Method and apparatus for securing a site utilizing a security apparatus in cooperation with telephone systems

• US 6,104,783 A
• Filed: 05/01/1996
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Instant Alert Security, LLC
• Original Assignee: Instant Alert Security, LLC
• Inventors: DeFino, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US08/640,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 379/38, 379/39, 379/40, 379/41, 379/42, 379/43, 379/44, 379/45, 379/106.01, 340/531, 340/532, 340/539
• US Class Current: 379/38
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A security system for a building uses the telephone system. Telephone receivers are located in various rooms in the building and linked through a telephone exchange. Persons that live or work in the building are provided with wireless alarm transmitters. Wireless receivers are located in the building, each coupled to one of the telephone receivers. Each wireless receiver, when receiving an alarm signal from one of the transmitters, initiates a call to the telephone exchange in response. The wireless receiver message will identify the individual associated with the particular transmitter and provide the location of the receiver that received the alarm signal.

Claims

1. A security apparatus for use in at least one structure, with a plurality of rooms defined therein and with a telephone exchange system located therein, said telephone exchange system having (a) a plurality of telephones distributed throughout said plurality of rooms of said at least one structure and (b) telephone lines linking together said telephone exchange, for providing a security communication system for a plurality of system-authorized individuals located throughout said at least one structure, comprising:

a plurality of portable transmitters, which are issued to said plurality of system-authorized individuals in accordance with a transmitter issuance schema which identifies particular ones of said plurality of system-authorized individuals of particular transmitters, and which may be utilized to transmit a wireless alarm signal in response to actuation of an alarm condition switch;

a plurality of receivers which are located in said at least one structure within particular ones of said plurality of rooms in accordance with a receiver distribution schema, each of said plurality of receivers being electrically coupled between a particular one of said plurality of telephones and said telephone lines and which automatically initiate at least one telephone communication within said telephone exchange system in response to detection of a wireless alarm signal;

a receiver programming apparatus including;

(a) a data input interface;

(b) a display;

(c) a programmable controller; and

(d) a wireless transmission system;

wherein said programmable controller includes program instructions for providing an operations menu with a plurality of receiver interactions, which may be viewed at said display;

wherein said receiver interaction options include at least one of the following;

(a) a dialog confirmation interaction which causes a particular one of said plurality of receivers to produce a human-perceptible indication that a wireless communication link has been established;

(b) a unit identification interaction during which said data input interface is utilized to assign a unique identification indicator to a particular one of said plurality of receivers;

(c) a data interchange interaction during which said data input interface is utilized to initiate data transfer from a particular one of said plurality of receivers over a selected hardware data bus; and

(d) a telephone number programming interaction during which said data input interface is utilized to define a particular telephone number which is automatically dialed by a particular one of said plurality of receivers when said at least one telephone communication is initiated.

2. A method of providing security for a plurality of system-authorized individuals for use in at least one structure with a plurality of rooms defined therein and with a telephone exchange system located therein said telephone exchange system having (a) a plurality of telephones distributed throughout said plurality of rooms of said at least one structure and (b) telephone lines linking together said telephone exchange, with said plurality of system-authorized individuals being located throughout said at least one structure, comprising the method steps of:

providing a plurality of portable transmitters which may be utilized to transmit a wireless alarm signal in response to actuation of an alarm condition switch;

issuing said plurality of portable transmitters to said plurality of system-authorized individuals in accordance with a transmitter issuance schema which identifies particular ones of said plurality of system-authorized individuals to particular transmitters;

providing a plurality of receivers;

locating said plurality of receivers in said at least one structure within particular ones of said plurality of rooms in accordance with a receiver distribution schema, each of said plurality of receivers being electrically coupled between a particular one of said plurality of telephones and said telephone lines;

automatically initiating at least one telephone communication with said telephone exchange system in response to detection of a wireless alarm signal;

providing a receiver programming apparatus including;

(a) a data input interface;

(b) a display;

(c) a programmable controller; and

(d) a wireless transmission system;

wherein said programmable controller includes program instructions for providing an operations menu with a plurality of receiver interaction options, which may be viewed at said display;

wherein said receiver interaction options include at least one of the following;

(a) a dialog confirmation interaction which causes a particular one of said plurality of receivers to produce a human-perceptible indication that a wireless communication link has been established;

(b) a unit identification interaction during which said data input interface is utilized to assign a unique identification indicator to a particular one of said plurality of receivers;

(c) a data interchange interaction during which said data input interface is utilized to initiate data transfer from a plurality of receivers over a selected hardware data bus; and

(d) a telephone number programming interaction during which said data input interface is utilized to define a particular telephone number which is automatically dialed by a particular one of said plurality of receivers when said at least one telephone communication is initiated.