IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,241,917
Granted Patent B2
US 12,241,917 · App. 17/746,682 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Energy detection warning device

Inventors: John Wayne Thompson (Coeur d' Alene, ID); Timothy Ledford (Coeur d'Alene, ID); Brandon Bledsoe (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
Assignee: Safeguard Equipment, Inc.
G01R19/155G01R15/16G01R15/18G01R29/085G08B7/06G08B21/02G08B21/182G01R19/15G01R29/0857
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,241,917
App. No.
17/746,682
Granted
Mar 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device includes a housing, one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of a voltage or a current in proximity to the device, one or more lighting elements configured to output light responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the at least one of the voltage or the current in proximity to the device, one or more speakers configured to output audio responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the at least one of the voltage or the current in proximity to the device, one or more network interfaces configured to communicatively couple the device to one or more additional devices, and one or more fastening mechanisms configured to secure the device to a surface.

Claims (104)

1. A device, comprising:

a housing;

one or more lighting elements disposed within the housing;

one or more speakers disposed within the housing;

at least one of a voltage detector or a current detector disposed within the housing;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining, at a first instance, a threshold associated with issuing alerts;

receiving first data associated with a sensitivity adjustment to the threshold when issuing the alerts;

determining, at a second instance that is after the first instance and based at least in part on the first data, an updated threshold associated with issuing the alerts, the updated threshold being different than the threshold;

receiving second data from the at least one of the voltage detector or the current detector;

determining, based at least in part on the second data, at least one of a voltage or a current within an environment;

determining that the at least one of the voltage or the current satisfies the updated threshold;

determining, based at least in part on the at least one of the voltage or the current satisfying the updated threshold, to issue an alert, and

causing at least one of:

a first indication associated with the alert to be output via the one or more lighting elements, or

a second indication associated with the alert to be output via the one or more speakers.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lighting elements are configured to output the first indication via a first side of the housing, and

wherein the device further comprises:

a battery disposed within the housing; and

a charging port located on a second side of the housing.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more wireless network interfaces, and the operations further including sending, via the one or more wireless network interfaces, third data to an additional device associated with the alert.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first data is further associated with at least one of:

first settings for the first indication output via the one or more lighting elements; or

second settings for the second indication output via the one or more speakers.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first indication or the second indication is indicative of at least one of:

a directionality of the at least one of the voltage or the current; or

an intensity of the at least one of the voltage or the current.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a button associated with controlling one or more settings of the device.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the updated threshold is a first updated threshold, the operations further including:

receiving third data associated with a second sensitivity adjustment when issuing the alerts;

determining, at a third instance that is after the second instance and based at least in part on the third data, a second updated threshold that is different than the first updated threshold;

receiving fourth data from the at least one of the voltage detector or the current detector;

determining, based at least in part on the fourth data, at least one of a second current or a second voltage within the environment;

determining that the at least one of the second voltage or the second current satisfies the second updated threshold; and

determining, based at least in part on the at least one of the second voltage or the second current satisfying the second updated threshold, to issue a second alert.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first data is received via one or more inputs to a button of the device or a second device communicatively coupled to the device.

9. A device, comprising:

a housing including:

a first side,

a second side opposite the first side,

a third side located between the first side and the second side, and

a fourth side opposite the third side;

a first fastening clip including:

a first portion extending from at least one of the second side or the third side, and

a second portion extending from the first portion in a direction towards the fourth side, the second portion being biased towards the second side;

a second fastening clip including:

a third portion extending from the at least one of the second side or the third side, and

a fourth portion extending from the third portion and being disposed in the direction towards the fourth side, the fourth portion being biased towards the second side;

one or more buttons disposed on the first side;

one or more sensors disposed within the housing and configured to generate sensor data indicative of at least one of a voltage or a current detected in proximity to the device; and

one or more lighting elements disposed within the housing and configured to output light in a direction towards the first side, the light being indicative of the at least one of the voltage or the current detected in proximity to the device.

10. The device of claim 9 , further comprising one or more speakers disposed within the housing, wherein the one or more speakers are configured to output audio indicative of the at least one of the voltage or the current detected in proximity to the device.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein:

the light output by the one or more lighting elements is indicative of at least one of:

a directionality of the at least one of the voltage or the current, or

an intensity of the at least one of the voltage or the current; and

the audio output by the one or more speakers is indicative of at least one of:

the directionality of the at least one of the voltage or the current, or

the intensity of the at least one of the voltage or the current.

12. The device of claim 9 , further comprising one or more wireless network interfaces that are configured to communicatively couple the device to one or more additional devices.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the device is configured to:

receive, via the one or more wireless network interfaces, first data associated with the light to be output by the one or more lighting elements responsive to the at least one of the voltage or the current detected in proximity to the device; and

transmit, via the one or more wireless network interfaces, second data associated with:

the sensor data, or

an indication of the at least one of the voltage or the current detected in proximity to the device.

14. The device of claim 9 , wherein:

the first fastening clip and the second fastening clip are configured to secure the device to a hardhat;

when secured to the hardhat, a bill of the hardhat is interposed between the second portion of the first fastening clip and the second side of the housing; and

when secured to the hardhat, the bill of the hardhat is interposed between the fourth portion of the second fastening clip and the second side of the housing.

15. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first fastening clip and the second fastening clip are configured to secure the device to at least one of:

an article of clothing,

a belt, or

a piece of equipment.

16. A wearable device configured to couple to a hardhat worn by a user, comprising:

a housing;

one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of a voltage or a current in proximity to the wearable device;

one or more lighting elements configured to output light responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the at least one of the voltage or the current in proximity to the wearable device;

one or more wireless network interfaces configured to communicatively couple the wearable device to one or more additional devices;

an accelerometer configured to generate data indicative of accelerations associated with the hardhat;

a button configured to adjust a setting of the one or more sensors to detect the at least one of the voltage or the current;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining at least one of:

a directionality of the at least one of the voltage or the current, or

an intensity of the at least one of the voltage or the current, and

causing, via the one or more lighting elements, output of light that indicates the at least one of the directionality or the intensity.

17. The wearable device of claim 16 , further comprising one or more speakers configured to output audio responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the at least one of the voltage or the current in proximity to the wearable device, wherein the audio output by the one or more speakers is indicative of at least one of:

the directionality of the at least one of the voltage or the current, or

the intensity of the at least one of the voltage or the current.

18. The wearable device of claim 16 , further comprising one or more fastening mechanisms configured to secure the wearable device to the hardhat, wherein:

the housing includes:

a first side, and

a second side that is opposite the first side;

the light output by the one or more lighting elements is output at least partially on the first side;

at least a portion of the one or more fastening mechanism is disposed over the second side; and

the hardhat is secured between the second side and the at least the portion of the one or more fastening mechanism.

19. The wearable device of claim 16 , further comprising one or more fastening mechanisms configured to secure the wearable device to the hardhat, wherein the one or more fastening mechanism include clips that are biasable.

20. The wearable device of claim 16 , wherein,

the housing includes:

a first side,

a second side, and

a third side opposite the second side; and

the one or more lighting elements output the light at least partially on the first side, the one or more lighting elements being located more proximate to the second side than the third side.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2022
From: SAFEGUARD EQUIPMENT, INC.
To: COWLES COMPANY, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061396/0693 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2022
From: THOMPSON, JOHN WAYNE; LEDFORD, TIMOTHY; BLEDSOE, BRANDON JON
To: SAFEGUARD EQUIPMENT, INC.
Reel/Frame 060101/0661 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17322343 · May 17, 2021
Division 15809958 · Nov 10, 2017
Provisional Application 62534922 · Jul 20, 2017
Provisional Application 62432817 · Dec 12, 2016
Related Publication 20220276288A1 · Sep 1, 2022
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