Control System, Security System, and Method of Monitoring a Location

• US 20110169637A1
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Americas Corporation, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Americas Corporation, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Siegler, Michael J. II, Chabin, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,310,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2494 by interference with electro-magnetic field distribution combined with other electrical sensor means, e.g. microwave detectors combined with other sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

A control system for a security system having a plurality of sensors includes a sensor communication device configured to communicatively couple to the plurality of sensors and to receive a plurality of sensor notifications from the plurality of sensors. Each sensor notification of the plurality of sensor notifications includes at least one of a detection type, a detection location, and a detection duration. The control system also includes a processor configured to receive the plurality of sensor notifications from the sensor communication device, associate a plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications such that at least one detection state of the plurality of detection states is entered upon receiving at least one combination of sensor notifications of the plurality of sensor notifications, and associate at least one detection response with each detection state of the plurality of detection states.

Claims

1. A control system for a security system that includes a plurality of sensors, said control system comprising:

a sensor communication device configured to communicatively couple to the plurality of sensors and to receive a plurality of sensor notifications from the plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor notification of the plurality of sensor notifications includes at least one of a detection type, a detection location, and a detection duration; and

a processor communicatively coupled with said sensor communication device and configured to;

receive the plurality of sensor notifications from said sensor communication device;

associate a plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications such that at least one detection state of the plurality of detection states is entered upon receiving at least one combination of sensor notifications of the plurality of sensor notifications; and

associate at least one detection response with each detection state of the plurality of detection states.

2. A control system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to associate the plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications based on a plurality of detection conditions.

3. A control system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said processor is further configured to enter a first detection state of the plurality of detection states if a first detection condition of the plurality of detection conditions is satisfied.

4. A control system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said processor is further configured to enter a second detection state of the plurality of detection states if a second detection condition of the plurality of detection conditions is satisfied.

5. A control system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to determine a first detection response of the at least one detection response to perform when said processor enters a first detection state of the plurality of detection states.

6. A control system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said processor is further configured to determine a second detection response of the at least one detection response to perform when said processor enters a second detection state of the plurality of detection states.

7. A control system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first group of sensors of the plurality of sensors is associated with a first detection state of the plurality of detection states such that said processor enters the first detection state when said processor receives a sensor notification from a sensor of the first group of sensors.

8. A control system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a second group of sensors of the plurality of sensors is associated with a second detection state of the plurality of detection states such that said processor enters the second detection state when said processor receives a sensor notification from a sensor of the second group of sensors.

9. A security system, comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to generate a plurality of sensor notifications, each sensor notification of the plurality of sensor notifications includes at least one of a detection type, a detection location, and a detection duration;

a sensor communication device configured to communicatively couple to said plurality of sensors and to receive the plurality of sensor notifications from said plurality of sensors; and

a processor communicatively coupled with said sensor communication device and configured to;

receive the plurality of sensor notifications from said sensor communication device;

associate a plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications such that at least one detection state of the plurality of detection states is entered upon receiving at least one combination of sensor notifications of the plurality of sensor notifications; and

associate at least one detection response with each detection state of the plurality of detection states.

10. A security system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said processor is further configured to associate the plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications based on a plurality of detection conditions.

11. A security system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said processor is further configured to enter a first detection state of the plurality of detection states if a first detection condition of the plurality of detection conditions is satisfied.

12. A security system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said processor is further configured to enter a second detection state of the plurality of detection states if a second detection condition of the plurality of detection conditions is satisfied.

13. A security system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said processor is further configured to determine a first detection response of the at least one detection response to perform when said processor enters a first detection state of the plurality of detection states.

14. A security system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said processor is further configured to determine a second detection response of the at least one detection response to perform when said processor enters a second detection state of the plurality of detection states.

15. A security system in accordance with claim 9, wherein a first group of sensors of said plurality of sensors is associated with a first detection state of the plurality of detection states, said processor enters the first detection state when said processor receives a sensor notification from a sensor of said first group of sensors.

16. A security system in accordance with claim 9, wherein a second group of sensors of said plurality of sensors is associated with a second detection state of the plurality of detection states, said processor enters the second detection state when said processor receives a sensor notification from a sensor of said second group of sensors.

17. A method of monitoring a location, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of sensor notifications transmitted by at least one sensor, wherein each sensor notification of the plurality of sensor notifications includes at least one of a detection type, a detection location, and a detection duration;

associating a plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications such that at least one detection state of the plurality of detection states is entered upon receiving at least one combination of sensor notifications of the plurality of sensor notifications; and

associating at least one detection response with each detection state of the plurality of detection states.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein said associating a plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications further comprises associating the plurality of detection states with the plurality of sensor notifications based on a plurality of detection conditions.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising entering a first detection state of the plurality of detection states if a first detection condition of the plurality of detection conditions is satisfied.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, further comprising entering a second detection state of the plurality of detection states if a second detection condition of the plurality of detection conditions is satisfied.