System and methods for detecting, confirming, classifying, and monitoring a fire
First Claim
1. A method for detecting a fire comprising:
- at a light sensor, detecting a change in ambient light intensity from an initial intensity to a first intensity at a first time, the first intensity exceeding the initial intensity by a threshold light intensity;
calculating a frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity;
responsive to fluctuations in detected ambient light intensity following the first time remaining within a threshold magnitude and the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity remaining below a low frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light intensity with a lighting change event suggesting innocuous ambient light;
responsive to fluctuations in detected ambient light intensity following the first time remaining within the threshold magnitude and the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity falling between the low frequency threshold and a medium frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light intensity with a lighting change event suggesting sustained lighting; and
responsive to fluctuations in detected ambient light intensity following the first time exceeding the threshold magnitude and the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity exceeding the medium frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light intensity with a fire event.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One variation of a method for detecting a fire includes: during a first time period: detecting an increase in ambient light intensity and detecting an increase in ambient humidity; responsive to the increase in ambient light intensity and the increase in ambient humidity, detecting a fire event; during a second time period: correlating a decrease in ambient light intensity with an increase in visual obscuration; detecting an increase in ambient air temperature; in response to a magnitude of the increase in visual obscuration remaining below a high obscuration threshold and a magnitude of the increase in ambient temperature remaining below a high temperature threshold, classifying the fire as an incipient fire; and, in response to the magnitude of the increase in visual obscuration exceeding the high obscuration threshold and the magnitude of the increase in ambient temperature exceeding the high temperature threshold, classifying the fire as a developed fire.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a fire comprising:
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at a light sensor, detecting a change in ambient light intensity from an initial intensity to a first intensity at a first time, the first intensity exceeding the initial intensity by a threshold light intensity; calculating a frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity; responsive to fluctuations in detected ambient light intensity following the first time remaining within a threshold magnitude and the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity remaining below a low frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light intensity with a lighting change event suggesting innocuous ambient light; responsive to fluctuations in detected ambient light intensity following the first time remaining within the threshold magnitude and the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity falling between the low frequency threshold and a medium frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light intensity with a lighting change event suggesting sustained lighting; and responsive to fluctuations in detected ambient light intensity following the first time exceeding the threshold magnitude and the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity exceeding the medium frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light intensity with a fire event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for detecting a fire comprising:
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at a light sensor, detecting a change in ambient light intensity from an initial intensity to a first intensity at a first time, the first intensity exceeding the initial intensity by a threshold light intensity; calculating a frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity; in response to the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light intensity remaining below a low frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light with an innocuous ambient light change event; in response to the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light exceeding the low frequency threshold and remaining below a medium frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light with a sustained lighting change event suggesting; and in response a positive increase in ambient light intensity and the frequency of fluctuation in ambient light exceeding the medium frequency threshold, associating the change in ambient light with possibility of a fire event; in response to an increase in ambient humidity, confirming the fire event; in response to confirmation of the fire event, transmitting an alarm to an emergency responder; detecting a composition of gaseous combustion products within the space; generating a protection equipment specification for the fire event based on the composition of gaseous combustion products; and transmitting the protection equipment specification to the emergency responder. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification