Switch status monitoring system

• US 6,353,393 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1998
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nylander, Frederick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/059,836
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 340/545.1, 340/545.2, 340/546, 340/547, 340/506, 340/507, 340/508, 340/650, 340/651, 340/652, 340/529, 340/691.3, 340/545.3, 340/545.4, 340/545.5, 340/545.6, 340/545.7, 340/545.8, 340/545.9, 340/644
• US Class Current: 340/644
• 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 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/167 Circuits for remote indication

Abstract

A switch status monitoring system (10) includes a switch signal processor (16) that operates in either of a supervised mode or an unsupervised mode for each monitored switch (12). Selection of the operating mode is made via configuration data provided to the switch signal processor, for example, from an applications processor (20). In this manner, reconfiguration of the mode of monitoring, supervised or unsupervised, of any particular switch within a system is accomplished by providing revised configuration data and without changes or modifications to the switch signal processor hardware. As will be appreciated, the present invention has application in for example door or window monitoring systems and in other similar security system applications.

Claims

1. A switch status monitoring system including a signal processor coupled to at least one switch,

the at least one switch providing a switch signal,

the signal processor providing a first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein the first operating mode comprises an unsupervised operating mode, and the second operating mode comprises a supervised operating mode,

in the first operating mode, the signal processor arranged for evaluating the switch signal as a digital input signal and for providing a digital output value in response thereto, and

in the second operating mode, the signal processor arranged for evaluating the switch signal as an analog input signal and for providing a count value in response thereto.

2. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, comprising an application processor arranged for evaluating the digital output value and the count value.

3. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the signal processor including configuration data, the signal processor operating in one of the first operating mode and the second operating mode based upon the configuration data.

4. The switch status monitoring system of claim 3, comprising an application processor arranged to communicate the configuration data to the signal processor.

5. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the signal processor in the second operating mode arranged to convert the switch signal to a count value and the count value being based upon at least on threshold value.

6. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the signal processor arranged to provide a ones complement of each of the digital output value and the count value.

7. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the count value representing exactly one state of a plurality of possible states.

8. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the count value representing exactly one state of four possible states comprising a short state, a clear state, an active state and an open state.

9. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the digital output value representing exactly one state of two possible states comprising an open state and a closed state.

10. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the at least one switch arranged for monitoring a position of one of a door and a window.

11. The switch status monitoring system of claim 1, the at least one switch comprising a multi-state device.

12. A switch status monitoring system arranged to monitor a status of at least one switch, the at least one switch providing a switch signal, and

a signal processor providing a first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein the first operating mode comprises an unsupervised operating mode, and the second operating mode comprises a supervised operating mode,

in the first operating mode, the signal processor arranged for evaluating the switch signal as a digital input signal and for providing a digital output value in response thereto,

in the second operating mode, the signal processor arranged for evaluating the switch signal as an analog input signal and for providing a count value in response thereto, and

an applications processor coupled to the switch status monitoring system to receive the digital output value and the count value and arranged to operate on the digital output value and the count value.

13. A door position monitoring system comprising:

a door position sensor providing a door position signal, and

a signal processor providing a first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein the first operating mode comprises an unsupervised operating mode, and the second operating mode comprises a supervised operating mode,

in the first operating mode, the signal processor arranged for evaluating the door position signal as a digital input signal and for providing a digital output value in response thereto, and

in the second operating mode, the signal processor arranged for evaluating the door position signal as an analog input signal and for providing a count value in response thereto.

14. The door position monitoring system of claim 13, comprising an application processor arranged for evaluating the digital output value and the count value.

15. The door position monitoring system of claim 13, the signal processor including configuration data, the signal processor operating in one of the first operating mode and the second operating mode based upon the configuration data.

16. The door position monitoring system of claim 15, comprising an application processor arranged to communicate the configuration data to the signal processor.

17. The door position monitoring system of claim 13, the signal processor in the second operating mode arranged to convert the door position signal to a count value and the count value being based on at least one threshold value.

18. The door position monitoring system of claim 13, signal processor arranged to provide a ones complement of each of the digital output value and the count value.

19. The door position monitoring system of claim 13, the count value representing exactly one state of a plurality of possible states.

20. The door position monitoring system of claim 13, the count value representing exactly one state of four possible states comprising a short state, a clear state, an active state and an open state.

21. The door position monitoring system of claim 13, the digital output value representing exactly one state of two possible states comprising an open state and a closed state.