Thomas David Petite facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
T. David Petite
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|---|---|
| Born |
Thomas David Petite
May 30, 1956 |
| Nationality | American / Native American of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa |
| Known for | Inventor of the technology associated with the development of the Smart Grid |
| Spouse(s) | Candida Stevens |
Thomas David Petite (born May 30, 1956) is an American inventor. He is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribe, a Native American group. David Petite is also a co-founder of the Native American Intellectual Property Enterprise Council. This group is a non-profit organization that helps Native American inventors and their communities.
Petite has many patents, which are special legal rights for inventions. He has over 100 US patents that relate to wireless networks. You can find some of his inventions listed on Patent Genius or by searching at The US Patent Office. Many people see Petite as a smart scientist and engineer who also understands business. His early inventions showed he could predict how technology would grow and become useful.
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David Petite's Early Life
Thomas David Petite was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His father, Robert Eugene Petite, was from the Fond du Lac Chippewa tribe. His mother was Helen Ruth Byrd.
David was raised in Atlanta by his father, who was a Native American Chief of the Chippewa tribe in Wisconsin. His father taught David a lot about the Chippewa tribe's culture and history. This helped David develop strong values and a great sense of pride in his heritage.
Petite's Amazing Inventions
David Petite is most famous for his work on wireless mesh technology. This technology helps devices connect to each other without wires. Much of his work focuses on how wireless devices can connect, be controlled from far away, or be monitored.
For example, one of his early inventions was a personal security system. A person could carry or wear a small device. If they needed help, they could activate it to send information about themselves. His newer patents cover systems that monitor and control many devices in different places using a computer. His inventions have been used in many different industries.
How Petite Helped Create the Smart Grid
Petite is especially known for inventing parts needed to create systems that monitor and control things in a home or building from a distance. These inventions were very important for developing the "Smart meter". Smart meters led to what we now call the "Smart Grid".
The Smart Grid is like a super-smart electricity network. It allows many different applications to work together over one shared network. Think of it like how the internet works today, connecting many different devices. Petite's main contribution was creating technology that lets many devices work together on a low-power wireless network. This means each device can have its own identity and work alone or as part of a huge system.
David Petite's Career Journey
Petite helped start StatSignal Systems, Inc. in the late 1990s. This was one of the first companies to get patents for and introduce wireless mesh technology to power companies and hospitals. They called their technology "SMART CLOUD." However, the company eventually ran out of money and couldn't sell their inventions widely.
In 2003, Petite and his partners started a new company called SIPCO. SIPCO creates technologies for strong, self-organizing wireless networks, also known as Wireless Mesh. They work with IntusIQ, a company that helps license Petite's and other inventors' patents to different industries.
In 2012, two big companies, GE and MPEGLA, bought a small part of SIPCO.
Honors and Recognitions
David Petite has received several honors for his work:
- In 2010, the Georgia State Senate honored him. They recognized him for his new ideas in wireless technology and his amazing career as an engineer and inventor.
- Also in 2010, Legal Zoom named him the 4th most successful Native American entrepreneur.
- In September 2011, Petite was invited to attend the signing of The America Invents Act. This is an important law about patents and inventions in the United States.
- In September 2011, Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal appointed Petite to the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns. This group helps protect Native American graves and burial items in Georgia. It's the only state group that specifically works on issues important to Georgia's American Indians.
Media Features
In 2011, CNN featured David Petite in their series called "In America." You can find the archived article here.
