Security apparatus and system

• US 4,647,914 A
• Filed: 07/20/1984
• Issued: 03/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electronics America (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Alexander, Thomas T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US06/633,132
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539, 340/500, 340/505, 340/506, 340/524, 340/525, 340/527, 340/528, 340/531, 340/538, 340/825.72, 340/534, 340/825.69, 340/825.06, 340/696, 340/514, 179/5 R, 179/5 P
• US Class Current: 379/44
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A user friendly security apparatus and system for use in the home or small business. A logic architecture is provided which permits the monitoring of not only intrusion but also fire, special emergencies, low battery conditions or flooding utility power failure and the like. Positions to be secured with the system are monitored by small R. F. transmitters of restricted range as well as by hand held transmitters which are used for emergency conditions and the like. A transponder is provided for mounting within the home or business in the form of a console which responds to transmitted signals as well as to a silent hold-up switch fixed thereto to carry out automatic telephone dialing to a central security monitoring service. The transponder operates in an armed or idle operational mode and includes a test feature for use in the idle mode as well as a reset feature for that mode. An armed operational mode is provided for intrusion conditions and operates in conjunction with a key actuated arm switch which must be utilized in conjunction with the detection of intrusion.

Claims

1. A security apparatus and system for a facility having secure and unsecure conditions, monitoring means for sensing secure and unsecure conditions including portal monitoring means, radio frequency transmitting means within said monitoring means for transmitting unsecure conditions, a radio frequency transmission comprising a facility code unique to said facility and a zone code identifying the unsecure condition, radio frequency receiving means in a console for receiving said transmissions of unsecure conditions, a communicator network means within the console connectable with telephone service facilities for digital telephonic communication with a security monitoring service, and console comprising:

idle, pre-arm, arm, test operational modes;

a home switch mounted on said console which is actuable in the idle operational mode to change the mode to the pre-arm mode;

an away state switch mounted on the console which is actuable in the idle operational mode to change the operational mode to the pre-arm mode;

an arm mode switch mounted on the console which is actuable in the pre-arm operational mode to change the mode to the armed mode;

a test switch mounted on the console which is actuable on the idle operational mode to change the mode to the test mode;

a home state visual indicator mounted on the console which illumates intermittantly when in the home state pre-arm mode and illuminates in a steady state when in the home state armed mode;

3. The console of claim 1 comprising:

a power supply means to energize the console, said power supply means includes rectifier means connectable with an a.c. source for deriving a d.c. output, and battery means chargeable from said a.c. output for effecting said energization when said a.c. source fails;

low battery indicator means energizable to provide a visually perceptible indication of a low battery voltage condition;

low battery detect means active in response to said a.c. source failure for deriving a low battery output; and

said logic network means is responsive to said low battery output for energizing said low battery indicator means and for actuating said communicator network means to effect transmission of digitally characterized signals corresponding with said facility code and zone code representing said low battery output.

5. The console of claim 3 in which said low battery detect means includes timing network means actuable in response to said a.c. source failure for deriving said low battery output a predetermined interval from said failure.

6. The console of claim 3 further comprising:

fire indicator means mounted on said console and energizable to provide a visually perceptible indication of a fire designated unsecure condition;

intrusion indicator means mounted on said housing and energizable to provide a visually perceptible indication of an intrusion designated unsecure condition;

emergency indicator means energizable to provide a visually perceptible indication of an emergency unsecure condition;

said logic network responsive to the receipt of transmission of zone code information to energize the corresponding fire, intrusion, emergency and low battery indicator means.

7. The console of claim 5 wherein said logic network means is responsive in the test mode to inhibit said communication network means condition with respect to all unsecure signals except said silent emergency signal.

8. The console of claim 5 in which said logic network means is responsive to the occurrence within a predetermined time interval of a predetermined number of transmissions having the same said zone code unsecure condition identifications to effect the commencement of a predetermined false alarm delay interval before carrying out said actuation of said communication network means with respect to the transmissions.

2. an away state visual indicator mounted on the console which illuminates intermittantly when in the away state pre-arm mode and illuminates in a steady state when in the home state armed mode;

a test mode visual indicator mounted on the console which illuminates when in the test operational mode;

a status visual indicator mounted on the console that illuminates in the idle operational mode when all portal monitoring means sense secure conditions;

an away state audible indicator mounted on the console which sounds intermittantly when in the away state armed mode during an exit time delay provided and sounds intermittantly during an entry time delay provided;

a logic network means to control the system, said logic means responsive to actuation of said switches and states of said modes, indicators, and switches in a manner that prompts the user through the operational sequence of the system;

whereby the system is easy to operate and a user of the system is prompted and acknowledged by the particular combination and arrangement of modes, switches and indicators.

4. The console of claim 2 further comprising:

emergency switch means mounted on said console and manually actuable to generate a silent emergency designated signal; and

said logic network is responsive in each idle and armed operational modes to said silent emergency designated signal to actuate said communicator network means to transmit digitally characterized signals corresponding with said facility code and a zone code representing said silent emergency designated signal.

9. A system providing security for a facility wherein monitorable secure and unsecure conditions including intrusion conditions are encounterable and wherein said facility includes a telephone service line extending to telephone service facilities therewithin, comprising:

transmitter means positionable in the locale of said facility, including;

sensing circuit means responsible in the presence of an unsecure condition to generate an activation signal,

digital code means for selectively establishing a unique facility code correlatable with said given facility,

zone code means for generating a zone code corresponding with the unsecure condition,

a transmission antenna;

transmission means actuable to transmit said facility and zone code information as broadcast outputs from said antenna within the locale of the said given facility,

control circuit means responsive to said zone code means and said digital code means in the presence of said activation signal for actuating said transmission means to transmit said facility code and said zone code as said broadcast outputs,

transmitter power supply means for energizing said sensing circuit means, said transmission means and said control circuit means;

a security monitoring service having an access to telephone communication and including computer means responsive to digitally coded telephonic communication to provide visually readibly cognizable information corresponding to digitally coded said facility code and zone code information transmitted thereto; and

transponder means having armed and idle operational modes comprising;

a housing operationally positionable within said given facility and within broadcast range of said transmitter;

communicator network means connectable with said telephone service and actuable for effecting said digital coded telephonic communication with said security monitoring service,

status indicator means mounted on said housing and energizable during said idle operational mode to provide a visually perceptible indication that said transmitter is not providing said broadcast output;

home switch means mounted on said housing and actuable during said idle operational mode to derive a prearm condition;

away switch means mounted on said housing and actuable during said idle operational mode to derive a pre-arm condition;

a receiver antenna;

receiver circuit means mounted within said housing and coupled with said receiver antenna for deriving serial pulsed signal outputs in response to and corresponding with said facility and zone code information of said broadcast outputs;

arm switch means mounted on said housing and key actuable to selectively effect said armed and idle operational modes;

arm condition indicator means mounted on said housing and selectively energizable to provide a visually perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt for carrying out arming procedures and another visible perceptible output representing said armed operational mode;

audibly perceptible means mounted within said housing and energizable to provide an audible output;

logic network means mounted within said housing,

responsive only in the absence of a said broadcast output and during said idle operational mode to energize said status indicator means,

responsive when said status indicator is energized during said idle operational mode to a home switch actuation to effect energization of said arm condition indicator means to provide said perceptible output representing a said pre-arm prompt,

responsive when said status indicator is energized during said idle operational mode to an away switch actuation to effect a said arm condition indicator means energization to provide a perceptible output representing a said pre-arm prompt,

responsive to actuation of said arm switch means during said home switch means actuation derived perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt to effect said armed operational mode and effect alteration of the energization of said arm condition indicator means to provide a perceptible output representing said armed operational mode,

responsive to actuation of said arm switch means during said away switch means derived perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt to commence time-out of a predetermined exit delay wherein said idle operational mode is maintained and said energization of said arm condition indicator means is altered to provide a perceptible output representing said armed operational mode and deriving said armed operational mode at the completion of said exit delay time-out,

responsive to said receiver circuit means serial pulsed signal outputs for verifying the facility code information of said signal outputs and for actuating said communication network means to effect transmission of digitally characterized signals corresponding with said signal outputs by telephonic communication with said security monitoring service,

said logic network means being responsive to actuate said communicator network means to transmit digitally characterized signals containing said intrusion designated unsecure condition information only during said armed operational mode, and

responsive to actuation of said arm switch means in the presence of said armed operational mode to effect re-entry into said idle operational mode;

power supply means for energizing said communicator means, said status indicator means, said receiver circuit means and arm condition indicator means, said audibly perceptible means and said logic means network means;

whereby the system is easy to operate and a user of the system is prompted and acknowledged by the particular combination and arrangement of modes, switches, and indicators.

11. The system of claim 9 in which:

said transmitter means sensing circuit means is a switch, hand actuable to generate said activation signal; and

said zone code means generates a zone code representation of a said unsecure condition corresponding with a personal emergency condition; and

said transponder means logic network means is responsive both in said idle and armed modes to said receiver circuit means pulsed signal outputs corresponding with serial data signals representing said personal emergency condition to effect said actuation of said communicator network means.

12. The system of claim 9 in which:

said transmitter means sensing circuit means is a switch, hand actuable to generate a said activation signal; and

said zone code means generates said zone code representative of an arm switch actuation; and

said transponder means logic network means is responsive in said armed mode to said receiver circuit means pulsed signal outputs corresponding with serial data signals representing said arm switch actuation to effect re-entry into said idle operational mode.

13. The system of claim 9 in which said transponder means includes:

silent emergency switch means manually actuable to generate a silent emergency designated signal;

said logic network means is responsive to said silent emergency designated signal in each said idle and armed operational modes to actuate said communicator network means to transmit said digitally characterized signals corresponding with said facility code and a zone code representing said silent emergency designated signal.

14. The system of claim 9 in which:

said transmitter power supply means is a replaceable battery having acceptable voltage outputs above a predetermined threshold level;

said control circuit means includes detector circuit means responsive to said battery voltage outputs and having a low battery output condition when said outputs are below said predetermined threshold level;

said zone code means derives a zone code corresponding with said low battery output condition; and

said control circuit means is responsive to said low battery output condition zone code and said digital code means for actuating said transmission means to transmit said facility code and said zone code corresponding with said low battery output condition as said serial data signals.

15. The system of claim 13 in which said transmitter means includes a selectively energizable perceptible indicator;

and

said control circuit means is responsive to said low battery output condition to energize said perceptible indicator.

16. The system of claim 13 in which said tranponder means logic network means is responsive to said receiver circuit means serial pulsed signal outputs corresponding with said serial data signals representing said facility code and said zone code corresponding with said low battery condition when in said armed and idle operational modes to actuate said communicator network means to effect transmission of said digitally characterized signals corresponding with said serial pulsed signal outputs.

17. The system of claim 15 in which:

said transponder power supply means includes rectifier means connectable with an a.c. source for generating a d.c. output, and battery means chargeable from said d.c. output for providing said energization when said a.c. source fails;

said transponder means includes timing network means actuable in response to said a.c. source failure for generating a low battery output a pre-determined interval from said failure; and

said logic network means is responsive to said low battery output for actuating said communicator means to transmit said digitally characterized signals corresponding with said facility code and zone code representing said low battery output.

18. The system of claim 9 in which said logic network means is responsive to the occurrence within a predetermined time interval of a predetermined number of transmission means, said transmissions of said coded serial data signals each incorporating the same said zone code, to commence a predetermined false alarm delay interval before carrying out said actuation of said communicator network means with respect to such coded serial data signals.

19. The system of claim 16 in which said transponder means includes:

first indicator means energizable to provide a visual perceptible indication of a fire designated unsecure condition;

intrusion indicator means energizable to provide a visually perceptible indication of an intrusion designated unsecure condition;

emergency indicator means energizable to provide a visually perceptible indication of an emergency unsecure condition;

low battery indicator means energizable to provide a visually perceptible indication of a low battery voltage level unsecure condition;

audibly perceptible means energizable to provide an audible output;

said logic network means is responsive to said receiver circuit means serial pulsed signal outputs to effect energization of select ones of said fire indicator means, intrusion indicator means, emergency indicator means and low battery indicator means, said energization selection corresponding with zone code components of said coded serial data signals from which said serial pulsed signal outputs are derived, said logic network means effecting the energization of said audibly perceptible means in correspondence with a unique sound output pattern simultaneously with the said energization of a select said indicator means.

20. The system of claim 18 in which:

said arm condition indicator means comprises a visually perceptible home indicator energizable intermittently to provide said pre-arm prompt and in a steady-state fashion to indicate said armed operational mode condition, and a visually perceptible away indicator energizable intermittently to provide said pre-arm prompt and during said predetermined delay, said away indicator being energizable in steady-state fashion to indicate said armed opertional mode condition; and

said logic network means effects intermittent energization of said home indicator for a predetermined interval during said idle operational mode in response to actuation of said home switch means and effects steady-state energization thereof in response to said arm switch means actuation during said home indicator intermittent energization, said logic network means effecting intermittent energization of said away indicator for a predetermined interval during said idle operational mode in response to actuation of said away switch and effecting steady-state energization thereof in response to said arm switch actuation during said away indicator intermittent energization, said logic network means energizing said audibly perceptible means intermittently during said exit delay.

10. A security apparatus and system for a facility having monitorable secure and unsecure conditions wherein a portal transition to an open orientation represents an intrusion condition, and said facility having a telephone service line extending to telephone service facilities therewithin and communicable with a security monitoring service, comprising:

transmitter means positionable at a location in the facility and including;

sensing circuit means responsive in the presence of a particular unsecure condition to generate an activation signal;

digital code means for selectively establishing a unique facility code correlatable with said facility;

zone code means for generating a zone code corresponding to the particular unsecure condition;

a transmission antenna;

transmission means actuable to transmit R.F. coded serial data signals from said antenna within a region substantially restricted to said facility;

control circuit means responsive to said zone code means and said digital code means in the presence of said activation signal for actuating said transmission means to transmit said facility code and said zone code as said serial data signals;

transmitter power supply means for energizing said sensing circuit means, said transmission means and said control circuit means; and

transponder means having idle and armed operational modes and operationally positionable within said given facility, including;

communicator network means connectable with said telephone service and actuable for effecting digital telephonic communication with said security monitoring service;

status indicator means actuable to have an output condition during said operational idle mode to provide a perceptible indication that said transmission means is not actuated in correspondence with a particular unsecure condition;

home switch means actuable during said idle operational mode to derive a pre-arm condition;

away switch means actuable during said idle operational mode to generate serial pulsed signal outputs corresponding with received serial data signals;

arm switch means actuable to select said armed or idle operational modes;

arm condition indicator means actuable to provide a perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt for carrying out arming procedures and another perceptible output representing said armed operational mode;

test switch means manually actuable to derive the test mode;

logic network means responsive only in the absence of a said transmission by said transmitter means and during said idle operational mode to actuate said status indicator means, responsive when said status indicator is actuated during said idle operational mode to a home switch actuation to actuate said arm condition indicator means to provide said perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt, responsive when said status indicator is actuated during said idle mode to an away switch actuation to actuate said arm condition indicator means to provide said perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt, responsive to actuation of said arm switch means during said home switch means actuation derived perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt to effect said armed operational mode, responsive to actuation of said arm switch means during said away switch means derived perceptible output representing a pre-arm prompt to commence time-out of a predetermined exit delay wherein said idle operational mode is maintained and deriving said armed mode at the completion of said delay time-out, responsive to the said receiver circuit means serial pulsed signal outputs corresponding with an intrusion condition only during said armed operational mode for actuating said communicator network means to effect transmission of digitally characterized signals corresponding therewith by telephonic communication with said security monitoring service, responsive to said receiver circuit means serial pulsed signal outputs corresponding with said unsecure conditions during both of said idle and armed operational modes for actuating said communicator network means to effect transmission of digitally characterized signals corresponding therewith by telephonic communication with said security monitoring service, responsive to actuation of said arm switch means in the presence of said armed operational mode to effect re-entry into said idle operational mode and responsive to said test switch actuation only in the idle operational mode to effect entry into said test mode to inhibit said communicator newwork means communication; and

transponder power supply means for energizing said communicator network means, said status indicator means, said receiver circuit means, said arm condition indicator means, and said logic network means.