Long range wireless alarm monitoring system

• US 4,511,887 A
• Filed: 02/13/1984
• Issued: 04/16/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Radionics, Inc. (Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Radionics, Inc. (Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fiore, Louis T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US06/579,852
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 340/502-506, 340/514, 340/518, 340/539, 340/526, 340/531, 340/536, 340/318, 340/345, 340/346, 340/825.1, 340/825.14, 340/825.36, 340/825.54 , 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 455/9, 455/11, 455/73, 455/49, 455/51, 455/53, 455/54, 455/63, 455/65, 343/6.5 R, 343/6.5 SS, 343/6.8 R, 179/5 R, 179/5 P
• US Class Current: 340/539.16
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/00 Alarm systems in which substations are interrogated in succession by a central station

Abstract

A security system using a remote sensing unit and a transponder in either one-way or two-way radio communication with a central station. The security system provides for the continuous monitoring of remote points in a particular area from a central station without need of physical connections between the central station and the remote points. The security system further provides the added feature of using redundant code comparison to ensure the validity of the transmitted signal.

Claims

1. A long range wireless alarm monitoring system which employs an existing FM transmitter or a subcarrier allocation of an existing broadcast band FM transmitter, said system comprising:

a central station;

a plurality of remote responder stations capable of operating in either one-way or two-way communication with said central station, each remote responder station having clock means for measuring elapsed time, a radio frequency transmitter, one or more transducer means for sensing physical conditions, encoder means for producing a unique multi-bit word and control means for controlling said clock means, said transmitter and said transducer means;

said control means causing said transmitter to transmit a repeated signal comprised of said unique multi-bit word when said transducer means senses a change in a sensed physical condition and said control means further causing said transmitter to transmit said repeated signal indicating the operating state of said remote responders upon said clock means indicating a predetermined elapsed time;

said central station having receiver means for receiving transmissions from said remote responders, decoder means for decoding said repeated signals and information processing means associated with said receiver means and said decoder means for processing said decoded signals, said information processing means including output means for displaying the results of said processing.

2. A long range wireless alarm monitoring system which employs an existing FM transmitter or a subcarrier allocation of an existing broadcast band FM transmitter, said system comprising:

a central station in either one-way of two-way radio communication with one or more remote responder stations, said central station having signal generating means to generate a synchronizing signal, transmitter means connected to said signal generating means for transmitting said synchronizing signal, receiver means associated with said transmitter means to receive a coded response signal from said remote responder stations, logic means connected to said receiver means for determining the validity of the coded response signal, computer means connected to said logic means and associated with said transmitter means and said receiver means for controlling the transmission of said synchronizing signal and for controlling the reception of said coded response signal and for processing said coded response signal, and display means connected to said computer means for issuing an alarm in response to said coded response signal;

each of said remote responder stations having transmitter means for transmitting a coded response signal to said central station, receiving means to receive the synchronizing signal from said central station, address comparator means connected to said receiver means for comparing said synchronizing signal with a predetermined coded address of the remote responder station, time delay means associated with said receiver means for delaying said response signal by a specific interval of time, said time interval being unique to each individual remote responder station, encoder means associated with said transmitter means for producing a unique multi-bit word determined by the condition of one or more remote sensing units linked in direct communication with said remote responder station and a gating means associated with said encoder means for gating said unique multi-bit word to said transmitter means for transmission to said central station.

3. The alarm processing system of claim 2 wherein said central station transmitter means is a commercial broadcast transmitter and said central station transmitter signals are transmitted by said transmitter without interfering with said transmitter'"'"'s normal operations.

4. For a long range wireless alarm monitoring system which employs an existing FM transmitter or a subcarrier allocation of an existing broadcast band FM transmitter, the method comprising:

detecting environmental conditions in the immediate vicinity of a remote responder station;

converting the detected environmental condition to an information signal;

directing said information signal to a coding means associated with said remote responder station for multi-bit coding;

coding said information signal to produce a coded multi-bit information signal;

gating said coded multi-bit information signal to a transmitter means associated with said remote responder station;

generating a synchronizing address signal at a central station;

transmitting said synchronizing address signal from said central station;

receiving said synchronizing address signal generated by said central station at said remote responder station;

comparing said synchronizing address signal with a predetermined coded address of said remote responder station;

performing the function of responding to said synchronizing address signal when said synchronizing address signal is identical to said predetermined coded address;

delaying a response to said synchronizing address signal by an amount of time depending upon the location of said remote responder station;

transmitting said coded multi-bit information signal in response to said synchronizing address signal;

receiving said coded multi-bit information signal at said central station;

decoding said coded multi-bit information signal at said central station;

comparing said decoded multi-bit information signal to test the validity of said transmitted coded multi-bit information signal; and

processing said decoded information signal for response with an appropriate alarm signal.