Fiber Optic Building Monitoring System
First Claim
1. A building roof monitoring system comprising:
- a fiber optic filament positioned between a water barrier layer and a roof substrate layer of a building roof;
an optical analyzer for injecting laser light into the fiber optic filament and detecting a change in propagation of the laser light through the fiber optic filament indicative of water coming in contact with the fiber optic filament to detect a roof leak;
a response system comprising a controller, alarm or remote communication unit operatively connected to the optical analyzer configured to respond to the roof leak detected by the optical analyzer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A building roof monitoring system that includes a fiber optic filament positioned between a water barrier layer (e.g., roof membrane) and a roof substrate layer of the building roof. The fiber optic filament may be part of a sensing layer that includes the fiber optic filament carried by a water transport layer configured to draw water coming into contact with the water transport layer into contact with the fiber optic filament. An optical analyzer injects laser light into the fiber optic filament and detects changes in propagation of the laser light through the fiber optic filament indicative of water coming in contact with the fiber optic filament to detect a roof leak. A response system including a controller, alarm or remote communication unit operatively connected to the optical analyzer responds to the roof leak detected by the optical analyzer.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A building roof monitoring system comprising:
-
a fiber optic filament positioned between a water barrier layer and a roof substrate layer of a building roof; an optical analyzer for injecting laser light into the fiber optic filament and detecting a change in propagation of the laser light through the fiber optic filament indicative of water coming in contact with the fiber optic filament to detect a roof leak; a response system comprising a controller, alarm or remote communication unit operatively connected to the optical analyzer configured to respond to the roof leak detected by the optical analyzer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for monitoring a building roof, comprising the steps of:
-
positioning above a roof substrate layer a fiber optic sensor layer comprising; a fiber optic filament; and a water transport layer in contact with the fiber optic filament configured to draw water coming into contact with the water transport layer into contact with the fiber optic filament; affixing a water barrier layer above the fiber optic sensor layer to position the fiber optic sensor layer between the water barrier layer and the roof substrate layer; operatively connecting an optical analyzer to the fiber optic filament that injects laser light into the fiber optic filament and detects a change in propagation of the laser light through the fiber optic filament indicative of water coming in contact with the fiber optic filament to detect a roof leak, and operatively connecting a response system to the optical analyzer comprising a controller, alarm or remote communication unit configured to respond to the roof leak detected by the optical analyzer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A building roof monitoring system comprising:
-
a fiber optic sensing layer positioned between a water barrier layer and a roof substrate layer of a building roof; the fiber optic sensing layer comprising a fiber optic filament carried by water transport tape adhered in the region of a joint between adjacent portions of the roof substrate layer; an optical analyzer for injecting laser light into the fiber optic filament and detecting a change in propagation of the laser light through the fiber optic filament indicative of water coming in contact with the fiber optic filament to detect a roof leak; a response system comprising a controller, alarm or remote communication unit operatively connected to the optical analyzer configured to respond to the roof leak detected by the optical analyzer. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification