SELF-CONFIGURING EMERGENCY EVENT ALARM SYSTEM WITH AUTONOMOUS OUTPUT DEVICES

• US 20090201143A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: SelfLink LLC (Vulano Group, LLC)
• Inventors: McKenna, Daniel B., Graziano, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,880,604 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 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• 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 25/012 using recorded signals, e.g. speech G08B25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present Self-Configuring Alarm System uses a decentralized (ad hoc or mesh) architecture where any node is capable of autonomously reporting the alarm event directly to all other nodes in the ad hoc network independent of where the alarm event occurred. In addition, the Self-Configuring Alarm System includes a plurality of autonomous output devices which function to provide an audible alarm that directs the occupants to the location of the hazard and/or provides an indication of the nature of the detected hazard or whether an indication of the hazard has been received at a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) that serves the dwelling or locale. The alarm networks and output networks may not be coextensive in their coverage areas.

Claims

1. A self-configuring alarm system, comprising:

an alarm device network comprising a plurality of cooperatively operative alarm devices wherein each of said alarm devices comprises;

at least one sensor means for detecting the presence of a hazard,

processor means responsive to a hazard detected by said at least one sensor means for communicating with said at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to communicate a hazard detection indication to said at least one of said plurality of alarm devices; and

an output device network communicatively connected to said alarm device network and containing a plurality of output devices, wherein each of said output devices comprises;

receiver means for receiving said hazard detection indication, and

output means, responsive to said received hazard detection indication, for generating one or more human sensible alarm indications.

2. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of alarm devices further comprises:

autonomous network configuring means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to autonomously establish a network of said plurality of alarm devices.

3. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 2 wherein at least one of said plurality of output devices further comprises:

output network configuring means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to autonomously establish a network of said plurality of output devices.

4. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 1 wherein:

said alarm device network implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of alarm devices are capable of detecting presence of a hazard;

said output device network implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of output devices are capable of outputting a detectable human sensible alarm indication; and

said coverage regions of said alarm device network and said output device network are not coextensive.

5. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 1 wherein said output means comprises:

alarm indication generation means for generating at least one alarm indication comprising one of;

an audible output of predetermined volume, duration, and pattern, a visual indication of predetermined intensity, duration, and pattern, and external communication to an outside location.

6. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 1 wherein said output means comprises:

alarm indication generation means capable of generating at least two alarm indications comprising;

a first alarm indication indicating that said sensor means has detected said hazard condition, and a second alarm indication indicating receipt of a communication indicative of said hazard detection from another of said plurality of alarm devices.

7. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 1 wherein said processor means comprises:

query means for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device; and

memory means for storing identities of said detected alarm devices in memory to form a network comprising said identified alarm devices.

8. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 7 wherein said processor means further comprises:

relay means, responsive to receipt of a communication for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device, for activating said query means to detect the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device.

9. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 8 wherein said processor means further comprises:

alert transmission means, responsive to a hazard detected by said at least one sensor means, for transmitting an alert indication to said network comprising said identified alarm devices.

10. A self-configuring alarm system, comprising:

at least one alarm device network, wherein each of said alarm device networks comprises a plurality of cooperatively operative alarm devices wherein each of said alarm devices in an alarm device network comprises;

at least one sensor means for detecting the presence of a hazard;

processor means responsive to a hazard detected by said at least one sensor means for communicating with said at least one of said alarm devices in said alarm device network to communicate a hazard detection indication to said alarm devices in said alarm device network; and

at least one output device network, wherein each of said output device networks are communicatively connected to at least one of said alarm device networks and contain a plurality of output devices, wherein each of said output devices in an output device network comprises;

receiver means for receiving said hazard detection indication; and

output means, responsive to said received hazard detection indication, for generating one or more human sensible alarm indications.

11. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 10 wherein said processor means further comprises:

autonomous network configuring means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to autonomously establish a network of said plurality of alarm devices.

12. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of output devices further comprises:

output network configuring means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to autonomously establish a network of said plurality of output devices.

13. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 10 wherein:

each of said plurality of alarm device networks implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of alarm devices contained in said alarm device network are capable of detecting presence of a hazard;

each of said output device networks implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of output devices located in said output device network are capable of outputting a detectable human sensible alarm indication; and

said coverage regions of said alarm device networks and said output device networks are not coextensive.

14. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 10 further comprising:

communication medium means connected to each of said alarm device networks and said output device networks for exchanging communications signals therebetween.

15. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 14 further comprising:

distribution means, responsive to receipt of said alarm indication, for selectively distributing said alarm indication to at least one of said alarm device networks and said output device networks via said communication medium means.

16. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 14 further comprising:

distribution means, responsive to receipt of said alarm indication, for distributing said alarm indication to all of said alarm device networks and said output device networks via said communication medium means.

17. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 14 further comprising:

distribution means, responsive to receipt of said alarm indication, for selectively distributing a plurality of alarm messages to selected ones of said output device networks via said communication medium means.

18. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 10 wherein said output means comprises:

alarm indication generation means for generating at least one alarm indication comprising one of;

an audible output of predetermined volume, duration, and pattern, a visual indication of predetermined intensity, duration, and pattern and external communication to an outside location.

19. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 10 wherein said output means comprises:

alarm indication generation means capable of generating at least two alarm indications comprising;

a first alarm indication indicating that said sensor means has detected said hazard condition, and a second alarm indication indicating receipt of a communication indicative of said hazard detection from another of said plurality of alarm devices.

20. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 10 wherein said processor means comprises:

query means for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device; and

memory means for storing identities of said detected alarm devices in memory to form a network comprising said identified alarm devices.

21. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 20 wherein said processor means further comprises:

relay means, responsive to receipt of a communication for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device, for activating said query means to detect the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device.

22. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 21 wherein said processor means further comprises:

alert transmission means, responsive to a hazard detected by said at least one sensor means, for transmitting an alert indication to said network comprising said identified alarm devices.

23. A self-configuring alarm system, comprising:

a plurality of cooperatively operative alarm devices;

a plurality of output devices;

communication means for exchanging messages among one or more of said plurality of alarm devices and said plurality of output devices;

wherein each of said plurality of alarm devices comprises;

processor means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices via said communication means to automatically establish a network of said plurality of alarm devices;

at least one sensor means for detecting the presence of a hazard;

wherein said processor means is responsive to a hazard detected by said at least one sensor means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices and said output devices via said communication means to communicate a hazard detection indication to said at least one of said plurality of alarm devices and said output devices; and

wherein each of said plurality of output devices comprises;

receiver means for receiving said hazard detection indication; and

output means, responsive to said received hazard detection indication, for generating one or more human sensible alarm indications.

24. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 23 wherein said processor means further comprises:

autonomous network configuring means for communicating with said at least one of said plurality of output devices to autonomously establish a network of said plurality of output devices.

25. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 23 wherein at least one of said plurality of output devices further comprises:

output network configuring means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to autonomously establish a network of said plurality of output devices.

26. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 23 wherein:

said plurality of alarm devices implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of alarm devices are capable of detecting presence of a hazard;

said plurality of output devices implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of output devices are capable of outputting a detectable human sensible alarm indication; and

said coverage regions of said alarm devices and said output devices are not coextensive.

27. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 23 wherein said output means comprises:

alarm indication generation means for generating at least one alarm indication comprising one of;

an audible output of predetermined volume, duration, and pattern, a visual indication of predetermined intensity, duration, and pattern, and external communication to an outside location.

28. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 23 wherein said output means comprises:

alarm indication generation means capable of generating at least two alarm indications comprising;

a first alarm indication indicating that said sensor means has detected said hazard condition, and a second alarm indication indicating receipt of a communication indicative of said hazard detection from another of said plurality of alarm devices.

29. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 23 wherein said processor means comprises:

query means for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said communication means; and

memory means for storing identities of said detected alarm devices in memory to form a network comprising said identified alarm devices.

30. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 29 wherein said processor means further comprises:

relay means, responsive to receipt of a communication for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said communication means, for activating said query means to detect the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said communication means.

31. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 30 wherein said processor means further comprises:

alert transmission means, responsive to a hazard detected by said at least one sensor means, for transmitting an alert indication to said network comprising said identified alarm devices.

32. A self-configuring alarm system, comprising:

an alarm device sub-network comprising a plurality of cooperatively operative alarm devices wherein at least one of said alarm devices comprises;

autonomous network configuring means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to autonomously establish a sub-network of said plurality of alarm devices;

an output device sub-network containing a plurality of output devices, wherein each of said output devices is responsive to a received alarm indication, for generating one or more human sensible alarm indications; and

communication medium means connected to said alarm device sub-network and said output device sub-network for exchanging communications signals therebetween.

33. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 32 wherein at least one of said plurality of output devices comprises:

output sub-network configuring means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of alarm devices to autonomously establish a sub-network of said plurality of output devices.

34. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 32 wherein:

said alarm device sub-network implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of alarm devices are capable of detecting presence of a hazard;

said output device sub-network implements a coverage region representative of a physical extent in which said plurality of output devices are capable of outputting a detectable human sensible alarm indication; and

said coverage regions of said alarm device sub-network and said output device sub-network are not coextensive.

35. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 32 wherein each of said alarm devices further comprises:

query means for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device; and

memory means for storing identities of said detected alarm devices in memory to form a sub-network comprising said identified alarm devices.

36. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 35 wherein each of said alarm devices further comprises:

relay means, responsive to receipt of a communication for detecting the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device, for activating said query means to detect the presence of any other alarm devices that are connected to said alarm device.

37. The self-configuring alarm system of claim 32 wherein each of said alarm devices further comprises:

alert transmission means, responsive to a hazard detected by a one of said alarm devices, for transmitting an alert indication to said network of identified alarm devices.