CORDLESS PHONE SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED ALARM & REMOTE MONITORING CAPABILITY

• US 20110003577A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rogalski, Gary, Tischler, Ralph, Pothiboon, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2725 using electronic memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A cordless telephone system provides home security. Each handset associated with the cordless telephone system detects an event, such as a noise level that exceeds a threshold noise level, smoke, carbon monoxide, intrusion or moisture level. If an event is detected the system initiates a telephone call through the base unit to an alert telephone number. When the telephone call to the alert telephone number is established, a message is played to provide notification of the event.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone system for providing home security, comprising:

a base unit having a base unit memory for storing an alert telephone number; and

one or more handsets associated with the base unit, each handset having a digital signal processor for detecting a noise level, and a memory for storing a threshold noise level;

wherein during a home security mode of operation of the cordless telephone system, each of the one or more handsets detects a noise level, compares the detected noise level to the threshold noise level, and causes a call to be initiated to an alert telephone number and a notification message to be played if the detected noise level exceeds the threshold noise level,

wherein the alert telephone number can be entered by a user into the base unit when placing the cordless phone system into the home security mode of operation,

wherein the alert telephone number is associated with the user, such that, upon receiving the notification message, the user can determine whether to call security or other emergency personnel.

2. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein a location associated with each of the one or more handsets is stored in the base unit memory, and wherein the location of a handset having a detected noise level that exceeds the threshold level is provided to the user together with the notification message.

3. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a motion detector in one or more of the handsets and base unit.

4. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a carbon monoxide detector in one or more of the handsets and base unit.

5. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a moisture detector in one or more of the handsets and base unit.

6. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a camera to record video or one or more snapshots of a room in which a handset or base unit detects a threshold noise level exceeded.

7. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising one or more speakers through which a notification message can be played

8. The cordless telephone system of claim 7, wherein the at least one or more speakers is/are in one or more of the handsets and the base unit.

9. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the handsets comprises one or more of a motion detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a smoke detector and a moisture detector.

10. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein audio information is stored to the base unit memory when the threshold noise level is exceeded.

11. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of threshold noise levels, each threshold noise level corresponding to a different time of day.

12. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a calibration mode of operation for calibrating the threshold noise level.

13. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a configuration file, wherein the configuration file includes the alert telephone number.

14. The cordless telephone system of claim 13, wherein the configuration file includes a location of each handset.

15. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein the handsets and/or the base station comprise a digital signal processor that is programmed to identify sounds emitted by at least one of a smoke detector and a CO detector.

16. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein the handsets and/or the base station comprise a digital signal processor that is programmed to identify sounds emitted by a moisture detector.

17. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein the handsets and/or the base station comprise a digital signal processor that is programmed to identify sounds emitted by an intrusion detector.

18. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the handsets and the base station further comprise at least one of a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a moisture detector and an intrusion detector.

19. A method for providing home security using a cordless telephone system, comprising:

placing the cordless telephone system in a home security mode of operation;

entering a phone number associated with a user into the system;

detecting an event through one or more of the handsets and the base station of the cordless telephone system;

initializing a telephone call to the phone number associated with the user,

wherein, upon receiving the telephone call, the user can determine whether to call security or other emergency personnel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the event is one of a noise level that exceeds a threshold noise level, an intrusion, smoke, carbon dioxide and moisture.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the event is a noise level that exceeds the threshold noise level, further comprising determining the threshold noise level by calibration.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining a plurality of threshold noise levels, each threshold noise level corresponding to a different time of day.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing a location corresponding to at least one handset of the cordless telephone system in a configuration file.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein one or more of the base station and the handsets comprises a digital signal processor that identifies events based upon one or more of the following:

a noise level that exceeds a threshold noise level,

an audible sound characteristic of a smoke detector,

an audible sound characteristic of a carbon monoxide detector,

an audible sound characteristic of an intrusion detector,

an audible sound characteristic of a moisture detector.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising playing a message through a speaker at the determined location.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing video of the determined location.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing at least one photograph of the determined location.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the user may instruct the cordless phone system to directly alert an emergency service by entering a predetermined sequence of keypad entries.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the event is a moisture detection.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the event is a detection of carbon monoxide.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the event is a detection of motion.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the event is an intrusion detection.