Structure failure alert system

• US 20060202844A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Simplexgrinnell LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Simplexgrinnell LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Farley, Daniel G.
• Application Number:
  US11/340,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202844A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/577
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

A structural failure alert system includes a structure failure sensor configured to be placed, substantially permanently, within an interior of a building, the sensor positioned and configured to monitor a condition of the infrastructure of the building and generate a structure integrity signal based thereon, and a failure analysis package configured to be loaded into a control module communicating with the sensor, the failure analysis package receiving and analyzing the structure integrity signals from the sensors, the failure analysis package producing a structural failure indication when a potential structural failure exists.

Claims

1. A structural failure alert system, comprising:

a structure failure sensor configured to be placed, substantially permanently, within an interior of a building, the sensor positioned and configured to monitor a condition of an infrastructure of the building and generate a structure integrity signal based thereon; and

a failure analysis package configured to be loaded into a control module communicating with the sensor, the failure analysis package receiving and analyzing the structure integrity signals from the sensors, the failure analysis package producing a structural failure indication when a potential structural failure exists.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the failure analysis package stores predetermined failure criteria, the failure analysis package producing the structural failure indication when the structure integrity signal satisfies the predetermined failure criteria.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the failure analysis package is loaded into a control module of a fire detection panel, the fire detection panel communicating with the sensors and receiving fire detection signals from the sensors indicating that a potential fire exists within the building.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the failure analysis package is loaded into a control module of an existing fire detection panel permanently mounted in the building.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor monitors at least one of structural movement and temperature.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor constitutes one of an accelerometer, thermo coupler, and moment detector.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an output unit communicating with the failure analysis package, the output unit generating one of an audio indication and a visual indication of a potential structural failure exists.

8. A method for predicting a structural failure in a building comprising:

placing a structure failure sensor substantially permanently within an interior of a building, the sensor positioned and configured to monitor a condition of the infrastructure of the building and generate a structure integrity signal based thereon; and

loading a failure analysis package into a control module communicating with the sensor, the failure analysis package receiving and analyzing the structure integrity signals from the sensors, the failure analysis package producing a structural failure indication when a potential structural failure exists.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

storing predetermined failure criteria in the failure analysis package; and

producing the structural failure indication when the structure integrity signal satisfies the predetermined failure criteria.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising loading the failure analysis package into a control module of a fire detection panel, the fire detection panel communicating with the sensors;

and

receiving fire detection signals from the sensors indicating that a potential fire exists within the building.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising loading the failure analysis package into a control module of an existing fire detection panel permanently mounted in the building.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising utilizing the sensor to monitor at least one of structural movement and temperature.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensor constitutes one of an accelerometer, thermo coupler, and moment detector, said method further comprising placing one of the accelerometer, thermo coupler, and moment detector permanently within an interior of a building,

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating one of an audio indication and a visual indication of a predicted structural failure.

15. A failure analysis package configured to be loaded into a control module, said software package configured to:

receive an input from a structure failure sensor configured to be placed, substantially permanently, within an interior of a building, the sensor positioned and configured to monitor a condition of the infrastructure of the building; and

generate a structure integrity signal based thereon when a potential structural failure exists.

16. The failure analysis package of claim 15, wherein the failure analysis package is further configured to:

store predetermined failure criteria; and

produce the structural failure indication when the structure integrity signal satisfies the predetermined failure criteria.

17. The failure analysis package of claim 15, wherein the failure analysis package is loaded into a control module of a fire detection panel, said failure analysis package configured to receive fire detection signals from fire detection sensors indicating that a potential fire exists within the building.

18. The failure analysis package of claim 15, wherein the failure analysis package is loaded into a control module of an existing fire detection panel permanently mounted in the building, said failure analysis package configured to receive fire detection signals from fire detection sensors indicating that a potential fire exists within the building.

19. The failure analysis package of claim 15, wherein the failure analysis package is configured monitor at least one of structural movement and temperature, and generate an indication that a potential structural failure exists within the building based on the structural movement and temperature.

20. The failure analysis package of claim 15, wherein the sensor constitutes one of an accelerometer, thermo coupler, and moment detector, said failure analysis package configured to receive a signal from the accelerometer, thermo coupler, and generate an indication that a potential structural failure exists within the building based on either the accelerometer, thermo coupler, or moment detector.

21. The failure analysis package of claim 15, further configured to an output unit, the output unit generating one of an audio indication and a visual indication of a predicted structural failure.

22. A structural failure alert system, comprising:

a sensing means configured to be placed, substantially permanently, within an interior of a building, the sensing means positioned and configured to monitor a condition of an infrastructure of the building and generate a structure integrity signal based thereon; and

a processing means configured to be loaded into a control module communicating with the sensing means, the processing means receiving and analyzing the structure integrity signals from the sensing means, the processing means producing a structural failure indication when a potential structural failure exists.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing means stores predetermined failure criteria, the processing means producing the structural failure indication when the structure integrity signal satisfies the predetermined failure criteria.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing means is loaded into a control module of a fire detection panel, the fire detection panel communicating with the sensing means and receives fire detection signals from sensing means indicating that a potential fire exists within the building.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing means is loaded into a control module of an existing fire detection panel permanently mounted in the building.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensor monitors at least one of structural movement and temperature.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensing means constitutes one of an accelerometer, thermo coupler, and moment detector.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing means constitutes a structural failure analysis package programmed to analyze the structure integrity signals from the sensing means and produce a structural failure indication when a potential structural failure.

29. A method of modifying an existing fire detection system installed in a building, the fire detection system includes a fire detection panel, a control module, at least one sensor coupled to the fire detection panel, and a software package installed in the control module, said method comprising:

installing a failure analysis package into the control module such that the failure analysis package substantially overwrites the software package, the failure analysis package receiving and analyzing the signals from the sensors, the failure analysis package producing a structural failure indication when a potential structural failure exists.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

placing a structure failure sensor substantially permanently within an interior of a building, the structure failure sensor positioned and configured to monitor a condition of the infrastructure of the building, the failure analysis package receiving and analyzing the structure integrity signals from the structure failure sensors, the failure analysis package producing a structural failure indication when a potential structural failure exists.