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

• US 7,161,478 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• 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:
  US10/438,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/507, 340/509, 340/524, 340/525, 340/286.05, 340/286.07, 340/293, 340/294, 703/1, 703/2, 703/919, 703/920, 700/96
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

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 a backup battery capacity requirement for an alarm system, the method comprising:

receiving user inputs at a computer aided drawing system, the user inputs specifying a first alarm appliance and a second alarm appliance, the user inputs specifying an electrical connection between the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance;

receiving a first supervisory mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance, a first alarm mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance, a second supervisory mode current drain associated with the second alarm appliance, and a second alarm mode current drain associated with the second alarm appliance;

adding the first supervisory mode current drain and the second supervisory mode current drain to a plurality of supervisory mode current drains to create a sum of supervisory mode current drains;

adding the first alarm mode current drain and the second alarm mode current drain to a plurality of alarm mode current drains to create a sum of alarm mode current drains;

multiplying the sum of supervisory mode current drains by a first predefined constant indicative of a number of hours to create a supervisory mode capacity;

multiplying the sum of alarm mode current drains by a second predefined constant indicative of a number of minutes to create an alarm mode capacity;

adding the supervisory mode capacity and the alarm mode capacity to create a combined capacity; and

multiplying the combined capacity by a third predefined constant to create the backup battery capacity requirement for the alarm system.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first predefined constant is a number between twenty-three and twenty-five.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first predefined constant is twenty-four.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second predefined constant is a number between three and seven.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second predefined constant is five.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the third predefined constant is a number between 1.0 and 1.4.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the third predefined constant is 1.2.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving user inputs at a computer aided drawing system comprises receiving a drag-and-drop command from a mouse indicative of moving the first alarm appliance from a palette to a drawing area.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first alarm appliance comprises a fire alarm appliance.

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

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving a first supervisory mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance comprises receiving a data structure from an alarm appliance library.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving a first supervisory mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance comprises receiving numeric input from a user.

13. An apparatus for calculating a backup battery capacity requirement of an alarm system, the method comprising:

a processor;

a user input device coupled to the processor; and

a user output device coupled to the processor;

the processor receiving user inputs from the user input device, the user inputs specifying a first alarm appliance and a second alarm appliance, the user inputs specifying an electrical connection between the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance;

the processor receiving a first supervisory mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance, a first alarm mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance, a second supervisory mode current drain associated with the second alarm appliance, and a second alarm mode current drain associated with the second alarm appliance;

the processor adding the first supervisory mode current drain and the second supervisory mode current drain to a plurality of supervisory mode current drains to create a sum of supervisory mode current drains;

the processor adding the first alarm mode current drain and the second alarm mode current drain to a plurality of alarm mode current drains to create a sum of alarm mode current drains;

the processor multiplying the sum of supervisory mode current drains by a first predefined constant indicative of a number of hours to create a supervisory mode capacity;

the processor multiplying the sum of alarm mode current drains by a second predefined constant indicative of a number of minutes to create an alarm mode capacity;

the processor adding the supervisory mode capacity and the alarm mode capacity to create a combined capacity;

the processor multiplying the combined capacity by a third predefined constant to create the backup battery capacity requirement for the alarm system; and

the processor communicating the backup battery capacity requirement via the user output device.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the first predefined constant is a number between twenty-three and twenty-five.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the first predefined constant is twenty-four.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the second predefined constant is a number between three and seven.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the second predefined constant is five.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the third predefined constant is a number between 1.0 and 1.4.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the third predefined constant is 1.2.

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

receive user inputs at a computer aided drawing system, the user inputs specifying a first alarm appliance and a second alarm appliance, the user inputs specifying an electrical connection between the first alarm appliance and the second alarm appliance;

receive a first supervisory mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance, a first alarm mode current drain associated with the first alarm appliance, a second supervisory mode current drain associated with the second alarm appliance, and a second alarm mode current drain associated with the second alarm appliance;

add the first supervisory mode current drain and the second supervisory mode current drain to a plurality of supervisory mode current drains to create a sum of supervisory mode current drains;

add the first alarm mode current drain and the second alarm mode current drain to a plurality of alarm mode current drains to create a sum of alarm mode current drains;

multiply the sum of supervisory mode current drains by a first predefined constant indicative of a number of hours to create a supervisory mode capacity;

multiply the sum of alarm mode current drains by a second predefined constant indicative of a number of minutes to create an alarm mode capacity;

add the supervisory mode capacity and the alarm mode capacity to create a combined capacity; and

multiply the combined capacity by a third predefined constant to create the backup battery capacity requirement for the alarm system.

21. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the first predefined constant is a number between twenty-three and twenty-five.

22. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the first predefined constant is twenty-four.

23. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the second predefined constant is a number between three and seven.

24. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the second predefined constant is five.

25. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the third predefined constant is a number between 1.0 and 1.4.

26. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the third predefined constant is 1.2.