Disaster warning system

• US 20090002181A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Larry George Gayden
• Original Assignee: Larry George Gayden
• Inventors: Gayden, Larry George
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/601
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/113 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/00 in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather

Abstract

A disaster warning system including a weather radio, a tornado acoustic signature detector combined with a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. The disaster warning system includes a central control unit and peripheral alarm unit, which report the alarm signals generated by the control unit.

Claims

1. A disaster warning system comprising:

a control unit, at least one peripheral alarm unit operationally connected to the control unit, and at least one peripheral acoustic sensor unit operationally connected to the control unit, wherein;

the control unit comprises;

a smoke detector,

a carbon monoxide detector,

a radio receiver, wherein the radio receiver is tunable to receive transmissions from commercial transmitters, governmental transmitters, and military transmitters, wherein the radio receiver is dimensioned and configured to receive location-specific weather alerts;

a plurality of notification devices comprising lights, speakers, and vibrators,

a transmitter,

a signal generator operationally connected to a transmitter,

a module board, and

a LCD screen, wherein the LCD screen displays textual information about the status of the disaster warning system and information received by the radio receiver;

wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is dimensioned and configured to create an alarm notification in response to an alarm signal transmitted by the control unit, the peripheral alarm unit comprising;

a receiver,

a plurality of notification devices comprising speakers, light emitting diodes, and vibrators;

wherein the at least one peripheral acoustic sensor unit is dimensioned and configured to detect an acoustic signature of an approaching tornado, and upon detection of an acoustic signature of an approaching tornado the peripheral acoustic sensor unit generates a tornado warning signal and sends the tornado warning signal to the control unit, the control unit decodes the tornado warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices, and the control unit sends the tornado warning signal to the at least one peripheral alarm unit and the at least one peripheral alarm unit decodes the tornado warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices;

wherein the control unit generates a warning signal when the smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector is activated and sends the warning signal to the peripheral alarm unit, and the peripheral alarm unit decodes the warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices, and

wherein the radio receiver is dimensioned and configured to receive location-specific weather alerts and play the weather alerts through the speaker in the control unit, and wherein the control unit sends the weather alert to the at least one peripheral alarm unit, and the at least one peripheral alarm unit plays the weather alert through the speaker.

2. The disaster warning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a wireless connection.

3. The disaster warning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a hardwire connection.

4. The disaster warning system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral acoustic sensor unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a wireless connection.

5. The disaster warning system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral acoustic sensor unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a hardwire connection.

6. The disaster warning system of claim 1, wherein the module board is dimensioned and configured to allow the integration of additional disaster warning detectors into the home disaster warning system.

7. The disaster warning system of claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises auxiliary input connections dimensioned and configured to connect to hardwired information services.

8. A disaster warning system comprising:

a control unit, at least one peripheral alarm unit operationally connected to the control unit, and at least one peripheral acoustic sensor unit operationally connected to the control unit, wherein;

the control unit comprises;

a radio receiver, wherein the radio receiver is tunable to receive transmissions from commercial transmitters, governmental transmitters, and military transmitters, wherein the radio receiver is dimensioned and configured to receive location-specific weather alerts;

a plurality of notification devices comprising lights, speakers, and vibrators,

a transmitter,

a signal generator operationally connected to a transmitter,

a module board, wherein the module board is dimensioned and configured to allow the integration of additional disaster warning detectors into the disaster warning system,

a smoke detector,

a carbon monoxide detector,

at least one modular notification device, wherein the at least one modular notification device collects data and generates a notification signal, and the at least one modular notification device is operationally connected to the module board,

a LCD screen, wherein the LCD screen displays textual information about the status of the disaster warning system, information received by the radio receiver, and the data collected by the at least one notification device;

a plurality of interfaces comprising telephone jacks, Ethernet jacks, and coaxial cable inputs, wherein the plurality of interfaces connect the control unit to wire-based information services and the internet;

wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is dimensioned and configured to create an alarm notification in response to an alarm signal transmitted by the control unit, the peripheral alarm unit comprising;

a receiver,

a plurality of notification devices comprising speakers, light emitting diodes, and vibrators;

wherein the at least one peripheral acoustic sensor unit is dimensioned and configured to detect an acoustic signature of an approaching tornado, and upon detection of an acoustic signature of an approaching tornado the peripheral acoustic sensor unit generates a tornado warning signal and sends the tornado warning signal to the control unit, the control unit decodes the tornado warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices, and the control unit sends the tornado warning signal to the at least one peripheral alarm unit and the at least one peripheral alarm unit decodes the tornado warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices;

wherein the control unit generates a warning signal when the smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector is activated and sends the warning signal to the peripheral alarm unit, and the peripheral alarm unit decodes the warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices, and

wherein the radio receiver is dimensioned and configured to receive location-specific weather alerts and play the weather alerts through the speaker in the control unit, and wherein the control unit sends the weather alert to the at least one peripheral alarm unit, and the at least one peripheral alarm unit plays the weather alert through the speaker.

9. The disaster warning system of claim 8, wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a wireless connection.

10. The disaster warning system of claim 8, wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a hardwire connection.

11. The disaster warning system of claim 8, wherein the peripheral acoustic sensor unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a wireless connection.

12. The disaster warning system of claim 8, wherein the peripheral acoustic sensor unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a hardwire connection.

13. The disaster warning system of claim 8, wherein the at least one modular notification device comprises a weather monitoring station.

14. The disaster warning system of claim 8, wherein the at least one modular notification device comprises a seismic disturbance monitor.

15. A disaster warning system comprising:

a control unit, at least one peripheral alarm unit operationally connected to the control unit, and at least one peripheral acoustic sensor unit operationally connected to the control unit, wherein;

the control unit comprises;

a radio receiver, wherein the radio receiver is tunable to receive transmissions from commercial transmitters, governmental transmitters, and military transmitters, wherein the radio receiver is dimensioned and configured to receive location-specific weather alerts;

a plurality of notification devices comprising lights, speakers, and vibrators,

a transceiver,

a signal generator operationally connected to a transceiver,

a module board, wherein the module board is dimensioned and configured to allow the integration of additional disaster warning detectors into the disaster warning system,

a smoke detector,

a carbon monoxide detector,

at least one modular notification device, wherein the at least one modular notification device collects data and generates a notification signal, and the at least one modular notification device is operationally connected to the module board,

a LCD screen, wherein the LCD screen displays textual information about the status of the disaster warning system, information received by the radio receiver, and the data collected by the at least one notification device;

a plurality of interfaces comprising telephone jacks, Ethernet jacks, and coaxial cable inputs, wherein the plurality of interfaces connect the control unit to wire-based information services and the internet;

wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is dimensioned and configured to create an alarm notification in response to an alarm signal transmitted by the control unit, the peripheral alarm unit comprising;

a transceiver,

a plurality of notification devices comprising speakers, light emitting diodes, and vibrators,

a motion detector, wherein the motion detector is dimensioned and configured to create a motion detection signal in response to motion, and send the motion detection signal to the control unit;

wherein the at least one peripheral acoustic sensor unit is dimensioned and configured to detect an acoustic signature of an approaching tornado, and upon detection of an acoustic signature of an approaching tornado the peripheral acoustic sensor unit generates a tornado warning signal and sends the tornado warning signal to the control unit, the control unit decodes the tornado warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices, and the control unit sends the tornado warning signal to the at least one peripheral alarm unit and the at least one peripheral alarm unit decodes the tornado warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices;

wherein the control unit generates a warning signal when the smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector is activated and sends the warning signal to the peripheral alarm unit, and the peripheral alarm unit decodes the warning signal and activates the plurality of notification devices; and

wherein the radio receiver is dimensioned and configured to receive location-specific weather alerts and play the weather alerts through the speaker in the control unit, and wherein the control unit sends the weather alert to the at least one peripheral alarm unit, and the at least one peripheral alarm unit plays the weather alert through the speaker.

16. The disaster warning system of claim 15, wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a wireless connection.

17. The disaster warning system of claim 15, wherein the at least one peripheral alarm unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a hardwire connection.

18. The disaster warning system of claim 15, wherein the peripheral acoustic sensor unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a wireless connection.

19. The disaster warning system of claim 15, wherein the peripheral acoustic sensor unit is operationally linked to the control unit via a hardwire connection.

20. The disaster warning system of claim 15, wherein the at least one modular notification device comprises a weather monitoring station.