Apparatus and Method For Alarm Detection and Notification

• US 20080224848A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Artful Hardware, LLC
• Original Assignee: Artful Hardware, LLC
• Inventors: Meyer, Miles
• Application Number:
  US11/687,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224848A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station

Abstract

A device for detecting the presence of an alarm condition and automatically dialing a preprogrammed telephone number is described. The device comprises a standard telephone configured to house a detection sensor. The telephone includes an interface that couples the detection sensor to the telephone so that upon detection of an alarm event. The interface relays a signal from the sensor to the telephone. The telephone then waits a predetermined amount of time prior to initiating a telephone call to a predetermined telephone number to alert a person at the predetermined telephone number of the alarm condition.

Claims

1. A device adapted for emergency detection and for automatically dialing a preprogrammed telephone number in response to the detection of an emergency event comprising:

a housing;

a transmitter removably coupled to the housing for use in audible transmissions;

a dial pad fixedly coupled to the housing enabling a user to dial a telephone number, the dial pad further including a means for enabling a user to program at least one telephone number for automatic dialing and a means for enabling use of a speaker;

a smoke and carbon monoxide detector mounted in the housing;

an alarm notification device provided in the housing for audibly announcing the detection of an alarm condition; and

a means for automatically actuating the speaker and dialing a preprogrammed telephone number in response to the detection of an alarm condition by the smoke and carbon monoxide detector.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is selected from a group comprising at least one of a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), a conventional telephone, and a computer and the preprogrammed telephone number is 9-1-1.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a battery to power the smoke and carbon monoxide detection sensor.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the battery comprises a multi-cell battery pack.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a backup battery for powering the device and retaining the preprogrammed numbers in case of a power outage.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein a pre-recorded audio recording is sounded through the speaker in response to the detection of an alarm condition.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein an audible tone is sounded through the speaker in response to the detection of an alarm condition.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one LED on the housing of the device for indicating the detection of an alarm condition.

9. The device of claim 3 wherein the device is configured to notify a user when the battery'"'"'s power runs low.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensor for detecting at least one of substantially high and substantially low temperatures.

11. The device of claim 5 wherein the device is configured to notify a user when the backup battery'"'"'s power runs low.

12. A method of alerting persons to the presence of an alarm condition by use of a device comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence of an alarm condition;

announcing the presence of an alarm condition through a speaker provided on the device;

waiting a predetermined amount of time;

actuating a speakerphone;

dialing a preprogrammed telephone number so as to initiate a telephone call; and

deactivating the speakerphone after a predetermined amount of minutes to hang up the call.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the device redials the preprogrammed telephone number after a predetermined period of time if the call is not answered prior to the deactivating step.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the device dials a second preprogrammed telephone number after a predetermined period of time if the call is not answered prior to the deactivating step.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the alarm condition is at least one of smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, substantially high temperature, substantially low temperature, water, and substantially large fluctuations in temperature.

16. An alarm detection and notification device comprising:

a housing;

a receiver and transmitter operably coupled to the housing for initiating audible conversations;

a dial pad operably coupled to the housing;

a detector comprising at least one of a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, temperature detector, and water detector operably coupled to the housing; and

a microcontroller operably coupled between the detector and the receiver and dial pad, the microcontroller configured to close a first switch to initiate a telephone call and a second switch to dial a preprogrammed telephone number.

17. The alarm detection and notification device of claim 16 wherein the device comprises at least one of a conventional telephone, a cellular telephone, a PDA, and a computer.

18. The alarm detection and notification device of claim 16 further comprising a battery for providing power to the detector.

19. The alarm detection and notification device of claim 16 further comprising a backup battery for the device.

20. The alarm detection and notification device of claim 16 wherein the detector comprises a combination of at least two of a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, temperature detector, and water detector.