US 12,470,903 B2
Personal protective equipment communication systems and methods
Vijay K. Gidla, Värnamo (SE); Magnus K. Petersson, Halmstad (SE); Henrik J. Sjöman, Skillingaryd (SE); David L. Albean, Indianapolis, IN (US); Paul D. Henry, Carmel, IN (US); and James L. Fiocca, Carmel, IN (US)
Assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US)
Appl. No. 17/905,777
Filed by 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/051690
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 7, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/181195, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/986,956, filed on Mar. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0214792 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
Int. Cl. H04W 4/80 (2018.01); H04B 1/715 (2011.01); H04B 5/72 (2024.01); H04W 16/14 (2009.01); H04W 84/18 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 4/80 (2018.02) [H04B 1/715 (2013.01); H04B 5/72 (2024.01); H04W 16/14 (2013.01); H04B 2001/7154 (2013.01); H04W 84/18 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A short-range communication system comprises:
a system control unit comprising:
a network creator configured to create a short-range network on a wireless frequency;
an interference detector configured to detect a device on an interfering frequency; and
a control unit frequency hopper configured to, based on the detected device, scan a frequency range for an open frequency and switch the system control network to the open frequency in response to detecting the device on the interfering frequency; wherein the open frequency is a scanned frequency with a substantially zero energy reading; and
a personal protective equipment device comprising:
a network joiner configured to join the short-range network; and
a device frequency hopper configured to switch the personal protective equipment device to the open frequency.