Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-26
2001-10-30
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S315000, C340S506000, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310547
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an alarm system providing programmable control of household devices connected to it.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Programmable remote control of electrical devices, such as lights, through a main module is known. The commercially available X-10 residential device control system is an example of this. Systems such as these are used mainly in home control applications, performing tasks such as controlling lights, TVs, stereos etc, using a remote control or a programmable schedule. At a site, electrical devices are plugged into control modules which are plugged into the household sockets. A main module is also plugged into a socket at the site. The main module allows programmed control of the devices connected to each control module. To accomplish this, the main module communicates with control modules and devices are activated and deactivated according to a particular scheduled program for each control module. Typically, the user has extensive control over activation schedules for the devices, which makes the system harder to use and increases the chances of programming error.
Further, the programming flexibility of the above device is limited. The scheduled program must be changed as the activation or deactivation times change. In particular, if a porch light is programmed to be activated at a certain time each night, as the sunset time changes for that location, the activation time becomes either too early or too late. Other modifications such as using light sensors to automatically adjust the activation times are costly and the sensors may malfunction through sensor-blocking dirt or breakage.
Systems exist for adjusting activation and deactivation of devices according to specific sunrise and sunset times. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,857,759 and 5,254,908. Such systems are limited in their flexibility as they simply activate and deactivate devices and provide no other functionality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an alarm security system at a geographic location which is connected to a central reporting station. Within the system there is a programmable control system for selectively activating ancillary devices. The control system comprises a plurality of controllers each connected to the ancillary devices for selectively activating and deactivating the ancillary devices and a programmable activation system to operate each of the plurality of controllers. The activation system establishes the activation and deactivation times for the ancillary devices using location information of the geographic location, user-programmed parameters, the current time, current date and yearly sunrise and sunset times. There is also selection means to set the geographic location of the alarm security system for the programmable activation system.
It is an aspect of the invention to have the above selection means use a telephone number and area code assigned to the alarm security system.
It is a further aspect of the invention to have the selection means rely on a user entering a code to the programmable control system corresponding to the geographic location of the alarm security system.
It is a further aspect of the invention to include a timerandomizing factor into the calculation for the activation or deactivation of the connected devices.
It is a further aspect of the invention to have the yearly sunrise and sunset times stored at the central reporting station and to have the programmable control system communicate with the central reporting station to retrieve those times.
It is a further aspect of the invention to have the programmable control system responsive to the current operation mode of said alarm security system.
For an alarm security system connected to a central reporting station, another aspect of the invention provides a programmable control system for selectively activating a plurality of ancillary devices. The control system comprises a set controllers each connected to the ancillary devices for selectively activating and deactivating the ancillary devices; a microprocessor; access to means to determine sunrise and sunset times for different times of the year for a series of geographic locations; and a program operating on the microprocessor. The program contains an activation module which causes selective activation and deactivation of the controllers. The activation module uses location information of the geographic location itself, the current time, current date, user-programmed parameters and yearly sunrise and sunset times to determine when to activate and deactivate the controllers.
The present invention also provides an integrated system having an alarm system connected to a residential device control system. The alarm system has a programmable output which controls the residential device control system. The residential device control system uses control modules which are plugged into electrical sockets to control electrical devices plugged into the control modules. The residential device control system can programmably activate each control module. Additionally, the alarm panel can be programmed to activate the residential device control system according to a schedule incorporating the changing sunrise and sunset times. There is also selection means to set the geographic location of the alarm system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4279012 (1981-07-01), Beckedorff et al.
patent: 4857759 (1989-08-01), Murphy et al.
patent: 4951029 (1990-08-01), Severson
patent: 5089814 (1992-02-01), Deluca et al.
patent: 5400246 (1995-03-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 5889468 (1999-03-01), Banga
patent: 5898384 (1999-04-01), Alt et al.
patent: 6011755 (2000-01-01), Mulhall et al.
Digital Security Controls Ltd.
Nguyen Phung
Wu Daniel J.
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