Cloud-Based Fire Equipment Tracking System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fire service companies face challenges in efficiently tracking and maintaining fire equipment across multiple locations and customers, making it difficult to ensure compliance with legal and insurance requirements.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based system that allows fire service companies to monitor, inspect, and maintain fire equipment by geographically mapping equipment via GPS, associating equipment with properties and organizations, and providing a customer relationship management tool for efficient data access and analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If fire service companies manually track and monitor fire equipment across multiple customers, then they can provide personalized service and expertise, but the efficiency and scalability deteriorate as the number of customers and equipment increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of tracking and monitoring fire equipmentVSAvoidefficiency of maintaining multiple customers

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical tracking methods with an automated computer-based system that uses databases, networking, and electronic communication to track and monitor fire equipment across multiple customers, thereby improving efficiency while maintaining service quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a computer-based intermediary system that acts as a mediator between fire service companies and multiple customers, enabling centralized management and coordination of equipment tracking, inspections, and maintenance across numerous locations without requiring direct manual intervention for each customer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If fire service companies increase the number of customers and fire equipment under their care, then their service coverage and business growth improve, but the complexity of tracking and monitoring everything required increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice coverage and customer capacityVSAvoidcomplexity of tracking and monitoring system

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal computer-based system that performs multiple functions including tracking equipment locations, scheduling inspections, monitoring maintenance status, and generating reports, thereby managing increased customer capacity without proportionally increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the fire service management system into modular components including customer databases, equipment registries, inspection schedules, and maintenance tracking, allowing the system to scale to accommodate more customers while maintaining manageable complexity through organized data structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Speed

If fire equipment information is stored locally on individual devices, then data access speed is fast, but the ability to share information across fire service companies and fire departments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access speedVSAvoidinformation sharing capability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges locally stored fire equipment information into a centralized database that is accessible by multiple fire service companies and fire departments through computer networks, enabling information sharing while maintaining quick access speeds through optimized data retrieval

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11805170B2Fire service and equipment inspection test and maintenance system

Publication Date: 2023.10.31 CAPPS DAVID SEAN

AI summary

A system for documenting, monitoring, testing, inspecting and maintaining fire equipment located at the property of secondary customers. Secondary customers include people, organizations and properties. The system saves all information collected on a server computer accessible via a computer network. This information is reviewable and editable by primary customers. In a preferred embodiment the server computer is located in the cloud and the computer network is the Internet. In a preferred embodiment, primary customers include fire inspection/repair/monitoring companies and fire departments using mobile computer devices. In another preferred embodiment, the software application has a customer relationship management tool allowing fire equipment, people, properties and organizations to be easily associated with one another. In another preferred embodiment, each piece of fire equipment is geographically mapped to a specific location via GPS or other mapping reference. Additionally, all fire equipment associated with a specific property, building or floor has all relevant information digitally captured and recorded into the cloud database. In another preferred embodiment, a fire department accesses fire equipment information during an exercise or emergency to direct responders. In another preferred embodiment, secondary customers with authorized access receive data and information regarding the status of the fire safety equipment, and receive analysis and recommendations from the service entities. Primary customers receive data and information regarding the status of fire safety equipment from the cloud database, and transmit analysis, records and recommendations to the secondary customers.