False alarm reduction method and system

• US 7,323,978 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EE Systems Group, Inc. (Canada)
• Original Assignee: EE Systems Group, Inc. (Canada)
• Inventors: Parker, James, Wang, Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/059,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/507, 340/524, 340/525, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 340/507
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/04 using a single signalling line, e.g. in a closed loop
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/06 Monitoring of the line circuits, e.g. signalling of line faults
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/14 checking the detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/24 Self-calibration, e.g. compensating for environmental drift or ageing of components

Abstract

A digital verification control, which is incorporated with an alarm system, includes a first timer device for presetting a single zone verification time in the control panel and second timer device for presetting a multiple zone verification time in the control panel. The single zone verification time is a single detector time delay and arranged when one of the sensors detects at least two triggered signals in the respective detecting area within the single zone verification time, the local warning system is activated for producing a local warning signal. The multiple zone verification time, which is longer than the single zone verification time, is a multiple detector time delay and arranged when the two sensors detect two triggered signals in the detecting areas respectively within the multiple zone verification time, the local warning system is activated for producing the local warning signal.

Claims

1. A false alarm reduction method for a security alarm system comprising a control panel having a predetermined tolerance window of impedance change and one or more zone detectors installed at one or more monitoring zones and electrically connected to said control panel in such a manner that when one of said zone detectors detects a triggered signal, a loop impedance of said zone detector and said control panel changes from a restore state impedance to an alarm state impedance which is different to said restore state impedance for a predetermined value, wherein said false alarm reduction method comprises the steps of:

(a) generating and injecting an altered impedance which is within said predetermined tolerance window of said control panel to present a desired state to said control panel; and

(b) monitoring any change of said loop impedance between said restore state impedance and said alarm state impedance for each of said zone detectors with respect to said control panel.

2. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 1, after the step (b), further comprising the step of:

(c) presenting a desired restore state to said control panel when said loop impedances of said zone detectors within said monitoring zones are each monitored as said restore state impedance; and

(d) presenting said desired restore state to said control panel when said loop impedance of one of said zone detectors within said respective monitoring zone is monitored as said alarm state impedance.

3. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 2, after the step (d), further comprising a step of:

(e1) when said loop impedance of one of said other zone detectors is also monitored as said alarm state impedance within a predetermined period of time or at least one more zone detector within said respective monitoring zone is also monitored as said alarm state impedance within said predetermined period of time, presenting said desired alarm state to said control panel for alarm response.

4. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 2, after the step (d), further comprising a step of:

(e2) when said loop voltage of another two of said other zone detectors in two of said monitoring zones are also monitored as said alarm state loop voltage within a predetermined period of time, presenting said desired alarm state to said control panel for alarm response.

5. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 2, after the step (d), further comprising a step of:

(e3) when one or more zone detectors within said respective monitoring zone are also monitored as said alarm state loop voltage within a predetermined period of time, presenting said desired alarm state to said control panel for alarm response.

6. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 2, after the step (d), further comprising the steps of:

(e1) when said loop impedance of one of said other zone detectors is also monitored as said alarm state impedance within a predetermined period of time or at least one more zone detector within said respective monitoring zone is also monitored as said alarm state impedance within said predetermined period of time, presenting said desired alarm state to said control panel for alarm response;

(e2) when said loop voltage of another two of said other zone detectors in two of said monitoring zones are also monitored as said alarm state loop voltage within said predetermined period of time, presenting said desired alarm state to said control panel for alarm response; and

(e3) when one or more zone detectors within said respective monitoring zone are also monitored as said alarm state loop voltage within said predetermined period of time, presenting said desired alarm state to said control panel for alarm response.

7. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(c) presetting a single zone verification time as a predetermined period of time, that is a single detector time delay for each of said zone detectors in such a manner that when one of said zone detectors detects at least two triggered signals in said respective monitoring zone within said single zone verification time, said loop impedance of said respective zone detector within said respective monitoring zone is monitored as said alarm state loop impedance;

(d) presetting a multiple zone verification time as a multiple detector time delay for said zone detectors wherein said multiple zone verification time is longer than said single zone verification time in such a manner than when two or more of said zone detectors detect two or more triggered signals in said monitoring zones respectively within said multiple zone verification time, said loop impedance of said zone detectors within said monitoring zones are monitored as said alarm state loop impedance.

8. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 7, further comprising a step of:

(e) when any one of said motion sensors detects a first triggered signal within said respective monitoring zone, presenting said desired restore state to said control panel within a response time for said control panel by injecting said altered impedance to said control panel for a designated period of time for delaying to activate said control panel and a communication system of said security alarm system for a first preset time period as said single zone verification time and at least a second preset time period as said multiple zone verification time which is longer than said single zone verification time, wherein said security alarm system is in a verification condition during said single zone and multiple zone verification times.

9. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 8, further comprising a step of:

(f) when said zone detector that detected said triggered signal detects another triggered signal in said respective monitoring zone within said single zone verification time during said verification condition, presenting said desired alarm state to said control panel to activate said control panel for normal response.

10. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 9, further comprising a step of:

(g) when another said zone detector detects another triggered signal in another said monitoring zone within said multiple zone verification time during said verification condition, present said desired alarm state to said control panel to activate said control panel for normal response.

11. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of:

(h) resetting said security alarm system to said original standby condition when there is no other triggered signal being detected by any of said zone detectors during said verification condition, wherein said security alarm system in said standby condition is ready to enter said verification condition again when there is any triggered signal detected by any of said zone detectors again.

12. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 10, wherein the step (e) further comprises a substep of activating a local warning system to produce a local warning signal.

13. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 10, wherein said normal response including activating a local warning system to produce warning signals and a communication system to transmit digital signals to a central station.

14. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 12, wherein said normal response including activating said local warning system to produce warning signals and a communication system to transmit digital signals to a central station.

15. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of measuring any interference signals including any AC induction that is being presented to said control panel to monitor and analyse said interference signal and then generate an inverse signal that when injected cancels out said interference signal.

16. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 6, wherein the step (a) further comprises a step of measuring any interference signals including any AC induction that is being presented to said control panel to monitor and analyse said interference signal and then generate an inverse signal that when injected cancels out said interference signal.

17. The false alarm reduction method, as recited in claim 10, wherein the step (a) further comprises a step of measuring any interference signals including any AC induction that is being presented to said control panel to monitor and analyse said interference signal and then generate an inverse signal that when injected cancels out said interference signal.

18. A false alarm reduction system for a security alarm system having a control panel and one or more zone detectors which are installed at different monitoring zones and electrically connected with said control panel, wherein said false alarm reduction system comprises:

means for determining whether each of said zone detectors is in a restore state or an alarm state, and

means for simultaneously and independently asserting either a desired alarm state or a desired restore state to said control panel.

19. The false alarm reduction system, as recited in claim 18, wherein when each of said zone detectors is determined in said restore state, said control panel is asserted with said desired restore state, wherein when one of said zone detectors within said respective monitoring zone is determined in said alarm state every time, said control panel is asserted with said desired restore state.

20. The false alarm reduction system, as recited in claim 19, wherein when one of said other zone detectors is also determined in said alarm state within a predetermined period of time or at least one more zone detector within said respective monitoring zone is also determined in said alarm state within said predetermined period of time, said control panel is asserted with said desired alarm state for alarm response.

21. The false alarm reduction system, as recited in claim 20, further comprises wires tapping to zone inputs of said control panel for said zone detectors of said monitoring zones to form a plurality of monitoring zone loops respectively.

22. The false alarm reduction system, as recited in claim 21, further comprising a Pull-UP impedance circuit and a Pull-Down impedance circuit, said Pull-Up impedance circuit raises a loop impedance of said respective monitoring zone loop above a natural or previously present loop impedance to a desired Pull-Up set point and said Pull-Down impedance circuit lowers said loop impedance of said respective monitoring zone loop below said natural or previously present loop impedance to a desired Pull-Down set point.