EP0396966A1 - Tragbares Datenerfassungssystem für die Messwerte von Strahlungsdetektoren - Google Patents

Tragbares Datenerfassungssystem für die Messwerte von Strahlungsdetektoren Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0396966A1
EP0396966A1 EP90107932A EP90107932A EP0396966A1 EP 0396966 A1 EP0396966 A1 EP 0396966A1 EP 90107932 A EP90107932 A EP 90107932A EP 90107932 A EP90107932 A EP 90107932A EP 0396966 A1 EP0396966 A1 EP 0396966A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
detector
fire
environmental information
memory
microprocessor
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP90107932A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Danny G. Snider
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Raytheon Co
Original Assignee
Santa Barbara Research Center
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Santa Barbara Research Center filed Critical Santa Barbara Research Center
Publication of EP0396966A1 publication Critical patent/EP0396966A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B26/00—Alarm systems in which substations are interrogated in succession by a central station
    • G08B26/006—Alarm systems in which substations are interrogated in succession by a central station with substations connected to an individual line, e.g. star configuration
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B17/00—Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion

Definitions

  • This invention relates to radiometric data acquisition systems and more particularly to a portable radiometric data acquisition system that can be used as a fire sensor.
  • Data acquisition systems are employed to detect and record ambient environmental data such as radiometric, photometric and temperature data.
  • data acquisition systems can be used to collect and record information from other sensors such as pressure, acceleration, flow, etc.
  • Prior radiometric data acquisition systems are generally bulky and do not function well in harsh environments. These prior systems typically included a sensor which would be placed in the desired location to be sensed, with wires connecting the sensor to an amplifier and further wiring connecting the amplifier to a recorder. This configuration results in systems which require considerable space as well as conditioned power.
  • radiometric data acquisition system which is small and portable so that it can operate in a confined space. Also it would be desirable to provide a data acquisition system that can operate unattended for long periods of time. It is further desirable to provide a data acquisition system which can withstand harsh environments and not interfere with the normal operation of the surrounding apparatus.
  • Fire sensors are devices which detect radiometric information from one or more sensors and process this information to determine if it is indicative of a fire.
  • Microprocessor controlled fire sensors have been developed to reduce the size of the system and to refine the analysis of the sensor data and thereby improve the detection of fires and the avoidance of false detections. See, for example, U.S. Patents No. 4,679,156 and 4,769,775, both issued to M. T. Kern et al.
  • U.S. Patents No. 4,679,156 and 4,769,775 both issued to M. T. Kern et al.
  • the fire sensor merely signals that there was a fire but does not provide any information regarding the cause of the fire.
  • the present invention is a portable radiometric data acquisition system that is capable of collecting and storing data from sensors.
  • the sensors may be located in a single or a plurality of locations and may sense such environmental information as radiometric, photometric, and temperature data, and/or other types of information such as pressure, acceleration, flow, etc. Because of its small size (a self-contained embodiment may fit in the palm of one's hand) the present invention can be placed in areas of difficult access. It can also operate unattended for extended periods of time without interfering with the surrounding vehicle or equipment.
  • the data acquisition system utilizes a microprocessor with one or more detectors connected to its input.
  • the detector signal may be amplified and connected to an analog to digital converter before being transmitted to the CPU of the microprocessor.
  • the microprocessor contains read only memory, random access memory and erasable programmable read only memory.
  • the program for the CPU may be contained, in part, in both the read only memory and the erasable programmable read only memory. Typically, subroutines will be contained within the read only memory.
  • the data acquisition system may be programmed through the erasable programmable read only memory to accept and store detected data at predetermined intervals of time. The frequency of the storing of detected data will depend on the application and may vary widely.
  • the portable data acquisition system is adapted to be used as a fire sensor.
  • the detector, or detectors are chosen and the detector signals processed to yield the desired information indicative of a fire.
  • the portable radiometric data acquisition system of the present invention not only can detect a fire but also record environmental parameters leading up to the fire. This information is particularly useful to assist in investigations of the cause of the fire.
  • FIG. 1 A data acquisition system according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1.
  • the portable data acquisition system 10 is shown controlled by a microprocessor 12.
  • This microprocessor 12 may be, for example, a Motorola MC68HC11.
  • the microprocessor 12 is connected to four detectors.
  • First and second radiometric detectors, 14 and 16, respectively, are capable of sensing radiation of a wavelength of a particular spectral band. These detectors are also capable of producing an analog signal that is proportional to the detected energy.
  • the detection of two discrete regions of wavelengths may be accomplished, for example, by utilizing identical detectors for the first and second detectors 14 and 16, and then placing appropriate filters 18 and 20 in front of each detector 14 and 16.
  • Each filter 14 and 16 will then filter out all but the desired wavelengths of energy.
  • different kinds of detectors with inherently different spectral sensitivities may be employed.
  • a temperature sensor 22 is also connected to the microprocessor 12 input.
  • the temperature sensor 22 is capable of producing an analog signal that is proportional to the surrounding temperature.
  • the data acquisition system 10 also is capable of accepting signals from a fourth detector (not shown) along an external sensor line 24.
  • the external detector may be located at a point remote from the data acquisition system 10. Depending on the application, the external sensor may sense information such as pressure, acceleration, flow, etc., and transmit an analog signal to the external sensor line 24.
  • the signal along the external sensor line 24 may not be of sufficient strength for processing by the microprocessor 12, the signal is amplified by an amplifier 26 which has its output connected to one input line 28 of the microprocessor 12.
  • the first detector 14 output is connected along conductor 30 to an amplifier 32 which is connected to a microprocessor input 34.
  • the second detector 16 output is connected along conductor 36 to an amplifier 38 which transmits its output to a microprocessor input 40.
  • the temperature sensor 22 output is fed along conductor 42 to an amplifier 44 which is connected to an input 46 of the microprocessor 12.
  • the analog signals from the detectors must be digitized for processing by the microprocessor 12.
  • a series of analog to digital converters 48, 50, 52 and 54 respectively, are connected to the four input lines 34, 40, 46 and 28.
  • the digitized signals produced by the analog to digital converters are then transmitted to a CPU 56 for processing.
  • the microprocessor 12 also includes a program line 58 which is used to put the CPU into the programming mode for loading programs into the microprocessor 12 as will be discussed in more detail below.
  • the program for the CPU is stored in both a read only memory (ROM) 60 and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) 62.
  • ROM read only memory
  • EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read only memory
  • the ROM 60 will be programmed with the communications program routines and the EEPROM 62 will contain the programming routines.
  • a random access memory (RAM) 64 is provided for storing of both data and program information.
  • a serial communication interface 66 is provided in the microprocessor 12 to input and retrieve data from the CPU 56.
  • the serial communication interface 66 is connected to a status/data line 68 and to an interrogate/data line 70.
  • the serial communication interface 68 is also connected to the CPU 56.
  • the CPU 56 When the program line 58 is held low, the CPU 56 is placed under the control of the ROM 60 program and the serial communication interface 66 can be used to input and retrieve data from the CPU 56.
  • programs can be loaded in the EEPROM 62 by means of an industrial standard RS-232 port from any external source which is connected to the status/data line 68.
  • a status line 72 is also provided which can be programmed to provide an output to external signaling or activation devices.
  • Power to the Data Acquisition System 10 is provided by a power supply 74 which may be an internal battery or an external source of electrical power may be provided.
  • the program line 58 When the program line 58 is not pulled low (ground potential) the CPU 56 is operated under program control of the EEPROM 62.
  • the program in the EEPROM 62 may also make use of subprograms within the ROM 60 to conserve memory locations in the EEPROM 62 for data storage.
  • FIG. 2 a flow diagram of a program for the data acquisition system 10 is shown.
  • the program monitors the interrogate line 70 and if the line is not high the program will continue in a short loop.
  • This interrogate line could be tied to the master switch of a vehicle in which the data acquisition system 10 has been installed. In such a case the only data of concern is that data occurring when the master switch is on. If the interrogate line is high, the program will cause the CPU 56 to read the analog to digital converters 48, 50, 52 and 54. After the analog to digital converters 48, 50, 52 and 54 are read, the data is stored in the EEPROM 66.
  • the stored data could be compared to the previous data to determine if this data is higher. If the new data is higher it can be stored as the peak in one location within the EEPROM and replaced with new data when it exceeds this level. The time of the peak could also be stored. Also at this time, new data could be averaged in with the previous data and the average stored.
  • the flow diagram in FIG. 2 shows that samples are taken every 100 milliseconds. This time could be changed to almost any value, for example, one every 100 microseconds, or one each year.
  • FIG. 3 a flow diagram of the data acquisition system 10 programmed to be used as a fire sensor is shown.
  • the status line 72 is pulled low (reset). This line is used as a fire warning output signal line, which will go high in case of a fire.
  • the CPU 56 will check the signal level from the first detector 14. If this signal is over predetermined threshold then the CPU will check the signal from the number two detector 16, and if this signal is also over threshold the CPU 56 will cause the status line to go high indicating a fire. From there the CPU will branch back to test the signal levels from the detectors again. As soon as one detector goes below its threshold then the CPU will branch back to the start and reset the status line 72.
  • the program in FIG. 3 is for a very simple fire sensor which merely requires a simultaneous signal of sufficient amplitude from two detectors sensitive to different wavelengths.
  • Much more complex fire sensor programs could be used such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,691,196; 4,639,598; 4,665,390; 4,679,156; 4,769,775; 4,647,776; 4,472,715; and 4,469,944. It will be appreciated that performing the more sophisticated signal processing as provided in some of the above patents will require more circuitry then delineated herein.
  • the data acquisition system 10 can be used both as a fire detector as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 3 above and as a data acquisition system 10 as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 simultaneously. This may be accomplished by programming the data acquisition system 10 to perform both the data storage functions, shown in FIG. 2, as well as the fire detection functions shown in FIG. 3. It may be useful to have the fire output latch the memories 60, 62 and 64, so that the data stored therein is not displaced after the fire. Thus, once a fire is detected it will be possible to analyze the status of the detectors for a period of time preceding the fire. In this way a history of the events leading to the fire will be recorded.
  • the present invention provides a Data Acquisition System 10 that is portable, occupies little space, can be used in harsh environments and left for extended period of time unattended without interfering with the equipment or vehicle in which it is placed.
  • a further advantage is that no power is necessary for the Data Acquisition System 10 to retain the recorded data due to the use of the EEPROM 62, so that the Data Acquisition System 10 could be disconnected from its site and sent to another location for the downloading of data.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Emergency Management (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fire Alarms (AREA)
  • Fire-Detection Mechanisms (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Radiation (AREA)
  • Photometry And Measurement Of Optical Pulse Characteristics (AREA)
  • Testing Or Calibration Of Command Recording Devices (AREA)
EP90107932A 1989-05-08 1990-04-26 Tragbares Datenerfassungssystem für die Messwerte von Strahlungsdetektoren Withdrawn EP0396966A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US34854689A 1989-05-08 1989-05-08
US348546 1989-05-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0396966A1 true EP0396966A1 (de) 1990-11-14

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ID=23368494

Family Applications (1)

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EP90107932A Withdrawn EP0396966A1 (de) 1989-05-08 1990-04-26 Tragbares Datenerfassungssystem für die Messwerte von Strahlungsdetektoren

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0396966A1 (de)
JP (1) JPH0334096A (de)
KR (1) KR930003454B1 (de)
AU (1) AU5480490A (de)
BR (1) BR9002026A (de)
CA (1) CA2014654A1 (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2708121A1 (fr) * 1993-07-21 1995-01-27 Sicli Automatismes Dispositif de détection d'une caractéristique liée directement ou indirectement à l'incendie.
ES2077527A2 (es) * 1993-12-02 1995-11-16 Univ Sevilla Sistema de adquisicion de datos ininterrumpido en tiempo real.
US8653980B2 (en) 2009-01-28 2014-02-18 Sprue Safety Products Ltd Alarm for detecting radiation and/or air pollutants
CN109900308A (zh) * 2019-02-19 2019-06-18 南京南瑞水利水电科技有限公司 一种多类型传感器的人工比测系统及其方法

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3277405B2 (ja) * 1993-05-11 2002-04-22 能美防災株式会社 輻射式火災感知器
JP6430795B2 (ja) * 2014-11-27 2018-11-28 ホーチキ株式会社 炎検出装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0130307A2 (de) * 1983-06-03 1985-01-09 Nohmi Bosai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Mit Abtastelement ausgestatteter Branddetektor
EP0143976A1 (de) * 1983-11-01 1985-06-12 Nohmi Bosai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Mit einem Sensor ausgestatteter Brandmelder
WO1985004039A1 (en) * 1984-03-05 1985-09-12 Progrator Innovation Ab Monitor for an alarm system
EP0175032A1 (de) * 1984-08-16 1986-03-26 Santa Barbara Research Center Mikroprozessorgesteuerter Feuerdetektor

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0130307A2 (de) * 1983-06-03 1985-01-09 Nohmi Bosai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Mit Abtastelement ausgestatteter Branddetektor
EP0143976A1 (de) * 1983-11-01 1985-06-12 Nohmi Bosai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Mit einem Sensor ausgestatteter Brandmelder
WO1985004039A1 (en) * 1984-03-05 1985-09-12 Progrator Innovation Ab Monitor for an alarm system
EP0175032A1 (de) * 1984-08-16 1986-03-26 Santa Barbara Research Center Mikroprozessorgesteuerter Feuerdetektor

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2708121A1 (fr) * 1993-07-21 1995-01-27 Sicli Automatismes Dispositif de détection d'une caractéristique liée directement ou indirectement à l'incendie.
ES2077527A2 (es) * 1993-12-02 1995-11-16 Univ Sevilla Sistema de adquisicion de datos ininterrumpido en tiempo real.
US8653980B2 (en) 2009-01-28 2014-02-18 Sprue Safety Products Ltd Alarm for detecting radiation and/or air pollutants
CN109900308A (zh) * 2019-02-19 2019-06-18 南京南瑞水利水电科技有限公司 一种多类型传感器的人工比测系统及其方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH0334096A (ja) 1991-02-14
KR900018888A (ko) 1990-12-22
AU5480490A (en) 1990-11-15
BR9002026A (pt) 1991-08-13
KR930003454B1 (ko) 1993-04-29
CA2014654A1 (en) 1990-11-08

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