Emergency equipment power sources

Abstract

Energy harvesting devices provide power to devices of emergency equipment stations (e.g., fire extinguisher station, fire alarm pull station, defibrillator station, etc.) distributed throughout a facility to monitor one or more internal or external conditions (e.g., identifiable objects detected near the station, presence of an obstruction restricting access to the station, etc.) and relay information about the monitored conditions to a central station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a sensor powered, at least in part, by an energy harvesting device and configured to monitor at least one of an internal condition of a portable tank and an external condition of an environment surrounding the portable tank, wherein the energy harvesting device is a small autonomous device associated with the sensor and configured to harvest energy from inside a building;   a processor configured to receive and process data from the energy harvesting device and the sensor, wherein the processor allocates power harvested by the energy harvesting device to the sensor, and wherein the processor transmits power distribution data through communications circuitry to a central station located remotely from the apparatus; and   an electronic circuit disposed in communication with the sensor and adapted to signal to the central station upon detection by the sensor of predetermined conditions comprising at least one predetermined external condition, the at least one predetermined external condition comprising a presence of an obstruction to viewing of or access to the portable tank.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined external condition further comprises a lack of presence of the portable tank in its installed position. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined external condition further comprises an ambient air temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined external condition further comprises an identifiable object detected near the portable tank. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the identifiable object includes one or more of a person, a package, and a piece of equipment. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit information representative of an operational state of the sensor to the central station. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the portable tank includes a fire extinguisher. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the portable tank is part of an emergency equipment station including at least one of a fire extinguisher, a fire pull alarm, an emergency lighting device, and a defibrillator. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the energy harvesting device is configured to harvest energy from a manmade power source. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to convert power harvested by the energy harvesting device. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is further powered by an auxiliary power supply. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the energy harvesting device includes a piezoelectric crystal for harvesting electrical energy from mechanical strains. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the energy harvesting device includes a solar panel for harvesting electrical energy from ambient light energy. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 at least one energy harvesting device configured to harvest energy from inside a building;   at least one emergency equipment station including an emergency assistance device and one or more sensors powered, at least in part, by the at least one energy harvesting device, wherein the at least one energy harvesting device is a small autonomous device associated with the at least one emergency equipment station, and wherein the one or more sensors are configured to monitor an external condition of the emergency equipment station;   communications circuitry for the at least one emergency equipment station;   a processor in the at least one emergency equipment station, wherein the processor is configured to receive and process data from the at least one energy harvesting device and the one or more sensors, wherein the processor allocates power harvested by the energy harvesting device to the emergency assistance device and the one or more sensors, and wherein the processor transmits power distribution data through the communications circuitry; and   a central station located remotely from the emergency equipment station and in wireless communication with the emergency equipment station, the central station configured to receive power distribution data from the communications circuitry of the at least one emergency equipment station that is powered by the at least one energy harvesting device.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to signal to the central station upon detection by the one or more sensors of predetermined conditions comprising at least one predetermined external condition, the at least one predetermined external condition comprising a presence of an obstruction to viewing of or access to the at least one emergency equipment station. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one predetermined external condition further comprises at least one of a lack of presence of a component of the at least one emergency equipment station in its installed position, an ambient air temperature, and an identifiable object detected near the at least one emergency equipment station. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one predetermined external condition further comprises an identifiable object detected near the at least one emergency equipment station, the identifiable object including one or more of a person, a package, and a piece of equipment. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit information representative of an operational state of the one or more sensors to the central station. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one energy harvesting device is configured to harvest energy from a manmade power source. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one emergency equipment station includes at least one of a fire extinguisher, a fire pull alarm, an emergency lighting device, and a defibrillator.