Door mounted audio reminder

• US 6,104,288 A
• Filed: 03/11/1999
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John L. Hopkins
• Original Assignee: John L. Hopkins
• Inventors: Hopkins, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US09/267,022
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 340/545.1, 340/546, 340/547, 340/545.6, 340/545.7, 340/545.8, 340/545.9, 340/692, 200/61.62
• US Class Current: 340/545.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

An audio system is provided for reminding a person exiting a building to possess a key. Included is a speaker for emitting audible audio signals. Also provided is a detection mechanism for indicating that a door of a doorway has been opened. Control circuitry is connected between the speaker and the detection mechanism. The control circuitry is adapted to emit audio signals via the speaker reminding a person exiting a building to possess a key only upon the detection mechanism indicating that the door of the doorway has been opened.

Claims

1. An audio system for reminding a person exiting a building to possess a key comprising, in combination:

a doorway of a building having an opening with a doorjamb and a door hingably coupled within the opening and including a door knob for facilitating the opening of the door;

a magnet assembly including a mounting plate with a substantially planar square configuration and bores formed in each corner thereof for being mounted to an interior surface of the doorjamb of the doorway via screws, the magnet assembly further including a plurality of magnet pieces coupled along a side edge of the mounting plate in a uniformly spaced manner, wherein an interior edge of each of the magnet pieces is positioned coextensive with the periphery of the opening of the doorway; and

an audio assembly including a housing mounted on an interior surface of the door of the doorway above the door knob and level with the magnet assembly, a light mounted on the housing for illuminating upon the actuation thereof, a speaker mounted on the housing for emitting audible audio signals, a detection mechanism mounted on a side face of the housing and positioned coextensive with the periphery of the opening of the doorway adjacent to the magnet pieces of the magnet assembly, and control circuitry connected between a battery, the light, the speaker and the detection mechanism, the control circuitry adapted to emit audio signals via the speaker reminding a person exiting a building to possess a key only upon the detection mechanism indicating that the door of the doorway has been opened, the control circuitry further adapted to actuate the light upon a power level of the battery falling below a predetermined amount.

2. An audible reminder system for reminding a person exiting a building to possess a key, the building having a doorway with an opening defined by a doorjamb, and a door pivotally coupled to the doorjamb and positionable in the opening, the audible reminder system comprising:

a magnet assembly including a mounting plate for mounting to an interior surface of the doorjamb of the doorway; and

an audio assembly including;

a housing mountable on an interior surface of the door of the doorway;

a speaker mounted in the housing for emitting audible sounds;

a detection mechanism mounted on the housing for positioning adjacent to an edge of the door in substantial vertical alignment with the magnet assembly; and

control circuitry connected between a battery, the speaker and the detection mechanism;

wherein the detection mechanism is adapted to detect movement of the housing away from the magnet assembly and send a detection signal to the control circuitry; and

wherein, upon the receipt of the detection signal from the detection mechanism, the control circuitry is adapted to generate signals for causing the speaker to emit a voice playback of a message reminding a person opening the door to possess a key upon leaving the building;

wherein the magnet assembly includes a plurality of magnets mountable on the doorway for working in conjunction with the detection mechanism to indicate that the door of the doorway has been opened.

3. The audio system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to actuate a light upon a power level of a battery connected to the control assembly falling below a predetermined amount.

4. An audible reminder system for reminding a person exiting a building to possess a key, the building having a doorway with an opening defined by a doorjamb, and a door pivotally coupled to the doorjamb and positionable in the opening, the audible reminder system comprising:

a magnet assembly including a mounting plate for mounting to an interior surface of the doorjamb of the doorway, the magnet assembly further including at least one magnet piece mounted along a side edge of the mounting plate, wherein an interior edge of the at least one magnet piece is positioned coextensive with the periphery of the opening of the doorway; and

an audio assembly including;

a housing mountable on an interior surface of the door of the doorway,in vertical alignment with the magnet assembly;

a light mounted on the housing for illuminating based upon a power level of the battery, the light being illuminated when the power level falls below a predetermined amount;

a speaker mounted on the housing for emitting audible sounds;

a detection mechanism mounted on a side face of the housing for positioning adjacent to an edge of the door in alignment with the at least one magnet piece of the magnet assembly; and

control circuitry connected between a battery, the light, the speaker and the detection mechanism;

wherein the detection mechanism is adapted to detect movement of the housing away from the magnet assembly and send a detection signal to the control circuitry; and

wherein, upon the receipt of the detection signal from the detection mechanism, the control circuitry is adapted to generate signals for causing the speaker to emit a voice playback of a message reminding a person opening the door to possess a key upon leaving the building;

wherein a plurality of magnet pieces are included, and wherein the plurality of magnet pieces are arranged in a substantially uniformly spaced manner with respect to each other.