Fire and security system with multi detector-occupancy-temperature-smoke (MDOTS) sensors

• US 4,688,183 A
• Filed: 12/24/1984
• Issued: 08/18/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Blackaby, Barry G., Carll, Richard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gruber, Felix D.
• Application Number:
  US06/685,938
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551, 364/554, 364/557, 364/138, 364/184, 364/580, 340/505, 340/506, 340/514, 340/518, 340/515, 340/521, 340/522, 340/825.05, 340/825.06, 340/825.1, 340/825.54, 340/825.55, 340/870.09
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/04 using a single signalling line, e.g. in a closed loop

Abstract

A fire and security system includes a hierarchical architecture with a central control processor monitoring each of a plurality of multi detector-occupancy-temperature-smoke (MDOTS) sensors mounted in each of the monitored spaces of the building, the MDOTS sensors connected in multi drop fashion in sensor loop networks which are connected to one of a plurality of master controls, each master control monitoring the sensor outputs from one or more sensor loops and reporting the alarm status of any one sensor to the central.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted to be disposed in a building space for measuring the environmental conditions of the space, comprising:

sensor means, for sensing the actual values of one or more parameters associated with the space environment, and for providing actual value sensed signals indicative thereof;

test means, disposed to provide actuation of said sensor means in response to a test command signal presented to said test means, said actuation causing said sensor means to provide test value sensed signals indicative of the operability of said sensor means; and

signal processing means, responsive to said sensor means, said test means, and to control signals presented thereto, for presenting said actual value sensed signals at an output thereof in response to a first control signal presented thereto, and for presenting said test command signal to said test means and for presenting said test value sensed signals from said sensor means to said output in response to a second control signal presented thereto.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

said sensor means includes temperature sensing means for providing a sensed signal indicative of the actual temperature in the space;

and wherein

said signal processing means includes memory means for storing signals, said processing means periodically sampling the value of said sensed actual temperature signal and storing said sampled temperature signal values in said memory means, said processing means presenting said sampled temperature signal values at said output in response to said first control signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein

said signal processing means further includes clock means for providing a real time signal, said processing means sampling said real time signal periodically and storing said sampled time signal values in said memory, said processing means calculating the ratio of the difference signal magnitude between successive sampled temperature signal values divided by the real time interval between said successive temperature samples, to provide at said output a rate of change of sensed temperature per unit time signal for said sensor means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

said sensor means includes smoke sensing means for providing a sensed signal indicative of the presence of smoke in the space;

and wherein

said signal processing means includes memory means for storing signals, said processing means periodically sampling the value of said sensed smoke signal and storing said sampled smoke signal values in said memory means, said processing means presenting said sampled smoke signal values at said output in response to said first control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

said signal processing means further includes clock means for providing a real time signal, said processing means sampling said real time signal periodically and accumulating said sampled time signal values in said memory in response to a sensed smoke signal indicating the presence of smoke in the space, to provide at said output a cumulative time signal indicative of the elapsed real time interval of the presence of smoke in the space.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

said sensor means includes occupancy sensing means for providing a sensed signal indicative of the presence of occupants in the space;

and wherein

said signal processing means includes memory means for storing signals, said processing means periodically sampling the value of said sensed occupancy signal and storing said sampled occupancy signal values in said memory means, said processing means presenting said sampled occupancy signal values at said output in response to said first control signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

said signal processing means further includes clock means for providing a real time signal, said processing means sampling said real time signal periodically and accumulating said sampled time signal values in said memory in response to a sensed occupancy signal indicating the presence of occupancy in the space, to provide at said output a cumulative time signal indicative of the elapsed real time interval of the presence of occupancy in the space.

8. A system for monitoring fire and security conditions in one or more spaces of a building, comprising:

sensor means, arranged in one or more groups, each group including one or more networks having one or more sensor means connected to a common sensor bus, each sensor means providing sensed signals indicative of the state of fire and security conditions in a space, and each sensor means presenting an alarm signal in the presence of sensed fire and security alarm condition in the space;

master control means, responsive to said sensed signals from a group of said sensor means, and including a master control signal processor having master control memory means for storing signals, said master signal processor periodically sampling said sensed signals from each sensor means in each network of said group at a first frequency and sampling at a sensed frequency said sensed signals from each said sensor means providing an alarm signal, said master signal processor storing said sampled signals in said master control memory means, said master control providing, at reporting intervals, alarm report signals identifying each sensor means presenting an alarm signal and the sensed signals received therefrom, and normal report signals identifying sensed signals received from sensor means without an alarm signal; and

central control means, including a central signal processor having central control memory means for storing signals, and including keyboard means responsive to operator control, said central control means being responsive to said alarm report signals and said normal report signals from said master control means, said central control means further including central display means for displaying each said alarm report signals to an operator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said central control means further includes printer means for printing said alarm report signals and said normal report signals received from said master control means.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said second frequency is greater than said first frequency.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said central control means provides command signals to said master control means to regulate the reporting intervals of said alarm report signals and said normal report signals.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said sensor means includes temperature sensing means for providing an actual temperature signal, and smoke sensing means for providing an actual smoke signal, which in combination provide sensed signals indicative of fire conditions in a space, and wherein said sensor means includes occupancy sensing means for providing an actual occupancy signal as a sensed signal indicative of security in the space.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said sensor means further comprises:

sensor signal processor, including sensor memory means for storing signals and clock means for providing a real time signal, said sensor signal processor sampling said temperature sensing means, said smoke sensing means, said occupancy sensing means, and said timing signal, and storing said samples in memory, for providing as said sensed signals, said actual temperature signal, said actual smoke signal, a rate of change in temperature signal, and said actual occupancy signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said signal processor accumulates a summation of said timing signal samples in memory in the continued presence of said actual smoke signal and, alternately, in the continued presence of said actual occupancy signal, to provide cumulative time signals indicative of the elapsed time of the presence of smoke and, alternately, to provide cumulative time signals indicative of the elapsed time of the presence of occupancy in the space.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said sensor means further comprises:

test means, for periodically actuating each of said temperature sensing means, said smoke sensing means, and said occupancy sensing means, in response to a test command signal presented thereto from said central control means, through said master control means, wherein said central control means provides said test command signal periodically in response to operator control of said keyboard means, and wherein each said sensing means responds to actuation thereof to provide test value signals to said master control means, indicative of the operation of each said sensing means.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said test means comprises:

heating element means, having filament means adapted to be energized to a minimum temperature sufficient to actuate said temperature sensing means to provide a test value temperature signal, by a current signal provided thereto in the presence of said test command signal and having smoke material means, disposed in proximity to said filament means, and responsive to said minimum temperature to provide a smoke test signal to actuate said smoke sensing means into providing a test value smoke signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said occupancy sensing means includes a pyroelectric infrared detector responsive to a frequency band of infrared signals associated with human movement in the space, and responsive to said smoke test signal for providing a test value occupancy signal.