Musical wireless alerting system

• US 5,365,214 A
• Filed: 08/24/1992
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dimango Products Corp (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Angott, Paul G., Kilby, Gregory G., Xydis, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US07/934,363
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 340/326, 340/328, 340/330, 340/691, 340/825.3, 340/825.34, 340/825.36, 340/825.45, 340/384.5
• US Class Current: 340/328
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

The musical wireless alerting system includes several detectors (12) which transmit rf signals to a common receiver (14). The detectors (12) include manual switches thereon to allow manual selection of a song or melody. The selection is coded in the form of an audio code which is transmitted to the receiver (14). The receiver (14) detects any rf transmissions and verifies that the received transmissions are identifiable with the receiver (14). Upon verification, the receiver reads the audio code and compares same to a plurality of stored songs or tones within memory for transmission to a speaker which plays the tone or song. Each of the detectors (14) may sense different predefined conditions and indicate different audible indications to be played. The detectors may sense conditions such as opening of the door or depression of a door bell.

Claims

1. An alerting assembly for producing an audible indication of predefined conditions, said assembly comprising:

detector means (12) for detecting a predefined condition and for producing and transmitting a radio frequency alert signal indicative of said predefined condition;

audio means (14) remote from said detector means (12) for receiving said radio frequency alert signal and for producing one of several audible indications representative of the detection of said predefined condition;

said detector means (12) including audible selection means (20) for manual selection of one of a plurality of audio codes representative of different audible indications and radio frequency transmitter means (18) for receiving and transmitting said radio frequency alert signal comprising said selected audio code upon detection of said predefined condition to said audio means (14), said audio means (14) producing said one of several audible indications based on said selected audio code.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by said audio means (14) including decoding means (8) for receiving said radio frequency alert signal to determine said audio code and for comparing said audio code to a plurality of stored codes to obtain a selected tone or melody for the audible indication.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by said audio means (14) including processor means (30) for receiving said selected tone or melody and for producing said audible indication based on the selected tone or melody.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by said audio means (14) including identification means (32) for manual selection of a predetermined system code for identifying associated detector means (12).

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 further characterized by said detector means (12) including identification coding means (26) subject to manual actuation coding of an identification code equivalent to said system code of said audio means (14).

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said audio means (14) includes memory means (31) for storing a plurality of melody and tone format signals with a code identified therewith for comparison with said alert signal to produce the selected audio indication.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said audible selection means (20) includes a manual switch for setting of said audio code upon actuation thereof.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said audible selection means (20) includes setting means (24) for sequentially scrolling through each of said audible codes upon sequential activation of said manual switch.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said audible selection means (20) includes a plurality of manual switches having two conditions each for a portion of said audio code based on the position of each switch.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said detector means (12) includes setting means (24) for producing said alert signal upon each change of selection of said audio code for transmission of said alert signal.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said detector means (12) includes setting means (24) for producing said alert signal upon each change of selection of said audio code for transmission of said alert signal.

12. An alerting assembly for producing audible indication of predefined conditions, said assembly comprising:

detector means (12) for detecting a predefined condition and for producing and transmitting a radio frequency alert signal;

audio means (14) remote from said detector means (12) for receiving said radio frequency alert signal and for producing one of several audible indications representative of the detection of said predefined condition;

said detector means (12) including selection means (20) for selecting one of a plurality of audio codes for transmission in said radio frequency alert signal, said audio means (14) producing said one of several audible indications based on the selected audio code.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 further characterized by said detector means (12) including identification coding means (26) for allowing manual actuation and coding of an identification code transmitted as part of said alert signal.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 further characterized by said audio means for manual selection of a system code equivalent to said identification code.

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 14 further characterized by said audio means (14) including processor means for receiving said audio code and said identification code and comparing said identification code to said system code, and upon a match, decoding said audio code and producing the audible indication selected by said audio code.

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 further characterized by said audio means (14) including processor means (30) for receiving said alert signal including said audio code for producing the selected audible indication represented by said audio code.

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 16 further characterized by said selection means (20) including setting means (24) for producing said audio code and transmitting said alert signal upon each change in selection of between said plurality of audio indications.

30. An assembly as set forth in claim 14 further characterized by said audio means (14) including processor means for receiving said audio code and said identification code and comparing said identification code to said system code, and upon a match, decoding said audio code and producing the audible identification selected by said audio code.

18. A method of producing audible indications indicative of predefined conditions, the method including the steps:

detecting a predefined condition;

producing and transmitting a radio frequency alert signal indicative of the predefined condition;

manually selecting one of a plurality of audio codes representative of different audible indications for association with the predefined condition and for transmission of a selected audio code in said alert signal;

transmitting the selected audio code upon detection of the predefined condition;

remotely receiving the radio frequency alert signal with audio code and producing one of several audible indications representative of the detection of the predefined condition.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18 further including storing a plurality of codes and receiving the alert signal to compare the audio code with the stored codes to obtain a selected tone or melody for audible indication.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 further including transmitting an identification code with the alert signal, and receiving the identification code with the alert signal and comparing the identification code with a stored system code to verify association.

21. A method as set forth in claim 18 further including establishing the audio code by manual actuation selecting one of the audio codes.

22. A method as set forth in claim 21 further including scrolling through each of the audible codes upon sequential activation and causing transmission of the audio code upon each selection of audible codes.

23. An alerting assembly for producing an audible indication of predefined conditions, said assembly comprising:

detector means (12) for detecting a predefined condition and for producing and transmitting an alert signal indicative thereof;

audio means (14) for receiving said alert signal and for producing one of several audible indications representative of the detection of said predefined conditions;

said detector means (12) including audible selection means (20) for manual selection of one of a plurality of audio codes representative of different audible indications and transmitter means (18) for receiving and transmitting said selected audio code upon detection of said predefined condition to said audio means (14); and

audio means (14) including identification means (32) for manual selection of a predetermined system code for identifying associated detector means (12).

24. An assembly as set forth in claim 23 further characterized by said alert signal comprising a radio frequency signal with said audio code identified therein.

25. An assembly as set forth in claim 24 further characterized by said detector means (12) including identification coding means (26) subject to manual actuation for coding of an identification code equivalent to said system code of said audio means (14).

26. An assembly as set forth in claim 23 wherein said audible selection means (20) includes a manual switch for setting of said audio code.

27. An assembly as set forth in claim 26 wherein said audible selection means (20) includes setting means (24) for scrolling through each of said audible codes upon sequential activation of said manual switch.

28. An alerting assembly for producing audible indication of predefined conditions, said assembly comprising:

detector means (12) for detecting a predefined condition and for producing and transmitting an alert signal;

audio means (14) for receiving said alert signal and for producing one of several audible indications representable of the detection of said predefined conditions;

said detector means (12) including selection means (20) for selecting one of a plurality of audio codes representative of different audible indication for transmission in said alert signal; and

said detector means (12) including identification coding means (26) for allowing manual actuation and coding of an identification code transmitted as part of said alert signal.

29. An assembly as set forth in claim 28 further characterized by said audio means for manual selection of a system code equivalent to said identification code.

31. A method producing audible indication indicative of predefined conditions, the method including the steps of:

detecting a predefined condition;

producing and transmitting an alert signal indicative of the predefined condition;

receiving the alert signal and producing one of several audible indication representative of the detection of the predefined condition;

manually selecting one of a plurality of audio codes representative of different audible indications;

receiving and transmitting the selected audio code upon detection of the predefined condition;

transmitting an identification code with the alert signal;

and receiving the identification code with the alert signal and comparing the identification code with a system code to verify by association with the system.