Wireless linking of smoke/CO detection units

• US 20070241876A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Derek, Brooks, Floyd
• Granted Patent: US 7,417,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless detector and alarm system, such as for example a smoke detector and/or carbon monoxide (CO) detector, operable to be linked and unlinked with one or more like detectors thereby forming a network of detectors. A detector sensing the presence of an environmental condition, which requires the sounding of an alert is operable to transmit a signal to other remotely linked detectors, thereby triggering the remotely linked detectors to sound an appropriate alarm. The detector at the location of the environmental condition causing the alarm and the remotely linked detector are capable to operate in teach and learn modes such that the address or “house codes” of the detectors can be synchronized.

Claims

1. A wireless environment condition detector comprising:

an environment condition detector having a controller;

said controller electronically controlling the environment condition detector and having a teaching mode, said controller being further operable to enter said teaching mode when a test button communicably linked to said controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the controller and when said controller receives a wirelessly transmitted remote learner address and a remote request teaching command through an electronically coupled transceiver module and when in said teaching mode to wirelessly transmit a local learn-my-code command and local teacher house code data to the wirelessly transmitted learner address, through said transceiver when a request teaching command is received; and

said controller having a learning mode and further operable to enter said learning mode when the test button is actuated during engagement of battery power with the controller, and when in said learning mode further operable to wirelessly transmit through said transceiver module a local request teaching command and a local learner address, and further operable to receive a remote learn-my-code command and a remote teacher house code data and electronically store said remote teacher house code data in electronic memory when received.

2. The detector as recited in claim 1 where said controller is further operable to control said transceiver module of the environmental condition detector to scan for an external event alarm transmission having a matching house code and poll for an internal event alarm signal after battery power has engaged the controller and when the test button is not actuated and said controller further operable to sound an event alarm if said external event alarm transmission is detected or if said internal event alarm signal is energized.

3. The detector as recited in claim 1, where said controller is further operable to control said transceiver module of the environment condition detector to scan for said request teaching command when said test button communicably linked to said controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the controller and said controller further operable to enter a test mode if no remote request teaching command is detected.

4. The detector as recited in claim 1, where said controller is further operable to control said transceiver module of the environment condition detector to scan for said remote learn-my-code command when in the learning mode.

5. The detector as recited in claim 1, where said environment condition detector is a smoke detector.

6. The detector as recited in claim 2, where said environment condition detector is a combination smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector combination.

7. The detector as recited in claim 6, where said controller is operable to electronically activate an event alarm corresponding to said external event alarm transmission.

8. The detector as recited in claim 7, where said external event alarm transmission is a smoke detector type event alarm transmission and the event alarm activated by the controller is a smoke detector alarm.

9. The detector as recited in claim 7, where said external event alarm transmission is a carbon monoxide type event alarm transmission and the event alarm triggered by the controller is a carbon monoxide detector alarm.

10. The detector as recited in claim 1, where said controller is operable to generate randomized house code and store said randomized house code in electronic memory when the test button is actuated during the learning mode, thereby unlinking the environment condition detection.

11. A method of implementing a wireless environment condition detector and alarm comprising the steps of:

initiating a teach mode of a controller of an environment condition detector when a test button communicably linked to said controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the controller, where initiating said teach mode further comprises the steps of, receiving a wirelessly transmitted remote learner address and a remote request teaching command through a transceiver and wirelessly transmitting local learn-my-code command and local teacher house code data to the wirelessly transmitted remote learner address, through said transceiver module; and

initiating a learn mode of said controller when the test button is actuated when engagement of battery power with the controller occurs, where initiating said learn mode further comprises the steps of wirelessly transmitting through said transceiver module a local request teaching command and the local learner address, and receiving a remote learn-my-code command and a remote teacher house code data and electronically storing said remote teacher house code data when received.

12. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

initiating with the controller a scan for an external event alarm transmission having a matching house code and a poll for an internal event alarm signal after battery power has engaged the controller and when the test button is not actuated and further initiating a sounding of an event alarm if said external event alarm transmission is scanned or if said internal event alarm signal is energized.

13. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

initiating with the controller a scan for said remote request teaching command when said test button communicably linked to said controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the controller and further initiating a test mode if no request teaching command is scanned.

14. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

initiating with the controller a scan for said remote learn-my-code command when in the learn mode.

15. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 11, where said environmental condition detector is a smoke detector.

16. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 12, where said environmental condition detector is a combination smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.

17. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of electronically triggering an event alarm corresponding to said external event alarm transmission.

18. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 17, where said external event alarm transmission is a smoke detector type event alarm transmission and the event alarm activated by the controller is a carbon monoxide detector alarm.

19. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 17, where said external event alarm transmission is a smoke detector type event alarm transmission and the event alarm activated by the controller is a carbon monoxide detector alarm.

20. The method of implementing a detector as recited in claim 11, further comprising the step of initiating a randomization of the house code when the test button is actuated during the learn mode thereby randomizing the house code and storing the randomized house code in electronic memory thereby unlinking the environment condition detector.

21. A wireless environmental condition detector system comprising:

a first environment condition detector having a first controller operable to enter a first unit teaching mode when a first test button communicably linked to said first controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the first controller and when said first controller receives a wirelessly transmitted second unit learner address and a second unit request teaching command through an electronically linked first transceiver and when in said teaching mode to wirelessly transmit a first unit learn-my-code command and first unit teacher house code data to the wirelessly transmitted second unit learner address, through said first transceiver when said second unit request teaching command is received; and

a second environment condition detector having a second controller operable to enter a second unit learning mode when a second test button communicably linked to said second controller is actuated during engagement of battery power, and when in said second unit learning mode further operable to wirelessly transmit through a second transceiver said second unit request teaching command and the second unit learner address, and further operable to receive the first unit learn-my-code command and the first unit teacher house code data and electronically store said first unit teacher house code data in electronic memory.

22. The environmental detector system as recited in claim 21, where said second controller is operable to enter a second unit teaching mode when the second test button communicably linked to said second controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the second controller and when said second controller receives a wirelessly transmitted third unit learner address and a third unit request teaching command through an electronically coupled second transceiver and when in said second unit teaching mode to wirelessly transmit a second unit learn-my-code command and a second unit teacher house code data to the wirelessly transmitted third unit learner address, through said second transceiver.

23. The environmental detector system as recited in claim 22, where said first environment condition detector having said first controller operable to enter a first unit learning mode when said first test button communicably linked to said first controller is actuated during engagement of battery power, and further operable to wirelessly transmit through said first transceiver a first unit request teaching command and the first unit learner address, and further operable to receive the second unit learn-my-code command and the second unit teacher house code data and electronically store said second unit teacher house code data

24. The system as recited in claim 23 where said first controller is further operable to control said first transceiver module of the first environmental condition detector to scan for an external event alarm transmission having a matching house code and poll for an internal event alarm signal after battery power has engaged the first controller and when the first test button is not actuated and said first controller further operable to sound an event alarm if said external event alarm transmission is scanned or if said internal event alarm signal is energized.

25. The system as recited in claim 23, where said first controller is further operable to control said first transceiver module of said first environmental condition detector to scan for said second unit request teaching command when said first test button communicably linked to said first controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with said first controller and said first controller further operable to enter a test mode if no second unit request teaching command is scanned.

26. The system as recited in claim 23, where said second controller is further operable to control said second transceiver module of said second environmental condition detector to scan for said first unit learn-my-code command when in the learning mode.

27. The system as recited in claim 24, where said first and said second environmental condition detectors are a smoke detectors.

28. The system as recited in claim 24, where said first and said second environment condition detectors are a combination smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, where said first controller is operable to trigger an event alarm corresponding to said external event alarm transmission, where said external event alarm transmission is transmitted by the second environmental condition detector.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, where said external event alarm transmission is a smoke detector type event alarm transmission and the event alarm triggered by the first controller is a smoke detector alarm.

31. The system as recited in claim 29, where said external event alarm transmission is a carbon monoxide type event alarm transmission and the event alarm triggered by the first controller is a carbon monoxide detector alarm.

32. A method of implementing a wireless environmental condition detector and alarm system comprising the steps of:

initiating a first unit teach mode of a first controller of an environment condition detector when a first test button communicably linked to said first controller is pressed after battery power has already been engaged with the first controller, where said initiating the first unit teach mode further comprises the steps of, receiving a wirelessly transmitted second unit learner address and a second unit request teaching command through a first transceiver and wirelessly transmitting a first unit learn-my-code command and first unit teacher house code data to the wirelessly transmitted second unit learner address, through said first transceiver; and

initiating a second unit learn mode of a second controller of a second environment condition detector when a second test button is pressed during engagement of battery power, where said initiating the second unit learn mode further comprises the steps of wirelessly transmitting through a second transceiver said second unit request teaching command and said second unit learner address, and receiving through said second transceiver the first unit learn-my-code command and the first unit teacher house code data and electronically storing said first unit teacher house code data when received.

33. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 32, further comprising the step of:

initiating a second unit teach mode of said second controller of said second environment condition detector when a second test button communicably linked to said second controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the second controller, where said initiating the second unit teach mode further comprises the steps of, receiving a wirelessly transmitted third unit learner address and a third unit request teaching command through a second transceiver and wirelessly transmitting a second unit learn-my-code command and second unit teacher house code data to the wirelessly transmitted third unit learner address, through said second transceiver.

34. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 33, further comprising the step of:

initiating a first unit learn mode of a first controller of said first environmental condition detector when a first test button is pressed during engagement of battery power, where said initiating the first unit learn mode further comprises the steps of wirelessly transmitting through said first transceiver a first unit request teaching command and a first unit learner address, and receiving through said first transceiver a third unit learn-my-code command and a third unit teacher house code data and electronically storing said third unit teacher house code data when received.

35. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

initiating with the first controller a scan for an external event alarm transmission having a matching house code and a poll for an internal event alarm signal after battery power has engaged the first controller and when the first test button is not actuated and further initiating a sounding of an event alarm if said external event alarm transmission is scanned or if said internal event alarm signal is energized.

36. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

initiating with the first controller a scan for said second unit request teaching command when said first test button communicably linked to said first controller is actuated after battery power has already been engaged with the first controller and further initiating a first unit test mode if no second unit request teaching command is scanned.

37. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

initiating with the second controller a scan for said first unit learn-my-code command when in the second unit learn mode.

38. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 35, where said environmental condition detector is a smoke detector

39. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 35, where said second environmental condition detector is a combination smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.

40. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of activating an event alarm corresponding to said external event alarm transmission.

41. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 38, where said external event alarm transmission is a smoke detector type event alarm transmission and the event alarm activated by the first controller is a smoke detector alarm.

42. The method of implementing a system as recited in claim 34, where said external event alarm transmission is a smoke detector type event alarm transmission and the event alarm activated by the first controller is a smoke detector alarm.

43. A method of implementing an environment condition detector system comprising the steps of:

engaging battery power to a first environment condition detector causing the first detector to enter normal operation;

actuating and holding a second unit test button of a second environment condition detector while engaging battery power then releasing said second unit test button thereby causing the second detector to enter a learning mode and further causing the second detector to transmit a second unit request teaching command and a second unit house code address;

actuating a first unit test button of the first detector causing the first detector to scan for a request teaching command;

receiving to the first detector the second unit request teaching command and the second detector house code address causing the first detector to transmit a first unit learn command and a first unit house code address;

receiving to the second unit the first unit learn command and the first unit house code address thereby causing the second detector to replace its second unit house code address with the first unit house code address thereby linking the first and second detectors to communicate event alarms using the first unit house code address.

44. The method of implementing an environment condition detector as recited in claim 43, further comprising the step of:

actuating the second unit test button during the learning mode thereby causing a random house code to be generated and replacing the second units house code with the random house code thereby unlinking the first and second detectors.