Alarm system with repeat of alarm interrupted for priority alarm

• US 4,109,246 A
• Filed: 06/29/1976
• Issued: 08/22/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Signal Corporation (SPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Signal Corporation (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Right, Robert W., Budrys, Ignas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US05/700,939
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 340/147 LP, 340/409, 340/413, 340/414
• US Class Current: 340/518
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow

Abstract

A selected predetermined coded alarm is provided indicative of the one of a plurality of leads on which a signal indicative of an alarm condition may appear. If a station coded alarm should be initiated during the transmission of a coded alarm, the coded alarm is immediately terminated and the station coded alarm is given priority and transmitted immediately. Upon completion of the station coded alarm, the coded alarm being transmitted at the time of the receipt of the station coded alarm is transmitted with the new transmission starting at the start of its code irrespective of the status of the transmission at the time of the interruption. Appropriate delays are provided between codes and code elements. The plurality of leads are sequentially scanned, but once a transmitted code is transmitted, it is not retransmitted on a subsequent scan unless a reset signal has been provided. Each transmitted code is repeated a predetermined number of times. The specific code transmitted in response to a signal on any of the leads may be controlled by wiring options.

Claims

1. An alarm annunciator for responding to signals indicative of predetermined conditions on any one of a plurality of alarm input leads and for activating a code generator to generate a unique code indicative of the one of the plurality of alarm input leads on which the signal was received and comprising in combination:

(a) a station coded input lead coupled to said alarm annunciator and on which a distinctive code signal is transmitted for a limited period of time in response to a predetermined nonstandard condition;

(b) priority means responsive to the initiation of transmission of said distinctive code signal on said station coded input lead for terminating the generation of any unique code being generated in response to a signal on any one of said plurality of alarm input leads and for transmitting the distinctive code signal received on said station coded input lead; and

(c) control means coupled to said priority means and responsive to the conclusion of the transmission of said distinctive code signal received on said station coded input lead for initiating the resumption of the unique code terminated in response to the initiation of said distinctive code signal on said station coded input lead irrespective of the then current status of said nonstandard condition.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means resets said code generator to cause the resumed code to be resumed at the start of its round rather than to continue from its point of termination by said priority means.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 and including a code clock coupled to said code generator for introducing first fixed intervals of time between elements of the unique code and for introducing second fixed intervals of time between rounds of the unique code.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 2 and including a round counter coupled to said code generator for counting the number of times the unique code is repeated and terminating the generation of said unique code after a predetermined number of rounds thereof.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said round counter is reset when said code generator is reset.

6. An alarm annunciator having a plurality of alarm inputs and a station coded input lead and comprising in combination:

(a) scanner means coupled to said plurality of alarm inputs for sequentially scanning said alarm inputs to determine if any have an alarm indicating potential thereon;

(b) code generating means coupled to said scanner and responsive to the determination that one of said alarm inputs has an alarm indicating potential thereon for generating a predetermined number of rounds of a unique code indicative of the specific one of said plurality of alarm inputs on which the alarm indicating potential was detected;

(c) a station input detector coupled to;

said scanner means, said station coded input lead, and said code generating means, for terminating the operation of said scanner and terminating the generation of any unique code then in progress in response to receipt of a station coded signal on said station coded input lead; and

(d) reset means coupled to said station coded input detector and said code generating means and responsive to the conclusion of a station coded signal for causing said code generating means to generate said predetermined number of rounds of any unique code terminated by said station coded input detector.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6, and including timing means coupled to said coded input detector for delaying the effect of said reset means for a predetermined period of time subsequent to the termination of a station coded signal.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein said scanner means is reactivated responsive to the elapse of said predetermined time period.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein said code generating means includes program means for programming said code generator to produce a specific unique code from among a wide range of possible codes in response to an alarm indicating potential on an alarm input.