Low battery warning silencing in life safety devices

• US 7,508,314 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walter Kidde Portable Equipment Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Walter Kidde Portable Equipment Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Silver, Travis, Buchholz, Matthew J., Burnette, Stan, Andres, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Application Number:
  US11/253,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 340/660
• US Class Current: 340/636.19
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/145 of fire detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply

Abstract

A life safety device can include a battery monitoring module configured to measure a voltage level of a battery, an alarm module configured to provide an alarm when the voltage level is less than or equal to a low battery threshold, and a silence module configured to silence the alarm for a random time period.

Claims

1. A life safety device, comprising:

a battery monitoring module configured to measure a voltage level of a battery;

an alarm module configured to provide an alarm when the voltage level is less than or equal to a low battery threshold; and

a silence module configured to automatically select a random time period and to silence the alarm for the random time period.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a battery.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the device is AC powered, and wherein the battery is used as a backup power source.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a sound module.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the random time period decreases as the voltage level approaches a silence threshold.

7. A method of monitoring a voltage level of a battery in a life safety device, the method comprising:

periodically measuring the voltage level of the battery;

providing an audible low battery warning when the voltage level of the battery generally equals or is less than a low battery threshold;

automatically selecting a random time period; and

silencing the audible low battery warning for the random time period when the voltage level of the battery is determined to be generally equal to or less than the low battery threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the random time period decreases as the measured voltage level approaches a silence threshold.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the life safety device is a hazardous condition detector including a battery as a power source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hazardous condition detector is a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the life safety device does not have hazardous condition detection capability, and has a battery as a backup power source.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the device is a sound module.

13. A method of monitoring a voltage level of a battery in a life safety device, the method comprising:

periodically measuring the voltage level of the battery;

entering a low battery mode when the voltage level of the battery generally equals or is less than a low battery threshold, wherein the low battery mode includes providing an audible low battery warning;

automatically selecting a random time period; and

entering the low battery silence mode by silencing the audible low battery warning for the random time period when the voltage level of the battery is determined to generally equal to or less than the low battery threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising returning to the low battery mode when the random time period ends.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising returning to the low battery mode when the measured battery voltage generally equals or is less than a silence threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the random time period decreases as the voltage level approaches a silence threshold.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the life safety device is a hazardous condition detector with a battery as a primary power source.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the hazardous condition detector is a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the life safety device does not have hazardous condition detection capability, and has a battery as a backup power source.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is a sound module.