Method and apparatus for adjusting audible and visual outputs of a mounted alarm device

• US 6,927,673 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Security Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Edwards Systems Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Costa, Hilario S., Right, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/142,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 340/326, 340/332, 340/331, 340/384.1, 340392-3923, 340/321
• US Class Current: 340/326
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/10 Monitoring of the annunciator circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

A method and apparatus that includes housing in which a speaker and strobe light are located with the speaker linked to an audio alert adjuster and a strobe light linked to a visual alert adjuster. The alert levels of both the speaker and the strobe are shown on the exterior of the housing for ease of inspection. The adjusters are located within or outside the housing. The adjuster located within the housing aid in preventing tampering with the levels.

Claims

1. A mountable visual and audible alarm device to warn those within the vicinity of an emergency situation, comprising:

an audio alert;

an audio alert adjuster, linked to the audio alert, that varies the audio output of the audio alert, wherein the audio alert adjuster is accessible without dismantling this device;

a visual alert located within the device;

a visual alert adjuster, linked to the visual alert, that varies the intensity levels of the visual alert, wherein the visual alert adjuster is accessible without dismantling this device; and

a window located on the exterior of the device, the window is configured to indicate a current setting for the audio alert and the visual alert simultaneously audio and visual levels can be ascertained by viewing the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is comprised of a front faceplate and a rear faceplate.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the rear face plate is fixed to a structure.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the front face plate is detachable from the rear faceplate.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein in the audio alert is a speaker.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the audio adjuster is an electric switch.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual adjuster is an electric switch.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the electric switch indicates the audio alert setting.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the audio alert adjuster is varied with a remote control.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the remote control alters the audio alert adjuster with infrared signals.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the remote control alters the audio alert adjuster with radio frequency signals.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the electric switch indicates the visual alert setting.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual alert device is a strobe device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the audio and visual alert adjusters are located within the housing accessed by detaching the front faceplate.

27. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the alert is the audio alert.

28. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the alert is the visual alert.

15. A mountable visual and audible alarm device to warn those within the vicinity of an emergency situation, comprising:

a housing comprising a speaker and a strobe light;

an audio adjuster linked to the speaker that adjusts the audio level of the speaker, wherein the audio level is adjusted without dismantling the device;

a strobe adjuster linked to the strobe light adjusts the intensity level of the strobe light, wherein the intensity level is adjusted without dismantling the device; and

a window that is configured to indicate a current setting of the audio level and intensity level simultaneously in order that the audio and intensity levels can be ascertained by viewing the device.

16. A method for setting the visual and audio level of mountable alarm device, comprising:

adjusting the audio level of a speaker located within a housing from the exterior of the device;

indicating the audio level on an exterior of the device through a window;

adjusting the visual alert level on a strobe located within said housing from the exterior of the device; and

indicating the visual alert level on an exterior of the device through a window the audio and visual alert levels visible simultaneously in order that the audio and visual levels can be ascertained by viewing the device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising accessing the audio and visual alert levels through a detachable front faceplate of the housing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of indicating the audio and visual alert levels comprises a window to indicate the current setting.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein an electric slide switch adjusts the audio alert level.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein an electric slide switch adjusts the visual alert level.

21. An apparatus for setting the visual and audio level of an alarm device, comprising:

means for adjusting the audio level of a speaker from an exterior of the device;

means for indicating the audio level on an exterior of the device in order that the audio level can be ascertained without dismantling the device;

means for adjusting the visual alert level on a strobe located from the exterior of the device; and

means for indicating the visual alert level on the exterior of the device in order that the visual level can be ascertained without dismantling the device the audio and visual levels being indicated simultaneously.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a means for accessing the audio and visual alert levels located within the housing.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for indicating the audio and visual alert levels is a digital display.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for adjusting the audio and visual alter levels is an electric slide switch.

25. A mountable visual and audible alarm device to warn those within the vicinity of an emergency situation, comprising:

an audio alert located on an exterior of the device;

a visual alert located within the device;

an alert adjuster, linked to the audio and video alerts, located on the exterior of the device; and

a window that indicates a setting level of the audio and visual alerts on the exterior of the device simultaneously in order that the audio and visual setting levels can be ascertained by viewing the device.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the alert adjuster is comprised of a an audio alert adjuster linked to the audio apparatus that varies the audio output of the audio alert apparatus and a visual alert adjuster linked to the visual alert apparatus that varies the intensity levels of the visual alert apparatus.