Supervised interconnect smoke alarm system and method of using same

• US 9,607,494 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Pattok, Greg R., Tuttle, Darin D., Christian, David E., Edwards, Scott R., Newhouse, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/458,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/04 using a single signalling line, e.g. in a closed loop

Abstract

A smoke alarm system for providing interconnect supervision between detectors includes smoke detectors configured so that an interconnect line extends between each of the smoke detectors. In one embodiment using a wired connection, each of the smoke detectors includes an interconnect input and an interconnect output for connecting the smoke detectors into a loop configuration. Similarly, the system may also operate to provide interconnect supervision in a wireless manner such that each of the smoke detectors is polled on a periodic basis. Thus, the smoke alarm system uses interconnect supervision for alerting other detectors of a smoke and/or carbon monoxide alarm as well as altering other detectors to a fault condition.

Claims

1. A supervised interconnect hazard alarm system for providing interconnect supervision comprising:

a plurality of notification appliances comprising;

a first notification appliance;

a second notification appliance interconnected with the first notification appliance and configured to receive an input from the first notification appliance; and

a last notification appliance interconnected with the first notification appliance, and configured to transmit an output to the first notification appliance;

wherein each of the plurality of notification appliances comprises;

an interconnect input configured to receive an input signal from one of the plurality of notification appliances;

an interconnect output configured to transmit an output signal to another one of the plurality of notification appliances; and

an alarm;

wherein the plurality of notification appliances are each interconnected to form a unidirectional loop configuration using at least one interconnect line extending therebetween for providing supervision between the plurality of notification appliances without the use of a central control panel;

wherein the unidirectional loop is a daisy chain loop, wherein the last notification appliance loops back to the first notification appliance; and

wherein the plurality of notification appliances is configured to sound an interconnect alert if a change in state on the at least one interconnect line is not detected within a predetermined time period.

2. A supervised interconnect hazard alarm system as in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of notification appliances receives data from the at least one interconnect line via an interconnect input and sends data via an interconnect output.

3. A supervised interconnect hazard alarm system as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of notification appliances changes a signal state on an output of the interconnect line so that each of the plurality of notification appliances will detect a change in state on a respective interconnect input.

4. A supervised interconnect hazard alarm system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one interconnect line is used to indicate a fault condition.

5. A supervised interconnect hazard alarm system as in claim 1, wherein the interconnect line is a wireless connection.

6. A supervised interconnect hazard alarm system as in claim 1, wherein the system detects at least one of the presence of smoke or carbon monoxide (CO).

18. A supervised interconnect hazard alarm system as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of notification appliances are at least one of a smoke detector, a heat detector, a fire detector, and a CO detector.

7. A hazardous environment condition notification appliance system comprising:

a plurality of notification appliances comprising;

a first notification appliance;

a second notification appliance interconnected with the first notification appliance and configured to receive an input from the first notification appliance; and

a last notification appliance interconnected with the first notification appliance, and configured to transmit an output to the first notification appliance;

an interconnect line extending between each of the plurality of notification appliances;

wherein each of the plurality of notification appliances includes interconnect input and an interconnect output for connecting the plurality of interconnect appliances into a unidirectional loop configuration for detecting operational status between each one of the plurality of interconnect appliances;

wherein the unidirectional loop is a daisy chain loop, wherein the last notification appliance loops back to the first notification appliance; and

wherein each of the plurality of notification appliances includes an alarm and is configured to sound an interconnect alert if a change in state on the at least one interconnect line is not detected within a predetermined time period.

8. A hazardous environment condition notification appliance system as in claim 7, wherein each of the notification appliances receives data from the interconnect input and sends data via the interconnect output for alerting the plurality of notification appliances of at least one alarm type.

9. A hazardous environment condition notification appliance system as in claim 7, wherein the plurality of notification appliances changes a logic state on its interconnect output so that at least one remaining notification appliance of the plurality of notification appliances will detect a change in logic state on its respective interconnect input.

10. A hazardous environment condition notification appliance system as in claim 7, wherein the interconnect alert indicates a fault on the interconnect line.

11. A hazardous environment condition notification appliance system as in claim 7, wherein the interconnect line is a wireless communication.

19. A hazardous environment condition notification appliance system as in claim 7, wherein at least some of the plurality of notification appliances are at least one of a smoke detector, a heat detector, a fire detector, and a CO detector.

12. A notification appliance comprising:

an interconnect input connector configured to receive an input signal within a predetermined time period from a first remote notification appliance that is part of a supervised interconnected hazard alarm system;

an interconnect output connector configured to transmit an output signal to a second remote notification appliance that is included in the supervised interconnected hazard alarm system within a predetermined time period;

a processor in communication with the interconnect input and the interconnect output, the processor configured to determine if the input signal is received within a predetermined time period so as to indicate the first remote notification appliance is operating properly; and

an alarm in communication with the processor for generating an alarm,

wherein the processor is configured to cause the alarm to generate an alert if the input signal is not received within the predetermined time period;

wherein the predetermined time period of the input signal is approximately equal to the predetermined time period of the output signal; and

wherein the notification appliance is configured to be one notification appliance in a unidirectional daisy chain loop of a plurality of notification appliances in the supervised interconnected hazard alarm system, wherein a last notification appliance is interconnected with a first notification appliance and configured to transmit an output signal to the first notification appliance.

13. A notification appliance as in claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of the plurality of notification appliances detects a change in signal state so that a fault condition can easily be detected during polling by another notification appliance of the plurality of notification appliances.

14. A notification appliance as in claim 12, wherein power to the notification appliance is supplied via at least one power bus and battery backup.

15. A notification appliance as in claim 12, wherein the notification appliance can detect at least one of smoke, fire, heat or carbon monoxide (CO).

16. A notification appliance as in claim 12, wherein the notification appliance is a visual strobe alarm.

17. A notification appliance as in claim 12 further comprising a radio frequency receiver and transmitter.