Wireless transfer of data from a detector
First Claim
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1. An electrical unit comprising:
- a housing which defines an internal region;
a source of radiant energy carried entirely within the housing wherein the source, in response to at least a first selected drive signal, emits radiant energy required to carry out at least a first function within the internal region of the housing, and, the source, in response to at least a second selected drive signal, emits radiant energy required to carry out at least a second function external of the housing that is different than the first function, wherein the radiant energy is detectable within the internal region and external of the housing; and
control circuitry, carried within the housing, for coupling the selected drive signals to the source.
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Abstract
An ambient condition detector incorporates a common radiant energy source to carry out a first, sensing, function and a second, information transmitting function. The source can generate a beam to implement a fire sensing function. In addition, modulated radiant energy emitted from the source can be remotely sensed to determine detector status or internal parameter values. In an alternate embodiment, a source of radiant energy can be configured at an exterior periphery of the detector and information can be wirelessly transmitted therefrom using one or more analog modulation processes.
52 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An electrical unit comprising:
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a housing which defines an internal region;
a source of radiant energy carried entirely within the housing wherein the source, in response to at least a first selected drive signal, emits radiant energy required to carry out at least a first function within the internal region of the housing, and, the source, in response to at least a second selected drive signal, emits radiant energy required to carry out at least a second function external of the housing that is different than the first function, wherein the radiant energy is detectable within the internal region and external of the housing; and
control circuitry, carried within the housing, for coupling the selected drive signals to the source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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6. An electrical unit comprising:
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a housing which defines an internal region;
a source of radiant energy carried entirely within the housing wherein the source, in response to selected drive signals, emits radiant energy required to carry out an intra-housing function;
control circuitry, carried within the housing, for coupling the selected drive signals to the source, and, for providing a different function, detectable outside of the housing by coupling a modulated drive signal to the source; and
wherein the housing comprises plastic at least partly transmissive of a selected frequency range wherein the source emits radiant energy in that range.
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12. A detector comprising:
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a sensor carried by a housing;
a source of radiant energy carried by the housing wherein the radiant energy is sensed by the sensor within the housing;
a control circuit coupled to the source wherein the control circuitry energizes the source using an analog modulation process to transmit selected information and wherein the selected information is carried by the radiant energy from the source and is detectable externally of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A monitoring system comprising:
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a communication medium;
a plurality of spaced apart ambient condition detectors coupled to the medium wherein at least one member of the plurality includes a common radiant energy source for a sensing function and for a non-sensing function in the respective ambient condition detector. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
unit circuitry coupled to the sensor for demodulating the received signals.
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25. A system as in claim 24 wherein the unit circuitry includes circuitry to convert the demodulated signals to displayable indicia indicative of information transmitted from the selected detector.
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26. A detector comprising:
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a housing which defines an internal region;
a source of radiant energy carried entirely within the housing for emitting a beam of radiant energy into a sensing region within the housing, and simultaneously transmitting a portion of the beam through part of the housing; and
control circuits coupled to the source for first modulating the beam to carry out an intra-housing sensing function and second modulating the beam to carry out a radiant, extra-housing, information transmission function. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification