Communicative environmental alarm system with voice indication

• US 6,323,780 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gary J. Morris Phd
• Original Assignee: Gary J. Morris Phd
• Inventors: Morris, Gary J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US09/417,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 340/692, 340/539, 340/628, 340/632, 340/577, 340/693.11, 340/505, 340/506, 340/500, 340/517, 340/520-524, 340/531-534, 340/540, 340/584, 340/605, 340/691.1, 340/691.4, 340/693.5, 340/693.6, 340/693.7, 340/693.9, 340/286.01, 340/286.05, 340/286.11, 340/328, 340/329, 340/384.1, 340/384.3, 340/384.4, 340/384.73
• US Class Current: 340/692
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

The battery powered or 120 VAC powered environmental condition detector of the present invention is designed to provide an early warning of the presence of an environmental condition (smoke or carbon monoxide gas or natural gas or propane gas or any multiple combination of these offending agents) to persons in remote areas of a building. The detector sensing the environmental condition emits an audible tonal pattern alarm, while transmitting a radio signal directly to other environmental condition detectors to activate their alarms and to activate an electronically stored human voice recording (or synthesized voice) that indicates the location of the environmental condition detector sensing the environmental condition, or the type of environmental condition, or both. Rechargeable light modules separate from the detector are included that receive the signal from the detector sensing the environmental condition and illuminate areas and paths of egress for the duration of the alarm condition or in case of 120 VAC power failure. All components of the system are easy to install due to the modular design and conventional power sources. An intermittent activation of the electronic circuitry in the detector unit may be used to conserve battery energy in the battery powered embodiment.

Claims

1. An environmental condition detection system having:

a minimum of two environmental condition detectors, each said environmental condition detector comprising

(a) at least one sensor for detecting the presence of a selected environmental condition,

(b) an audible alarm having at least one user unalterable, prescribed audible tonal pattern active in response to sensing said environmental condition in accordance with a predetermined criterion;

(c) voice circuitry for playing at least one user unalterable, pre-recorded voice message wherein the message verbally describes the type of detected environmental condition for the duration of detection thereof in accordance with said criterion such that said pre-recorded voice message is emitted during periods of silence in said prescribed audible tonal pattern alarm; and

(d) a transmitter and a receiver for wireless direct communication with other detectors of the system wherein each transmitter transmits coded wireless signals and each said receiver responds to received, coded signals, each said detector emitting at least one user unalterable electronically pre-recorded voice message, the selection of which is defined by electronic decoding of the received wireless signal transmitted by a condition detector sensing said environmental condition;

(e) selectable coding circuitry to define the installation location of the respective detector and wherein the voice circuitry plays a location specifying message;

wherein said at least one sensor is selected from a group including a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide gas sensor, a natural gas sensor, and a propane gas sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the detectors include at least a second sensor of a different type and wherein the voice circuitry therein plays a second user unalterable pre-recorded voice message which describes a second type of detected environmental condition such that the pre-recorded voice is emitted during periods of silence in a prescribed audible tonal pattern.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a light module to illuminate adjacent areas during the detection of said environmental condition, said a light module comprising a lamp, an element for a plug-in type connection of the module to a power supply, a rechargeable battery for powering said light module upon a power failure, a control circuit and a wireless receiver, said circuit causing said lamp to be energized by upon receipt of a selected coded wireless signal by the receiver.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said voice circuitry for playing said pre-recorded voice messages has further circuitry to provide for the selection of language type presentation of said pre-recorded voice messages.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said audible alarm comprises storage for multiple tonal alarm patterns.

6. The system of claim 5 which includes a processor programmed for retrieving a selected tonal alarm pattern and presenting same to the audible alarm.

7. A system as in claim 1 wherein the type of wireless communication is selected from a class which includes acoustic transmission, optical transmission and radio frequency transmission.

8. A system as in claim 1 which includes at least one light module having:

a wireless receiver;

control circuitry coupled to the receiver; and

a source of illumination coupled to the control circuitry wherein the control circuitry energizes the source in response to receipt of a selected wireless signal.

9. A system as in claim 8 which includes a power supply.

10. A system as in claim 9 wherein the supply comprises a battery.

11. A system as in claim 9 wherein the supply includes a connector for engaging an exterior source of energy.

12. An environmental condition detection system comprising:

a minimum of two environmental condition detectors, each said environmental condition detector comprising

(a) at least one sensor for detecting the presence of a selected environmental condition,

(b) an audible alarm having at least one user unalterable prescribed audible tonal pattern active in response to sensing said environmental condition in accordance with a predetermined parameter;

(c) circuitry for playing at least one user unalterable pre-recorded voice message wherein the message verbally describes the location of the detected environmental condition for the duration of detection thereof in accordance with the parameter such that said pre-recorded voice message is emitted during selected periods of silence in said prescribed audible tonal pattern alarm;

(d) a transmitter and a receiver for wireless direct communication with other detectors of the system wherein each transmitter transmits coded wireless signals and each said receiver responds to received, coded signals, each said detector emitting at least one user unalterable electronically pre-recorded voice message, the selection of which is defined by electronic decoding of the received wireless signal transmitted by a detector sensing said environmental condition; and

(e) wherein said circuitry for playing said pre-recorded voice messages has a second circuit to provide for the selection of language-type presentation of said pre-recorded voice messages.

13. The system as in claim 12 wherein the circuitry plays a user unalterable. condition specifying message during other periods of silence.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least some of the detectors include at least a second sensor of a different type and wherein the circuitry therein plays a second, user unalterable condition specifying pre-recorded voice message such that the pre-recorded voice is emitted during periods of silence in a prescribed audible tonal pattern.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said audible alarm comprises storage for multiple tonal alarm patterns.

16. The system of claim 15 which includes a processor programmed for retrieving a selected tonal alarm pattern and presenting same to the audible alarm.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said sensors are selected from a group including a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide gas sensor, a natural gas sensor, and a propane gas sensor.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising a light module to illuminate adjacent areas during the detection of said environmental condition, said a light module comprising a lamp, an element for a plug-in type connection of the module to a power supply, a rechargeable battery for powering said light module upon a power failure, a control circuit and a wireless receiver, said circuit causing said lamp to be energized by upon receipt of a selected coded wireless signal by the receiver.

19. A system as in claim 12 wherein the type of wireless communication is selected from a class which includes acoustic transmission, optical transmission and radio frequency transmission.

20. A system as in claim 12 which includes at least one light module having:

a wireless receiver;

control circuitry coupled to the receiver; and

a source of illumination coupled to the control circuitry wherein the control circuitry energizes the source in response to receipt of a selected wireless signal.

21. A system as in claim 20 which includes a power supply.

22. A system as in claim 21 wherein the supply includes at least one prong for engaging an exterior source.

23. A method for providing environmental condition detection for a multi-section region comprising:

(a) locating a minimum of two environmental condition detectors in different sections of the region;

(b) setting a selectable coding element in each detector to define the location of the respective detector within a section;

(c) sensing an environmental condition and playing a user unalterable pre-recorded voice message, which verbally describes at least the location of the sensed condition;

(d) communicating wirelessly with another, selected detector such that the pre-recorded voice message at the sensed location is also emitted at the another detector.

24. A method as in claim 23 which includes verbally stating a type of sensed condition.

25. A method as in claim 23 which includes:

selecting the wireless communication from a class which includes acoustic communication, optical communication radio-type communication.

26. A method as in claim 23 which includes:

communicating wirelessly with a displaced source of illumination; and

energizing the source in response to receipt of a selected communication.

27. A detector comprising:

a) at least one sensor for sensing the presence of an environmental condition, wherein said sensor is selected from a group including a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide gas sensor, a natural gas sensor, and a propane gas sensor and wherein said sensor further includes at least a second, different sensor,

b) a transmitter for transmitting a radio frequency signal,

c) a selector to define a coded radio frequency signal to be transmitted by said transmitter,

d) a receiver for radio signal reception,

e) an alarm code selector to define a voice information code to be transmitted in said radio signal, and

f) an audio transducer that emits selected user unalterable voice information in response to the receiver receiving a selected radio signal transmitted by another transmitter.

28. A detector as in claim 27 which includes circuitry for storage of at least one user unalterable alarm type voice message.

29. A detector as in claim 28 which includes circuitry for storage of a second, location specifying voice message.

30. A self-contained ambient condition detector comprising:

a housing;

at least one ambient condition sensor carried by the housing;

a control element, carried by the housing and coupled to the sensor, for establishing the presence of a selected alarm condition;

a wireless receiver coupled to the control element wherein the receiver and control element receive and decode wireless messages transmitted by other detectors;

a manually settable location specifying member, coupled to the control element whereby a user can specify a location at which the housing is installed;

voice annunciating circuitry and a plurality of stored user unalterable verbal outputs with one output identifying, at least in part, an alarm type and at least one output identifying, at least in part, an alarm location wherein in response to a received wireless message from another detector, the voice annunciation circuitry outputs at least one of a verbal alarm type and a verbal alarm location; and

a wireless transmitter, coupled to the control element whereby the control element includes circuitry for formatting wireless alarm specifying messages for transmission to displaced, substantially identical, detectors whereby the receiving detectors receive the alarm specifying messages for verbal presentation thereat;

wherein transmitted messages include location information as specified by the manually settable member.

31. A detector as in claim 30 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a class which includes a position sensor, a motion sensor, a breakage sensor, a gas sensor, and a fire sensor.

32. A detector as in claim 30 which includes a second, different, sensor wherein the sensors are selected from a class which includes a gas sensor, a smoke sensor and a thermal sensor.

33. A detector as in claim 30 wherein the control element comprises a programmed processor and associated storage unit which includes at least one prestored audible alarm indicating tonal output pattern.

34. A detector as in claim 33 which includes a plurality of tonal output patterns pre-stored in the unit wherein one of the patterns is a fire alarm pattern.

35. A detector as in claim 34 wherein another of the prestored patterns is a gas alarm pattern.

36. A detector as in claim 30 wherein the control element comprises a storage unit for digitally storing at least one alarm indicating tonal output pattern.

37. A detector as in claim 30 wherein the annunciating circuitry comprises a speech synthesizer.

38. A detector as in claim 30 which includes a tonal output device coupled to the control element wherein the control element in response to the presence of the selected alarm condition, drives the output device to emit pluralities of alarm specifying output tones wherein the pluralities are temporally spaced apart from one another a selected interval and wherein the voice annunciating circuitry outputs at least one of the verbal alarm type and the verbal alarm location during the selected intervals.

39. A detector as in claim 38 wherein the pluralities of output tones are user unalterable.

40. A detector as in claim 39 wherein in response to the received wireless message, the voice annunciation circuitry outputs at least one of the verbal alarm type and the verbal alarm location during the selected intervals.

41. An alarm system comprising:

a plurality of wirelessly coupled, self-contained detectors wherein each detector includes a transceiver for wireless transmission of and reception of coded messages, directly communicated between detectors, wherein the messages include at least alarm specifying information transmitted by a detector exhibiting an alarm condition; and

wherein at least some detectors include voice output circuitry for verbally broadcasting user unalterable messages identifying the existence of an alarm condition at a different detector in response to a coded message directly received therefrom;

wherein at least some of the detectors include manually settable location specifying circuitry and the transmitted messages therefrom include both alarm and location information;

wherein the voice output circuitry of at least some of the detectors verbally outputs both alarm and location information received from another detector.

42. A system as in claim 41 wherein at least some of the detectors include at least one ambient condition sensor selected from a class which includes at least a fire sensor, a gas sensor, a position sensor, a motion sensor and a breakage sensor.

43. A system as in claim 42 wherein the fire sensors comprise one or more of a thermal sensor, a photoelectric smoke sensor and an ionization smoke sensor.

44. A system as in claim 41 wherein at least some of the detectors include an alarm indicating audible output transducer.

45. A system as in claim 44 wherein at least some of the transducers comprise piezoelectric transducers.

46. A system as in claim 44 wherein verbal alarm specifying messages are interleaved with user unalterable tonal alarm indicating messages.

47. A system as in claim 46 wherein verbal alarm location messages are interleaved with tonal alarm indicating messages.

48. A system comprising:

at least one detector wherein the detector includes an ambient condition sensor and control circuitry for detecting the presence of a selected ambient condition and for emitting a user unalterable, patterned tonal alarm indicative of the detected condition wherein groups of tones are spaced apart by a first interval and tones in a group are spaced apart by a second, shorter, interval;

a transmitter coupled to the control circuitry for wirelessly emitting a condition specifying control signal to at least one displaced illumination module wherein the module comprises at least one prong for releasibly coupling to an external source of power, a receiver for receipt of the condition specifying control signal, a light source and circuitry for illuminating the source in response to receipt of the condition specifying control signal; and

voice annunciating circuitry for playing at least one, user unalterable, pre-recorded voice message during the first intervals wherein the message specifies the type of condition and wherein the voice annunciating circuitry is located at least in part at the detector;

a settable location specifying element coupled to the control circuit and wherein the annunciating circuitry verbally introduces a location specifying message, in accordance with a setting of the location specifying element, into some of the first intervals which would otherwise be silent;

a second detector, substantially identical to the at least one detector wherein the detectors can both be in wireless communication with the module.

49. A system as in claim 48 wherein the detectors each include a manually changeable, system specifying code incorporated into the condition specifying control signal.

50. A system as in claim 49 wherein the module includes circuitry for establishing the presence of a predetermined system specifying code in a received condition specifying control signal.

51. A system as in claim 50 wherein the module includes a manually changeable, system specifying code.

52. A system as in claim 48 wherein the module includes a battery.

53. A system as in claim 48 wherein the verbal type specifying message and the location specifying message are stored at the at least one detector.

54. An electrical unit comprising:

at least one of a condition sensor and source of illumination;

a control circuit responsive to a selected ambient condition to produce at least one output signal indicative thereof;

an audible output device, coupled to the control circuit and drivable thereby in response to the selected condition, to produce groups of user unalterable, alarm-type indicating tones wherein groups of tones are spaced apart a first interval and wherein tones in a group are spaced apart from one another a second, shorter interval;

voice output circuitry, coupled to the control circuit and driven thereby to produce at least one user unalterable alarm specifying output message which verbally identifies the same alarm as does the tonal output pattern wherein the output message is injected into at least some of the first intervals between tonal groups;

a settable system specifying element coupled to the control circuit for establishing a coded system specific identifier; and

at least one of a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the control circuitry to respectively send or receive a wireless signal indicative of the condition wherein sent signals include a system identifier and wherein received signals include a system identifier.

55. An electrical unit as in claim 54 wherein the sensor and the transmitter are coupled to the control circuit.

56. An electrical unit as in claim 54 wherein the source and the receiver are coupled to the control circuit.

57. An electrical unit as in claim 54 wherein the control circuit includes a programmed processor and wherein instructions for implementing at least the alarm condition indicating tones are executed thereby.

58. An electrical unit as in claim 54 which includes a settable location specifying element and wherein the voice output circuitry, when driven by the control circuit verbally produces a location specifying message, in accordance with a setting of the location specifying element in some of the first intervals which would otherwise be silent, provided, that the coded system specific identifier matches any received system identifier.

59. An electrical unit comprising:

at least one of a condition sensor and a source of illumination;

a control circuit responsive to a selected ambient condition to produce at least one output signal indicative thereof;

an audible output device, coupled to the control circuit and drivable thereby in response to the selected condition, to produce groups of user unalterable, alarm type indicating tones wherein groups of tones are spaced apart a first interval and wherein tones in a group are spaced apart from one another a second, shorter interval;

voice output circuitry, coupled to the control circuit and driven thereby to produce at least one user unalterable output message which verbally identifies an alarm location wherein the output message is injected into at least some of the first intervals between tonal groups;

a settable system specifying element coupled to the control circuit for establishing a coded system specific identifier; and

at least one of a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the control circuitry to respectively send or receive a wireless signal indicative of the condition wherein sent signals include a system identifier and wherein received signals include a system identifier.