Fire protection for electronics equipment

• US 20040109415A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zansky, Zoltan, Tupy, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 6,995,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/12 Actuation by presence of radiation or particles, e.g. of infrared radiation or of ions

Abstract

A method and apparatus for fire prevention in electronic equipment utilizes infrared imaging technology to monitor a substantial region of an enclosure within the electronic equipment. For example, a shelf within a computer cabinet may have a lens and thermal sensor array placed within to detect changes in temperature. A processor interprets the data from the thermal sensor array to determine whether to send an alert to an operator and/or to shut down a power supply.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preventing fires in electronic equipment, comprising:

a radiation-collecting element for collecting infrared radiation within an enclosure of the electronic equipment;

a sensor array coupled to the radiation collecting element for detecting intensity of the infrared radiation within the enclosure, the sensor array being formed of a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels providing an electrical value that is commensurate with the intensity of the infrared radiation received by the pixel;

a signal processor for detecting changes in the intensity of the infrared radiation received by each of the plurality of pixels through the electrical value of the pixel; and

a controller for interpreting the changes in the intensity of the infrared radiation received by each of the plurality of pixels and for taking an action if a condition occurs based upon the interpreting the changes in the intensity of the infrared radiation received by each of the plurality of pixels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter for passing only infrared radiation to the radiation-collecting element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation-collecting element is a wide-angle lens.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the wide angle lens is a fish eye lens.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the wide angle lens is a doughnut shaped lens.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the wide angle lens is a panoramic annular lens.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation-collecting element includes an optical fiber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber receives the infrared radiation through an end of the optical fiber.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the end of the optical fiber has a filter.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the end of the optical fiber is curved.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the end of the optical fiber is smooth and flat.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a lens for directing the infrared radiation into the end of the optical fiber.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising multiple lenses for directing the infrared radiation into the end of the optical fiber.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a mirror for directing the infrared radiation into the end of the optical fiber.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal processor digitizes the electrical value of the pixel before detecting changes in the electrical value.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal processor detects changes in the electrical value of the pixel before digitizing.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an analog to digital converter between the signal processor and the controller.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is a microprocessor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller receives data from and transmits data to a power supply.

20. A method for preventing fires in electronic equipment, comprising:

collecting infrared radiation from within an enclosure of the electronic equipment;

sampling an electrical characteristic from a sensor array upon which the collected infrared radiation falls;

processing the electrical characteristic to determine environmental changes in enclosure of the electronic equipment; and

performing an action as a result of the determination of environmental changes within the enclosure.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising filtering out radiation that is not infrared radiation before collecting.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the collecting is performed through a lens.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the collecting is performed through a wide-angle lens.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the collecting is performed through optical fibers.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the sensor array is a two-dimensional thermal sensor array.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the electrical characteristic is a voltage.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the electrical characteristic is current

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the processing includes comparing a magnitude of the electrical characteristic with a threshold.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the processing includes calculating a change in magnitude of the electrical characteristic between samples.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the changes in magnitude of the electrical characteristic are stored.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising issuing an alert if the stored changes progressively increase.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the processing includes analog to digital conversion on a front end of the processing.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the processing includes analog to digital conversion on a back end of the processing.

34. The method of claim 21, wherein collecting infrared radiation is through an infrared mirror.

35. The method of claim 34, the infrared mirror is concave.