Infrared sentry with voiced radio dispatched alarms

• US 5,283,549 A
• Filed: 05/31/1991
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellitech Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellitech Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Mehaffey, Joseph H., Mehaffey, J. Sutton
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US07/708,899
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/539, 340/521, 340/692, 340/531, 340/565, 340/460, 381/110
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19 using infrared-radiation detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic security sentry for monitoring a designated area to detect unauthorized intruders comprises a housing that contains a microprocessor controller, a power source, and a two-way radio transmitter coupled to the microprocessor. The microprocessor controller includes storage for storing the digital equivalents of a predetermined set of verbal commands. A set of passive infrared detectors are coupled to the controller and mounted to the housing such that their fields of coverage span the area to be monitored. Upon detection by the sensors of an unauthorized intruder, a signal is conveyed to the microprocessor which selects a predetermined set of digitized verbal commands from its memory, activates the two-way radio in its transmit mode, and conveys the commands in a predetermined sequence to the two-way radio. The sequence of verbal commands are then transmitted by the radio for receipt by the security guards of an adjunct guard force, who can respond to the alarm accordingly. A number of different types of sensors, such as temperature sensors, moisture sensors, tilt sensors, and the like are also coupled to the controller and predetermined messages corresponding to activation of these sensors can be broadcast when one of the sensors is activated.

Claims

1. An infrared electronic security sentry for monitoring a designated area, detecting the presence of unauthorized intruders within the monitored area, and alerting at least one individual upon detection of an intruder, said security sentry comprising:

a housing adapted to be positioned at a predetermined location within an area to be monitored;

at least one passive infrared sensor on said housing with said infrared sensor being positioned and oriented to detect the presence of an intruder within the monitored area and being adapted to produce a signal in response to such detection;

a radio transmitter in said housing for transmitting radio dispatched messages to be received at a remote location by a radio receiver;

storage means within said housing for storing a set of independently retrievable spoken words;

microprocessor means coupled to said sensor, said radio transmitter, and said storage means, said microprocessor means being programmed to detect a signal produced by said infrared sensor and upon said detection to retrieve from said storage means a corresponding subset of spoken words, arrange the words of the retrieved subset in a predetermined order to create a spoken message indicative of a sensed intrusion, activate said radio transmitter, and broadcast the spoken message formed by the arranged subset of spoken words over said radio transmitter;

a source of electrical power within said housing with said source being coupled to supply power for operation of said sentry; and

a motion sensor within said housing for detecting movement of said sentry and producing a signal corresponding to such detection, said microprocessor means being coupled and programmed to receive signals from said motion sensor and upon receipt of such signals, to retrieve said storage means a corresponding subset of spoken words, arrange the retrieved subset of spoken words to form a message indicative of sentry movement, and broadcast the message thus formed over said radio transmitter,

whereby remotely located security guards or others equipped with a radio receiver are informed verbally by the sentry of the detection of an unauthorized intruder within the monitored area.

2. A portable electronic security sentry comprising a housing, detector means on said housing for detecting the presence of an intruder in the vicinity of said sentry and producing an electronic signal in response to such detection, a transmitter in said housing for transmitting messages to be received at a remote location, electronic storage means in said housing with said storage means being adapted to store a set of digitized verbal commands, electronic control means within said housing with said control means being electronically coupled to said detector means, said transmitter, and said electronic storage means and being adapted to detect an electronic signal produced by said detector means and, in response, to retrieve a corresponding subset of digitized verbal commands from said storage means, activate said transmitter, and transmit the retrieved subset of digitized verbal commands in a predetermined sequence over said transmitter to indicate verbally that an intruder has been detected in the vicinity of said sentry, said detector means comprising at least one passive infrared sensor adapted to detect infrared energy emanating from an intruder in the vicinity of said sentry, said control means comprising an appropriately programmed microprocessor, and said sentry further comprising a motion detector for detecting movement of said housing and producing an electronic signal in response, said microprocessor being electronically coupled to said motion detector and being programmed to retrieve an appropriate subset of verbal commands, arrange them to form a message indicative of housing movement, and transmit the message thus formed over said transmitter, all upon production of a signal by said motion detector.

3. A security system comprising a plurality of detectors with each detector being adapted to sense a predetermined condition and produce a detection signal in response thereto, said system further comprising memory means for storing a plurality of discrete independently retrievable words, means responsive to a detection signal from one of said plurality of detectors for addressing said memory means and extracting therefrom an appropriate subset of words, arranging the retrieved subset in a sequence forming a message indicative of the condition sensed by said one of said plurality of detectors, means for transmitting the message thus formed to a remote location, and means for receiving auxiliary words from a remote location and means for storing the received auxiliary words in said storage means for retrieval and use along with previously stored words in formulating messages to be transmitted.

4. An infrared electronic security sentry for monitoring a designated area, detecting the presence of unauthorized intruders within the monitored area, and alerting at least one individual upon detection of an intruder, said security sentry comprising:

a housing adapted to be positioned at a predetermined location within an area to be monitored;

at least one passive infrared sensor on said housing with said infrared sensor being positioned and oriented to detect the presence of an intruder within the monitored area and being adapted to produce a signal in response to such detection;

a radio transmitter in said housing for transmitting radio dispatched messages to be received at a remote location by a radio receiver;

storage means within said housing for storing a set of independently retrievable spoken words;

microprocessor means coupled to said sensor, said radio transmitter, and said storage means, said microprocessor means being programmed to detect a signal produced by said infrared sensor and upon such detection to retrieve from said storage means a corresponding subset of spoken words, arrange the words of the retrieved subset in a predetermined order to create a spoken message indicative of a sensed intrusion, activate said radio transmitter, and broadcast the spoken message formed by the arranged subset of words over said radio transmitter;

a source of electrical power within said housing with said source being coupled to supply power for operation of said sensor;

a radio receiver in said housing for receiving coded command signals from a remote radio transmitter, said microprocessor means being coupled to said radio receiver and being programmed to read coded commands received thereby and perform predetermined tasks corresponding to such coded commands;

said microprocessor being programmed to receive spoken words from a remote radio transmitter and to add spoken words thus received to the set of independently retrievable spoken words stored in said storage means for subsequent retrieval and use along with previously stored spoken words in formulating messages to be broadcast over said radio transmitter.

5. A security sentry for monitoring a designated area, detecting the presence of unauthorized intruders within the monitored area, and broadcasting an alert message upon detection of an intruder, said security sentry comprising:

a housing adapted to be positioned at a predetermined location within the area to be monitored;

at least one intrusion sensor on said housing for detecting the presence of an intruder in the monitored area and producing a signal in response thereto;

at least one motion sensor in said housing for detecting unauthorized movement of said housing and producing a signal in response thereto;

at least one moisture sensor in said housing for detecting rise of water within the monitored area and producing a signal in response thereto;

clock means in said housing for maintaining the time of day and producing a signal indicative thereof;

a temperature sensor in said housing for detecting ambient temperature and producing a signal in response thereto;

storage means in said housing for storing a predetermined set of messages corresponding to the set of conditions sensible by said sensors and said clock means;

transmitter means in said housing for transmitting messages to a remote location;

control means in said housing with said control means being coupled to said sensors, to said clock means, to said transmitter means, and to said storage means and being adapted to detect signals produced by said sensors and said clock means, distinguish the signals from each other, retrieve from said storage means messages corresponding to detected signals, and transmit retrieved messages over said transmitter means; and

a source of power within said housing with said source of power being coupled to supply power for operation of the elements of said security sentry.

6. In a security system of the type having sensors for detecting a predetermined condition, electronic storage means for storing a set of independently retrievable commands, transmitter means for transmitting messages to a remote location, and microprocessor means coupled to said sensors, said storage means, and said transmitter means with said microprocessor means being programmed to access said storage means upon detection by said sensors of the predetermined condition, retrieve from said storage means an appropriate subset of the independently retrievable commands, arrange the retrieved subset of commands in a pre-established sequence to create a message indicative of the detected condition, and activate said transmitter means to transmit the created message to a remote location, the improvement comprising receiver means coupled to said microprocessor means and being adapted to receiver supplemental commands from a remote location, said microprocessor means being further programmed to add supplemental commands received by said receiver means to the set of independently retrievable commands stored in said storage means so that the supplemental commands can be retrieved and used along with previously stored commands to create messages to be transmitted to a remote location through said transmitter means.