Chippewa inventor has 35 patents

Native American inventor proud of his past, focused on the future

By Dick YarbroughRaised in Atlanta, he is a renowned inventor in the area of energy conservation and communications and the holder of over 35 patents in the United States. He was recently invited to the White House when President Barack Obama signed legislation to overhaul the U.S. patent system. Gov. Nathan Deal has appointed him to the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns.

Petite is best known for his work in developing wireless mesh technology, which has led to the Smart Grid. At the risk of giving you eye-glaze, this technology will allow the operation of remotely monitored and controlled systems within a home or business and let us see how much energy we are consuming and adjust our consumption habits accordingly. Smart grids will allow utilities to better manage demand and home owners to cut their monthly energy bills by having real-time information on how much energy they have used.

Petite says the day in coming when two-way connected smarter meters will be installed in every home, and in the not-too-distant future, we will drive home, plug our electric car in and pay for our energy through a smart grid in lieu of waiting in line for gas.

Petite is also founder of the Native American Inventors Association. One of Petite's passions is to enable more young Native Americans to use their creative abilities as he has done. He is also a founder of the Independent Native American Intellectual Property Council, a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to provide assistance for getting the ideas of Native American inventors through the patent process and into full commercialization, creating new markets and new jobs.Comment:  For more on Native inventors, see Alaska Natives = "Ingenious Inventors."