Patent ID: 7834755

Claim:
A system comprising: a duct detector; first and second ambient condition sensors incorporated into the duct detector; a visual status indicator associated with each of the first and second ambient condition sensors; a displaced control unit, said control unit having separate first, second, and third communication mediums, the first and second communication mediums used for independently communicating with the respective first and second ambient condition sensors; control circuitry of the displaced control unit that assigns a priority to each of the first and second ambient condition detectors, queries the respective ambient condition sensors for sensor data, initiates an alarm condition based upon analysis of data received from at least one of the respective first and second ambient condition sensors and controls the visible status indicator on the at least one of the first and second ambient condition sensors to indicate an alarm condition rather than having the at least one of the first and second ambient condition sensors control the visual status indicator independently; an alarm indicating relay of the displaced control unit associated with the control circuitry where the assigned priorities are used to activate the at least one relay without effecting a state of the visible status indicator on each of the at least two duct sensors; a remote display device, the remote display device including a display for visually presenting status of the respective first and second ambient condition sensors coupled to the displaced control unit, the remote display device communicating with the displaced control unit via the third communication medium; and a manually operable duct sensor command input element associated with the remote display device for receiving user inputs; wherein the first and second ambient condition sensors are coupled directly to the displaced control unit and communicate with the displaced control unit via the respective first and second communication mediums on a per sensor basis, and wherein the remote display device is remotely located from the displaced control unit and sensors, the remote display device sends and receives communications via the third communication medium on a per sensor basis.