Patent ID: 11879716
Assignee: DETNET SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 9:
10. A method of operating a detonator which is configured to be connected to an end of a shock tube which, upon ignition, generates a shock tube event at an end of the shock tube, the detonator including at least a first sensor, a second sensor, a processor and a timer, wherein the first sensor upon detecting a first characteristic associated with a shock tube event transmits a first signal at a time T0 to the processor which via the timer initiates a timing schedule, and wherein the method includes the following steps:
(a) at a time T1, which is at an end of a first predetermined time interval (P1) commencing at the time T0, determining whether the first sensor detects the first characteristic,
(b) at a chosen time after T0, establishing whether prior to T0, the second sensor had detected a reference characteristic of a shock tube event,
(c) after a time T3, at which time the first characteristic, if produced by a genuine shock tube event, is absent, determining whether the second sensor sensed a second characteristic of the shock tube event,
(d) at a time T2, which is at an end of a second predetermined time interval (P2) commencing at the time T0 and after the time T3, determining whether the second sensor detects a second characteristic, and, validating the shock tube event if the second sensor has sensed such second characteristic.