Environmental condition alarm with voice enunciation

• US 20030146833A1
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BRK Brands Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BRK Brands Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Derek Scott, Brooks, Floyd Eugene, Swieboda, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,970,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/012 using recorded signals, e.g. speech G08B25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/126 of annunciator circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/14 checking the detection circuits

Abstract

An ambient condition detector can provide verbal feedback to a user or consumer indicative of an alarm condition being sensed beyond the existence of a predetermined alarm condition and/or location. Information pertaining to developing alarm conditions whether gas or fire, that are being sensed can be verbally fed back to the consumer either automatically or in response to incident infrared control signals directed to the detector by the consumer. Additional status and/or parametric information can be provided by the consumer in response to incoming infrared command signals.

Claims

1. An ambient condition detector comprising:

at least one ambient condition sensor;

control circuitry coupled to the sensor for receiving electrical signals therefrom indicative of a sensed condition, and for determining the existence of a predetermined alarm condition;

voice output circuitry, coupled to the control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry, in response to a selected signal, couples at least one of sensor related parametric value information, and, detector status information to the voice output circuitry for audible output as human discernable speech; and

a radiant energy receiving port, coupled to the control circuitry for receiving radiant energy from a remote source and for generating the selected signal in response thereto.

2. A detector as in claim 1 wherein the sensor is one of a gas sensor, a heat sensor, a humidity sensor, and a smoke sensor.

3. A detector as in claim 1 which includes a second, different sensor coupled to the control circuitry.

4. A detector as in claim 1 which includes circuits for specifying a detector installation location in response to received radiant energy signals.

5. A detector as in claim 4 which includes circuitry, coupled to the voice output circuitry for producing an audible, location confirming output as human discernable speech.

6. A detector as in claim 4 wherein detector status information is selected from a class which includes battery status, sensor status, and control circuitry status.

7. A detector as in claim 4 which includes a housing which defines an internal volume wherein the at least one sensor, the control circuitry and the voice output circuitry are carried.

8. A detector as in claim 4 which includes circuitry, coupled to the voice output circuitry, for emitting an alarm-type audible output as human discernable speech.

9. A detector as in claim 4 which includes circuitry, coupled to the voice output circuitry, for emitting an alarm location audible output as human discernable speech.

10. A speech oriented ambient condition detector comprising:

a housing;

at least two different ambient condition sensors carried by the housing;

circuitry for identifying housing location;

circuitry for receiving signals from the sensors and for ascertaining the presence of at least one predetermined alarm condition and for storing parametric information pertaining to status of at least one of a sensor, a battery condition, and circuit condition; and

voice circuitry for generating human discernable speech output of at least housing location and numeric ambient condition information associated with one of the sensors.

11. A detector as in claim 10 which includes circuitry wherein the numeric ambient condition information can be verbalized in the absence of any alarm condition and in response to a selected condition.

12. A detector as in claim 11 wherein the selected condition comprises a selected, remotely generated radiant energy signal.

13. An ambient condition detector comprising:

at least one ambient condition sensor;

a voice output element, coupled to the control circuitry for providing user induced, non-alarm, verbal, monitoring outputs.

14. A detector as in claim 13 wherein the voice output element includes storage of ambient condition, non-alarm, monitoring messages.

15. A detector as in claim 13 wherein the control circuitry includes a signal line, coupled to the control circuitry, for conveying a user induced, verbal output initiating signal thereto.

16. A detector as in claim 15 wherein an electronic switch is coupled to the signal line.

17. A monitoring process comprising:

sensing at least one ambient condition in a selected region;

establishing the presence of a predetermined alarm state local to the selected region;

monitoring at least one selected non-alarm parameter local to the selected region;

sensing a user induced command signal;

responsive to the command signal, and in the absence of an alarm state, verbally outputting information pertaining to the monitored parameter.

18. A process as in claim 17 which includes monitoring at least one of a power source and a sensor of the ambient condition.

19. A process as in claim 18 which includes sensing a second ambient condition.

20. A process as in claim 19 which includes monitoring at least one of a power source, a sensor of the ambient condition and a sensor of the second ambient condition.

21. A process as in claim 20 which includes providing a partially bounded region as the selected region.

22. A process as in claim 21 which includes originating the verbally output information from within the region.