Event detection module

• US 7,525,421 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Custer, Richard T., Levesque, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/126,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 340/517, 340/540, 340/521, 340/522, 340/539.13, 340/506, 340/870.1, 3406935-6937
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance

Abstract

An event alert system and method provide event detection modules that communicate detected events with a central command center. The central command center combines the detected events with related data to provide an intelligent response signal, and communicates the intelligent response signal to event responders. The event alert system also provides an event detection module having event sensors able to detect a variety of types of events.

Claims

1. A circuit to detect an event, comprising:

one or more event sensors, each event sensor adapted to identify a respective event dangerous to a plurality of people and to generate a respective event sensor signal, wherein the one or more event sensors includes one or more of a chemical sensor, a biological sensor, a radiological sensor, a nuclear sensor, an explosive sensor, an explosion sensor, or a seismic sensor;

a signal processor coupled to receive one or more event sensor signals for the one or more event sensors, to process the one or more event sensor signals, and to generate a processed output signal indicative of a respective one or more events, wherein the processed output signal includes an installation date and a maintenance date associated with the at least one of the one or more event sensors, wherein the event includes at least one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosive event, an explosion event, or an earthquake event;

an existing sensor processor coupled to the signal processor to receive one or more existing sensor signals from a respective one or more existing sensors disposed remotely from the common circuit board assembly and to generate an existing sensor output signal, wherein the one or more existing sensors includes one or more of a global positioning system, a speed sensor, a real-time clock, a direction sensor, an altitude sensor, a wind speed sensor, a wind direction sensor, or a humidity sensor;

a time stamp processor coupled to the signal processor to receive a time stamp signal and to generate a time stamp output signal indicative of one or more respective times of occurrence of the one or more events; and

an interface processor coupled to the signal processor and adapted to format the processed output signal as an event signal indicative of the one or more events, wherein the one or more event sensors, the signal processor, the existing sensor processor, the time stamp processor, and the interface processor are mounted in a common circuit board assembly.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further including one or more environmental sensors coupled to the signal processor.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the interface processor is adapted to format the processed output signal to a format compatible with an existing communications protocol.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the existing communications protocol includes at least one of an Internet protocol, a wireless protocol, a digital telephone protocol, or a plain old telephone system (POTS) protocol.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is further adapted to generate a local alert signal.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more event sensors is field replaceable.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more event sensors is replaceable with a different type of event sensor, wherein the different type of event sensor is a chemical sensor, a biological sensor, a radiological sensor, a nuclear sensor, an explosion sensor, an explosive sensor, or a seismic sensor, wherein the different type of event sensor is adapted to generate a different type of event sensor signal than the event sensor it replaces, and wherein the signal processor is adapted to recognize the different type of event sensor, to automatically reconfigure operation of the signal processor in order to process the different type of event sensor signal, and to generate a different processed output signal indicative of the one or more events in accordance with the different type of event sensor signal.