Communication module for a security system and method for same

• US 10,282,334 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Response Technologies, LLC (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Response Technologies, LLC (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Verdino, Steven P., Morrison, Andrew S., Cooley, Roy J., Wood, Lawrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang T
• Application Number:
  US15/337,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20170126389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 370329
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A security system having a control unit in communication with detection devices and notification systems to provide messages. Methods for employing a control unit are also provided herein.

Claims

1. A communication module for a security system, the communication module comprising:

a radio interface module configured to interface with a communication port of a half-duplex radio, the radio interface module being configured to receive a voice signal from the half-duplex radio and configured to transmit an audio signal to the half-duplex radio;

a microprocessor module in communication with the radio interface module and configured to receive the voice signal from the radio interface module and configured to transmit the audio signal to the radio interface module, the microprocessor module being further configured to translate the voice signal into text data; and

a signal routing module in communication with the microprocessor module and configured to receive the text data from the microprocessor module for transmission to a user of the security system, the signal routing module being further configured to transmit the audio signal to the microprocessor module, wherein the audio signal is derived from at least one detection device and indicates activation of the at least one detection device to a remote user through the half-duplex radio.

2. The communication module of claim 1 wherein the text data comprises a text message.

3. The communication module of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor module is further configured to transmit a control signal to the radio interface module for controlling at least one control feature of the half-duplex radio.

4. The communication module of claim 3 wherein the at least one control feature comprises a voice reception mode and a transmit mode and wherein the microprocessor module facilitates selective operation of the half-duplex radio in either of the voice reception mode and a transmit mode.

5. The communication module of claim 4 wherein the microprocessor module, when the half-duplex radio is in the voice reception mode, is configured to monitor the voice signal to determine whether proper conditions exist to enable operation of the half-duplex radio in the transmit mode.

6. The communication module of claim 1 further comprising a variable voltage supply that is in electrical communication with the half-duplex radio for powering the half-duplex radio.

7. The communication module of claim 6 wherein the variable voltage supply comprises a substantially infinitely variable voltage supply.

8. A security system comprising:

a plurality of detection devices each configured to selectively transmit an alarm signal in response to an alarm condition; and

a control unit comprising;

a main processor module in communication with the plurality of detection devices for receiving the alarm signals from the plurality of detection devices;

a half-duplex radio configured to operate exclusively in either one of a voice reception mode and a transmit mode, wherein, when in the voice reception mode, the half-duplex radio receives a voice signal from a remote half-duplex radio and, when in the transmit mode, the half-duplex radio transmits an outgoing audio signal to a remote half-duplex radio; and

a communication module comprising;

a radio interface module interfaced with a communication port of the half-duplex radio;

a microprocessor module in communication with the radio interface module; and

a signal routing module in communication with the microprocessor module;

wherein, when one of the detection devices detects the alarm condition;

the detection devices transmit the alarm signal to the main processor module;

the main processor module generates a control signal and the outgoing audio signal in response to the alarm signal and transmits the control signal and the outgoing audio signal to the signal routing module;

the signal routing module transmits the outgoing audio signal to the radio interface module and transmits the control signal to the microprocessor module; and

the microprocessor module determines whether the half-duplex radio is receiving the voice signal, and when the half-duplex radio is not receiving the voice signal, the microprocessor module activates the transmit mode of the half-duplex radio and controls the radio interface module based upon the control signal to facilitate transmission of the outgoing audio signal through the radio interface module and from the half-duplex radio to a remote half-duplex radio; and

wherein, when the half-duplex radio is in the voice reception mode and receives the voice signal;

the microprocessor module translates the voice signal into text data and transmits the text data to the signal routing module; and

the signal routing module transmits the text data to the main processor module which transmits the text data to a user interface device.

9. The security system of claim 8 wherein the text data comprises a text message and the user interface device comprises a mobile computing device.

10. The security system of claim 8 wherein the control unit is physically separate from the plurality of detection devices.

11. The security system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of detection devices are wirelessly communicatively coupled with the control unit.

12. The security system of claim 8 wherein the control unit further comprises a variable voltage supply that is in electrical communication with the half-duplex radio for powering the half-duplex radio.

13. The security system of claim 12 wherein the variable voltage supply comprises a substantially infinitely variable voltage supply.

14. The security system of claim 8 wherein the half-duplex radio comprises a push to talk radio.

15. The security system of claim 14 wherein the half-duplex radio comprises a push to talk input port and the microprocessor module activates the transmit mode of the half-duplex radio via the push to talk input port.

16. A method of communicating via a half-duplex radio for a security system, the security system comprising a control unit and a plurality of detection devices in communication with the control unit, the method comprising:

receiving, at the half-duplex radio of the control unit, a voice signal from a remote half-duplex radio;

translating, at a microprocessor module of the control unit, the voice signal into text data;

transmitting, by the control unit, the text data to a user interface device;

detecting, by the plurality of detection devices, an alarm condition;

transmitting, by the plurality of detection devices, an alarm signal to a main processor module;

generating, by the main processor module, a control signal and an outgoing audio signal in response to the alarm signal;

transmitting, by the main processor module, the control signal and the outgoing audio signal to a signal routing module of the control unit;

transmitting, by the signal routing module, the outgoing audio signal to a radio interface module of the control unit;

transmitting, by the signal routing module, the control signal to the microprocessor module of the control unit;

determining, by the microprocessor module of the control unit, whether the half-duplex radio is receiving the voice signal; and

when the half-duplex radio is not receiving the voice signal, activating, by the microprocessor module, a transmit mode of the half-duplex radio and controlling the half-duplex radio based upon the control signal to facilitate transmission of the outgoing audio signal from the half-duplex radio to a remote half-duplex radio.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising powering the half-duplex radio, by a variable voltage supply of the control unit.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the text data comprises a text message and the user interface device comprises a mobile computing device.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the half-duplex radio comprises a push to talk radio.