Monitoring and alerting system for buildings

• US 6,121,875 A
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Securitas Security Systems USA Incorporated (Securitas AB)
• Original Assignee: INFORM 2000
• Inventors: Hamm, Dennis, Kimmich, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/107,181
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/641, 340/583, 250/214 AL, 250/200, 250/208.4, 250/214 D, 250/214 LS
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/25 Circuit arrangements for protecting against overcurrent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system is disclosed for sensing selected conditions particularly adjacent to an unoccupied commercial business building and taking the appropriate action. Corrective action may include shutting down a system, sending a signal to an occupied location for evaluation of the selected abnormal condition, or making a record of the abnormal condition for rectification at a later time. The system includes one or more light level sensors including microcomputer controlled photocell units directed to observe the light level at selected locations and to transmit signals indicating sensed light values below a desired value, and includes a receiver receiving the transmitted signals and which responds to such signals to produce a correction signal. If the commercial establishment is a bank and the light level is at an ATM (automatic teller machine) the system may respond to the correction signal by temporarily shutting the ATM machine down and illuminating a sign to indicate that the ATM is not open. If the condition sensed is a different type of discrepancy, failure of heating, water leak detection or other emergency, the system includes a modem and telephone communications link to a human monitoring station for instantaneous alerting and to allow corrective action.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and responding to light levels below a predetermined level established by lights on or adjacent to a business installation to insure adequate consumer light level protection comprising:

light sensing means for sensing the light levels in the immediate area of said installation, said light sensing means including a photocell, a microcomputer having a clock connected to said photocell taking very short time samples of the photocell output and converting said samples into digital light value signals varying with said photocell outputs;

program means causing said microcomputer to;

a) establish a predetermined "darkness detect" light value;

b) respond to a predetermined number of light value samples showing a progressive increase in light values to produce a signal to turn said lights off;

c) respond to another predetermined number of light value samples showing a progressive increase in light values to produce a sunset detect light value reference;

d) following a predetermined time period to respond to the occurrence of a light value corresponding to the sunset detect light value reference to produce a signal to turn said lights on;

e) following a set time period after said lights on signal to sample light values to establish a night reference light value;

f) beginning with step b) repeating the above steps;

a receiver receiving said lights off and lights on signals; and

means connected to said receiver and responsive to said lights on and lights off signals to produce output signals to turn said lights off and to turn said lights on.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including a plurality of said light sensing means and wherein said receiver includes a plurality of zones for receiving output signals from said plurality of light sensing means.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said light sensing means is further programmed to send an identification signal to said receiver at regular intervals.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said receiver includes means programmed to receive said identification signal at said regular intervals and operative in response to a failure to receive said identification signal to provide a signal to said means responsive to alarm signals to take a desired corrective action.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein additional photocell means also includes a microcomputer having an alarm counter which stores a value corresponding to a specific light level, which samples light values and which responds to sample light values below the stored light value to add counts to said alarm counter, said alarm counter responding to a full count in said counter to create an alarm output and to reset said alarm counter;

said microcomputer also includes a restore counter which stores a restore value corresponding to a light level greater than said alarm counter light level, which samples light values and responds to sample values above said restore value to add counts to said restore counter, said restore counter responding to a full count therein to produce an output to normalize said alarm output and reset said restore counter;

said restore counter output causing said receiver to by pass said lights off and light on signals; and

said alarm output producing a signal which, after a predetermined time period, enables said receiver to receive said lights on and lights off signals.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said light level sensing means further includes a battery and a wireless transmitter and said receiver is a wireless receiver.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said light level sensing means includes an oscillator connected to said microcomputer, said oscillator having a much lower frequency than said microcomputer such that said microcomputer is maintained in a substantially quiescent state over the greater part of each oscillator cycle.

8. A system for monitoring and responding to light levels adjacent an automatic teller machine to insure adequate light levels comprising light sensing means producing output signals varying with light levels sensed;

computer means sampling said output signals over a predetermined period at night to produce a night reference value, further sampling said output signals and responsive to a predetermined number of signals representing increasing light values above said night reference value to provide a lights off signal, further sampling said output signals and responsive to further increases in sensed light values to provide and retain an evening turn on light value reference, further sampling said output signals until said evening turn on light value is sensed and providing a signal to turn said lights on, and further sampling said output signals for a predetermined period to establish a night reference light value;

a transmitter transmitting said output signals;

a receiver receiving said output signals; and

means responsive to said received lights on and lights off signals for turning said lights on and off and responsive to said alarm output signal to initiate a desired corrective action.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said light level sensing means further includes a battery and a wireless transmitter and said receiver is a wireless receiver.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8 further including a plurality of said light sensing means and wherein said receiver includes a plurality of zones for receiving output signals from said plurality of light sensing means.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said system is further programmed to send an identification signal to said receiver at regular intervals.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said receiver includes means programmed to receive said identification signal at said regular intervals and operative in response to a failure to receive said identification signal to provide a signal to said means responsive to alarm signals to take a desired corrective action.

14. A system as claimed in claim 12 in which said signal responsive means includes a CPU/communication module including a clock.

16. A system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said wireless transmitter further includes means transmitting an identification signal to said receiving means at regular intervals.

13. A system for monitoring and responding to light levels below a predetermined level established by lights on or adjacent to a business installation to insure adequate consumer light level protection comprising:

said light sensing means including a microcomputer controlled photocell for sampling said sensed light levels over a period of time to determine a night reference light value, for further sampling said light values and to respond to a specified number of light value increases to provide a signal to turn said lights off, for further sampling increasing light values to establish an evening turn on light value reference, for further sampling said light values until said evening turn on light value is sensed to provide a signal to turn said lights on; and

means responsive to said signals for turning said lights on and off.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said light sensing means further includes a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver is connected to said CPU/communication module.

17. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein said CPU/communications module includes means programmed to receive said identification signal on a timed basis and operative in response to failure to receive said identification signal to take a desired corrective action.