Alarm systems, alarm devices, alarm activation methods, alarm system retrofitting methods, and alarm system network establishment methods

• US 20020175811A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PAS Alert LLC
• Original Assignee: PAS Alert LLC
• Inventors: Goetz, Joseph R., Merrell, Daniel B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/226 with alphanumeric or graphic display means

Abstract

An alarm system includes at least one wireless alarm transmitter, at least one wireless activate transmitter, and at least one wireless signal receiver. The signal receiver becomes sensitized to recognize an alarm code from the alarm transmitter after recognizing an activate code from the activate transmitter. The signal receiver can include an alarm generator that provides a first alarm after recognizing the alarm code. An alarm device can include a wireless hazard signal receiver that becomes sensitized to recognize a wireless transmitted hazard alarm code only after recognizing a wireless transmitted activate code. An alarm generator can provide a hazard alarm after recognizing the alarm code. The device can further include an alarm code and activate code decryption device. Instead of or in addition to the activate transmitter and sensitizing feature, the system can be equipped to display a location name in the alarm generator as a text alarm.

Claims

1. An alarm system comprising:

at least one wireless alarm transmitter;

at least one hazard condition detector equipped to prompt the alarm transmitter to send an alarm code after identifying at least one hazard condition; and

at least one wireless signal receiver equipped to recognize the alarm code, the signal receiver comprising an alarm generator equipped to provide at least a text alarm as a first alarm after recognizing the alarm code, the text alarm naming a location of the hazard condition detector that identified the hazard condition.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one transmitter comprises a repeater.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm transmitter comprises a code encryption device and the signal receiver comprises a code decryption device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm transmitter is wired to an alarm control panel or alarm indication panel and transmits the alarm code after a detector identifies a hazard condition and notifies the control panel or indication panel.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm transmitter is wired to the detector via a stationary alarm generator and transmits the alarm code after the stationary alarm generator provides a second alarm.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the stationary alarm generator comprises a 12/24 volt alarm further comprising at least one of a light and a horn, the alarm transmitter being wired to the stationary alarm generator via a class C relay.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the stationary alarm generator further comprises an additional class C relay suitable for wiring to hazard suppression equipment.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector is combined with the alarm transmitter in a single unit.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the detector comprises a smoke detector.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal receiver is equipped to additionally receive network paging signals external of the transmitters.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the network paging signals comprise emergency broadcast signals.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the activate transmitter exhibits a lower transmission range in comparison to the alarm transmitter.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the activate transmitter is positioned to exhibit an effective transmission range substantially encompassing at least one entrance of a limited access structure.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the alarm code corresponds to at least one of a fire condition, a carbon monoxide condition, a security breach condition, and an emergency broadcast condition.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising at least one wireless residential alarm transmitter separate from the alarm transmitter, the signal receiver being continuously sensitized to a residential alarm code from the residential alarm transmitter.

12. An alarm device comprising:

a wireless hazard signal receiver that becomes sensitized to recognize a wireless transmitted hazard alarm code only after recognizing a wireless transmitted activate code; and

an alarm generator equipped to provide a hazard alarm after recognizing the alarm code.

13. An alarm system comprising:

at least one wireless alarm transmitter;

at least one wireless activate transmitter; and

at least one wireless signal receiver that becomes sensitized to recognize an alarm code from the alarm transmitter after recognizing an activate code from the activate transmitter, the signal receiver comprising an alarm generator that provides a first alarm after recognizing the alarm code.

18. An alarm system comprising:

at least one wireless alarm transmitter positioned to exhibit an effective transmission range encompassing at least a portion of a first structure;

at least one wireless activate transmitter exhibiting a lower transmission range in comparison to the alarm transmitter and positioned to exhibit an effective transmission range substantially encompassing at least one entrance of the first structure while excluding any adjacent entrance of a second structure, at least a portion of the second structure being outside the effective transmission range of the alarm transmitter;

at least one wireless signal receiver that becomes sensitized to recognize an alarm code from the alarm transmitter after recognizing an activate code from the activate transmitter, the signal receiver comprising an alarm generator that provides an alarm after recognizing the alarm code; and

at least one hazard condition detector that prompts the alarm transmitter to send the alarm code after identifying at least one hazard condition.

19. An alarm activation method comprising:

transmitting an activate code from at least one wireless activate transmitter;

recognizing the activate code with at least one wireless signal receiver;

after recognizing the activate code, sensitizing the signal receiver to recognize at least one alarm code;

transmitting the alarm code from at least one wireless alarm transmitter;

after sensitizing the signal receiver, recognizing the alarm code with the signal receiver; and

after recognizing the alarm code, providing a first alarm from an alarm generator comprised by the signal receiver.

20. An alarm system retrofitting method comprising:

linking at least one added wireless alarm transmitter with an existing alarm system, the link allowing an alarm actuation signal of the existing alarm system to be extended to the wireless alarm transmitter; and

providing at least one added wireless signal receiver equipped to recognize an alarm code from the alarm transmitter, the signal receiver comprising an alarm generator equipped to provide at least a text alarm as a first alarm after recognizing the alarm code, the text alarm naming a location of a hazard condition detector that generated the alarm actuation signal.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the linking comprises linking at least one added stationary alarm generator with the existing alarm system and linking the alarm transmitter with the added stationary alarm generator.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the added stationary alarm generator comprises a 12/24 volt alarm further comprising at least one of a light and a horn, the alarm transmitter being wired to the added stationary alarm generator via a class C relay.

23. An alarm system retrofitting method comprising:

linking at least one added wireless alarm transmitter with an existing alarm system, the link allowing an alarm actuation signal of the existing alarm system to be extended to the wireless alarm transmitter;

providing at least one added wireless activate transmitter; and

providing at least one added wireless signal receiver that becomes sensitized to recognize an alarm code from the alarm transmitter after recognizing an activate code from the activate transmitter, the signal receiver comprising an alarm generator that provides an alarm after recognizing the alarm code.

24. An alarm system network establishment method comprising:

disseminating wireless first alarm transmitters;

disseminating wireless signal receivers, the signal receivers being continuously sensitized to a first alarm code from the first alarm transmitters and comprising an alarm generator that provides a first alarm after recognizing the first alarm code;

promoting purchase and installation of alarm systems comprising wireless second alarm transmitters and wireless activate transmitters, the signal receivers becoming sensitized to recognize a second alarm code from the second alarm transmitters after recognizing an activate code from the activate transmitters and the alarm generator providing a second alarm after recognizing the second alarm code.