Methods and apparatus for generating a data structure indicative of an alarm system circuit

• US 6,861,951 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mepcad Incorporated
• Original Assignee: M.E.P. Cad, Incorporated
• Inventors: Sandquist, Russell, Reghetti, Joseph, Anspach, Barry Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/439,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/509, 340/524, 340/525, 340/286.02, 340/286.05, 340/286.07, 340/293, 340/294, 703/1, 703/2, 700/96, 700/241, 379/37
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/18 Prevention or correction of operating errors G08B29/02, G08B29/12 take precedence

Abstract

A user of a computer aided design (CAD) system graphically places fire alarm appliances, such as smoke detectors and sirens, in a drawing area. After elements are placed and physical paths are determined, a series of electrical circuit connections between alarm source elements and alarm appliance elements are determined. The electrical circuit connections define wire gauges and lengths passing through the physical paths. The wire types may be determined by predefined rules, and multiple wires may be placed in a single physical path. Subsequently, the CAD system performs electrical calculations associated with the alarm system. The electrical calculations may be based on a supervisory mode of operation as well as an alarm mode of operation. The resistance of wires in the alarm system may be based on a scaled wire length and/or a schematic (non-scaled) wire length. In one example, a backup battery capacity requirement is calculated.

Claims

1. A method of calculating an electrical parameter associated with an alarm system, the method comprising:

receiving first user inputs at a computer aided drawing system, the first user inputs being indicative of graphical placement in a drawing area of a first alarm appliance, a second alarm appliance, and a third alarm appliance, the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance being separated in the drawing area by a first distance;

receiving second user inputs at the computer aided drawing system, the second user inputs being indicative of a first electrical connection between the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance, the second user inputs being indicative of a second electrical connection between the second alarm appliance and the third alarm appliance;

storing first data indicating that the first electrical connection is to be treated as a first scaled wire during an electrical calculation;

storing second data indicating that the second electrical connection is to be treated as a non-scaled wire during the electrical calculation;

receiving a numeric user input indicative of a wire length associated with the second electrical connection;

determining a first electrical resistance associated with the first electrical connection based on the first distance; and

determining a second electrical resistance associated with the second electrical connection based on the numeric user input indicative of the wire length.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the first user inputs are further indicative of graphical placement in the drawing area of a fourth alarm appliance, the fourth alarm appliance and the first alarm appliance being separated in the drawing area by a second distance;

the second user inputs are further indicative of a third electrical connection between the fourth alarm appliance and the first alarm appliance;

the method further comprising storing third data indicating that the third electrical connection is to be treated as a second scaled wire during the electrical calculation; and

determining a third electrical resistance associated with the third electrical connection based on the second distance.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first distance is shorter than the second distance and the first electrical resistance is less than the third electrical resistance because the first distance is shorter than the second distance.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second alarm appliance and the third alarm appliance are separated in the drawing area by a second distance and determining the second electrical resistance is not based on the second distance.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the first distance is longer than the second distance and the first electrical resistance is less than the second electrical resistance.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second user inputs comprise graphical placement of a line indicative of an electrical wire.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second user inputs comprise graphical placement of a line indicative of a conduit.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving a third user input indicating that the first electrical connection is to be treated as the first scaled wire during the electrical calculation.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein receiving the third user input comprises detection of a first state associated with a first graphical user interface check box.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising receiving a fourth user input indicating that the second electrical connection is to be treated as the non-scaled wire during the electrical calculation.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein receiving the fourth user input comprises detection of a second state associated with a second graphical user interface check box, the second state being different than the first state.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first alarm appliance comprises one of a fire alarm siren, a fire alarm bell, a smoke detector, and a carbon-dioxide detector.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining the first electrical resistance associated with the first electrical connection based on the first distance comprises receiving a third user input indicative of a scale.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining a first current drain associated with the alarm system in a supervisory mode and a second current drain associated with the alarm system in an alarm mode.

15. An apparatus for calculating an electrical parameter associated with an alarm system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor;

a user input device coupled to the processor; and

a user output device coupled to the processor;

the processor receiving first user inputs from the user input device indicative of graphical placement displayed on the user output device of a first alarm appliance, a second alarm appliance, and a third alarm appliance, the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance being separated by a first distance;

the processor receiving second user inputs from the user input device indicative of a first electrical connection between the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance, the second user inputs being indicative of a second electrical connection between the second alarm appliance and the third alarm appliance;

the processor storing first data on the storage device indicating that the first electrical connection is to be treated as a first scaled wire during an electrical calculation;

the processor storing second data on the storage device indicating that the second electrical connection is to be treated as a non-scaled wire during the electrical calculation;

the processor receiving a numeric user input from the user input device indicative of a wire length associated with the second electrical connection;

the processor determining a first electrical resistance associated with the first electrical connection based on the first distance; and

the processor determining a second electrical resistance associated with the second electrical connection based on the numeric user input indicative of the wire length.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein:

the first user inputs are further indicative of graphical placement of a fourth alarm appliance, the fourth alarm appliance and the first alarm appliance being separated by a second distance;

the second user inputs are further indicative of a third electrical connection between the fourth alarm appliance and the first alarm appliance;

the processor stores third data on the storage device indicating that the third electrical connection is to be treated as a second scaled wire during the electrical calculation; and

the processor determines a third electrical resistance associated with the third electrical connection based on the second distance, the first distance being shorter than the second distance and the first electrical resistance being determined to be less than the third electrical resistance because the first distance is shorter than the second distance.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein:

the second alarm appliance and the third alarm appliance are separated on the output device by a second distance;

determining the second electrical resistance is not based on the second distance;

the first distance is longer than the second distance; and

the first electrical resistance is less than the second electrical resistance.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the second user inputs comprise graphical placement of a line indicative of at least one of an electrical wire and a conduit.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the first alarm appliance comprises one of a smoke detector and a carbon-dioxide detector.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein determining the first electrical resistance associated with the first electrical connection based on the first distance comprises receiving a third user input indicative of a scale.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the processor further determines a first current drain associated with the alarm system in a supervisory mode and a second current drain associated with the alarm system in an alarm mode.

22. A machine readable medium storing instructions structured to cause a machine to:

receive first user inputs at a computer aided drawing system, the first user inputs being indicative of graphical placement in a drawing area of a first alarm appliance, a second alarm appliance, and a third alarm appliance, the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance being separated in the drawing area by a first distance;

receive second user inputs at the computer aided drawing system, the second user inputs being indicative of a first electrical connection between the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance, the second user inputs being indicative of a second electrical connection between the second alarm appliance and the third alarm appliance;

store first data indicating that the first electrical connection is to be treated as a first scaled wire during an electrical calculation;

store second data indicating that the second electrical connection is to be treated as a non-scaled wire during the electrical calculation;

receive a numeric user input indicative of a wire length associated with the second electrical connection;

determine a first electrical resistance associated with the first electrical connection based on the first distance; and

determine a second electrical resistance associated with the second electrical connection based on the numeric user input indicative of the wire length.

23. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein:

the first user inputs are further indicative of graphical placement in the drawing area of a fourth alarm appliance, the fourth alarm appliance and the first alarm appliance being separated in the drawing area by a second distance;

the second user inputs are further indicative of a third electrical connection between the fourth alarm appliance and the first alarm appliance;

the instructions being further structured to cause the machine to;

store third data indicating that the third electrical connection is to be treated as a second scaled wire during the electrical calculation; and

determine a third electrical resistance associated with the third electrical connection based on the second distance.

24. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the first distance is shorter than the second distance and the first electrical resistance is less than the third electrical resistance because the first distance is shorter than the second distance.

25. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the second alarm appliance and the third alarm appliance are separated in the drawing area by a second distance and determining the second electrical resistance is not based on the second distance.

26. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 25, wherein the first distance is longer than the second distance and the first electrical resistance is less than the second electrical resistance.

27. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the second user inputs comprise graphical placement of a line indicative of an electrical wire.

28. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the second user inputs comprise graphical placement of a line indicative of a conduit.

29. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the first alarm appliance comprises one of a fire alarm siren, a fire alarm bell, a smoke detector, and a carbon-dioxide detector.

30. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein determining the first electrical resistance associated with the first electrical connection based on the first distance comprises receiving a third user input indicative of a scale.

31. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions are further structured to cause the machine to determine a first current drain associated with the alarm system in a supervisory mode and a second current drain associated with the alarm system in an alarm mode.