Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2002-04-30
Mullen, Thomas (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S539230, C340S693500, C455S404200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06380860
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to (1) a method of detecting and communicating an alarm condition to a remote manned central monitoring station which takes appropriate action, including dispatching personnel and equipment to deal with the situation and its related apparatus, and more particularly, to a completely portable and wireless method of detecting and reporting a fire rekindle and summoning emergency crews, and even more particularly to such a method and apparatus which reports the fire and alerts the remote central monitoring station and the local fire dispatch using the control channel of a conventional nationwide cellular phone network
2. Discussion of Background and Prior Art
a. The Rekindle Problem
In a recent article by Gil Damiani, a battalion chief of the Mesa, Arizona Fire Department, entitled “An End To The Rekindle Nightmare”,
Firehouse
, May 1999, the horror of a rekindle was accurately described. Chief Damiani related how an engine company responded to a kitchen fire at 1:30 P.M. Upon arrival the fire chief was told that the fire had been extinguished by the homeowner. The fire crew investigated. One member checked the attic and others checked the area around the fire. It was all clear with minimal damage. The crew returns to the station. Ten hours later, at about midnight, however, the Fire Department was again dispatched to the same address. This time, it was a fully involved attic. You had a rekindle!
As Chief Damiani pointed out, the fire service is always challenged to do its job effectively and efficiently. However, one shared concern among firefighters everywhere is the problem of rekindles.
Like many areas all over the country most of the newer homes in Mesa, Ariz. have vaulted ceilings that do not afford much room for firefighters to check for smoke or embers in attics. Id. However, there can be many other areas in a home, new or old, such as, recessed lighting fixtures, exhaust fans over stoves and chases around chimneys, to name just a few, that will also “hide” embers and allow them to grow into a roaring wall or attic fire. Id.
Fires in concealed spaces present unique problems with overhaul because homeowners object to the damage to the home, such as pulling down vaulted ceilings or ripping out kitchen cabinets, caused by fire crews looking for burning embers so that the crew does not have to return at 3:00 A.M. Id. As Chief Damiani stated:
“It's a Catch-22: completely open the walls and ceilings to thoroughly check, even though the fire appears out (this subjects the fire department to criticism by customers or insurance adjusters); or open them up only minimally and take the risk of a rekindle, even though the chances are remote that a rekindle will occur. If you have ever responded to a rekindle, you are well aware of the time, energy, resources, liability and embarrassment that comes with it—to say nothing of the hazards to life and property,”. Id.
There is one alternative solution to the “thorough check” versus “minimal opening” dichotomy presented by Chief Damiani particularly where the rekindle risk is in a commercial building. The Fire Department can post a fire watch at the location of the “extinguished” fire comprising a fire watch person and fire truck parked at the scene for many hours to wait for a possible rekindle. This solution is obviously unsatisfactory due to the high costs in personnel and equipment.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to completely and inexpensively eliminate the rekindle problem by providing a completely portable and wireless fire alarm system that can be readily positioned in minutes for temporary use in homes or commercial buildings where rekindles are a risk.
The “rekindle” problem described above is a close cousin to the “intruder” problem that has thwarted security system solutions for years despite advances in technology, as described in greater detail below.
b. The Inoperative Or Unavailable
Permanent Fire Alarm System Problem
As is often the case the permanent fire alarm system in a building is down for parts or maintenance. Almost universally, a commercial building cannot be occupied without a working fire alarm system unless a fire watch person is posted at the scene.
Similarly, a commercial building that does not have or does not yet have an installed permanent fire alarm system is often scheduled for use for a special event, but is declined a use permit since there is no permanently installed fire alarm system.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to totally eliminate the temporarily inoperative or totally absent fire alarm system problem by providing a completely portable and wireless fire alarm system that can be readily positioned in minutes for temporary use in such buildings and which meets all fire code regulations and will be acceptable to the Fire Department.
c. Prior Land Line Alarm Systems
There were many early solutions to the problems described above, but each was unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons.
In a system by Hall in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,336 there is disclosed a portable intrusion detection, monitoring and alarm system housed in an ordinary carrying case resembling a conventional suitcase or briefcase providing a partially portable system readily placed near a space to be monitored. The wireless infrared motion intrusion detectors are removed from the case and placed about the space to be monitored and transmit a detection signal to a receiver in the carrying case which delivers the signal to a digital communicator/dialer which captures a land telephone line by dialing and sends coded signals to a monitored central station for corrective action. See also Papineau U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,799 and Steil U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,007. However, smart criminals know how to cut the land line to disable this alarm system and in the case of a fire alarm system an operative land phone line is often not available just when it is needed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to completely and inexpensively eliminate the unavailable land line problem by providing a completely portable and completely wireless fire alarm system that can be readily positioned in minutes for temporary use in homes or commercial buildings where land phone lines are not available or are inoperative.
d. Prior Short Range Wireless Alarm Systems
Another early solution by Tanner in U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,223 disclosed a combination portable alarm system and storage container for parts thereof for use at construction sites or the like wherein the portable smoke detectors were positioned on a stanchion supported atop a portable cabinet positioned in the space to be monitored and could transmit an alarm signal via a voice channel of a wireless cellular radio to an answering cellular station which then notified a central monitoring station. However, this system failed to provide both short and long range transmission capability necessary to efficiently handle the multi-various conditions of the problems referenced above, and also would totally fail to report the alert if the voice channel was busy.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to completely and inexpensively eliminate the short range and long range communications concerns of the aforesaid problems by providing a completely portable system with wireless short range transmitters for the detectors and companion devices and a long range wireless cellular transmitter for alerting the central monitoring station while avoiding any busy signal on the selected cellular channel and that can be readily positioned in minutes for temporary use in homes or commercial buildings where the aforesaid problems exist.
e. Prior Partially Portable Systems
In yet another early solution by Hines to the “close cousin intruder problem” described above in U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,735 there is disclosed a mobile security system in
Gresham Lowell W.
Meschkow Jordan M.
Meschkow & Gresham P.L.C.
Mullen Thomas
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