Remotely activated, multiple stage alarm system

• US 20040145465A1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SMART SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
• Inventors: Shapiro, Jeremy P., Routman, Brent E., Johns, Nicholas P., Stults, Larry W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,109,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• 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 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range

Abstract

An alarm system (100) to wake sleeping occupants in the event of an emergency has a receiver (105) for detecting a warning signal (130) emitted from an external device (125), such as a smoke or carbon monoxide detector. A processor (11) compares the received warning signal to a predetermined signal and, if they correspond, then a transmitter (115) transmits an alarm (135). The predetermined signal can be preprogrammed or it can be learned by alarm system. The alarm is at least one of an audible, visual, vibratory, and/or olfactory communication. A customized audible communication in a voice familiar to the occupants can be recorded and stored in the alarm system. In addition, the system may provide different alarms before and after motion is detected.

Claims

1. An alarm system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a warning signal from an external device;

a transmitter for transmitting at least one of an audible communication, a visual communication, or a vibratory communication; and

a processor functionally connected to the receiver and the transmitter, for causing the transmitter to transmit the at least one communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor transmits the at least one communication if the received warning signal corresponds to a predetermined signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the audible communication comprises a customized audible communication.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a speaker.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual communication comprises light.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is not connected to the external device via a cable.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is portable.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is functionally connected to the external device via a cable.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a motion detector circuit functionally connected to the processor, wherein the processor, in response to the motion detector circuit detecting motion, causes the transmitter to perform at least one of transmitting a second communication or ceasing transmission of a communication.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second communication is an audible customized communication transmitted in response to the motion detector circuit detecting motion.

11. The system of claim 1, and further comprising a detector functionally connected to the processor, wherein the processor causes the transmitter to transmit the at least one communication in response to the detector detecting at least one of smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, radon gas, or seismic vibrations.

12. An alarm system, comprising:

an input device for accepting a command;

a receiver for receiving a warning signal from an external device;

a transmitter for transmitting at least one of an audible communication, a visual communication, a vibratory communication, or an olfactory communication; and

a processor, functionally connected to the input device, the receiver, and the transmitter, for responding to the command by storing the received warning signal as a predetermined signal, for comparing subsequently received signals to the predetermined signal, and for causing the transmitter to transmit the at least one communication if the received warning signal corresponds to the predetermined signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor stores the received warning signal in a memory.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the receiver receives an audible communication to be stored by the processor.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the receiver receives an audible customized communication to be stored by the processor and to be transmitted by the transmitter if the received warning signal corresponds to the predetermined signal.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the receiver comprises an acoustic transducer for receiving an audible communication to be stored by the processor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the acoustic transducer receives an audible customized communication to be stored by the processor and to be transmitted by the transmitter if the received warning signal corresponds to the predetermined signal.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a motion detector circuit functionally connected to the processor, wherein the processor causes the transmitter to transmit a second communication in response to the motion detector circuit detecting motion.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second communication is an audible customized communication transmitted in response to the motion detector circuit detecting motion.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising a motion detector circuit, functionally connected to the processor, wherein the processor causes the transmitter to cease transmitting a communication in response to the motion detector circuit detecting motion.

21. The system of claim 12, and further comprising a detector, functionally connected to the processor, wherein the processor causes the transmitter to transmit the at least one communication in response to the detector detecting at least one of smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, radon gas, or seismic vibrations.

22. The system of claim 12, and further comprising a test mechanism, functionally connected to the processor, wherein the processor causes the transmitter to transmit a communication in response to the test mechanism being activated.

23. A method of remotely triggering an alarm system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a warning signal from an external device;

comparing the received warning signal to a predetermined signal; and

transmitting at least one of an audible communication, a visual communication, a vibratory communication, or an olfactory communication if received warning signal corresponds to the predetermined signal.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of storing a selected received warning signal as the predetermined signal.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of storing a customized communication to be transmitted if the received warning signal corresponds to the predetermined signal.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of transmitting a second communication in response to a motion detector circuit detecting motion.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of ceasing transmission of a communication in response to a motion detector circuit detecting motion.

28. A method of customizing an alarm system operable to receive a warning signal from an external device, comprising the steps of:

inputting a name of an occupant; and

storing the name of an occupant in a memory of the alarm system.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of inputting a name of an occupant further comprises recording the name of an occupant in a voice familiar to the occupant.

30. The method of claim 29, and further comprising the step of inputting a name of an occupant in a second voice familiar to the occupant.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of inputting a name of an occupant further comprises inputting a plurality of names and wherein the step of storing the name of an occupant in the memory of the alarm system further comprises storing a plurality of names of the occupants in the memory of the alarm system.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of inputting a name of an occupant further comprises selecting a name from the plurality of stored names.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of inputting a name of an occupant further comprises inputting the name of an occupant in the form of data from a user input device.