SUPPLEMENTAL ALERT GENERATION DEVICE FOR RETROFIT APPLICATIONS

• US 20110193697A1
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, James J., Albert, David E., Smith, Landgrave T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,242,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal

Abstract

A battery-powered supplemental alert generator is disclosed that is adapted to be mounted in close proximity to, such as within 3 or 4 feet of, a conventional smoke, heat and/or fire detector/alert device. The supplemental alert generator operates in a relatively low power mode while listening for the nearby detector/alert device to generate a standard audible alert signal. Upon detecting that a monitored sound level has reached a particular threshold, the supplemental alert generator enters into a higher power analysis mode in which it analyzes the detected signal to assess whether it is an audible alert signal. If an audible alert signal is detected, the supplemental alert generator generates one or more supplemental alert signals, such as a 520 Hz audible square wave signal. The supplemental alert generator may be used to retrofit a house, hotel, or other building to comply with new standards or to otherwise increase the effectiveness of the existing detection/alert system.

Claims

1. A retrofitted detector/alert system, comprising:

a detector/alert device capable of generating an audible alert signal in response to detecting at least one of smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide, the detector/alert device mounted to a ceiling and connected to an AC power source; and

a battery-powered supplemental alert generation device mounted to the ceiling within four feet of the detector/alert device, said supplemental alert generation device configured to monitor a detected sound level while operating in a relatively low power mode, and configured to transition into a higher power analysis mode when the detected sound level exceeds a threshold level, said higher power analysis mode being a mode in which the supplemental alert generation device analyzes at least a pattern of a received audio signal to determine whether the audible alert signal is heard, said supplemental alert generation device additionally configured to generate a supplemental alert signal when the audible alert signal is detected.

2. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the threshold level is at least 70 dBA.

3. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental alert generation device comprises a microcontroller that (1) operates primarily in a sleep mode when the sound level is below the threshold, and (2) transitions from the sleep mode into the analysis mode when the sound level exceeds the threshold.

4. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental alert generation device comprises a piezoelectric sensor that passively converts sound into an electrical signal, and is operative to use the electrical signal to determine whether the threshold is exceeded.

5. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 4, wherein the piezoelectric sensor has a resonant frequency between 2900 hertz and 3400 hertz.

6. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental alert generation device is configured to listen to the audible alert signal while operating in a learn mode, and based thereon, to select said threshold level.

7. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 6, wherein the supplemental alert generation device, when placed into the learn mode, is configured to output an audible voice message which prompts an operator to press a test button on the detector/alert device.

8. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental alert generation device is configured to generate an audible supplemental alert signal having a pulsed pattern that is synchronized in time with a pulsed pattern of the detected audible alert signal.

9. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental alert generation device comprises a boosted Class D amplifier coupled to an audio speaker, and is operative to use the boosted Class D audio amplifier and audio speaker to generate an audible supplemental alert signal.

10. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 9, wherein the audible supplemental alert signal is square wave signal having a frequency of approximately 520 Hz.

11. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental alert generation device comprises a speaker enclosure assembly that outputs said supplemental alert signal, said speaker enclosure assembly having a resonant frequency of approximately 520 Hz.

12. The retrofitted detector/alert system of claim 1, wherein the detector/alert device is a smoke detector.

13. A method of retrofitting a detector/alert system to provide enhanced alerting capabilities, said detector/alert system comprises a ceiling-mounted detection/alert device capable of detecting at least one of smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide, the method comprising:

mounting a battery-powered supplemental alert generation device to a ceiling within four feet of the detector/alert device, said battery-powered supplemental alert generation device operative to at least (1) detect an audible alert signal generated by the detector/alert device, and (2) in response to detecting the audible alert signal, generate an audible supplemental alert signal;

placing the battery-powered supplemental alert generation device into a learn mode in which it analyses the audible alert signal, and based thereon, adjusts at least one detection parameter used for subsequently detecting the audible alert signal; and

while the battery-powered supplemental alert generation device is in the learn mode and is mounted within four feet of the detector/alert device, pressing a test button on the detection/alert device to cause the detector/alert device to generate the audible alert signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises placing the battery-powered supplemental alert generation device in the learn mode by inserting one or more batteries therein.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one detection parameter comprises a threshold sound level used for triggering at least a pattern analysis of a detected audio signal.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one detection parameter comprises a timing parameter of the audible alert signal.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises mounting the battery-powered supplemental alert generation device within three feet of the detector/alert device.