Security system

• US 3,925,763 A
• Filed: 09/13/1973
• Issued: 12/09/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Krishnahadi Sikun Pribadi, Romesh Tekchand Wadhwani
• Original Assignee: Krishnahadi Sikun Pribadi, Romesh Tekchand Wadhwani
• Inventors: Wadhwani, Romesh Tekchand, Pribadi, Krishnahadi Sikun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US05/397,158
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 340/150,152,164R,310,216 179/5
• US Class Current: 340/538
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/06 using power transmission lines

Abstract

A security alarm system for selectively detecting and signalling abnormal or emergency conditions, such as robbery, assault, fire, smoke, burglary, medical emergencies, etc. in a home, apartment, institution, plant or other place of business via digitally-coded messages, to a central data station. This central station monitors or services a plurality of areas to be guarded or protected and manually or automatically directs or dispatches appropriate aid to the location or area from which the signal originated. Essentially, the system comprises sensors responsive to the occurrence of abnormal or emergency conditions which transmit digitally-coded messages including information on selfidentification and the nature of the emergency to a line converter. The line converter decodes the signal and then adds on information identifying its own location (e.g., room number, apartment number), and synthesizes a combined digital message which is then transmitted along power lines, such as the 110 Volt or 220 Volt AC power circuits commonly used in homes, apartments, businesses and institutions, at transmission frequencies and voltages substantially different from the power frequency and voltage, to a master controller. The master controller receives and decodes the digitally-coded messages transmitted by the line converters and adds further location information (e.g., street address) and synthesizes an appropriate digitally-coded message which it communicates to one or more central stations using one or more of a variety of transmission media: telephone line, coaxial cable, radio and external power line. Each central station services a plurality of master controllers in different protected areas.

Claims

1. A security system for a given security area, said system comprising:

a. security breach detecting means actuable responsively to occurrence of a breach condition within said area, b. a sensor for encoding and transmitting self-identification signals responsively to actuation of said breach detecting means, c. communication means comprising two lines of a secondary power distribution system of which at least one line is a phase line, d. line converter means connected between said two lines of the secondary power distribution system, said converter means receiving said coded signals, adding its own self-identification code thereto, and transmitting the resulting synthesized line converter signal at radio frequencies along said two lines, and e. master controller means comprising;

i. receiver means coupled to said two lines for receiving line converter signals and decoding a plurality of trains of coded line converter messages, ii. variable memory means coupled to said receiver means for storing a plurality of said coded line converter messages, iii. receiver memory means coupled to said receiver means for identifying the nature of the transmission mode of each line converter signal received by said receiver means, and iv. status memory means coupled to said variable memory means and said receiver memory means for synthesizing a status message from said coded line converter messages, the nature of the transmission mode of each of the line converter signals received and the status of the said security system including said master controller.

2. A security system for a given security area, said system comprising:

a. security breAch detecting means actuable responsively to occurrence of a breach condition within said area, b. a sensor for encoding and transmitting self-identification signals responsive to actuation of said breach detecting means, c. internal communication means limited to said given security area, comprising two lines of a secondary power distribution system of which at least one line is a phase line, d. line converter means connected between said two lines of the secondary power distribution system, said converter means receiving said coded signals, adding its own self-identification code thereto, and transmitting the resulting synthesized line converter signal at radio frequencies along said two lines, e. communication means extending externally from said security area, f. a plurality of master controller means each comprising line receiver means connected between said two lines of the secondary power distribution system, means for decoding and registering said synthesized line converter signals, and communicator means coupled to said externally extending communication means, for transmission of information beyond said given security area, and g. central station means outside said given security area comprising;

i. central station receiving means connected to said externally extending communication means for receiving communication signals from any one of said plurality of master controllers along said externally extending communication means, ii. central station means for decoding and registering signals received from a plurality of said master controllers, iii. central station transmission means for transmitting coded messages and signals back to a plurality of master controllers along said externally communication means, for the remote control of functions and for the remote registration of the status of the security system, iv. central station storage means for storing a plurality of signals received from a plurality of master controllers, v. central station message checking means for examining all received signals for consistency in the information conveyed by each coded message within the signal, thereby requiring a continuous reception of messages and signals from each master controller that is in communication with said central station until the message-checking procedure reveals that the quality of information received is above a predetermined fixed level; and

vi. central station interpreter means, for interpreting a plurality of conditions of security breach and a plurality of status conditions transmitted by a plurality of said master controllers connected to said central station means.

3. A security system according to claim 2, wherein said central stations means further comprises:

a. central station audible alarm means coupled to said central station receiving means, for alerting the operators manning said central station means to the arrival of a plurality of messages from a plurality of master controllers, and b. central station display means for the display of a plurality of coded sensor messages, coded line converter messages, and other coded messages.

4. A security system for a given security area, such system comprising:

a. security breach detecting means actuable responsively to occurrence of a breach condition, b. a sensor for encoding and transmitting selfidentification signals responsively to actuation of said detecting means, c. communication means comprising two lines of a secondary power distribution system of which at least one line is a phase line, d. line converter means connected between said two lines of the secondary power distribution system, said converter means receiving coded signals, transmitted by said sensor, adding its own self-identification code thereto, and transmitting the resulting synthesized line converter signal at radio frequencies along said two lines and e. master controller means comprising line receiver means connected between saId two lines of the secondary power distribution system, and means for decoding and registering said synthesized line converter signals.

5. A security system according to claim 4, wherein said sensor comprises:

a. sensor triggering means coupled to said security breach detecting means, for triggering and activating the entire circuitry of the sensor means for predetermined periods of time following detection of a security breach by said breach detecting means, b. memory means for storing digital information to provide self-identification of said sensor means, c. message means coupled to said memory means for synthesizing a coded sensor message from the self-identification digital information, d. message timer-counter means coupled to said message means for repeating said coded sensor messages periodically for said predetermined periods of time, thereby generating a train of said coded sensor messages; and

e. transmission means coupled to said message means and message repeating means for converting said train of coded sensor messages into a modulated signal with a predetermined carrier frequency suitable for transmission by radiation.

6. A security system for a given security area, said system comprising:

a. security breach detecting means actuable responsively to occurrence of any one of a plurality of breach conditions, b. a sensor for encoding and transmitting self-identification signals responsive to actuation of said detecting means, c. a first communication means within said security area comprising two lines of a secondary power distribution system of which at least one line is a phase line, d. line converter means connected between said two lines of the secondary power distribution system, said converter means receiving said coded signals, adding its own self-identification code thereto, and transmitting the resulting synthesized line converter signal at radio frequencies along said two lines, e. a second communication means extending externally from said security area, f. master controller means comprising the receiver means connected between said two lines of the secondary power distribution system, means for decoding and registering said synthesized line converter signals, and communicator means coupled to said external extending communication means, for transmission of information beyond said security area, and g. central station means outside said security area comprising communicator means coupled to said externally extending communication means, and means for decoding and registering signals received from said master controller means.

7. A security system according to claim 4, wherein supervisory circuitry partly in said line converter and partly in said master controller automatically detects any breach in communication via said secondary power distribution system and registers same at the master controller.

8. A security system according to claim 4, in which said line converter means comprises:

a. converter receiver means for receiving and demodulating sensor signals of predetermined carrier frequency from said sensor, b. converter memory and digital processor means coupled to said converter receiver means, for discriminating, extracting and storing a train of coded sensor messages, for storing a converter self-identification code for said line converter, and for synthesizing a train of coded line converter messages from said train of coded sensor messages and said converter self-identification code, and c. converter transmission means coupled to said converter memory and digital processor means for converting said train of coded line converter messages into a modulated line converter signal with a predetermined carrier frequency suitable for transmission on said two lines of the secondary power distribution system.

9. A security system according to claim 8, in which said line converter means additionally comprises means to prevent a plurality of line converters from coMmunicating simultaneously with the same master controller, thereby eliminating possible interference in communication.

10. A security system according to claim 4, wherein said master controller further comprises:

a. supervisory circuitry means for automatically detecting and registering any breach in communication between said line converter means and said master controller means via said two lines of the secondary power distribution system.