TELEPHONIC ALARM REPORTING APPARATUS

• US 3,868,479 A
• Filed: 10/30/1972
• Issued: 02/25/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John C. Schweitzer, Terry E. Tuttle
• Original Assignee: John C. Schweitzer, Terry E. Tuttle
• Inventors: Schweitzer, John C., Tuttle, Terry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooper, William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bartz, C. T.
• Application Number:
  US05/301,717
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 179/5R,2A,9R,9B,9AD
• US Class Current: 379/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

Apparatus for reporting the occurrence of an event by placing a telephone call includes circuitry which activates the apparatus in response to a trigger signal, dialing circuitry, and circuitry for generating and transmitting a coded alarm signal. The apparatus has a self-contained power supply and is arranged to redial if the telephone number called is busy. Audio amplification circuitry is disclosed which is selectively enabled to provide an audio surveillance feature and the apparatus operates to automatically deactivate itself.

Claims

1. Apparatus for telephonically reporting the occurrence of a selected event, such as an alarm condition, comprising:

input terminal means for receiving a trigger signal representing the occurrence of said selected event;

output terminal means for connection to a set of telephone lines;

means for supply operating voltage, said voltage supply means being responsive to and enabled by said trigger signal to supply operating voltage, said voltage supply means comprising battery means for supplying the operating voltage and including means for sensing the level of the operating voltage supplied and generating a frequency control signal whenever the operating voltage falls below a predetermined level;

means connected to said output terminal means for dialing when activated a selected telephone number by generating dial pulses on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said dialing means receiving its operating voltage from said voltage supply means to activate when said voltage supply means enables, said dialing means being operable to generate an end of dial signal to indicate that said telephone number has been dialed; and

means connected to said output terminal means for generating in response to said end of dial signal and audio alarm signal on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said alarm signal generating means also being responsive to said frequency control signal indicating the fall of the operating voltage below said predetermined level to noticeably shift the tone of the audio alarm signal generated to indicate when said battery means are weak.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said alarm signal generating means is operable to generate a coded alarm signal.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, including selector switch means for selectively setting said telephone number dialed and the code of said alarm signal.

4. The invention defined in claim 2, wherein:

said dialing means is operable to generage dial pulses at a first pulse rate; and

said alarm signal generating means is operable to code said alarm signal at a second pulse rate lower than said first pulse rate, said second pulse rate being readily detectable by the human ear. 5. Apparatus for telephonically reporting the occurrence of a selected event, such as an alarm condition, comprising;

input terminal means for receiving a trigger signal repreSenting the occurrence of said selected event;

output terminal means for connection to a set of telephone lines;

means for supplying operating voltage, said voltage supply means being responsive to and enabled by said trigger signal to supply operating voltage;

means connected to said output terminal means for dialing when activated a selected telephone number by generating dial pulses on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said dialing means receiving its operating voltage from said voltage supply means to activate when said voltage supply means enables, said dialing means being operable to generate an end of dial signal to indicate that said telephone number has been dialed;

means connected to said output terminal means for generating in response to said end of dial signal an audio alarm signal on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means;

means connected to said output terminal means for detecting a telephone busy signal received on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said busy signal detection means being operable in the presence of a busy signal to generate a system reset signal and being operable in the absence of a busy signal to generate a timer enable system, said voltage supply means being responsive to said system reset signal to interrupt supplying operating voltage to said dialing means, said dialing means being operable to reset for redialing said telephone number whenever its supply of operating voltage is cut off; and

, timer means responsive to said timer enable signal for disabling said voltage supply means a predetermined period of time after the generation of said timer enable signal to deactivate said apparatus.

6. The invention defined in claim 5, wherein said busy signal detection means is operable to generate an amplifier enable signal simultaneous with said timer enable signal;

and including;

second input terminal means for connection to a microphone;

means connected between said output terminal means and said second input terminal means for amplifying audio signals received on said second input terminal means and transmitting them to a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said amplifying means being responsive to and enabled by said amplifier enable signal.

7. Apparatus for telephonically reporting the occurrence of a selected event, such as an alarm condition, comprising:

input terminal means for receiving a trigger signal representing the occurrence of said selected event;

output terminal means for connection to a set of telephone lines;

means for supplying operating voltage, said voltage supply means being responsive to and enabled by said trigger signal to supply operating voltage;

means connected to said output terminal means for dialing when activated a selected telephone number by generating dial pulses on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said dialing means receiving its operating voltage from said voltage supply means to activate when said voltage supply means enables, said dialing means being operable to generate an end of dial signal to indicate that said telephone number has been dialed;

said dialing means comprising;

selector switch means for establishing a plurality of DC voltage signals representing the digits of said selected telephone number;

clock means for generating when enabled clock pulses at a first selected rate;

means for generating a staircase voltage, said staircase voltage generating means being selectively resettable to a zero state and responsive to said clock pulses to generate said staircase voltage;

voltage comparator means for sequentially comparing said DC voltage signals with said staircase voltage, said comparator means being operable to generate a digit completion signal whenever said staircase voltage signal exceeds the one of said DC voltages with which it is being sequentially compared;

means for generAting a time delay, said delay generating means being responsive to said digit completion signal to transmit a staircase reset signal to said staircase voltage generating means to reset it, said delay generating means also being operable in response to said digit completion signal to transmit a clock enable signal to said clock means to enable it a selected period of time after the generation of said staircase reset signal thereby to generate a time delay; and

means responsive to said clock pulses for generating dial pulses on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means; and

means connected to said output terminal means for generating in response to said end of dial signal an audio alarm signal on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means.

8. The invention defined in claim 7, wherein said dial pulse generating means include relay means which open and close in response to said clock pulses, the opening and closing of said relay means being operable to generate said dial pulses.

9. Apparatus for telephonically reporting the occurrence of a selected event, such as an alarm condition, comprising:

input terminal means for receiving a trigger signal representing the occurrence of said selected event;

output terminal means for connection to a set of telephone lines;

means for supplying operating voltage, said voltage supply means being responsive to and enabled by said trigger signal to supply operating voltage;

means connected to said output terminal means for dialing when activated a selected telephone number by generating dial pulses on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said dialing means receiving its operating voltage from said voltage supply means to activate when said voltage supply means enables, said dialing means being operable to generate an end of dial signal to indicate that said telephone number has been dialed;

said dialing means comprising;

selector switch means for establishing a plurality of DC voltage signals representing the digits of said selected telephone number;

clock means for generating when enabled clock pulses at a first selected rate;

means for generating a staircase voltage, said staircase voltage generating means being selectively resettable to a zero state and responsive to said clock pulses to generate said staircase voltage;

voltage comparator means comprising a plurality of operational amplifiers connected in a chain for sequentially comparing each of said DC voltages with said staircase voltage, said comparator means being operable to generate a digit completion signal whenever said staircase voltage signal exceeds the one of said DC voltages with which it is being sequentially compared;

means for generating a time delay, said delay generating means being responsive to said digit completion signal to transmit a staircase reset signal to said staircase voltage generating means to reset it, said delay generating means also being operable in response to said digit completion signal to transmit a clock enable signal to said clock means to enable it a selected period of time after the generation of said staircase reset signal thereby to generate a time delay; and

means responsive to said clock pulses for generating dial pulses on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said dial pulse generating means including relay means which open and close in response to said clock pulses, the opening and closing of said relay means being operable to generate said dial pulses; and

, means connected to said output terminal means for generating in response to said end of dial signal an audio alarm signal on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means.

10. The invention defined in claim 9, wherein said alarm signal generating means is operable to generate a coded alarm signal and said selector switch means is also operable to selectively establish DC voltages to set the code of said alarm signal.

11. The invention defined in claim 10, wherein:

the code of said alarm signal is generated by said voltage comparator means;

said clock means is responsive to said end of dial signal to generate clock pulses at a second selected rate lower than said first selected rate;

said alarm signal generating means includes a tone generator means for generating an audible tone at a predetermined frequency, said tone generator means being enabled by said clock pulses at said second selected rate to generate said coded alarm signal; and

said alarm signal generating means includes means for coupling said tone generator means to said output terminal means to transmit said coded alarm signal thereto.

12. The invention defined in claim 11 wherein said means for coupling said tone generator means to said output terminal means is transformer means.

13. The invention defined in claim 11, wherein said voltage supply means comprises battery means for supplying the operating voltage and including means for sensing the level of the operating voltage supplied and generating a frequency control signal whenever the operating voltage falls below a predetermined level, said tone generator means being responsive to said frequency control signal to noticeably change the frequency of the audible tone being generated.

14. Apparatus for telephonically reporting the occurrence of a selected event, such as an alarm condition, comprising:

input terminal means for receiving a trigger signal representing the occurrence of said selected event;

output terminal means for connection to a set of telephone lines;

means for supplying operating voltage, said voltage supply means being responsive to and enabled by said trigger signal supply operating voltage;

means connected to said output terminal means for dialing when activated a selected telephone number by generating dial pulses on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means, said dialing means receiving its operating voltage from said voltage supply means to activate when said voltage supply means enables, said dialing means being operable to generate an end of dial signal to indicate that said telephone number has been dialed;

means connected to said output terminal means for generating in response to said end of dial signal an audio alarm signal on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means; and

means for detecting a telephone busy signal received on a set of telephone lines connected to said output terminal means and interrupting the supply of operating voltage to said apparatus in response to the detection of a telephone busy signal, said apparatus being operable to reset for redialing said telephone number whenever its supply of operating voltage is cut off.

15. The invention defined in claim 14, including means for latching said voltage supply means in its enabled state and wherein said busy signal detection means is operable to generate a timer enable signal if a telephone busy signal is not detected, and including timer means responsive to said timer enable signal for disabling said voltage supply means after a selected time delay to deactivate said apparatus.