System for monitoring the light level around an ATM

• US 6,028,522 A
• Filed: 10/14/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Statsignal IPC LLC (Statsignal)
• Original Assignee: Statsignal Systems Incorporated (Statsignal)
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/172,554
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/540, 340/641, 340/642, 340/825.06, 340/825.35, 340/539, 340/521, 340/635, 348/232, 348/383, 348/211, 725/43
• US Class Current: 340/641
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a system and method for monitoring the level of light surrounding an automatic teller machine (ATM). In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system includes a plurality of light sensors disposed in varying locations around the ATM. Preferably, some sensors will be disposed near the ATM, while others will be dispersed at various distances surrounding the ATM, in order to effectively monitor the lighting around the ATM. A circuit is provided within the ATM in communication with the sensors. In addition, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter is disposed within the ATM, and is configured to communicate the status of the sensors to a remotely located receiver. Finally, a receiver is interfaced to a telephone line forming part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein the receiver is configured to receive the status of the sensors communicated from the RF transmitter and to communicate the status information to a remote system via the PSTN. A method is also provided for monitoring lighting conditions surrounding an automatic teller machine. The method includes the steps of disposing a plurality of light sensors around the ATM and communicating the status of the light sensors from the sensors to a computer within the ATM. The method further includes the step of communicating the status of the light sensors from the ATM to a remote system via a public switched telephone network. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the last step further includes the step of communicating the status of the light sensors via an RF transmitter from the ATM machine to a remote receiver.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the level of light in an area comprising:

a plurality of light gauges disposed in varying locations around the area, wherein each light gauge includes a light sensor, a central processing unit, a memory, and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter disposed to intercommunicate;

a first light gauge of the plurality of the light gauges being configured as a master light gauge and the remainder of the plurality of light gauges being configured as slave light gauges, wherein the RF transmitter of the master light gauge may communicate with the RF transmitters of the slave gauges; and

a telecommunications interface disposed in communication with the central processing unit of the master light gauge, the telecommunications interface being configured to communicate information relating to an output value of the light sensors of the plurality of light gauges to a central station.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications interface includes a cellular transmitter for communicating data via a cellular link.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications interface includes a PSTN interface for interfacing with a PSTN.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of light gauges includes an identification code that uniquely identifies that light gauge.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein each of the slave gauges is configured to communicate its identification code to the master unit, and the master unit is configured to communicate each of the slave identification codes to the central system along with an associated value for the light sensors of each slave light gauge.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the slave gauges is configured to communicate to the master unit via a discrete RF frequency, and the master unit is configured to identify each of the slave gauges by its discrete RF frequency.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each slave light gauge is further configured to communicate additional data to the master light gauge.

8. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein the master light gauge is configured to communicate all information communicated to it from each slave light gauge to a central system via the telecommunication interface.

9. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein the master light gauge is configured to communicate a single "ok" command to the central system if all slave light gauges reading light at or above a specified level, the master light gauge being further configured to send specific slave light gauge data to the central system only for slave light gauges that communicate a light level reading that is below the specified level.

10. A system for monitoring the level of light surrounding an automatic teller machine (ATM) comprising:

a plurality of light sensors disposed in varying locations around the ATM;

a circuit within the ATM in- communication with the sensors, the circuit having a central processing unit and a memory, the memory being configured to store identification information of the light sensors;

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter disposed within the ATM configured to communicate the status of the sensors to a remotely located receiver; and

a receiver interfaced to a telephone line forming part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the receiver configured to receive the status of the sensors communicated from the RF transmitter, the receiver further configured to communicate the status information to a remote system via the PSTN.

11. The system as defined in 10, wherein the RF transmitter is configured to communicate a message having an encoded data segment that identifies the status of the light sensors.

12. The system as defined in 10, further including at least one camera sensor configured to determine the operational condition of a security camera.

13. The system as defined in 11, wherein the the message includes the identification information of the light sensors such that the status of the light sensors correlates to the identification information.

14. The system as defined in 10, wherein a first light sensor of the plurality of the light sensors is adapted as a master light gauge and the remainder of the plurality of light sensors are adapted as slave light gauges, and wherein the master light gauge is configured to communicate with the slave light gauges.

15. The system as defined in 10, further including a time of day clock, wherein the system is configured to operate and detect below specification lighting conditions only within a window of time as determined by the time of day clock.

16. The system as defined in 15, wherein the time of day clock is located at the remote system.

17. A system for monitoring the level of light surrounding an automatic teller machine (ATM) comprising:

a plurality of light sensors disposed in varying locations around the ATM;

a circuit within the ATM in communication with the sensors, the circuit having a central processing unit and a memory, the memory being configured to store identification information of the light sensors; and

a cellular transmitter disposed within ATM for communicating the status of the sensors to a remote cell site, the cellular transmitter being disposed in communication with the circuit.

18. The system as defined in 17, further including at least one camera sensor configured to determine the operational condition of a security camera.

19. The system as defined in 17, wherein a first light sensor of the plurality of the light sensors is adapted as a master light gauge and the remainder of the plurality of light sensors are adapted as slave light gauges, and wherein the master light gauge is configured to communicate with the slave light gauges.

20. A system for monitoring the level of light surrounding an automated teller machine (ATM) comprising:

a plurality of light sensors disposed in varying locations around the ATM;

a circuit within the ATM in communication with the sensors; and

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver disposed within the ATM configured to communicate the status of the sensors to a second, remotely located transceiver;

the second transceiver interfaced to a telephone line forming part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the second transceiver configured to receive a request via the PSTN initiated from a remotely located system to check the status of the light sensors and relay that request to the RF transceiver disposed within the ATM, the second transceiver further configured to receive the status of the sensors communicated from the RF transceiver, the second transceiver further configured to communicate the status information to a remote system via the PSTN; and

further including at least one camera sensor configured to determine the operational condition of a security camera.