Intelligent duct smoke detector
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- at least two duct detectors, each with an ambient condition sensor, a visual status indicator, an interface and control circuitry;
a duct detector control unit, the duct detector control unit having at least two duct sensor ports,a medium associated with each of the at least two duct detectors, the medium connecting the associated duct detector with a respective one of that at least two duct sensor ports,control circuitry of the duct detector control unit that communicates with the interface and control circuitry of the detectors through the at least two duct sensor ports on a per port basis and in a bi-directional manner where the control circuitry further comprises;
a processor programmed to directs control commands including queries for sensor data to the respective at least two duct detectors and receives sensor data from the at least two ports;
a processor programmed to analyze the received sensor data from the respective at least two duct detectors, to determine the existence of an alarm based upon the received sensor data from at least one of the at least two duct detectors, to initiate an alarm condition from the analyzed sensor data and to control the visible status indicator on the at least one of the at least two duct detectors to indicate the alarm condition rather than to have the at least one of the at least two duct detectors control the visual indicator independently;
at least one relay, anda port for communicating with a displaced display unit,wherein the control circuitry of the control unit assigns a priority to each duct sensor of the at least two duct sensors, and makes an alarm determination relative to each duct sensor associated with the at least two duct sensor ports on a per sensor basis based upon the analyzed sensor data and, responsive at least in part to the assigned priorities, activates the at least one relay where the assigned priorities are used to activate the at least one relay without effecting a state of the visible status indicator on each of the at least two duct sensors.
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Abstract
A control unit can be in communication with a plurality of displaced duct sensors. Sensors can be placed in supply and return ducts of an HVAC-type fluid delivery system. The unit can communicate status information as well as sensor sensitivity or other parameter values, on a per sensor basis, to a remote accessory unit via a communication protocol. The units can communicate via a wired or wireless medium.
19 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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at least two duct detectors, each with an ambient condition sensor, a visual status indicator, an interface and control circuitry; a duct detector control unit, the duct detector control unit having at least two duct sensor ports, a medium associated with each of the at least two duct detectors, the medium connecting the associated duct detector with a respective one of that at least two duct sensor ports, control circuitry of the duct detector control unit that communicates with the interface and control circuitry of the detectors through the at least two duct sensor ports on a per port basis and in a bi-directional manner where the control circuitry further comprises; a processor programmed to directs control commands including queries for sensor data to the respective at least two duct detectors and receives sensor data from the at least two ports; a processor programmed to analyze the received sensor data from the respective at least two duct detectors, to determine the existence of an alarm based upon the received sensor data from at least one of the at least two duct detectors, to initiate an alarm condition from the analyzed sensor data and to control the visible status indicator on the at least one of the at least two duct detectors to indicate the alarm condition rather than to have the at least one of the at least two duct detectors control the visual indicator independently; at least one relay, and a port for communicating with a displaced display unit, wherein the control circuitry of the control unit assigns a priority to each duct sensor of the at least two duct sensors, and makes an alarm determination relative to each duct sensor associated with the at least two duct sensor ports on a per sensor basis based upon the analyzed sensor data and, responsive at least in part to the assigned priorities, activates the at least one relay where the assigned priorities are used to activate the at least one relay without effecting a state of the visible status indicator on each of the at least two duct sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system comprising:
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first and second ambient condition duct sensors, each of the first and second ambient condition duct sensors is carried in a respective duct housing, each of the respective duct housings carries a visual output device visible from at least one location external to the respective housing, each of the housings includes communications circuitry for communicating in a bi-directional manner, via a predetermined protocol, with a separate displaced control unit; a control unit with first and second ports and at least one alarm indicating relay; a medium associated with each of the respective duct housings, the medium coupling the communications circuitry of the respective duct housing to a respective port of the first and second ports; the control unit including a control element where the control element is in bi-directional communication with the communication circuitry of the respective housings, via the respective ports, the control unit further comprising; a processor programmed to direct commands to the communications circuitry of the respective housings including queries for sensor data and to receive sensor data through the respective ports; a processor programmed to analyze the received sensor data from the respective first and second ambient condition duct sensors, to determine the existence of an alarm based upon the received sensor data from at least one of the first and second ambient condition duct sensors, to initiate an alarm condition from the analyzed sensor data and to control the visible output device on the at least one of the first and second ambient condition duct sensors rather than to have the at least one of the first and second ambient condition duct sensors control the visual output device independently, and wherein the control element of the control unit assigns priorities to each of the sensors, determines a sensor sensitivity for each of the sensors and adjusts an alarm threshold based upon the determined sensitivity for each of the sensors and, the control unit, responsive to communications from at least one of the duct sensors, makes an alarm determination with respect to the at least one of the duct sensors based upon the determined alarm threshold and, in accordance with the assigned priorities, activates the at least one relay where the assigned priorities are used to activate the at least one relay without effecting a state of the visible output device on each of the at least two duct sensors. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification