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Rogers Building

The earliest installation of a passenger elevator in a university building in the United States was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.  In 1861, Otis Brothers & Co., the company founded by Elisha Graves Otis, installed the first passenger elevator in this three-story structure that housed laboratories, classrooms, and offices for faculty and students.

This early installation of a passenger elevator marked an important milestone in the history of vertical transportation on college and university campuses, and it paved the way for the adoption of elevators in other educational institutions as they expanded in size and height over time.

Department of Facilities

The History of Elevators

Standards Massachusetts

Emergency & Standby Power Systems

FREE ACCESS: 2025 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Public Input for 2028 Revision Received Until June 4, 2025

Academy of Art University | San Francisco County

Elevators rely on electricity to function, and when there’s a power outage, the main source of power is disrupted. Modern elevators often have backup power systems, such as generators or battery packs, to lower the cab to the nearest floor and open the doors, but these systems may not work optimally, or be connected to all elevators or may not exist in older or less well-maintained buildings.

Today we start with getting the source of power right; leaving complicating factors such as alarms, reset and restart sequences.   NFPA 110 is the parent standard which references NFPA 70.

NFPA 110 FREE ACCESS

UpCodes Access

Ω


Public Input Report | 5 October 2022

Second Draft Meeting Minutes | 2 February 2023

Public Input No. 31-NFPA 110-2022 [ Section No. 3.2.4 ] | Page 7

National Electrical Code CMP-12


Bibliography

An Overview of NFPA 110

Type 10 Requirements for Emergency Power Systems

Bibliography: Microgrids

Intellectual Property

It is impossible to overestimate the sensitivity of this topic but poke at it, we will.  At the moment, the less written here; the better.   Much of this domain is outside our wheelhouse; though it has settled on a few first principles regarding patents, trademarks and copyrights relevant to the user-interest we describe in our ABOUT.

Many large research universities have a watchdog guarding its intellectual property and trying to generate income from it, and; of course, for branding.  We will dwell on salient characteristics of the intellectual property domain with which we reckon daily — highlighting the market actors and the standards they have agreed upon.

Additionally, technical standards developers are generally protected by copyright law, as the standards they create are typically considered original works of authorship that are subject to copyright protection.  In the United States, the Copyright Act of 1976 provides copyright protection for original works of authorship, which includes technical standards. This means that the developers of technical standards have the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works based on their standards, and others must obtain permission or a license to use or reproduce the standards.  

Some technical standards may be subject to certain exemptions or limitations under copyright law.  In the United States, there is a doctrine called “fair use” that allows for limited use of copyrighted works for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, without the need for permission or a license from the copyright owner.  Almost everything we do at Standards Michigan falls under the fair use doctrine.  This is why we have no search feature and most pages are protected.  If we err in this; let us know.  

Innovation management

Why The U.S. And China Fight Over IP

More

  1. Patent Act: This is the primary federal law governing patents in the United States. It sets forth the requirements for obtaining a patent, the rights of patent owners, and the remedies available for infringement.
  2. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 prohibit anticompetitive behavior in the marketplace, including the use of codes and standards to exclude competition.
  3. Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations: This contains the rules and procedures related to patents, including rules governing the filing and examination of patent applications.
  4. America Invents Act: This is a major overhaul of the U.S. patent system that was enacted in 2011. It includes provisions such as the transition to a “first-inventor-to-file” system and the creation of new post-grant review procedures for challenging the validity of patents.
  5. Manual of Patent Examining Procedure: This is a guidebook for patent examiners that provides detailed information on the rules and procedures for examining patent applications.
  6. Everett Rogers: Diffusion of innovations
  7. Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17)

 

Protection of Intellectual Property in the Supply Chain

ASTM International Intellectual Property Policy

Healthcare Standards Institute IP Policy

International Code Council Copyright Protection

IEEE Patent Policy

NFPA Regulations and Policies

Underwriters Laboratory Patent Policy

 

Intellectual Property 101

Innovation – Market Acceptance – Standardization – Human Right

ANSI Essential Requirements

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The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA; United States Public Law 104-113) was signed into law March 7, 1996. The Act amended several existing acts and mandated new directions for federal agencies with the purpose of:

  • Bringing technology and industrial innovation to market more quickly
  • Encouraging cooperative research and development between business and the federal government by providing access to federal laboratories
  • Making it easier for businesses to obtain exclusive licenses to technology and inventions that result from cooperative research with the federal government

The NTTAA — along with administrative circular A-119 from the White House Office of Management and Budget — made a direct impact on the development of new industrial and technology standards by requiring that all Federal agencies use privately developed standards, particularly those developed by standards developing organizations accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).   In circular A-119 federal agencies were also encouraged to participate in the development of those standards.   While discussion continues about how well the US non-government sector is doing to advance national technology strategy continues (see January 17, 2012 White House Memo  M-12-08) the US standards system remains the most effective process for advancing national technology and economic priorities for the education university and others.

ANSI is not a standards developing organization itself; it only accredits them according to its Essential Requirements: Due process requirements for American National Standards.   ANSI reports to the National Institute of Standards and Technology; a division of the US Department of Commerce; which reports to The President of the United States.  Now comes a proposed revision to Section 3.1  of ANSI’s Patent Policy regarding the inclusion of patents in American national standards:

ANSI Standards Action Page 26

Comments are due by March 26th.   You may comment directly to ANSI at this email address: [email protected].   With respect to our higher priorities, we will not be commenting on this redline, though intellectual property and patent policies are high on the agenda of many research universities.   We have advocated in other parts of the ANSI Essential Requirements document in the past, however — a history we are happy to explain at any of our weekly Open Door teleconferences every Wednesday, 11 AM Eastern time.   Anyone is welcomed to join these discussions with the login information in the link below:

Contact

 

Issue: [11-31]

Contact: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Christine Fischer, Rich Robben

 

2025 National Patent Application Drafting Competition

 

Thomas Jefferson was the leader in founding the United States Patent Office. Jefferson was a strong supporter of the patent system and believed that it was essential for promoting innovation and progress in the United States. As the first Secretary of State Jefferson was responsible for implementing the country’s patent system.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution reads as follows:

“The Congress shall have Power To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”

In 1790, Jefferson drafted the first Patent Act, which established the procedures for applying for and granting patents. The act also created the United States Patent Office as a government agency to oversee the patent system. Jefferson appointed the first Patent Board, which was responsible for reviewing patent applications and making recommendations to the Secretary of State.

Jefferson was deeply involved in the early development of the Patent Office and was instrumental in shaping its policies and procedures. He believed that the patent system should be accessible to all inventors, regardless of their social or economic status, and he worked to streamline the patent application process to make it more efficient and user-friendly.

In recognition of his contributions to the development of the patent system, Jefferson is often referred to as the “Father of American Innovation.”

This clause grants Congress the authority to establish a system of patents and copyrights to protect the intellectual property of inventors and authors. The purpose of this system is to encourage innovation and creativity by providing inventors and authors with a temporary monopoly on their creations, allowing them to profit from their work and invest in future projects. The clause also emphasizes the importance of promoting the progress of science and the useful arts, reflecting the belief of the founders that the development of new technologies and inventions was essential for the growth and prosperity of the United States.

Over the years, the Patent Office has played a crucial role in the development of the United States as a technological leader, granting patents for inventions ranging from the telephone and the light bulb to the airplane and the computer. Today, the Patent Office is part of the United States Department of Commerce and is responsible for examining patent applications and issuing patents to inventors and companies.

Welcome to the 2025 National Patent Application Drafting Competition!

2024 National Patent Application Drafting Competition

Innovation and Competitiveness in Artificial Intelligence

The International Trade Administration (ITA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) is requesting public comments to gain insights on the current global artificial intelligence (AI) market. Responses will provide clarity about stakeholder concerns regarding international AI policies, regulations, and other measures which may impact U.S. exports of AI technologies. Additionally, the request for information (RFI) includes inquiries related to AI standards development. ANSI encourages relevant stakeholders to respond by ITA’s deadline of October 17, 2022.

Fueling U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness in AI: Respond to International Trade Administration’s Request for Information

Commerce Department Launches the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee

 

Building Interior Substations

At some point transformation of electric energy from distribution voltage to utilization voltage must occur — either proximate to structures on the exterior (where they can present an eyesore to ambience and ‘campus feeling’) or within a building if the architect will design an interior space where switchgear can be operated safely.

Since 1993 we have advocated safety and sustainability of either type of installation in the National Electrical Code.  Today we review relevant code requirements respecting relatively new requirements for the education industry’s green agenda.

Hardly anything is a small topic anymore but today we will give it the Ole College Try at the usual hour today @ 15:00 UTC.

General Requirements:

CMP-1 Public Input Report for the 2026 Revision

CMP-1 Public Comment Report for the 2026 Revision

Transformers & Switchgear:

CMP-9 Public Input Report for 2026 Revision

CMP-9 Public Comment Report for 2026 Revision

Related:

University of Michigan Substation Design Guidelines

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Design Guidelines

Our proposal for revisions to Chapter 27 of the International Building Code

Graph Neural Networks 2023: (“Boosting short-term electric load forecasting”) introduced visibility graph neural networks for forecasting in high-voltage/medium-voltage substations. This approach uses graph theory to model complex grid interactions, improving accuracy over traditional methods.

Current Issues and Recent Research

ICC Catalog | Electrotechnology Concepts

High Voltage Electric Service

Federal Power Act of 1920  Ω  Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.

IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee Ω Current Issues and Recent Research

Representative Sample of Merchant Utility Interconnection Requirements for Customers

2023 National Electrical Code Article 490 Bibliography

Ahead of the April close date for comments on the Second Draft of the 2026 revision of the NEC we examine thought trends on the following:

  1. How does “high voltage” differ among electrotechnology professionals?  Signaling and control systems workers have a much lower criteria than a merchant utility lineman than a campus bulk distribution engineer.  In other words, “high voltage” is generally understood in practice and essential for worker safety.  Labeling counts.
  2. What is the origin of the apparent “confusion’ about high voltage in the IEEE, IEC, NFPA and TIA electrical safety catalogs?  Is the distinction functionally acceptable — i.e. a term of art understood well enough in practice?
  3. How can the 2026 NEC be improved for engineers, electricians and inspectors?  There has been some considerable re-organization of low, medium and high voltage concepts in the 2023.  It usually takes at least two NEC revision cycles for workable code to stabilize.  Since education communities purchase and distribute higher voltage power on large campuses; how can power purchasing and customer distribution system best practice be improved?

This is plenty to talk about.   Join us today at 15:00/16:00 UTC with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

AC Power Distribution Systems & Standards | Credit: Power Quality Blog

2028 National Electrical Safety Code


IAEI Magazine: The Evolution of Electrical Services in the National Electrical Code®

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

Time Synchronization of Medium Voltage Substations

NESC & NEC Cross-Code Correlation


National Electrical Definitions

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