NETWORK COMPRISED OF SENSOR ELEMENTS

• US 20090256713A1
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Diehl Stiftung & Company KG (Diehl VA Systeme Stiftung & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Diehl Stiftung & Company KG (Diehl VA Systeme Stiftung & Company KG)
• Inventors: Kalisch, Peter, Diehl, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/936,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20090256713A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/627
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A network consisting of sensor elements (7-12), in which the sensor elements (7-12) are connected to one another and/or to a central unit (21) by interfaces, the sensor elements (7-12) being arranged at different locations and each having at least one sensor which detects biological or chemical harmful substances, the sensor elements (7-12) having sensors which detect different substances being arranged at different locations, and the sensor elements (7-12) forwarding measured values detected by the sensors to one another and/or to the central unit (21).

Claims

1. A network comprising sensor elements (7-12) which are connected to one another and/or to a central unit (21) by interfaces,

the sensor elements (7-12) being arranged at different locations and each having at least one sensor for detecting biological or chemical harmful substances, said sensor elements (7-12) having sensors which detect different substances being arranged at different locations, and

the sensor elements (7-12) forwarding measured values detected by the sensors among each other and/or to the central unit (21).

2. The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the sensor elements (7-12) are arranged in buildings (1-6) which are different and are at locales distant from one another.

3. The network as claimed in claim 1 wherein

the sensor elements (7-12) are connected to consumption meters or are integrated in consumption meters.

4. The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the sensor of at least one said sensor element (7-12) detects harmful substances in water, and in the supply of drinking water, and is arranged in a water meter.

5. The network as claimed in claim 1 wherein

the sensor of at least one said sensor element (7-12) detects harmful substances in gases, such as air or natural gas, and is arranged in a gas meter.

6. The network as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the sensor elements (7-12) are connected to one another and/or to the central unit (21) in a wireless manner, preferably using radio, and/or in a wired connection using telephone or power supply lines.

7. The network as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the wired connection of the sensor elements (7-12) to one another and/or to the central unit (21) is configured using fiber optic cables.

8. The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the central unit (21) is an alarm center or is connected to an alarm center to which the measured values detected by the sensors are forwarded for further processing and, appropriately, for triggering an alarm message.

9. The network as claimed in claim 1, utilized for monitoring an area (14) for biological or chemical harmful substances, wherein

the measured values from the sensors, which relate to the various harmful substances, are evaluated in an overall view, and enabling a decision be made regarding the triggering of an alarm message on the basis of the result of said overall view.

10. The network as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the decision threshold for triggering an alarm message is lower when one type of harmful substance is detected by a plurality of said sensors which are arranged at a distance from one another locally or when a plurality of different types of harmful substances are detected than when only one type of harmful substance is detected by one said sensor or a few of said sensors.

11. The use as claimed in claim 9 wherein

the alarm message is outputted only for part of the area (14) being monitored, for the entire area (14) being monitored or for an area that extends beyond the area (14) being monitored in accordance with the overall view of the measured values from the sensors.