Method and apparatus for detecting impending earthquakes
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting vibration signals from a stationary object or objects, said signals being indicative of an impending earthquake, characterized by the steps of:
- providing first and second sensors for detecting vibration within a structure responsive to vibration of a fixed substrate upon which the sensor is mounted, said sensors each featuring an electronic detection circuit to convert said vibration to electronic signals, and a transmitter to transmit said electronic signals via transmission means;
providing a processing unit having receiving means for receiving electronic signals transmitted by said sensors, a timer circuit for measuring the duration of the signals received from said sensors, and a logic circuit including a potentiometer circuit;
mounting said first and second sensors to said fixed structure;
determining the natural vibration frequencies of said structure;
presetting said potentiometer circuit to said vibration frequencies of said structure;
comparing electronically with said logic circuit any extraneous vibration signal different from said preset vibration frequencies of said structure and allowing passage of electronic signals indicative of P-waves acting on said structure;
measuring with said timer circuit the duration and temporal overlap of said signals indicative of P-waves from each of said sensors;
determining whether said duration and temporal overlap of said extraneous signals exceed predetermined levels indicative of an impending earthquake; and
activating alarm means when said duration and temporal overlap indicate an impending earthquake.
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Abstract
An apparatus and associated method for detecting impending earthquakes includes at least one sensor, and preferably multiple sensors, for mounting on a building or other like structure, and include a transducer for converting vibration signals to electronic impulses. The signals are transmitted to a solid state detection circuit, which distinguishes between extraneous signals and signals indicative of the P-waves which signal an impending earthquake. Discrimination between relevant and non-relevant may be achieved by selecting a minimum amplitude and duration of signals within a selected frequency range, and triggering an alarm when the selected minimums are exceeded. Where multiple sensors are deployed, temporal overlap between selected signals can be assessed for further discrimination.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for detecting vibration signals from a stationary object or objects, said signals being indicative of an impending earthquake, characterized by the steps of:
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providing first and second sensors for detecting vibration within a structure responsive to vibration of a fixed substrate upon which the sensor is mounted, said sensors each featuring an electronic detection circuit to convert said vibration to electronic signals, and a transmitter to transmit said electronic signals via transmission means;
providing a processing unit having receiving means for receiving electronic signals transmitted by said sensors, a timer circuit for measuring the duration of the signals received from said sensors, and a logic circuit including a potentiometer circuit;
mounting said first and second sensors to said fixed structure;
determining the natural vibration frequencies of said structure;
presetting said potentiometer circuit to said vibration frequencies of said structure;
comparing electronically with said logic circuit any extraneous vibration signal different from said preset vibration frequencies of said structure and allowing passage of electronic signals indicative of P-waves acting on said structure;
measuring with said timer circuit the duration and temporal overlap of said signals indicative of P-waves from each of said sensors;
determining whether said duration and temporal overlap of said extraneous signals exceed predetermined levels indicative of an impending earthquake; and
activating alarm means when said duration and temporal overlap indicate an impending earthquake. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An electronic detector for detecting vibration signals of a stationary structure or structures positioned on a substrate and having one or more natural vibration frequencies, and determining whether said vibration signal is a P-wave signal, characterized by:
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first and second sensors each having a vibration detecting transducer for detecting vibration of said stationary structure and converting said vibration into electronic signals corresponding with the frequency of said vibration;
transmission means associated with each of said sensors for transmitting said electronic signals;
filter means for selecting signals indicative of the natural vibration frequencies of the structure while permitting passage of signals indicative of P-waves;
a processing unit having receiving means for receiving and separately processing said electronic signals;
signal comparison means within said processing unit for comparing the duration and temporal overlap between said electronic signals indicative of P-waves to verify whether said signals exceed a selected amount indicative of an impending earthquake. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeSeismic Warning Systems, Inc.
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Original AssigneeTectonics Research Group Inc.
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InventorsSadri, Afshin, Heidt, Robert, Guindi, Sami
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Primary Examiner(s)Lee, Benjamin C.
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Application NumberUS09/463,987Time in Patent Office754 DaysField of Search340/690, 340/683, 340/601, 340/669, 340/665, 340/566, 340/686.1, 340/689, 340/526, 735/87, 736/59, 737/69, 736/49, 736/58, 702/34US Class Current340/690CPC Class CodesG01V 1/01 Measuring or predicting ear...
