Child alarm

• US 5,652,569 A
• Filed: 09/02/1994
• Issued: 07/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul Joseph Gerstenberger
• Original Assignee: Paul Joseph Gerstenberger
• Inventors: Gerstenberger, Paul Joseph, Weitzel, Bryan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/300,450
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 340/574, 340/573, 340/539, 340/311.1, 340/825.49, 340/693, 340/328, 340/571, 455/100, 455/88-90, 455/67.7, 455/53.1, 455/49.1, 455/347, 455/351
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0216 Alarm cancellation after generation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article

Abstract

A child alarm device consists of a guardian'"'"'s transmitter and a child'"'"'s receiver. The transmitter is held or carried by the guardian. The receiver is mounted inside a backpack worn by the child. If the child wanders out of range of the guardian'"'"'s transmitter, after a short delay an audible alarm is triggered in the child'"'"'s backpack automatically. One of the child'"'"'s alarms can be triggered manually by the guardian. As an optional "Panic Button", the child can also trigger an alarm himself by disconnecting his chest strap. The child'"'"'s receiver has one Group identification code and recognizes only one channel code. The guardian can control more than one channel within the same group ID code to watch over more than one child. The backpack has anti-tamper features such that an alarm will be triggered if someone tries to tamper with the backpack or molest the child.

Claims

1. A range sensitive system comprising:

an RF transmitter assembly located on a guardian having a periodic signal generating means, a manual signal generating means, a transmitting means, and a signal encoding means, functioning to encode said periodic and manual signals;

an RF receiver assembly located on a child or object functioning to receive an RF signal from said transmitting means up to a preset distance from the transmitting means, a decoder means which receives said encoded signals, a reset timer means which resets when said periodic signal is received, and an alarm means which activates when said reset timer means times out and when said manual signal is received; and

said RF transmitter assembly and RF receiver assembly each further comprising a portable power means.

said RF transmitter assembly further comprises a timer, and a multi-channel signal generating means; and

said multi-channel signal generating means comprises a channel selector switch and a channel selector timer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said manual signal generating means comprises a switch and a high power transmit means.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said signal encoding means encodes a group code and a channel number.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said RF receiver assembly further comprises an alarm deactivate means triggered by a receipt of the manual signal.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a tamper proof backpack having a pocket for housing said RF receiver assembly.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said backpack further comprises a chest strap latch having an electrical connection to said alarm means, functioning to activate said alarm means upon opening said latch.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said receiver power means comprises a primary battery hidden in a PC board and a secondary battery in an accessible pocket in said backpack, and said secondary battery comprises an alarm activation means functioning to activate said alarm means upon uncoupling said secondary battery from said PC board.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said alarm means comprises an audio beeper array.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said audio beeper array comprises a hidden beeper.

10. A child alarm range sensitive system to monitor the distance between a child and a guardian comprising:

a guardian'"'"'s transmitter having an encoder means functioning to encode signals, a periodic signal generating means, a manual signal generating means, a multi-channel signal generating means, and a transmitting means functioning to transmit multiple channel codes, and a power source;

a child'"'"'s receiver having a decoder means, a periodic signal receiving means, a resetting timer means functioning to reset upon receipt of the periodic signal and time out upon no receipt of the periodic signal, and alarm means functioning to activate upon time out of said resetting timer means and upon receipt of said manual signal, a power supply, and an alarm deactivate means activated by said manual signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said encoder and decoder means respectively encode and decode a code word for each of said multiple channels.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said periodic signal generating means and said transmitting means transmits an RF signal, and said periodic signal receiving means receives said RF signal, thereby forming a periodic RF link which conveys the code word over a predetermined distance.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said manual signal generating means comprises a switch and a means to transmit the RF signal at a higher power than said periodic signal generating means.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said multi-channel means comprises a channel selector switch and a distinct digital sync word for each channel.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said decoder means comprises a decoder functioning to decode a sync word specific to the individual receiver.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a tamper proof backpack having a pocket for housing said child'"'"'s receiver.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said backpack further comprises a chest strap latch having an electrical connection to said alarm means, functioning to activate said alarm means upon opening said latch.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said receiver power supply comprises a primary battery hidden in a PC board and a secondary battery in an accessible pocket in said backpack, and said secondary battery comprises an alarm activation means functioning to activate said alarm upon uncoupling said secondary battery from said PC board.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said alarm means comprises an audio beeper array.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said audio beeper array comprises a hidden beeper.