Local combined telephone and alarm system

• US 6,799,031 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InvenTel Co.
• Inventors: Carreel, Eric, Lewiner, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US09/980,409
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404--40, 455/41.2, 379/37, 379/39-40, 340/502, 340/504, 340/514, 340/539.1, 340/539.24
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

The invention concerns a local combined telephone and an alarm system comprising a central base communicating through two-way radio channel, according to a multiple access communication protocol, with telephone stations and detectors adapted to detect an emergency situation. The base transmits at regular intervals of less than 10 minutes, scanning messages addressed to the detectors and determines whether the detectors are operating, depending on whether it receives clearance messages from the detectors.

Claims

1. Combined telephone and alarm system, comprising:

a central base including;

a) two-way radio communication means,

b) a central electronic unit adapted to make the radio communication means of the base work according to a numeric local communication protocol, this protocol being two-way and multiple access,

c) and a link which allows communication with a public telephone network,

and peripherals including at least one detector equipped with a sensor adapted to detect at least one predetermined emergency situation and to communicate with the base by radio according to said local communication protocol, this detector being adapted to send an alarm message to the base when it detects said emergency situation, and the central unit of the base being adapted to provoke at least one alarm reaction when it receives the alarm message from the detector, the central unit of the base being also adapted to communicate by radio with at least one telephone set according to the local communication protocol,

wherein the base central unit is adapted to make the communication means of said base emit, at regular time intervals, scanning messages to the detector,

wherein the detector is adapted to send an acknowledgement message to the base each time it receives a scanning message,

and wherein the base central unit is adapted to check whether the base has successfully received the corresponding acknowledgement message for each scanning message, and to identify the defective detector and activate at least one predetermined checking reaction if the acknowledgement message corresponding to a scanning message is not received by the base within a predetermined time period after the emission of said scanning message.

2. System according to claim 1, in which:

the local communication protocol makes provision for time dividing the radio communications in frames themselves regrouped in sets of successive frames of predetermined duration, inferior to 1 s, each set of frames comprising, for each peripheral, a call time slot duration much inferior to said predetermined duration, during the course of which the base is capable of emitting at least part of a call message to said receptor,

at least the detector is electrically autonomous and is adapted to be either in an active state where said detector communicates with the central base, or in a stand-by state where said detector cannot communicate with said central base, the detector being adapted to remain in a stand-by state for the majority of time and go into an active state uniquely;

either when the detector'"'"'s sensor detects said predetermined emergency situation,

or after every n sets of frames during the call time slot corresponding to said detector, n being an integer at least equal to 3,

and the base is adapted to emit said scanning messages to the detector during n sets of successive frames.

3. System according to claim 2, in which the local communication protocol is the DECT protocol, the duration of each set of frames being 640 ms, and n being equal to 3.

4. System according to claim 1, including in addition at least one telephone set adapted to radio communicate with the base according to the local communication protocol.

5. System according to claim 1, in which each scanning message sent by the base to the detector constitutes a request for establishment of two-way communication addressed specifically to said detector, the acknowledgement message sent back by the detector being constituted by the establishment of said two-way communication between the detector and the base.

6. System according to claim 1, in which each scanning message sent by the base to the detector constitutes a unilateral paging message addressed to all the peripherals, containing a predetermined code asking at least one detector to establish two-way communication with the base, the acknowledgement message sent back by the detector being constituted by the establishment of said two-way communication between said detector and the base.

7. System according to claim 1, in which each scanning message sent by the base to the detector consists in the establishment by said base, of two-way communication with this detector, the acknowledgement message sent back by the detector being constituted by at least one message received by the detector and confirming that said two-way communication has been successfully established.

8. System according to claim 1, in which the time intervals separating two scanning messages to the detector, are inferior to 3 minutes.

9. System according to claim 1, in which the base central unit is adapted to communicate with a tele-surveillance centre, said alarm and checking reactions each comprising the establishment of a communication link between the base and the tele-surveillance centre, and the central unit being adapted to, when it activates one of said alarm or checking reactions and when the public telephone network line is already in communication with other than the tele-surveillance centre, interrupt this communication.

10. System according to claim 9, comprising in addition at least one visual surveillance device which includes an electronic camera and which is adapted to communicate with the base by radio according to the local communication protocol, so that images can be captured and sent to said base, the base being adapted to re-transmit these messages to the tele-surveillance centre.

11. System according to claim 9, furthermore comprises at least one acoustic surveillance device which includes a microphone and which is adapted for radio communication with the base according to the local communication protocol, so that sounds can be captured and sent to said base, the base being adapted to re-transmit these sounds to the tele-surveillance centre.

12. System according to claim 1, comprising several detectors, the base central unit being adapted to:

memorise detector failures as well as the times when they become defective,

when said base central unit identifies a detector as defective and activates the control reaction, check if any of the other detectors are defective,

and in the affirmative, activate said alarm reaction in function of a number of defective detectors and a chronology of failures.

13. System according to claim 1, furthermore comprising an interface device allowing communication with a human operator, this interface device being adapted to communicate with the base central unit in accordance with the local communication protocol, and the base central unit being adapted to send break-down messages to this interface device each time a detector is identified as defective.

14. System according to claim 1, further comprising a distress call portable unit which is adapted to communicate by radio with the base according to the local communication protocol and which includes means for activating a distress call, a loud speaker and a microphone.