Test initiation apparatus with continuous or pulse input
First Claim
1. A unit attachable to a fixed member for executing a selected function and which may be easily tested from a remote location using a transmitter of energy pulses, the unit comprising:
- means for executing said selected function;
means responsive to a selected condition for testing the operation of at least a portion of said executing means and for generating an indicium of the result thereof;
means for detecting a predetermined plurality of incident, test initiating energy pulses andmeans, coupled between said detecting means and said testing means, for providing said selected condition in response to detection of said plurality of pulses and then for as long as said incident test initiating pulses continue to be detected.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for testing a remotely located sensing unit includes a photosensor located within the sensing unit. A control beam of incident electromagnetic energy can be provided from a remotely located portable source such as a flashlight. Directing the beam of radiant energy from the flashlight against the sensor in the unit causes the unit to initiate a test sequence. The unit can be equipped with a photo-detector to terminate an alarm generated in response to a sensed condition. The unit can include a sonic detector. Control circuitry in the unit can decode a sensed encoded incident beam to minimize false tests or to provide multiple remotely initiated functions.
146 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A unit attachable to a fixed member for executing a selected function and which may be easily tested from a remote location using a transmitter of energy pulses, the unit comprising:
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means for executing said selected function; means responsive to a selected condition for testing the operation of at least a portion of said executing means and for generating an indicium of the result thereof; means for detecting a predetermined plurality of incident, test initiating energy pulses and means, coupled between said detecting means and said testing means, for providing said selected condition in response to detection of said plurality of pulses and then for as long as said incident test initiating pulses continue to be detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An easily tested sensor unit comprising:
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sensing means for detecting a predetermined condition and for generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; indication means, responsive to said electrical signal, for providing a detectable alarm identifying said condition; manually operable means for initiating a test condition of the sensor unit including initiating said detectable alarm in response to the presence of said test condition; and means responsive to a selected number of pulses in a selected incident beam of radiant energy for initiating said test condition in response to detection of said selected incident energy. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. An indicating unit for sensing a predetermined condition and for providing an indicium thereof comprising:
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means for sensing the predetermined condition and for generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; indication means, responsive to said electrical signal, for providing a detectable indicium identifying said condition; and means, responsive to selected, remotely transmitted incident energy, for terminating, at least for a selected period of time, said indicium in response to detection of said selected incident energy.
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25. A sensor unit easily tested from a remote location using a transmitter of energy comprising:
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sensing means for detecting a predetermined condition and for generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; indication means, responsive to said electrical signal, for providing a detectable indicium identifying said condition; and receiving means, responsive to selected incident energy from the transmitter, for initiating a selected unit test in response to detection of said selected incident energy and for continuing said test only for so long as said incident energy is detected. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A unit remotely mountable with respect to a displaced test initiation area, the unit comprising:
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a housing defining an interior region, said housing including means for mounting; means carried by said housing for executing a preselected function; radiant energy beam collecting means, carried by said housing, for collecting a signaling beam of energy generated at the test initiation area and directed so as to be incident on an exterior surface of said housing; means for sensing the presence of said collected signaling beam; and means responsive to said sensing means for initiating a predetermined test of the unit only for as long as the signaling beam is sensed. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for easily initiating a secondary function of a remotely located unit having a primary function, the system comprising:
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a selected, remotely located unit which includes means for executing a secondary function in response to a seletcted condition and including condition initiating means responsive to the presence of an incident, remotely generated, control beam of radiant energy for generating said selected condition during the duration of said presence; and means, separated from said unit, for generating said control beam of radiant energy such that said beam is directable so as to be incident on at least a portion of said condition initiating means thereby generating said selected condition.
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33. An easily tested sensor unit comprising:
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a housing; means carried by said housing means for detecting a selected condition; means, responsive to said detected condition, for generating a selected alarm indicium; means, carried by said housing, for detecting an incident radiant energy control beam and for generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; and means, carried by said housing, for executing a test of said detecting means only in response to and for so long as said electrical signal is generated. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. An easily silence smoke detector comprising:
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means for detecting smoke; means for generating an alarm signal in response to detected smoke; means for detecting an incident infrared control beam and for generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; and means for terminating, only for a predetermined period of time, said alarm signal in response to said generated electrical signal.
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37. An easily tested detector comprising:
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means for detecting smoke; means for generating an alarm signal in response to detected smoke; means for detecting an incident infrared control beam and for generating an electrical signal in response (responsive) thereto; and means for testing the detector including said alarm signal in response to detection of said electrical signal and then for the duration thereof.
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38. A method of conducting a test of a remotely located electrical unit using a selected command beam generated outside of the unit comprising the steps of:
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directing the selected command beam at a region of the unit; detecting the presence of the incident command beam when it encounters the region; initiating a test of the unit in response to the detected incident beam; continuing the test so long as the incident beam is detected; and terminating the test when the incident beam is no longer detected.
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39. A unit attachable to a fixed member for executing a selected function and which may be easily tested from a remote location, the unit comprising:
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means for executing said selected function; means responsive to a selected condition for testing the operation of at least a portion of said executing means and for generating an indicium of the result thereof; means for detecting a remotely generated, incident coded, test initiating signal; and means, coupled between said detecting means and said testing means, for providing said selected condition in response to and for as long as said incident test initiating signal is detected. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An easily tested sensor unit comprising:
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sensing means for detecting a predetermined condition and for generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; indication means, responsive to said electrical signal, for providing a detectable alarm identifying said condition; manually operable means for initiating a test condition of the sensor unit including initiating said detectable alarm in response to the presence of said test condition; and means responsive to a selected, incident pulsed beam of radiant energy, for initiating said test condition in response to detection of a predetermined plurality of incident energy pulses. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
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51. A unit comprising:
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means for detecting a predetermined condition and for generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; indication means, responsive to said electrical signal, for providing a detectable indicium identifying said condition; and means, responsive to selected incident intermittent energy, for determining, for a selected period of time, said indicium in responsive to detection of said selected incident energy.
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Specification