Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specified indicator structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-07
2002-02-05
Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specified indicator structure
C340S506000, C340S531000, C340S533000, C340S534000, C340S588000, C340S286050
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344799
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the detection of a fire condition within a residential building, the mapping of a pre-selected group of index, to a related database of pre-recorded voice-playback segments, the transmission, reception and monitoring of index data, and the output of a fixed alarm and an index selected voice-playback message.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
The prior art is of two types one is the most common you can get them at any hardware store and they are very cheap one of there drawbacks is the limited range of audible alarm, in a large home, one with a basement, first floor and second floor, the chance of hearing an alarm signal from the basement while sleep in a second floor bedroom is slim, as the smoke reaches the first floor your chances are better, but now the first floor is filled with smoke and a wrong turn because you can't tell where the fire actually is could be the end, If you don't wake until you hear the second floor alarm your may have to clime out of a window. Clearly this is not good enough.
The other major type of alarm system is the whole house monitored alarm, much more cost and you must pay a monthly fee to be monitored but with these systems all sensors are linked so that a fire in the basement would cause all alarms to go off so that now your alerted that one of ten detectors has detected smoke, your first question, Where? Which way do I send the kids? Can I put it out myself? Is their time to save anything?
None of these questions will be answered. Clearly this is not good enough.
STEBBINS—Audio listen and voice security system U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,927 A security alarm system including multiple zone distributed audio monitors and alarm sensors which report and verify detected alarm and communicate with a system controller and central station.
STEBBINS—requires remote monitoring, and detecting sensor information is not provided on site, also system gives no voice output, and would not be very practical to the average residential user.
KIM U.S. Pat No. 5,949,332 Fire alarm radio transmitter and receiver set. This system transmits information to a remote location that must be monitored.
BANGA U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,468 Extra security smoke alarm system. This system does not provide data about which area of coverage or which sensor has detected the fire condition, it requires a central monitoring unit, and only a general alarm is given.
ROUTMAN U.S. Pat No. 5,349.338 Fire detector and alarm system. Here the recorded vocal warning message or instructions are fixed, the same message will be played back no matter what the location of the fire incidence is.
MUIR U.S. Pat No. 3,810.097 Method and system for visually conveying alarm information. A remote monitored system, where all information is transmitted off site, information is hardwired and not intended for the occupant.
HSU U.S. Pat No. 5,724,020 Voice warning system for fire accidents. System will give fleeing instructions to all people in a building through the loudspeakers. here again instructions are not based on which sensor first detected the alarm. None of the prior art can be housed within a single unit such as a common smoke detector. None of the prior art allow a common home owner the ability to change system output or configuration. None of the prior art contains multiple message databases or pre-selected index None of the prior art provide complete system output at each sensor location, also none of the above system can be picked up at a common hardware store and installed by any end user. This system will fill the gap, between the common smoke detector and the costly full house monitored system, and save lives by providing all information available to the occupant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By assuming the in home installation sites of the most commonly used smoke detectors, a pre-selected group of installation sites are listed as index labels on a multiple position encoder, (
1
) if a four position encoder is used.
The index labels or positions of the encoder could be designated with the labels, GARAGE, BASEMENT, KITCHEN and 2nd FL HALL (
10
). At each of these positions the encoder produces a unique four-bit binary output, this output will be used by the system As, the index of the label.
Once the index labels are chosen, a database of related voice-segments can be recorded into a voice-playback device, each segment beginning at an index mapped address.
Combining a fire sensor, an alarm IC with piezo horn and detection I/O, a multiple position encoder, a 8-bit dip switch, a radio frequency decoder transmitter and receiver encoder with antenna switch and antenna, a voice-playback device with speaker and a microcontroller all housed within one unit defines an, “INDEXED DATABASE ALARM AND MONITOR.” A full function system requires two or more identical units.
INSTALLATION: on the back (
3
) of every unit will be an 8-bit dip switch (
4
) this will be used for the “SYSTEM- ID”, set all units to the same code. Install one unit at each location Listed by the Labels on the encoder (
10
).
OPERATION: in the event of a fire Incidence, detecting unit outputs a fixed alarm followed by the voice segment “INDEXED” by its multiple position encoder. At the same time, it also transmits a 12-bit radio frequency signal, containing: an 8-bit system ID and the 4-bit index.
This is the only data transmitted or received by this system.
The event of a fire incidence has occurred, now the other units receive the transmitted signal, (
50
) they validate the 8-bit system ID and apply the 4-bit index thur a 4-to-8-bit converter (
61
) to the voice-playback device (
58
).
The “DETECTING UNITS INDEX HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED” therefore if detecting units index label is basement the output of the system unit installed in the second floor hall would be, a fixed alarm followed by, the pre-recorded voice segment “ALERT SMOKE HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE BASEMENT”.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawing, attention being called to the fact, however that changes maybe made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3810097 (1974-05-01), Muir et al.
patent: 5349338 (1994-09-01), Routman et al.
patent: 5724020 (1998-03-01), Hsu
patent: 5736927 (1998-04-01), Stebbins et al.
patent: 5889468 (1999-03-01), Banga
patent: 5949332 (1999-09-01), Kim
Hofsass Jeffery
Nguyen Hung
Walker Calvin
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