Jamming detection in a wireless security system

• US 5,950,110 A
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Americas Corporation, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Interactive Techanologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Hendrickson, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US08/907,180
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 455/1, 455/63, 455/67.3, 455/226.1, 455/226.2, 455/226.4, 455/67.1, 340/539, 324/76.11, 342/13, 342/16, 342/17, 342/28
• US Class Current: 455/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/22 including jamming detection and monitoring

Abstract

In a wireless security system having a plurality of RF sensor/transmitters and a system controller, jamming signals are detected by comparing a near-term noise value with the expected signal strength of transmissions from the RF sensor/transmitters minus a detection threshold, and with the sum of a long-term noise value and a jamming threshold. In addition, the trend of the long-term noise value is analyzed to determine whether a jamming signal is being intentionally and gradually introduced into the security system environment. The system controller may include a plurality of antennas. Jamming may be detected for each antenna or for all of the antennas, collectively.

Claims

1. A method of detecting RF jamming signals at a receiver in a system having a plurality of RF transmitters, comprising:

determining a short-term noise value;

determining a long-term noise value;

determining an expected received RF signal strength value;

generating a signal indicating the presence of a jamming condition if the short-term noise value exceeds the sum of the long-term noise value and a jamming threshold, and further exceeds the expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-term noise value is about an average of sampled noise values taken over a period of a few seconds and the long-term noise value is about an average of sampled noise values taken over a period of about one hour.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the jamming threshold is about 20 dB.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection threshold is an amount that the signal strength of a transmission received from one of the RF transmitters must exceed the noise level for the received RF transmission to be accurately detected by the receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring the RF signal strength of transmissions received from the RF transmitters, and wherein the expected received RF signal strength value is determined from the RF signal strength of received transmissions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the expected received RF signal strength is the received RF signal strength of the RF transmitter having the weakest received RF signal strength.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining about every hour which of the RF transmitters has the weakest received RF signal strength and selecting the received RF signal strength of that transmitter as the expected received RF signal strength value.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining about every second which of the RF transmitters has the weakest received RF signal strength and selecting the received RF signal strength of that transmitter as the expected received RF signal strength value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing about every second the short-term noise value to the sum of the long-term noise value and the jamming threshold, and to the expected received RF signal strength minus the detection threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal indicating the presence of the jamming condition is only generated if the jamming condition persists for a predetermined time period of about 20 seconds.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a plurality of antennas, and the method further comprises:

measuring the signal strength of transmissions received from RF transmitters for each antenna and determining therefrom an expected received RF signal strength value for each antenna;

determining a short-term noise value for each antenna;

determining a long-term noise value for each antenna;

generating a signal indicating the presence of a jamming condition if, for any of the antennas, the short-term noise value for the antenna exceeds the sum of the long-term noise value for the antenna and a jamming threshold, and further exceeds the expected received RF signal strength for the antenna minus a detection threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the expected RF stored signal strength value for an antenna when a message from an RF transmitter is received on the antenna.

13. A method of detecting RF jamming signals at a receiver in a system having a plurality of RF transmitters, comprising:

determining a short-term noise value;

determining a long-term noise value;

determining an expected received RF signal strength value;

analyzing the long-term noise value to determine if its trend is increasing by a predetermined amount; and

generating a signal indicating the presence of a jamming condition if the short-term noise value exceeds the expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold, and further if the trend of the long-term noise value is increasing by the predetermined amount.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the short-term noise value is an average of the noise level over a period of a few seconds and the long-term noise value is about an average of the noise level over a period of about one hour.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the detection threshold is an amount that the signal strength for a transmission received from one of the RF transmitters must exceed the noise level for the transmission to be accurately detected by the receiver.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising measuring the RF signal strength of transmissions received from the RF transmitters, and wherein the expected received RF signal strength value is set to the received RF signal strength of the RF transmitter whose received RF signal strength is the weakest.

17. A method of detecting RF jamming signals at a receiver in a system having a plurality of RF transmitters, comprising:

determining a short-term noise value;

determining a long-term noise value;

determining an expected received RF signal strength value;

analyzing the long-term noise value to determine if its trend is increasing by a predetermined amount; and

generating a signal indicating the presence of a jamming condition if;

the short-term noise value exceeds the sum of the long-term noise value and a jamming threshold, and further exceeds the expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold;

or

the short-term noise value exceeds the expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold, and further if the trend of the long-term noise value is increasing by the predetermined amount.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the short-term noise value is about an average of the noise level over a period of a few seconds and the long-term noise value is about an average of the noise level over a period of about one hour.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the detection threshold is an amount that the signal strength of a transmission received from one of the RF transmitters must exceed the noise level for the received RF transmission to be accurately detected by the receiver.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising measuring the RF signal strength of transmissions received from the RF transmitters, and wherein the expected received RF signal strength value is set to the received RF signal strength of the RF transmitter whose received RF signal strength is the weakest.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the jamming threshold is about 20 dB.

22. A wireless security system comprising:

a plurality of RF transmitters;

a system controller comprising a receiving unit adapted to receive RF transmissions from the RF transmitters, a signal-strength circuit adapted to measure a noise level when RF signals are not being received, and a processor adapted to determine a long-term noise value and a short-term noise value, wherein the processor is further adapted to indicate the presence of a jamming condition if the short-term noise value exceeds the sum of the long-term noise value and a jamming threshold, and further exceeds an expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold; and

an indicator adapted to notify users of the presence of the jamming condition.

23. The wireless security system of claim 22, wherein the signal-strength circuit is further adapted to measure the signal strength of RF transmissions received from the RF transmitters, and wherein the expected received RF signal strength is determined from the RF signal strength of the received RF transmissions.

24. The wireless security system of claim 23, wherein the expected received RF signal strength is the received RF signal strength of the RF transmitter having the weakest received RF signal strength.

25. The wireless security system of claim 22, wherein the short-term noise value is about an average of sampled noise values taken over a period of a few seconds and the long-term noise value is about an average of sampled noise values taken over a period of about one hour.

26. The wireless security system of claim 22, wherein the jamming threshold is about 20 dB.

27. The wireless security system of claim 22, wherein the detection threshold is an amount that the RF signal strength of transmissions received from one of the RF transmitters must exceed the noise level for the signal to be accurately detected by the receiver.

28. The wireless security system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further adapted:

to analyze the long-term noise value to determine if its trend is increasing by a predetermined amount; and

to indicate the presence of a jamming condition if the short-term noise value exceeds the expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold, and further if the trend of the long-term noise value is increasing by the predetermined amount.

29. A system controller for use with a wireless security system comprising a plurality of RF transmitters, the system controller comprising:

a receiving unit adapted to receive RF transmissions from the RF transmitters;

a signal-strength circuit adapted to measure a noise level when RF signals are not being received; and

a processor adapted to determine a long-term noise value and a short-term noise value, wherein the processor is further adapted to indicate the presence of a jamming condition if the short-term noise value exceeds the sum of the long-term noise value and a jamming threshold, and further exceeds an expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold.

30. The system controller of claim 29, wherein the signal-strength circuit is further adapted to measure the signal strength of RF transmissions received from the RF transmitters, and wherein the expected received RF signal strength is determined from the signal strength of the received RF transmissions.

31. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the expected received RF signal strength is the received RF signal strength of the RF transmitter having the weakest received RF signal strength.

32. The system controller of claim 29, wherein the short-term noise value is about an average of sampled noise values taken over a period of a few seconds and the long-term noise value is about an average of sampled noise values taken over a period of about one hour.

33. The system controller of claim 29, wherein the jamming threshold is about 20 dB.

34. The system controller of claim 29, wherein the detection threshold is an amount that the signal strength of a transmission received from one of the RF transmitters must exceed the noise level for the signal to be accurately detected by the receiver.

35. The system controller of claim 29, wherein the processor is further adapted:

to analyze the long-term noise value to determine if its trend is increasing by a predetermined amount; and

to indicate the presence of a jamming condition if the short-term noise value exceeds the expected received RF signal strength minus a detection threshold, and further if the trend of the long-term noise value is increasing by the predetermined amount.