Patent ID: 9389271
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: G01R

Claim Text:
1. A system for monitoring a protected structure, the system comprising: at least one signal carrying cable having at least a first portion extending linearly along a first length; a signal generating mechanism in electrical communication with the at least one signal carrying cable and configured to provide a monitoring signal on the at least one signal carrying cable; a signal measuring mechanism in electrical communication with the at least one signal carrying cable and configured to receive a reflected monitoring signal from the at least one signal carrying cable in response to the monitoring signal, the signal measuring mechanism comparing one or more properties of the reflected monitoring signal with one or more corresponding properties of a predicted reflected monitoring signal, the signal measuring mechanism being further configured to initiate an alert when the one or more properties of the reflected monitoring signal differ from the one or more properties of the predicted reflected monitoring signal by a predetermined amount; and at least one elongated flexible engaging member connected to a plurality of spaced apart locations along the first portion of the at least one signal carrying cable and extending laterally outward of the plurality of spaced apart locations, such that the at least one signal carrying cable and the at least one flexible engaging member together define an array of monitoring segments, with the first portion of the at least one signal carrying cable defining longitudinally extending active monitoring segments extending between adjacent ones of the plurality of spaced apart locations, and portions of the at least one flexible engaging member connected to the plurality of spaced apart locations defining laterally extending non-active monitoring segments, wherein a pulling force applied to one of the non-active monitoring segments is transmitted to the corresponding spaced apart location to alter the at least one signal carrying cable at the corresponding spaced apart location, thereby altering the reflected monitoring signal, such that the properties of the reflected monitoring signal differ from the properties of the predicted reflected monitoring signal.