over time of the measured temperatures and searches for patterns describing a filling by comparing the measured curves to an evolving knowledge base. When a measured pattern is deemed similar to a pattern describing a filling, the algorithm returns a "filling" type signal.

[0041] The active monitoring device DA therefore makes it possible to ensure the traceability of the inspections of the air cylinders 2 and thus to reduce the number of inflation points in fixed position.

[0042] Also the active monitoring device DA makes it possible to know the duration of exposure to fire of the air bottle 2 in order to allow continuous monitoring of the condition of the latter.

[0043] The active monitoring device DA includes an alert system to inform the user when a number of events related to the use of the air cylinder 2 occur, such as, for example, too long an exposure time to fire, abnormal filling of the cylinder (i.e. not allowing its safe use) or absence of the cylinder within the location perimeter.

[0044] The warning system consists of minimum and maximum temperature thresholds not to be exceeded for the air cylinder 2. If, during the pressurization / depressurization processes of the air cylinder 2, or during excessive exposure to fire, the temperature exceeds a defined extreme limit, an electronic warning message is sent to the user.

[0045] Similarly for the geolocation of the air bottle 2, if it is outside the location perimeter where it should normally be, an alert message is sent electronically to the user.

[0046] The electronic sensor 1 of the active monitoring device DA transmits periodic information and data, such as the temperature of the air cylinder 2, remotely and without human intervention. This periodic information and data is fed into an algorithm that determines whether a change of state, such as pressurization or depressurization of the air cylinder 2, indicates exposure to an abnormal temperature during use.

[0047] The active monitoring device DA makes it possible, from the power indication readings of the radio frequency data received without human intervention from the electronic sensors 1, associated with a model of the attenuation characteristics of the partitions composing the buildings storing the air cylinders 2, to determine the position of said sensors 1 linked to the air cylinders 2 as well as to determine the number of them present in each area considered of the building.

[0048] The indoor localization of a given space is therefore carried out by means of the electronic receiver 5, which measures the intensity of the radio frequency signal received from the electronic sensor 1 and then sends it to a server containing a database with all possible intensities as a function of distance and obstacles. The algorithm performs this operation for all the receivers 5 that have received the signal and then, based on the results, determines a position.

[0049] Furthermore, the absence of signals emitted from the electronic sensor(s) 1 makes it possible to systematically determine the absence of the air bottle 2 in the localization perimeter, thus making it possible to avoid false negatives.

[0050] The electronic sensor 1 communicates by radio frequency waves at 868 MHz with the electronic receiver 5 allows its data to be sent to the software, which then runs the dedicated algorithm. This algorithm transforms the raw data transmitted by sensor 1 into usable data for indoor location and temperature monitoring, ensuring all the functionalities of the active monitoring device DA are available for user review.

[0051] The possibilities of the active monitoring device DA according to the invention are not limited to the applications just described and it must also be understood that the preceding description has been given only by way of example and that it does not in any way limit the scope of said invention which would not be exceeded by replacing the execution details described with any other equivalent.

Claims

Demands

1. Active monitoring device (AD) for an air cylinder (2), characterized in that it comprises a self-contained wireless electronic sensor (1) fixed to the body of the air cylinder (2), an electronic receiver (5) disposed in a determined space and a dedicated algorithm receiving via said electronic receiver (5) the information sent by said electronic sensor (1) in order to calculate the detection of pressurization or depressurization events of the internal cavity of said air cylinder (2).

2. Active monitoring device (AD) of an air cylinder (2), according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic sensor (1) allows the calculation and measurement of the temperature and / or temperature variations of said air cylinder (2) during inflation protocols.

3. Active monitoring device (AD) of an air cylinder (2), according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic sensor (1) allows calculation, identification and geolocation of said air cylinder (2).

4. Active monitoring device (AD) of an air cylinder (2), according to claim 3, characterized in that the electronic sensor (1) allows the geolocation of said cylinder (2) to be calculated with a degree of accuracy between 5 and 10 meters.

5. Active monitoring device (AD) of an air cylinder (2), according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic sensor (1) operates over a temperature range between -40°C and +85°C.

6. Active monitoring device (AD) of an air cylinder (2), according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic sensor (1) withstands a temperature of 950°C for 10 seconds.

7. Active monitoring device (AD) of an air cylinder (2), according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic sensor (1) sends information to the electronic receiver (5) by radio frequency waves at 868MHz.

8. An active monitoring device (AD) for an air cylinder (2), according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic receiver (5) is connected to a power supply enabling its operation and to receive data transmitted by the electronic sensor (1).

9. Active monitoring device (AD) for an air cylinder (2), according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes an alert system enabling the user to be informed when a number of events related to the use of the air cylinder (2) occur, such as, for example, too long an exposure time to fire, abnormal filling of the cylinder or absence of the cylinder within the location perimeter.

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