Alarm system utilizing bidirectional wired television system

• US 4,148,021 A
• Filed: 09/07/1977
• Issued: 04/03/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hochiki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hochiki Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Masakatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/831,316
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 340/288, 340/310 R, 340/311, 340/416, 325/308, 179/DIG. 1, 179/DIG. 23
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/085 using central distribution transmission lines

Abstract

An alarm system utilizes a bidirectional wired TV system constructed to transmit a TV signal received by a community antenna to a central station and a plurality of subscribers'"'"' stations through a bidirectionally transmissible line. Each of the subscribers'"'"' stations is provided with an automatic and/or manual alarm signal generator for generating a low frequency alarm signal representing any of emergency conditions and the subscriber'"'"'s number, a carrier wave generator, and a modulator for modulating a high frequency carrier wave signal generated by the carrier wave generator with the alarm signal from the alarm signal generator. The central station is provided with a demodulator for receiving and demodulating the modulated alarm signal transmitted from any subscriber'"'"'s station through the bidirectionally transmissible line, an alarm signal identifying device energized by the demodulated alarm signal from the demodulator, a carrier wave generator, and a remodulator for remodulating a different high frequency carrier wave signal generated by the carrier wave generator with the demodulated alarm signal from the demodulator. Any of the subscribers'"'"' stations are each further provided with a redemodulator for receiving and redemodulating the remodulated alarm signal transmitted from the central station through the bidirectionally transmissible line, and an alarm signal identifying device energized by the redemodulated alarm signal from the redemodulator.

Claims

1. An alarm system utilizing a bidirectional wired TV system which is constructed to transmit a TV signal received by a community antenna to a central station and a plurality of subscribers'"'"' stations through a bidirectionally transmissible line interconnecting said central station and said plural subscribers'"'"' stations, wherein:

said plurality of subscribers'"'"' stations are each provided with alarm signal generating means operative to generate a low frequency alarm signal representative of any emergency condition, a first carrier wave generator operative to generate a first carrier wave signal having a predetermined frequency higher than that of the alarm signal, and a modulator coupled with said alarm signal generating means and first carrier wave generator to modulate said first carrier wave signal with said alarm signal;

said central station is provided with a demodulator operative to receive and demodulate the modulated alarm signal transmitted from that of said plurality of subscribers'"'"' stations which is generating the alarm signal through said bidirectionally transmissible line, a first alarm signal identifying means coupled to said demodulator for identifying the emergency condition represented by the demodulated alarm signal from said demodulator, a second carrier wave generator operative to generate a second carrier wave signal having a predetermined high frequency different from that of said first carrier wave signal and a remodulator coupled to said demodulator and second carrier wave generator for remodulating the second carrier wave signal with the demodulated alarm signal from said demodulator; and

at least one of said plurality of subscribers'"'"' stations is further provided with a redemodulator operative to receive and remodulate the remodulated alarm signal from said remodulator through said bidirectionally transmissible line, and a second alarm signal identifying means coupled with said redemodulator to identify the emergency condition represented by the redemodulated signal from said second demodulator.

2. The alarm system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of subscribers'"'"' stations is further provided with an encoder coupled between said alarm signal generating means and said modulator to encode the alarm signal generated by the former into a coded signal and to modulate at the latter said first carrier wave signal with the coded signal delivered from said encoder;

and wherein said first and second alarm signal identifying means each comprise a decoder coupled to the output of said corresponding demodulator and redemodulator, a driver coupled to the output of said decoder and visual display means coupled to the output of said driver.

3. The alarm system as defined in claim 2, wherein the coded signal encoded by said encoder includes a coded signal for identifying that of said plural subscribers'"'"' stations which has generated the alarm signal.

4. The alarm system as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second alarm signal identifying means each comprise an alarm sound generator.

5. The alarm system as defined in claim 1, wherein said alarm signal generating means comprises automatic alarm sensing means for automatically sensing the alarm condition.

6. The alarm system as defined in claim 1, wherein said alarm generating means comprises a manually operated alarm generator.

7. The alarm system as defined in claim 1 further comprising at least one bidirectional amplifier disposed at the intermediate portion of said bidirectionally transmissible line, and wherein said second carrier wave generator comprises a pilot signal generator for automatically controlling the amplification factor of said bidirectional amplifier.