Patent ID: 7154400

Claim:
A method for detecting a fire while discriminating against false alarms in a monitored space containing obstructed and partially obstructed views, comprising the steps of: positioning an infrared camera in a location where the camera has both a direct view of a first portion of the monitored space and an obstructed view of a second portion of the monitored space, wherein: the camera includes a charge coupled device array sensitive to wavelengths in the range of from about 400 to about 1000 nm, and a long pass filter for transmitting wavelengths greater than about 700 nm; filtering out radiation wavelengths lower than about 700 nm; converting an electrical current from the charge coupled device to a signal input to a processor; processing the signal; and generating alarms when predetermined criteria are met to indicate the presence of a fire in one or both of the first portion of the monitored space and the second portion of the monitored space.