Electronic blasting system having a pre-fire countdown with multiple fire commands

• US 8,176,848 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Austin Star Detonator Company
• Original Assignee: Austin Star Detonator Company
• Inventors: Teowee, Gimtong, Kouznetsov, Alex A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERGIN, JAMES S
• Application Number:
  US12/542,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20090301333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 102/215, 102/217, 102/311, 102/312, 102/320, 102/322, 102/313
• US Class Current: 102/311
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 1/05 Electric circuits for blasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0262 Arrangements for detecting the data rate of an incoming signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/04 Speed or phase control by synchronisation signals H04L7/0075 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for conducting a firing sequence including a master device and a plurality of electronic pyrotechnic devices, wherein the master device broadcasts, multiple times, a fire command to the plurality of electronic pyrotechnic devices, the electronic pyrotechnic devices commence a pre-fire countdown in response to each fire command received without error, and each electronic pyrotechnic device conducts a pre-fire countdown to expiration and thereupon commences a final fire countdown that concludes with firing.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a firing sequence in an electronic blasting system including a blasting machine and a plurality of electronic detonators, the method comprising:

providing the electronic detonators and the blasting machine;

the blasting machine broadcasting, multiple times, a fire command to the plurality of electronic detonators;

each electronic detonator commencing a pre-fire countdown in response to each fire command received without error; and

each electronic detonator conducting a pre-fire countdown to expiration and thereupon commencing a final fire countdown that concludes with firing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic detonators set or reset a pre-fire countdown time based on each fire command received without error.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each fire command is associated with a respective pre-fire countdown time, and wherein said final fire countdown is of a delay time that is specified separately for each electronic detonator.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of said blasting machine conveying a particular pre-fire countdown time with each broadcast of a fire command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic detonators can receive a discharge command at any time during pre-fire countdown.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said electronic detonators are unable to receive a discharge command after pre-fire countdown expiration.

7. An electronic blasting system for conducting a firing sequence including a blasting machine and a plurality of electronic detonators, wherein the blasting machine includes circuitry configured and/or programmed to broadcast, multiple times, a fire command to the plurality of electronic detonators, and wherein the electronic pyrotechnic detonators each include circuitry configured and/or programmed to commence a pre-fire countdown in response to each fire command received without error, and to conduct a pre-fire countdown to expiration and thereupon commence a final fire countdown that concludes with firing.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a bus connecting said blasting machine to said electronic detonators.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each electronic detonator further includes circuitry configured and/or programmed to set or reset a pre-fire countdown time based on each fire command received without error.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each fire command is associated with a respective pre-fire countdown time, and wherein said final fire countdown is of a delay time that is specified separately for each electronic detonator.

11. The system of claim 7, each said electronic detonator further comprising circuitry configured and/or programmed to receive a discharge command at any time during pre-fire countdown.

12. The system of claim 11, each said electronic detonator further comprising circuitry configured and/or programmed to preclude reception of any command after pre-fire countdown expiration.

13. A system of electronic detonators configured to conduct a firing sequence in response to broadcast by a blasting machine, multiple times, of a fire command to the system, each electronic detonator comprising circuitry configured and/or programmed to commence a pre-fire countdown in response to each fire command received without error, and to conduct a pre-fire countdown to expiration and thereupon commence a final fire countdown that concludes with firing.

14. The system of claim 13, each electronic detonator further comprising circuitry configured and/or programmed to set or reset a pre-fire countdown time based on each fire command received without error.

15. The system of claim 13, each said electronic detonator further comprising circuitry configured and/or programmed to receive a discharge command at any time during pre-fire countdown.

16. The system of claim 15, each said electronic detonator further comprising circuitry configured and/or programmed to preclude reception of any command after pre-fire countdown expiration.