1. An apparatus comprising:
a control panel of a security system;
a plurality of transceivers of the security system, wherein during start up of the security system, each of the plurality of transceivers listen for wireless transmissions from the control panel and from other transceivers of the plurality of transceivers, wherein at least some of the plurality of transceivers detect wireless transmissions from the control panel and each establishes itself as a hub transceiver through which wireless transmissions from other transceivers that are further away and cannot detect the control panel are relayed to the control panel through the hub transceiver and visa versa, the at least some hub transceivers each synchronously communicate with the control panel of the security system in an assigned slot of a TDMA channel;
at least a first of the plurality of transceivers not able to detect the control panel asynchronously transmitting a priority message on a priority channel that is different than the TDMA channel; and
at least a second of the plurality of transceivers established as a hub transceiver that detects an information content of the asynchronous priority message on the priority channel and retransmits the detected information content synchronously on the TDMA channel to the control panel.
2. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising the first transceiver also transmitting the priority message on an assigned slot of the TDMA channel.
3. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of transceivers further comprise environmental sensors.
4. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a a processor of each of the plurality of transceiver that couples the transceiver to the control panel via the TDMA channel either directly or through another of the plurality of transceivers.
5. The apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising a synchronization signal transmitted by the control panel to each of the plurality of transceivers either directly or through another of the plurality of transceivers.
6. The apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising a central monitoring station that receives alarm messages through the control panel from the plurality of transceivers.
7. A method comprising:
a control panel of a security system providing a TDMA communication channel having a plurality of slots for synchronous transmission of information from a plurality of transceivers of the security system;
the control panel providing at least one priority channel that is different than the TDMA channel for priority transmissions;
during start up of the security system, each of the plurality of transceivers listening for transmissions from the control panel and from other transceivers of the plurality of transceivers;
at least some of the plurality of transceivers detecting transmissions from the control panel and each establishing itself as a hub transceiver through which transmissions from other transceivers that are further away and cannot detect the control panel are relayed to the control panel through the hub transceiver and visa versa;
synchronizing each of a plurality of transceivers that detected the control panel with an assigned one of the plurality of slots;
one of the plurality of transceivers losing synchronization with the slots;
the one transceiver transmitting a signal asynchronously on the priority channel;
another of the plurality of transceivers established as a hub transceiver and synchronized with the slots detecting the asynchronously transmitted signal on the priority channel; and
the other transceiver re-transmitting the detected signal synchronously in the assigned one of the plurality of slots.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising defining the plurality of transceivers as a fire alarm system.
9. The method as in claim 8 further comprising coupling at least one of the plurality of transceivers to a fire detector.
10. The method as in claim 9 wherein the control panel further comprises a fire alarm control panel detecting transmissions from the transceivers on the TDMA communication channel.
11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising a transmitter of the fire alarm control panel transmitting a synchronization signal for the benefit of the plurality of transceivers.
12. The method as in claim 11 further comprising assigning each of the plurality of transceivers to a different slot of the plurality of slots.
13. An apparatus comprising:
a control panel of a security system;
a plurality of environmental sensors of the security system wherein during start up of the security system, each of the plurality of environmental sensors listen for transmissions from the control panel and from other environmental sensors of the plurality of environmental sensors, wherein at least some of the plurality of environmental sensors detect transmissions from the control panel and each establishes itself as a hub environmental sensor through which transmissions from other environmental sensors that are further away and cannot detect the control panel are relayed to the control panel through the hub environmental sensors and visa versa, each of the plurality of environmental sensors that detect transmissions from the control panel is assigned to synchronously exchange a communicated signal within one of a plurality of slots of a TDMA channel and alternatively where not able to detect transmissions from the control panel to asynchronously transmit a signal within a priority channel that is different than the TDMA channel wherein each of the plurality of environmental sensors further comprise:
a first processor that detects asynchronous transmissions of information on the priority channel and retransmits the detected information synchronously in the assigned slot;
a second processor that detects loss of synchronization; and
a third processor that transmits an asynchronous signal in response to loss of synchronization on the priority channel.
14. The apparatus as in claim 13 further comprising an alarm system.
15. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the control panel further comprises a control panel that exchanges the communicated signals with the plurality of sensors through the slots.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In an emergency oxygen system for aircraft, the improvement comprising:
a hermetically sealed oxygen cylinder of stainless steel with a welded metal diaphragm of a predetermined rupturable characteristic for maintaining the storage of oxygen at a pressure in excess of 1800 PSI;
a hollow capillary tube sealed hermetically at one end to the oxygen cylinder, to provide a passageway for charging oxygen at a pressure in excess of 1800 PSI, into the oxygen cylinder and having a distal length of capillary tube of sufficient size and internal diameter to enable one or more multiple crimps of the capillary tube to provide a hermetic seal while extending outwardly from an exterior of the oxygen cylinder by a distance sufficient to safely have an opposite end of the capillary tube sealed hermetically by an application of heat to close the opposite end with a brazed or welded material, wherein the oxygen cylinder provides an exterior annular groove adjacent the one end of the capillary tube sealed to the oxygen cylinder, of a size to store the capillary tube within the annular grove; and
a protective sleeve is mounted on the oxygen cylinder to surround and enclose the annular groove to protect the sealed capillary tube when the oxygen cylinder is storing oxygen.
2. The emergency oxygen system of claim 1 further including a discharge outlet body assembly including a cylinder neck member hermetically welded sealed to the oxygen cylinder with a passageway extending through the cylinder neck member to transport the oxygen, the capillary tube is mounted on the cylinder neck member welded or brazed and is in fluid communication with a conduit through the cylinder neck member to deliver oxygen to the oxygen cylinder.
3. The emergency oxygen system of claim 1 further including a discharge outlet body assembly including a piston cutter member aligned with the metal diaphragm and a driving member for forcing the piston cutter member to rupture the metal diaphragm to release the pressurized oxygen.
4. The emergency oxygen system of claim 3 wherein the piston cutter member is hollow to provide a conduit for directing the released pressurized oxygen.
5. The emergency oxygen system of claim 4 where the piston cutter member has a relief passageway slot opening in a side wall of the hollow portion to provide a safety release of oxygen, apart from the delivery system to enable an inadvertent release of oxygen by the metal diaphragm to the exterior of the emergency oxygen system.
6. The emergency oxygen system of claim 3 wherein the discharge outlet body has a hermetically sealed weld to the metal diaphragm and to a cylinder neck member which is hermetically weld sealed to the oxygen cylinder.
7. The emergency oxygen system of claim 6 further including an exterior cover member extending around the discharge outlet body and mounting the driving member, which includes an explosive cartridge, the exterior cover member is sealed to the discharge outlet body and to the cylinder neck member.
8. The emergency oxygen system of claim 3 wherein the driving member is an explosive cartridge mounted above the discharge outlet body for driving the piston cutter member to rupture the metal diaphragm.
9. The emergency oxygen system of claim 1 wherein the crimped and hermetically sealed capillary tube is bent to extend around a part of a perimeter of the oxygen cylinder within the exterior annular groove.
10. The emergency oxygen system of claim 1 further including a hermetically sealed pressure gauge mounted in a bottom surface of the oxygen cylinder.
11. An emergency oxygen system for aircraft passengers comprising:
a hermetically sealed oxygen cylinder of stainless steel with a hermetically welded metal diaphragm of a predetermined rupturable characteristic for maintaining the storage of oxygen at a pressure in excess of 1800 PSI;
a hollow capillary tube sealed hermetically at one end to the oxygen cylinder, to provide a passageway for charging the oxygen at a pressure in excess of 1800 PSI, into the oxygen cylinder and having a distal length of capillary tube of sufficient length and internal diameter to enable one or more multiple crimps of the capillary tube to provide a hermetic seal when extended outward from an exterior of the oxygen cylinder by a distance sufficient to safely have an opposite end of the capillary tube sealed hermetically by an application of heat to braze or weld to close the opposite end;
a discharge outlet body mounted on the oxygen cylinder to align a cutter member for rupturing the hermetically welded metal diaphragm to release the pressurized oxygen; and
a discharge outlet housing having a first passageway for directing the released oxygen to the aircraft passenger, wherein
the oxygen cylinder has a cylinder neck with an exterior annular groove, adjacent the one end of the capillary tube sealed to the oxygen cylinder, of a size to store the capillary tube within the annular groove, and a discharge outlet housing surrounds and encloses the exterior annular groove to protect the sealed capillary tube when the oxygen cylinder is storing oxygen.
12. The emergency oxygen system of claim 11 further including a pressure gauge assembly in fluid communication with an interior of the oxygen cylinder and hermetically welded to the oxygen cylinder.
13. The emergency oxygen system of claim 12 wherein the pressure gauge assembly includes a helical coil open tube brazed to a pressure gauge housing and communicating with an interior of the oxygen cylinder through an opening in the pressure gauge housing, an indicator is operatively attached to a distal portion of the helical coil tube to indicate a pressure movement of the helical coil tube as indication of an interior pressure in the oxygen cylinder and a hermetic weld of the pressure gauge housing to the oxygen cylinder keeps the oxygen cylinder sealed.
14. The emergency oxygen system of claim 11 wherein the cutter member is hollow with a piercing open tip to form a portion of the first passageway.
15. The emergency oxygen system of claim 14 wherein a second passageway is in communication with the hollow cutter member portion of the first passageway to provide a release passageway of any leaking oxygen to the exterior of the oxygen cylinder and not directly to the aircraft passenger.
16. The emergency oxygen system of claim 14 further including a drive member to drive the cutter member to pierce the metal diaphragm.