Telephone pager alarm enhancement and method therefor

• US 5,469,133 A
• Filed: 11/29/1993
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mike P. Costello, Scott E. Hensler, Scott I. Bergman
• Original Assignee: Mike P. Costello, Scott E. Hensler, Scott I. Bergman
• Inventors: Costello, Mike P., Bergman, Scott I., Hensler, Scott E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Assistant Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US08/158,397
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/426, 340/573, 340/311.14, 340/429, 340/825.44, 340/384.1, 340/825.46, 307/10.2, 180/287, 455/38.2
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• 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 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

Vibration of a pager is sensed by a piezoelectric crystal. A buffered output of the crystal is connected through a low pass filter to an input of a retriggerable monostable multivibrator having a period of approximately twenty milliseconds. In response to the twenty millisecond multivibrator being retriggered to provide a recognition pulse having a duration of approximately three seconds, a latch is set. An output of the latch drives an LED circuit that provides a visual indication of a page. In response to the latch being set, an astable multivibrator provides alarm pulses having a duration of approximately eight seconds with a thirty second interval therebetween. The output of the latch and the output of the astable multivibrator drive an audio alarm circuit through a selector switch. When the switch is thrown in one direction, the setting of the latch causes the alarm circuit to provide a continuous audible sound. When the switch is thrown in the other direction, the setting of the latch causes the alarm circuit to provide eight second bursts of sound at thirty second intervals.

Claims

1. An enhanced alarm circuit for signaling an individual when said individual is being paged, comprising, in combination:

a telephone,pager of the type that vibrates in response to receiving a signal representing said individual'"'"'s telephone pager number;

means for sensing the vibration of the telephone pager and for providing a plurality of trigger signals in response thereto;

means for providing a recognition pulse of a desired duration in response to at least two successive said trigger signals having a time interval therebetween less than a known time; and

means for issuing an alarm in response to said recognition pulse.

2. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 1 wherein said sensing means is a piezoelectric crystal connected to a mounting bracket adapted for connection to said pager, said crystal providing said trigger signals in response to said vibration.

3. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 2 wherein said sensing means additionally comprises:

a buffer amplifier of the type that has an output impedance on the order of a few ohms, an input thereof being connected to said crystal, said buffer amplifier providing buffered trigger signals in response to said trigger signals; and

a low pass filter having an input connected to the output of said buffer amplifier, said filter providing filtered trigger signals where undesired noise having a frequency greater than a cutoff frequency is rejected.

4. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 1 wherein said means for providing includes a retriggerable monostable multivibrator having a period substantially equal to said known time, said retriggerable multivibrator being retriggered at least once in response to said trigger signals.

5. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 1 wherein said alarm issuing means comprises:

RC means, connected to said means for providing, for storing a charge voltage directly related to the duration of said recognition pulse;

a latch, having an input connected to said RC means, that is set in response to said charge voltage equalling a latch trigger level; and

means for issuing a visual alarm in response to said latch being set.

6. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 5 wherein said RC means comprises:

a resistor connected between said means for providing and said latch input;

a capacitor connected between said latch input and ground; and

a diode with its cathode and anode respectively connected to said means for providing and said latch input.

7. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 5 wherein said visual alarm means comprises:

an LED; and

means for conducting a visual alarm current through said LED in response to said latch being set.

8. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 5 comprising an astable multivibrator coupled to the output of said latch, said astable multivibrator continuously providing pulses of a known duration with a known interval therebetween in response to said latch being set.

9. The enhanced alarm circuit of claim 8 additionally comprising:

a selector switch having a pair of contacts respectively connected to the output of said latch and said astable multivibrator; and

an audio alarm circuit connected to said switch, said audio alarm circuit issuing a continuous audible sound in response to said latch being set when said switch is operated to provide a direct connection of said audio alarm circuit to said latch, said audio alarm circuit issuing audible bursts of sound in response to said astable multivibrator pulses when said switch is operated to provide a direct connection of said audio alarm circuit to said astable multivibrator.

10. In the method of issuing an alarm signaling an individual when said individual is being paged, the steps of:

providing a telephone pager of the type that vibrates in response to receiving a signal representation of said individual'"'"'s telephone pager number;

sensing the vibration of the telephone pager and providing a plurality of trigger signals in response thereto;

providing a recognition pulse in response to at least two successive trigger signals having a time interval therebetween less than a known time; and

issuing an alarm in response to said recognition pulse.

11. In the method of claim 10 wherein said recognition pulse has a desired duration.

12. In the method of claim 10 wherein the step of issuing said alarm includes conducting a visual alarm current through an LED in response to said recognition pulse.

13. In the method of claim 10 wherein the step of issuing said alarm includes issuing bursts of sound of a known duration with a known interval therebetween in response to said recognition pulse.