Battery-powered, RF-interconnected detector sensor system
First Claim
1. A wireless, battery-operated detection system of a plurality of RF-interconnected detectors operable over a CSMA-type network and intended to detect the occurrence of a local phenomena and transmit at least one signal to at least one other detector to remotely sound an alarm, each said detector operable in a plurality of modes including standby, alarm, test, reset, auxiliary and wait, each said detector comprising a sensor for sensing said local phenomena, a transmitter for transmitting amplitude modulated RF messages indicative of said phenomena, a receiver for receiving said RF messages, alarm means for sounding said audible alarm indicative of said phenomena and mode, and a controller operable to control the mode of operation of each said detector, each said controller operable to control all said detectors in said system in response to a stimulus and for controlling multiple and conflicting signals transmitted among said detectors, said controller includingprioritization means for determining the relative priority of said received RF signals and stimuli indicative of a particular condition to enable the appropriate mode of operation;
- timer means responsive to said detector operating mode for enabling said transmitter to transmit RF messages immediately after said receiver is sensed and no longer detects incoming message activity, wherein said receiver is sensed at a randomized time interval to reduce the probability of multiple simultaneous transmissions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless, battery-operated detection system of a plurality of RF-interconnected detectors is operable over a CSMA-type network and intended to detect the occurrence of a local phenomena and transmit at least one signal to at least one other detector to remotely sound an alarm. Each detector includes a sensor for sensing local phenomena, a transmitter for transmitting RF messages indicative of the phenomena, a receiver for receiving the RF messages, an alarm circuit for sounding an audible alarm indicative of the phenomena and a controller operable to control the mode of operation of each detector, wherein each controller is operable to control all the detectors in the system in response to a stimulus and to control multiple and conflicting signals transmitted among the detectors. The controller includes a prioritization circuit for determining the relative priority of the received RF signals and stimuli indicative of a particular condition to enable the appropriate mode of operation. The controller also includes a timer circuit responsive to the operating mode for enabling the transmitter to transmit RF messages immediately after the receiver is sensed and no longer detects incoming message activity, and where the receiver is sensed at randomized time intervals to reduce the probability of multiple simultaneous transmissions.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A wireless, battery-operated detection system of a plurality of RF-interconnected detectors operable over a CSMA-type network and intended to detect the occurrence of a local phenomena and transmit at least one signal to at least one other detector to remotely sound an alarm, each said detector operable in a plurality of modes including standby, alarm, test, reset, auxiliary and wait, each said detector comprising a sensor for sensing said local phenomena, a transmitter for transmitting amplitude modulated RF messages indicative of said phenomena, a receiver for receiving said RF messages, alarm means for sounding said audible alarm indicative of said phenomena and mode, and a controller operable to control the mode of operation of each said detector, each said controller operable to control all said detectors in said system in response to a stimulus and for controlling multiple and conflicting signals transmitted among said detectors, said controller including
prioritization means for determining the relative priority of said received RF signals and stimuli indicative of a particular condition to enable the appropriate mode of operation; timer means responsive to said detector operating mode for enabling said transmitter to transmit RF messages immediately after said receiver is sensed and no longer detects incoming message activity, wherein said receiver is sensed at a randomized time interval to reduce the probability of multiple simultaneous transmissions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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11. A detector system comprising a plurality of battery-operated sensing devices interconnected over a wireless, CSMA-type RF network and intended to detect the occurrence of a local phenomena and transmit at least one amplitude modulated RF signal to at least one other sensing device to remotely sound an alarm, each said sensing device comprising:
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sensor means for detecting said local phenomena indicative of an emergency condition, said emergency condition comprising a first priority alarm condition, and successively lower priority AUX2 condition, and AUX3 condition at said detector, reset means for generating a signal indicative of a first priority reset condition at said detector, wherein said reset condition is of higher priority than said alarm condition, transmitter means responsive to controller means for transmitting said amplitude modulated RF signal encoded with a predetermined code indicative of said priority emergency or reset conditions to other said detectors within operating range, receiver means for accepting and decoding remote AM RF signals indicative of said priority emergency or reset conditions from said other detectors, controller means responsive to said priority conditions received from said sensor means, reset means and receiver means, to cause said audible alarm to sound indicative of said highest priority condition received during a given time interval to alert local personnel, and to cause subsequent transmission of AM RF signal indicative of said highest priority condition, said controller means including timer means for sensing said receiver means a randomized time after first detecting said remote AM RF signal and providing a start signal to said transmitter means to initiate AM RF signal transmission, thereby reducing the probability of multiple simultaneous transmissions, wherein each said sensing device in said network is operable to control all other said remote sensing devices to either reset or sound an audible alarm indicative of said condition at each said remote device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification