Hazardous Condition Detector with Hardware Hush

• US 20110057806A1
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Universal Security Instruments Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Universal Security Instruments Incorporated
• Inventors: Gonzales, Eric V.
• Application Number:
  US12/877,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/628
• 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 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

A hazardous condition detector including a housing containing at least one sensor unit for sensing at least one ambient condition and a microprocessor contained within the housing operatively coupled to the sensor unit though a hardware interface. The hazardous condition detector also includes a memory means associated with the microprocessor, the memory means contains at least one alarm threshold value stored therein from which the microprocessor selects a single alarm threshold value, and user activated hardware control means operatively coupled to the microprocessor. The control means when activated by a user during an alarm condition reduces the sensitivity of the hazardous condition detector by changing the voltage across the sensor unit sensed by the microprocessor to a level that is within the range of a non alarm event defined by the single alarm threshold value selected by the microprocessor. During normal operation of the hazardous condition detector and during the hazardous condition detector'"'"'s operation with reduced sensitivity, the hazardous condition detector employs the same alarm threshold value.

Claims

1. A hazardous condition detector comprising:

a housing containing at least one sensor unit for sensing at least one ambient condition,

a microprocessor contained within said housing operatively coupled to said sensor unit though a hardware interface;

a memory means associated with said microprocessor, said memory means containing a single alarm threshold value stored therein;

a user activated control means operatively coupled to said microprocessor for reducing the sensitivity of said hazardous condition detector;

wherein during normal operation of said hazardous condition detector and during said hazardous condition detector'"'"'s operation in a reduced sensitivity mode, said hazardous condition detector employs the same alarm threshold value.

2. A hazardous condition detector comprising:

a housing containing at least one sensor unit for sensing at least one ambient condition,

a microprocessor contained within said housing operatively coupled to said sensor unit though a hardware interface;

a memory means associated with said microprocessor, said memory means containing at least one alarm threshold value stored therein from which said microprocessor selects a single alarm threshold value;

a user activated hardware control means operatively coupled to said microprocessor wherein said control means when activated by a user during an alarm condition reduces the sensitivity of the hazardous condition detector by changing the voltage across the sensor unit sensed by the microprocessor to a level that is within the range of a non alarm event defined by said single alarm threshold value selected by said microprocessor;

wherein during normal operation of said hazardous condition detector and during said hazardous condition detector'"'"'s operation with reduced sensitivity, said hazardous condition detector employs the same alarm threshold value.

3. A hazardous condition detector of claim 2 wherein said control means when activated during an alarm condition reduces the sensitivity of the hazardous condition detector by reducing the voltage across the sensor unit sensed by the microprocessor.

4. A hazardous condition detector of claim 2 wherein said control means when activated during an alarm condition reduces the sensitivity of the hazardous condition detector by increasing the voltage across the sensor unit sensed by the microprocessor.

5. A method for reducing the sensitivity of hazardous condition detector comprising:

sensing at least one ambient condition with a ambient condition sensor,

detecting the voltage across said ambient condition sensor with a microprocessor;

storing a single alarm threshold value in a memory device coupled to said microprocessor, said single alarm threshold value defining the limits of a range of non alarm conditions;

entering into an alarm mode when the voltage across the ambient condition sensor detected by the microprocessor is within the range of alarm event conditions defined by said single alarm threshold;

receiving a signal when the hazardous condition detector is in the alarm mode from a user through a user activated control means operatively coupled to said microprocessor to enter into a reduced sensitivity mode; and

reducing the sensitivity of said hazardous condition detector with an electrical circuit by altering the voltage across the ambient condition sensor detected by the microprocessor to a level that is outside the range of an alarm event conditions defined by said single alarm threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of reducing the sensitivity of the hazardous condition detector by reducing the voltage across the ambient condition sensor detected by the microprocessor.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of reducing the sensitivity of the hazardous condition detector by increasing the voltage across the ambient condition sensor detected by the microprocessor.