Temporary mute of alarm in wireless alert system

• US 20060145845A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Nassimi, Shary
• Granted Patent: US 7,248,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/22 Provisions facilitating manual calibration, e.g. input or output provisions for testing; Holding of intermittent values to permit measurement

Abstract

A security system of the type wherein the occurrence of a monitored event, such as presence or motion of an individual at a first location, triggers an alarm at a second location. The invention provides a means of disabling the alarm during times when the device is subject to repeated actuation under conditions when the cause of the repeated actuation is know, as when workmen are present in the monitored location. An infrared sensor causes an RF transmitter to send a signal to a receiver. Switch means interposed between the receiver and alarm device have first and second states wherein the alarm-actuating signal from the receiver is passed and blocked, respectively, to the alarm. A push button is selectively operable to change the state of the switch means from the first to the second, whereby pressing the button effectively disables the alarm. A pulses counter or other such timing means is actuated by pressing the push button and establishes a time period at the conclusion of which the switch means is changed back to its first state, thereby again enabling the alarm device.

Claims

1. A security system for monitoring the occurrence of an event at or near a specified location, said system comprising;

a. a sensor actuable to generate a first electrical signal in response to said event;

b. an alarm device actuable to generate a visibly and/or audibly perceptible signal in response to electrical activation;

c. switch means interposed between said sensor and said alarm device, said switch means having a first state, wherein said first signal actuates said alarm device, and a second state, wherein said first signal does not actuate said alarm device;

d. control means manually operable to change the state of said switch means from said first to said second state; and

e. timing means for establishing a time period following manual operation of said control means, and means for automatically changing the state of said switch means from said second to said first state at the conclusion of said time period.

2. The security system of claim 1 wherein said timing means is a pulse counter.

3. The security system of claim 1 wherein said time period is of fixed duration.

4. The security system of claim 1 and further including means for selectively varying the duration of said time period.

5. The security system of claim 1 and further including RF transmitter actuable in response to said first signal to generate a second signal.

6. The security system of claim 5 and further including an RF receiver operable to receive said second signal from said transmitter and to actuate said alarm device in response to receiving said second signal when said switch means is in said first state.

7. The security system of claim 6 where said switch is a solid state device.

8. The security system of claim 7 wherein said sensor is a passive infrared presence detector.

9. The security system of claim 8 wherein said control means comprise a push-button.

10. A security system for monitoring the occurrence of an event in or near a first location and registering at a second location the occurrence of said event, said security system comprising:

a. a sensor operable to generate a first electrical signal in response to the occurrence of said event;

b. an RF transmitter actuable by said first electrical signal to transmit a second electrical signal;

c. an RF receiver operable to receive said second electrical signal and to generate a third electrical signal in response thereto;

d. an alarm device operable to generate a visually and/or audibly perceptible signal in response to reception at said alarm device of said third electrical signal;

e. switch means interposed between said receiver and said alarm device, said switch means having a first state, wherein said third electrical signal passes from said receiver to said alarm device, and a second state, wherein said third electrical signal is blocked from passing from said receiver to said alarm device;

f. manually operable control means for selectively changing said switch means from said first to said second state; and

g. timing means operable upon changing said switch means from said first to said second state to establish a time period at the conclusion of which said switch means is changed from said second back to said first state.

11. The security system of claim 10 wherein said time period is of fixed duration.

12. The security system of claim 10 and further including means for selectively establishing the duration of said time period.

13. The security system of claim 10 wherein said sensor and said transmitter are positioned at said first location and said receiver, switch means, control means and alarm device are positioned at said second location.

14. The security system of claim 10 wherein said event is the presence of an infrared emitting body at or near said first location and said sensor comprises an infrared presence or motion detector.

15. The security system of claim 10 wherein said alarm device comprises a speaker operable to emit an audible sound in response to said third electrical signal.

16. The security system of claim 10 and further including manually operable means for changing said switch means from said second to said first state during said time period, thereby overriding said timing means and enabling said alarm device prior to expiration of said time period.

17. The security system of claim 16 wherein said control means comprise said manually operable means.