SYSTEM OF DEVICES COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SENSOR DEVICES COMMUNICATION WITH A CENTRAL GATEWAY DEVICE

• US 20090072962A1
• Filed: 11/08/2005
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifeline Systems Company (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hitchin, Mark L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,653,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/524
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A system of devices comprises a plurality of sensor devices and a central gateway device. Each sensor device comprises communicating means for communicating with the central gateway device, storage means storing a unique identifier, and display means displaying a location identifier. The central gateway device comprises communicating means for communicating with the plurality of sensor devices, and storage means storing the unique identifiers of the plurality of sensor devices.

Claims

1. A system of devices comprising a plurality of sensor devices (12, 14, 16, 18), each sensor device (12 . . . 18) comprising communicating means (20) for communicating with a central gateway device (22), storage means (24) storing a unique identifier (26), and display means (28) displaying a location identifier (30), and a central gateway device (22) comprising communicating means (32) for communicating with the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18).

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the central gateway device (22) further comprises storage means (34) storing the unique identifiers (26) of the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18).

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the storage means (34) of the central gateway device (22) stores data (36) corresponding to the location identifier (30) of each sensor device (12 . . . 18) and the data (36) is linked to the unique identifier (26) of that device (12 . . . 18).

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18) communicate with the central gateway device (22) via a short-range wireless communication link.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18) communicate with the central gateway device (22) via a wired communication link.

6. A system according to claim 1, and further comprising a monitoring station (40) in communication with the central gateway device (22).

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the monitoring station (40) communicates with the central gateway device (22) via a wireless network.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein the monitoring station (40) is at a location remote from the central gateway device (22).

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18) is arranged, in defined circumstances, to communicate its unique identifier (26) to the central gateway device (22).

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor devices (12 . . . 18) is a movement sensor.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the storage device (34) of the central gateway device (22) stores the output of the sensor devices (12 . . . 18).

12. A method of installing a system of devices comprising receiving (44) a plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18), each sensor device (12 . . . 18) comprising communicating means (20) for communicating with a central gateway device (22), storage means (24) storing a unique identifier (26), and display means (28) displaying a location identifier (30), and installing (46) each sensor device (12 . . . 18) in a location corresponding to the location identifier (30).

13. A method according claim 12, and further comprising receiving (48) a central gateway device (22) comprising communicating means (32) for communicating with the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18), and storage means (34) storing the unique identifiers (26) of the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18), and installing (50) the central gateway device (22).

14. A method according to claim 12, and further comprising connecting (52) the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18) to the central gateway device (22) via a short-range wireless communication link.

15. A method according to claim 12, and further comprising connecting (52) the plurality of sensor devices (12 . . . 18) to the central gateway device (22) via a wired communication link.