WO2017216569A1

WO2017216569A1 - An apparatus and system for sensing movement

Info

Publication number: WO2017216569A1
Application number: PCT/GB2017/051755
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Barratt
Original assignee: Crh Fencing & Security Group (Uk) Ltd
Priority date: 2016-06-17
Filing date: 2017-06-15
Publication date: 2017-12-21
Also published as: GB2551391A; GB201610622D0

Abstract

Certain examples of the present invention relate to an apparatus for sensing movement and a method of manufacturing the same. Certain examples provide an apparatus (10) comprising: a cable assembly (100) having a first longitudinal section (100a) and at least a second longitudinal section (100b), the cable assembly (100) comprising: a first electrical path (101) extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections (100a, 100b), the first electrical path (101) having a first section (101a) within the first longitudinal section (100a) and at least a second section (101b) within the at least second longitudinal section (100b); at least a second electrical path (102) extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections (100a, 100b), the second electrical path (102) having a first section (102a) within the first longitudinal section (100a) and at least a second section (102b) within the at least second longitudinal section (100b); and wherein: the first section (101a) of the first electrical path (101) is configured such that it is moveable within the first longitudinal section (100a), the first section (102a) of the second electrical path (102) is configured such that it is fixed within the first longitudinal section (100b), and the second section (102b) of the second electrical path (102) is configured such that it is moveable within the second longitudinal section (100b).

Description

AN APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR SENSING MOVEMENT

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD Examples of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and system for sensing movement. Some examples, though without prejudice to the foregoing, relate to an apparatus and system for use in a security device/system for sensing mechanical disturbances to a boundary/perimeter which may be indicative of an intruder or other interference.

BACKGROUND

Sensing devices for sensing movement/vibrations are well known. Certain such devices may comprise a cable type movement/vibration sensitive sensor whose principle of operation involves providing the cable with a flexible internal wire that can move freely within a magnetic field within the cable such that, responsive to an applied movement/force/vibration, the wire moves/vibrates within the magnetic field and a current is induced therein. The induced current may be detected and used to produce an alert signal. Such cable type movement/vibration sensors are not always optimal and it can be difficult to determine where along the length of the cable the movement/force/vibration occurred.

The listing or discussion of any prior-published document or any background in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document or background is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge. One or more aspects/examples of the present disclosure may or may not address one or more of the background issues. BRIEF SUMMARY

According to at least some but not necessarily all examples of the disclosure there is provided an apparatus comprising:

a cable assembly comprising: a plurality of longitudinal sections,

a plurality of electrical paths each extending along the plurality of longitudinal sections, each electrical path comprising a plurality of sections that are either moveable or fixed within a particular longitudinal section,

wherein, the apparatus is configured such that, for each longitudinal section, there is a unique combination of moveable and fixed sections of the plurality of electrical paths. According to at least some but not necessarily all examples of the disclosure there is provided an apparatus comprising:

a cable assembly having a first longitudinal section and at least a second longitudinal section, the cable assembly comprising:

a first electrical path extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections, the first electrical path having a first section within the first longitudinal section and at least a second section within the at least second longitudinal section;

at least a second electrical path extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections, the second electrical path having a first section within the first longitudinal section and at least a second section within the at least second longitudinal section; and

wherein:

the first section of the first electrical path is configured such that it is moveable within the first longitudinal section,

the first section of the second electrical path is configured such that it is fixed within the first longitudinal section, and

the second section of the second electrical path is configured such that it is moveable within the second longitudinal section. According to at least some but not necessarily all examples of the disclosure there is provided a module or security system comprising the above apparatus According†o a† least some but not necessarily all examples of the disclosure there is provided a method of manufacturing the above apparatus.

According to at least some but not necessarily all examples of the disclosure there is provided an apparatus as set out in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of various examples of the present disclosure that are useful for understanding the detailed description and certain embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 A schematically illustrates a side-on cut through view of an apparatus according to the present disclosure;

Figures I B and 1 C schematically illustrate cross sectional views of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figures 2A and 2B schematically illustrates side-on cut through views of further apparatuses according to the present disclosure;

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a system incorporating a yet further apparatus according to the present disclosure;

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate cross sectional views of sections 1 and 15 of the apparatus of Figure 3;

Figure 6 illustrates a cross sectional view of a yet further apparatus according to the present disclosure;

Figure 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of a yet further apparatus according to the present disclosure;

Figure 8 schematically illustrates a system incorporating a yet further apparatus according to the present disclosure; and

Figure 9 schematically illustrates an overall system according to the present disclosure. Similar reference numerals are used in the Figures †o designate similar features. For clarity, all reference numerals are not necessarily displayed in all figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Figures schematically illustrate an apparatus 10 comprising:

a cable assembly 100 having a first longitudinal section 100a and at least a second longitudinal section 100b, the cable assembly 100 comprising:

a first electrical path 101 extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections, the first electrical path 101 having a first section 101 a within the first longitudinal section 100a and at least a second section 101 b within the at least second longitudinal section 100b;

at least a second electrical path 102 extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections, the second electrical path 102 having a first section 102a within the first longitudinal section 100a and at least a second section 102b within the at least second longitudinal section 100b; and

wherein:

the first section 101 a of the first electrical path 101 is configured such that it is moveable within the first longitudinal section 100a,

the first section 102a of the second electrical path 102 is configured such that it is fixed within the first longitudinal section 100a, and

the second section 102b of the second electrical path 102 is configured such that it is moveable within the second longitudinal section 100b.

For the purposes of illustration and not limitation, in some examples, the apparatus 10 may be configured for use as a sensor or for use in a sensing system for sensing mechanical disturbances, such as an applied force, impulse, movement or vibration. In overview, in such examples, the apparatus may be further provided with one or more transducers. Such transducers may be, for example, an arrangement of one or more magnetic members that create one or more magnetic fields within which a moveable conductor/ section of an electrical path is provided. In the event of any mechanical disturbance being applied to the apparatus which is sufficient to cause a response of the transducer, e.g. a movement of the moveable section, this gives rise to a voltage/current being generated within the moveable section (i.e. as a result of its movement through the magnetic field and its crossing of magnetic field lines). The induced voltage/current signal may propagate through the electrical path for detection and processing and may be used to trigger an alert signal, which may be indicative of a mechanical disturbance to the apparatus.

Advantageously, in certain embodiments of the invention, since each longitudinal section of the apparatus comprises a unique combination of moveable and fixed sections of electrical paths (i.e. a unique combination of transducing/responsive sections and non-transducing/non-responsive sections), the signals generated from the electrical paths may be processed to provide a unique signature depending upon which particular longitudinal section a mechanical disturbance event occurred which gave rise to the movement of a particular moveable section of a particular electrical path within a particular longitudinal section and thus generating a signal for that particular electrical path. By processing the received signals from each of the electrical paths, a unique signature/fingerprint is provided that can be used to identify which particular longitudinal section of the apparatus a mechanical disturbance event was detected. Accordingly, such embodiments not only enable the detection of a mechanical disturbance but also provide an indication as to a section of the apparatus at which the disturbance took place.

In certain examples of use of the apparatus, the apparatus is fixedly attached to a boundary/security perimeter structure, e.g. fence or wall, such that the any mechanical disturbance (e.g. due to attempted climbing, tampering, intrusion or other interference) that causes a vibration of the security perimeter structure would cause a corresponding vibration of the apparatus, in particular a localised vibration of the longitudinal section of the apparatus that is proximal to location of the interference event. Advantageously, certain embodiments may not require any electronics or active equipment to be provided out in the field. Figure 1 A schematically illustrates a side-on cut through view of an apparatus 10. Figures I B and 1 C schematically illustrate cross sectional views of the apparatus at longitudinal sections 100a and 100b along the lines A-A and B-B shown in Figure 1 A. The apparatus 10 comprises a cable assembly 100. The cable assembly 100 may be a cable-like structure, i.e. a longitudinal and elongate structure, which itself comprises a first electrical path 101 and a second electrical path 102. The electrical paths may be a communication pathway via which one or more signals may be conveyed. Each electrical path may comprise one or more wires or other electrical conductors via which an electrical signal may be conveyed therethrough. The cable assembly 100 may additionally comprise one or more core members 1 10 within which the first and at least second electrical paths 101 , 102 are provided/embedded. The cable assembly 100 may have two or more longitudinal sections/zones/regions 100a and 100b. Each of the first and at least second electrical paths 101 and 102 extend along the two or more longitudinal sections 100a and 100b. Each electrical path has a section located within a longitudinal section of the cable assembly 100. For example the first electrical path 101 has sections 101 a and 101 b that are respectively located within longitudinal sections 100a, 100b of the cable assembly 100.

The sections of an electrical path are configured to be either fixed, e.g. 101 b, or freely moveable, e.g. 101 a. A freely moveable section 101 a may comprise a section of an electrical conductor that is loosely contained/housed within the apparatus such that is it relatively freely moveable therein, i.e. as illustrated in the dotted representations of the section and by the double headed arrows 101 a'. Upon an application of a mechanical disturbance, force, impulse or movement 104 of a longitudinal section 100a, this would give rise †o a relative movement of the flexible section 101 a within and relative to the longitudinal section 100a. One or more sections 102a of an electrical path 102 are also configured so as to be fixed relative to their respective longitudinal section 100a such that upon application of a mechanical disturbance, force, impulse or movement 104 of the longitudinal section 100a of the cable assembly 100, the section 102a of the electrical path 102 remains fixed /stationary within and relative to the longitudinal section 100a such that the relative position of the fixed section 102a within the longitudinal section 100a does not alter upon such an application of a mechanical disturbance.

As shown in Figures 1 A-1 C, in the first longitudinal section 100a, there is provided one section of an electrical path which is freely moveable (namely the first section 101 a of the first electrical path 101 ) and another section of an electrical path which is fixed (namely the first section 102a of the second electrical path 102). By contrast, in the other longitudinal section 100b, the second section 101 b of the first electrical path 101 is a fixed section and the second section 102b of the second electrical path 102 is a freely moveable section. Accordingly, the distribution of freely moveable and fixed sections of each electrical path within a longitudinal section of the cable assembly 100 differs between each longitudinal section.

As shown in Figure I B, the first longitudinal section 101 a comprises a first elongate hollow channel 106a defining a first elongate void space within which the first section 101 a of the first electrical path 101 is able to freely/readily move. Likewise, as shown in Figure 1 C, in the second longitudinal section 100b, a second elongate hollow channel 106b is provided that defines a second elongate void space within which the second section 102b of the second electrical path 102 is able to freely move. For the fixed portions of the electrical paths, either such a hollow channel may not be provided or the channel may be filled such that it is not hollow nor provides any empty/void space permitting movement. For example, the fixed section of electrical path may be clad in a material that fills the channel so that no relative movement of the section of the electrical path is permitted. Yet further alternatively, the fixed section of the electrical path may comprise one or more wires/strands/cables that are greater in diameter and/or more rigid than a section of electrical path used in a moveable section.

In certain examples, each longitudinal section has a different arrangement (i.e. different combination and different permutation) of freely moveable and fixed sections of electrical paths. The distribution of such freely moveable sections (referred to as "floppy wires" or live wires that are responsive to movement) and fixed sections (referred to as "fixed" wires" or dead wires that are not responsive to movement) can be represented in the below table:

It is to be appreciated that the Figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and views of the Figures may be shown schematically or exaggerated in scale in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The dimensions of some elements in the Figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid explication. For example, in some examples of the apparatus, the longitudinal dimensions of each longitudinal section may be of the order of: metres, 10's of metres, 100's of metres (such that the overall cable assembly may be of the order of kilometres long); whereas the transverse dimensions/diameter may be of the order of millimetres or centimetres.

The provision of a freely moveable section of an electrical path within a longitudinal section may be provided by loosely mounting or loosely housing the section of the electrical path within the longitudinal section of the cable assembly. Such a loosely mounted/housed section may enable the section to be able to move freely/readily, for example in response to an applied mechanical disturbance, within and relative to its respective longitudinal section, as well as any other components within the cable assembly. In some examples, the longitudinal section may comprise a magnetic member such that the moveable section of the electrical path may cross through magnetic field lines of a magnetic field, giving rise to the generation of an induced EMF/induced current which may be detected. The moveable section of an electrical path may be moveable in a transverse/lateral/radial direction or a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cable assembly.

The apparatus may be configured to generate one or more signals responsive to one or more forces applied to one or more of the longitudinal sections. The apparatus may be provided as part of a system, for example a perimeter security system, that may additionally include means for processing signals from the apparatus in order to generate an output, such as an alert signal. Figures 2A and 2B schematically illustrate side-on cut-through views of further apparatuses according to the present disclosure.

The apparatus 20 of figure 2A is broadly similar to the apparatus 10 of Figure 1 A with the addition of a further/third longitudinal section 200c. Furthermore, within each of the longitudinal sections 200a, 200b, 200c, a magnetic member 210a, 210b, 210c, is provided. Whilst Fig ure 2A shows a plurality of discrete magnetic members located in each longitudinal section, it is to be appreciated that other arrangements and configurations of magnetic members may be provided, not least for example one or more elongate magnetic members that extend along each of the longitudinal sections.

In the apparatus 20 of Figure 2A, the second section 201 b of the first electrical path 201 is configured such that it is fixed within and respect to the second longitudinal section 200b. By contrast, in the apparatus 20' in Figure 2B, the second section 201 b' of the first electrical path 201 is configured such that it is moveable within the second longitudinal section 200b. In the apparatus 20 of Figure 2A, the third longitudinal section 200c comprises two freely moveable sections: 201 c, 202c of the first and second electrical paths. Significantly, in each longitudinal section 200a, 200b, 200c of the apparatus 20, there is a different combination of fixed and freely moveable sections of the electrical paths within each longitudinal section.

By analysing the signals that are generated in each of the electrical paths upon a mechanical disturbance, it is possible to identify a location/zone as to where a mechanical disturbance has taken place. For example if a signal is only detected from the first electrical path 201 and no signal is detected from the second electrical path, it can be deduced that a mechanical disturbance has been applied in the first longitudinal section 200a. If a signal is only detected in the second electrical path and no signal is detected from the first electrical path, it can be determined that a mechanical disturbance has occurred within the second longitudinal section 200b. Finally, if a signal is detected in both the first and second electrical paths, it can be determined that a mechanical disturbance has occurred in the third longitudinal section 200c.

In the apparatus 20' of Figure 2B, the second longitudinal section 200b of cable assembly 200' comprises two freely moveable sections: 201 b' and 202b of the first and second electrical paths. Significantly, in each longitudinal section 200a, 200b, 200c of the apparatus 20', there is a different combination of fixed and freely moveable sections of the electrical paths within each longitudinal section. It is to be noted that, in effect, apparatus 20' of Figure 2B corresponds to the apparatus 20 of Figure 2A but with the arrangement of sections of the electrical paths in longitudinal sections 200b, 200c swapped around. Figures 2A and 2B show two permutations of arrangements of moveable and fixed sections of electrical paths within each longitudinal section of a cable assembly of an apparatus. However, it is appreciated that various other combinations and permutations of moveable and fixed sections may be provided. By providing each longitudinal section with a unique arrangement of moveable and fixed sections of electrical paths, it is be possible to uniquely determine a particular longitudinal section within which a mechanical disturbance has occurred. For a cable assembly comprising n electrical paths, it is possible to divide the cable assembly into 2ⁿ -1 sections within which a mechanical disturbance can be uniquely identified. Thus, for the example of Figures 2A and 2B where two electrical paths are provided, 2² -1 = 3 sections may be uniquely identifiable. It is to be appreciated that any number of electrical paths may additionally be provided. For example, where four electrical paths are provided, this would give rise to the ability to distinguish between 2⁴ -1 = 15 uniquely identifiable sections.

The examples of apparatuses described thus far have predominately focused on apparatuses and cable assemblies having two electrical paths. However, it is to be appreciated that, in other examples, a plurality of electrical paths in excess of two, each extending along a plurality of longitudinal sections may be provided, wherein each electrical path comprises a plurality of sections that are either moveable or fixed within a particular longitudinal section. Such an apparatus may be configured such that, for each longitudinal section, there is a unique combination of moveable and fixed sections of the plurality of electrical paths.

In certain examples of an apparatus, the cable assembly may comprise 2ⁿ-l longitudinal sections and the cable assembly may comprise n electrical paths, each of which extend along the 2ⁿ-l longitudinal sections. Each of the electrical paths may themselves comprise a corresponding 2ⁿ-l sections, and each of such sections of each electrical path are either moveable or fixed within their respective longitudinal section. The apparatus may be configured such that, for each longitudinal section, there is a unique combination of moveable and fixed sections of the n electrical paths. Such an apparatus may give rise to location resolution of 2^n_-l :l . For example where four electrical paths are used, a 15:1 resolution may be provided, such that if a hundred metre length of cable assembly were to be provided, the location of a mechanical disturbance could be identified down to + or - 6.6m. If eight electrical pathways were to be used, a resolution of 255:1 could be provided. 100km of such a cable assembly would enable a determination of a location of a mechanical disturbance of + or - 3.92m.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a cable assembly 300 (referred to hereinafter as a "coded sensor cable") having four electrical pathways, shown as Wires 1 - 4: 301 , 302, 303 and 304. The cable is partitioned into 15 sections. Each section of the coded sensor cable has its own unique combination of moveable sections of an electrical pathway (referred to hereinafter as "floppy wire") and fixed sections of electrical pathways (referred to hereinafter as "fixed wire"). It is to be appreciated that each section of the cable can be physically of any practical length, i.e. tens of metres, hundreds of metres of kilometre length. Each of the electrical pathways may be connected to an end of line (E.O.L.) module which is in turn connected to a common return path via a strainer wire 305. The strainer wire 305 may not only provide a common return path for electrical signals created in each of the electrical pathways, but may also advantageously provide mechanical rigidity to the coded sensor cable. The provision of an end of line module may provide an indication as to any tampering of the cable assembly 300, such as a severing or cutting of any of the electrical pathways and provide an indication as to whether or not there is an open circuit. At a point of a mechanical disturbance, such as an attack on the cable or interference with the same, anywhere along the length of the cable, only the floppy wires in that section will respond to the vibrations created thereby. Each electrical pathway is provided with its own analyser. Each analyser is connected to its respective electrical pathway and the common return path strainer wire 305. The analysers may process and filter the signals received and may generate an output alarm signal only if their associated electrical pathway has generated a signal, i.e. if their associated electrical pathway has a vibrating floppy wire. Depending on the combination of output alarm signals from the analysers, a determination can be made as to which section the mechanical disturbance occurred. By taking the outputs of the analysers into an annunciator module, such as a "GeoVision" annunciator unit, the outputs can be decoded and the attacked section identified. See for example the following table:

Table 1

The binary coded table above may be logically increased if more than four wires are used. Alternative coding may be used, not least for example the Gray code (where only one state change takes place between the sections) as shown in the below table:

Table 2 Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of section 1 of the cable 300 of Figure 3. Section 1 , 300a, of the cable 300 comprises four electrical paths 301 -304 and a centrally disposed strainer wire 305 with all five wires aligned along a diameter of the circular cross sectionally shaped cable 300. The core of the cable comprises two elongate magnetic members 310a whose magnetic poles are aligned such that a magnetic field is provided that passes through each of the electrical paths. In section 1 shown in Figure 4, the sequence of floppy/fixed wires is as follows: a floppy wire, a fixed wire, a fixed wire and a fixed wire. Figure 5 shows section 15 300o of the cable 300 which has the following sequence of floppy/fixed wires: floppy, floppy, floppy and floppy.

In section 1 shown in Figure 4, only electrical path 301 /wire 1 would generate an electrical signal, i.e. an induced EMF/current signal, upon a mechanical disturbance being made at section 1 . If a mechanical disturbance were made at section 2, then only the electrical path 302/wire 2 would generate a signal. A mechanical disturbance in section 3 would cause the generation of a signal at electrical paths 301 and 302/wires 1 and 2, and so on up to section 15 wherein all four wires would respond to a mechanical disturbance made to section 15.

For each of the electrical paths 301 -304, a tubing 31 1 is provided. For 'floppy' sections of the electrical pathway, an electrical conductor may be provided within the tubing in such sections that has a cross-sectional profile which is less than the cross- sectional profile of the tubing so that the section of wire is able to readily/freely move within the remaining hollow void space of the tubing. By contrast, for sections of the electrical pathways that are "fixed wires" i.e. non-"floppy wires", the cross-sectional profile/dimensions of such fixed wires may substantially correspond to the cross-sectional profile/dimensions of the tubing such that the wires are securely and fixedly contained within the tubing and there is no room for the wires to move about within the tubing.

Figure 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a yet further apparatus according to the present disclosure. The cross-sectional view of the cable 600 shows a "section 1 " section of the cable comprising, in order: a floppy wire 601 a, a fixed wire 602a, a fixed wire 603a and a fixed wire 604a. Also a strainer wire 605 is provided between the second and third wires. Elongate magnetic members 610a are provided each having a substantially semi-circular cross- section, and a mating surface that is been profiled so as to receive the various wires 601 a-604a and 605 as well as tubing/cladding for the same. Such tubing may be made from any suitable material, not least for example high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The elongate and profiled magnetic members 610α may be made from a magnetic material which is extruded into the desired profile shape which is subsequently magnetised so as to give a desired location and positioning of magnetic poles so as to give rise to a flux density in the vicinity of the fixed and floppy wires that may enable movement of the floppy wires to give rise to a detectable electrical signal due to induced EMF/current.

The cable assembly may be provided with means for electromagnetically screening the interior of the cable assembly, for example by being clad in a screen aluminium foil 620. This screening layer may then itself be clad in an outer protective coating 621 , which may be of any a suitable material, not least for example a polyethylene jacket. Further additional protective layers (not shown) could also be provided, such as to provide additional physical protection, e.g. tamper-proof/cutting resistance, by the provision of additional physical protection layers, such as flexi armoured cabling. Such an additional boundary could also help enhance the electrical signal that is induced, for example by facilitating floppy wires to continue to vibrate within armoured cabling. It is to be appreciated that the above-described apparatus may be manufactured in any suitable manner. A single long unitary cable comprising the various sequences of sections of fixed and floppy wires may be produced having sections of a fixed length. Alternatively, it may be desirable to manufacture lengths of each section separately and cut them to a desired length, either on site or in a factory, and then electrically connect each of the cable sections to form the overall cable assembly.

The longitudinal sections of the cable assembly are arranged together in series. In some examples the sections are directly coupled together, i.e. integrally formed in a unitary length of cable assembly comprising the plurality of sections. In other examples, the sections are indirectly coupled together, e.g. via an electrical connection box, such that the cable assembly comprises a plurality of sections of cabling that are connected together via an interconnection device. In such examples, the apparatus may be provided as a module. As used here 'module' refers to a unit or apparatus that excludes certain parts/components that would be added by an end manufacturer or a user. For example the apparatus/cable assembly may be provided in a modular form, namely individual sections of cable, that are subsequently connected together, e.g. as discussed below and with reference to Figure 8.

Figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional cut-through of a cable and shows various positions within the cable, namely position 1 to position 4 where appropriate wires (i.e. either fixed wires or floppy wires) may be placed to create a particular section of cable. To assist in the manufacture and assembly of the various cable sections and the cladding assembly, colour coding may be used for example as shown in the table below:

Wire/Tube POSITION

1 2 3 4

SECTION 01 WHITE RED ORANGE YELLOW

SECTION 02 BROWN WHITE ORANGE YELLOW

SECTION 03 WHITE WHITE ORANGE YELLOW

SECTION 04 BROWN RED WHITE YELLOW

SECTION 05 WHITE RED WHITE YELLOW

SECTION 06 BROWN WHITE WHITE YELLOW

SECTION 07 WHITE WHITE WHITE YELLOW

SECTION 08 BROWN RED ORANGE WHITE

SECTION 09 WHITE RED ORANGE WHITE

SECTION 10 BROWN WHITE ORANGE WHITE

SECTION 1 1 WHITE WHITE ORANGE WHITE

SECTION 12 BROWN RED WHITE WHITE

SECTION 13 WHITE RED WHITE WHITE

SECTION 14 BROWN WHITE WHITE WHITE

SECTION 1 5 WHITE WHITE WHITE WHITE Table 3

Where white = a floppy wire encased in a white jacket, red = fixed wire encased in red jacket, orange = a fixed wire encased in an orange jacket and yellow = a fixed wire encased in a yellow jacket.

In certain examples of the invention, the overall diameter of the cable assembly may be of the order of several millimetres to of the order of a centimetre whilst the length of the cable assembly may be of the order of tens, hundreds and thousands of metres.

Many other shapes and geometries for the various above-described components, cable assemblies and apparatuses can be envisaged. Likewise, many alternative materials, dimensions and relative dimensions could be chosen.

Figure 8 schematically illustrates a yet further apparatus 80 according to the present disclosure. Here the apparatus 80 and cable assembly 800 comprise a plurality of cable sections and a plurality of electrical junction boxes 801 , each located at intersections between the sections for electrically connecting the sections, and in particular electrically connecting the respective electrical pathways of each section to one another. For a cable assembly comprising 4 paths having 15 sections, 14 junction boxes would be required. Also, a strainer wire may be provided and electrically connected between each junction box for providing a return path (not shown in Figure 8). Each electrical pathway is provided with an analyser to analyse any signals generated within the electrical pathway.

For applications where having a cable assembly with 15 sections is not sufficient (i.e. the ability to determine a mechanical disturbance applied to any particular one of 15 sections of the cable assembly is not sufficient), as discussed above, additional electrical pathways could be provided for the cable. For example, where 8 electrical pathways are provided, up to 255 sections could be uniquely identifiable. Alternatively, instead of providing an 8 electrical pathway cable assembly, two 4 electrical pathway cables could be provided, along with further analysing units for the same. The outputs from a total of 8 analyser units may be duly decoded for identifying a particular section where a mechanical disturbance is applied.

Figure 9 illustrates an overall system block diagram. The system 90 comprises a cable assembly 900 comprising a plurality of sections each with a particular combination of moveable and fixed wires. At the end of the cable, an end of line module is provided. Signals from the various electrical paths of the cable assembly are analysed in an analyser unit 920. Such analyser units may filter out "erroneous" or false signals, for example signals having a particular signature/frequency that may be indicative of vibrations due to wind or an earthquake. Based on the characteristics of the received signals (not least amplitude, frequency, duration, pulse shape ...), it may be possible to associate a type movement event to a particular profile/signature of the detected signals. The size and frequency of the electrical signal generated by a floppy wire i.e. the induced voltage/current of the same, will be dependent, not least, upon the strength of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the moveable section of the electrical path but also upon the size and frequency of the mechanical disturbance, for example, how violently the section of the cable assembly is shaken. For example, where the cable is fixedly attached to a fence, it may be possible to determine that the received signals are indicative of the type of signals one would expect for vibrations caused by a person climbing over a fence. Alternatively, the signals may have a characteristic that is indicative of a user attempting to cut the cable, i.e. a particular signal profile that is received immediately prior to the signal being lost. The analysers used in the system may be an Eliminator unit as produced by Geoquip Worldwide. Signals output from the analyser unit 920 may be provided to a decoder unit 930 for determining in which section of the cable assembly a mechanical disturbance has been detected. An output from the decoder unit 930 may then be presented to an alerting/annunciating unit 940 which may be based on Geoquip Worldwide's "GeoVision" system. Internet protocol (IP) communication from the analysing unit 920 and/or the decoder unit 930 to the annunciating unit 940 may be used for indicating which sections, sectors or zones has created the alarm for example based on the mapping added in either of table 1 or table 2.

Examples of the apparatus may be used in a wide range of applications in order to detect mechanical disturbances applied to sections of the cable assembly. For example, the cable assembly may be run out along a boundary such as a fence, gate, wall or other structure and securely attached thereto in order to detect any mechanical disturbances of the boundary, such mechanical disturbances which may be indicative of an intruder or other interference. Thus, examples of the present application may be used in security systems for providing both an alert to interference/attack as well as provide an indication as to a location of the interference. Such an alert may be used, for example, so as to direct security cameras towards the identified location of an attack. Since the location of the interference/tampering may be identified to a particular degree of accuracy, the security camera may be able to more accurately focus and zoom into a particularly identified area or zone such that an enhanced image of the area/zone under attach may be recorded.

Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described. Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not. Although features have been described with reference to certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether described or not. Although various examples of the present disclosure have been described in the preceding paragraphs, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made. For instance, whist various of the examples refer to the use of a floppy wire within a magnetic field to generate an electrical response to a mechanical disturbance, other transducing means may be implemented that generate an electrical signal in response †o mechanical disturbance, such a signal being then being conveyed along the electrical pathway associated with the transducing means for subsequent detection and processing by detector and analyser units.

The term 'comprise' is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y. If it is intended to use 'comprise' with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context by referring to "comprising only one ..." or by using "consisting".

In this description, the wording 'connect', 'couple' and 'communication' and their derivatives mean operationally connected/coupled/in communication. It should be appreciated that any number or combination of intervening components can exist, e.g. an electrical junction, (including no intervening components). In this description, references to "a/an/the" [feature, element, component, means ...] are to be interpreted as "at least one" [feature, element, component, means ...] unless explicitly stated otherwise. In this description, reference has been made to various examples. The description of features or functions in relation to an example indicates that those features or functions are present in that example. The use of the term 'example' or 'for example' or 'may' in the text denotes, whether explicitly stated or not, that such features or functions are present in at least the described example, whether described as an example or not, and that they can be, but are not necessarily, present in some or all other examples. Thus 'example', 'for example' or 'may' refers to a particular instance in a class of examples. A property of the instance can be a property of only that instance or a property of the class or a property of a sub-class of the class that includes some but not all of the instances in the class.

The above description describes some examples of the present disclosure however those of ordinary skill in the art will be aware of possible alternative structures and method features which offer equivalent functionality to the specific examples of such structures and features described herein above and which for the sake of brevity and clarity have been omitted from the above description. Nonetheless, the above description should be read as implicitly including reference to such alternative structures and method features which provide equivalent functionality unless such alternative structures or method features are explicitly excluded in the above description of the examples of the present disclosure.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of examples of the present disclosure believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

The examples of the present disclosure and the accompanying claims may be suitably combined in any manner apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

We claim: 1 . An apparatus comprising:

a cable assembly comprising:

a plurality of longitudinal sections,

wherein, the apparatus is configured such that, for each longitudinal section, there is a unique combination of moveable and fixed sections of the plurality of electrical paths.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of longitudinal sections comprises 2^N -1 longitudinal sections,

the plurality of electrical paths comprises N electrical paths each extending along the 2^N -1 longitudinal sections;

each electrical path comprises 2^N -1 sections that are either moveable or fixed within a respective longitudinal section,

the apparatus is configured such that, for each longitudinal section, there is a unique combination of moveable and fixed sections of the N electrical paths.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of longitudinal sections comprises a first longitudinal section and at least a second longitudinal section, the cable assembly comprising:

a first electrical path extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections, the first electrical path having a first section within the first longitudinal section and at least a second section within the at least second longitudinal section; a† least a second electrical path extending along the first and at least second longitudinal sections, the second electrical path having a first section within the first longitudinal section and at least a second section within the at least second longitudinal section; and

wherein:

the second section of the second electrical path is configured such that it is moveable within the second longitudinal section.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the second section of the first electrical path is configured such that it is fixed within the second longitudinal section, or

the second section of the first electrical path is configured such that it is moveable within the second longitudinal section.

5. The apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims, wherein the apparatus is configured such that a moveable section of one of the plurality of electrical paths is loosely mounted within its respective longitudinal section.

6. The apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims, wherein a moveable section of one of the plurality of electrical paths comprises an elongate conductor which is loosely housed within its respective longitudinal section such that it is able to be moveable in a transverse direction.

7. The apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims, wherein one or more of the plurality of longitudinal sections comprises a magnetic member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein a moveable section of one of the plurality of electrical paths is configured to be moveable relative to the magnetic member.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 or 8, wherein a fixed section of one of the plurality of electrical paths is configured to be fixed in position relative to the magnetic member.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the magnetic member is elongate and extends along one or more of the plurality of longitudinal sections.

1 1 . The apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims, wherein the plurality of longitudinal sections comprises one or more elongate magnetic members extending along the plurality of longitudinal sections.

12. The apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims, wherein one or more of the plurality of longitudinal sections comprises an elongate hollow channel defining an elongate void space within which a moveable section of one of the plurality of electrical paths is able to freely move.

13. The apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims, wherein the apparatus is configured to be sensitive to vibrations applied to the cable assembly.

14. The apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims, wherein a moveable section of one of the plurality of electrical paths is configured such that it is moveable within its respective longitudinal section in response to a force applied to the apparatus.

15. A module comprising the apparatus of any one or more of the previous claims.

16. A system comprising: the apparatus of any one or more of previous claims 1 to 14, wherein the apparatus is configured to generate one or more signals responsive to one or more forces applied to one or more of the longitudinal sections; and means for processing signals received from the apparatus to generate an alert signal.

17. The system of claim 1 6, wherein, in use, the unique combination of moveable and fixed sections of the plurality of electrical paths gives rise to a unique combination of signals from the plurality of electrical paths within each longitudinal section, such that, in response to a force being applied to a particular longitudinal section, the means for processing signals is configured to uniquely identify the particular longitudinal section based on the received signals from the plurality of electrical paths.

18. A perimeter security system comprising the apparatus of any one or more of previous claims 1 to 14 or module of claim 15.

19. A method of manufacturing the apparatus of any of claims 1 to 14.