Automated computerized alarm system

• US 7,671,730 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Penny S. Henderson
• Original Assignee: Penny S. Henderson
• Inventors: Henderson, Penny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/676,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 340/531, 340/539.1, 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 340/426.1, 340/539.26, 340/541, 340/691.1, 340/506
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

An automatic alarm system has an alarm device having a sensor and a telephone having a telephone number. The telephone may be wireless. When the sensor senses a predetermined environmental indicator, the alarm device calls a receiver in a location separate from the alarm device to send an alarm. The receiver may identify the location of the alarm device by its telephone number or an identification code. The receiver can call the alarm device to confirm the alarm and monitor events around the alarm device. The alarm device may include a camera.

Claims

1. An alarm system comprising:

an alarm device positioned in a location, and a receiver positioned in a second location separate from the alarm device, the alarm device comprising;

one or more sensors operatively responding to a predetermined environmental indicator by providing a sensor signal identifying the responding sensor;

an alarm communication device connected to a communication network and having a telephone number for receiving calls on the communication network; and

an alarm microprocessor operatively connected to the one or more sensors and the alarm communication device, where the alarm microprocessor uses the alarm communication device to call and operatively connect to the receiver after receiving the sensor signal and transmitting an alarm signal to the receiver correlating to the responding sensor,

the receiver comprising;

a receiver communication device for connecting to the communication network and operatively connecting to the alarm communication device over the communication network; and

a receiver microprocessor operatively connected to the receiver communication device, where the receiver microprocessor receives the alarm signal and identifies the location of the alarm device.

2. The alarm system according to claim 1, the alarm communication device being a telephone and the communication network being a telephone network.

3. The alarm system according to claim 1, the alarm communication device being a wireless telephone and the communication network being a wireless telephone network.

4. The alarm system according to claim 3, further comprising a household or wireless mobile telephone, the household or wireless mobile telephone comprising an alarm button and programmed to call and operatively connect to the receiver when the alarm button is pressed.

5. The alarm system according to claim 1, the receiver microprocessor being configured for identifying the location of the alarm device by the telephone number.

6. The alarm system according to claim 5, the telephone number comprising an area code plus seven digits, the seven digits indicating at least a geographic area within an area code area where the alarm device is located.

7. The alarm system according to claim 5, the receiver microprocessor being in communication with a database, the database associating the telephone number with at least an address where the alarm device is located.

8. The alarm system according to claim 1, the alarm signal comprising an identification code, and the receiver being configured for identifying the location of the alarm device by the identification code.

9. The alarm system according to claim 1, each sensor responding to an environmental indicator selected from a group consisting of smoke, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, temperature, and combustible gas.

10. The alarm system according to claim 1, the alarm device further comprising a radio receiver, and the alarm system further comprising:

an auxiliary alarm device positioned within a predetermined distance from the alarm device comprising;

one or more sensors operatively responding to a predetermined environmental indicator by providing a sensor signal identifying the responding sensor;

a radio transmitter having a transmission range at least the predetermined distance from the alarm device; and

a microprocessor operatively connected to the one or more sensors and the radio transmitter, where the microprocessor uses the radio transmitter to send the sensor signal to the radio receiver;

the alarm microprocessor operatively receives the sensor signal and uses the alarm communication device to operatively connect to the receiver positioned in the second location.

11. The alarm system according to claim 1, the alarm communication device further comprising an alarm microphone and an alarm speaker;

the receiver communication device further comprising a receiver microphone and a receiver speaker; and

the alarm system further comprising;

the receiver microprocessor adapted to use the receiver communication device to call and operatively connect to the alarm device by dialing the telephone number and creating a voice communication channel between the alarm device and the receiver.

12. The alarm system according to claim 11, the receiver operatively transmitting a voice message over the alarm speaker.

13. The alarm system according to claim 1, the alarm device further comprising:

a camera providing a video signal;

the video signal being transmitted to the receiver when the alarm communication device and the receiver communication device are operatively connected.

14. The alarm system according to claim 13, the receiver further comprising a display device;

and the alarm device further comprising;

the receiver microprocessor adapted to use the receiver communication device to call and operatively connect to the alarm device by dialing the telephone number, the receiver microprocessor receiving the video signal and displaying the video signal on the display device.

15. The alarm system according to claim 1, the alarm device further comprising an emergency light turning on when the alarm microprocessor receives the sensor signal.

16. A method of alerting emergency services comprising the steps of:

a. providing an alarm device comprising;

one or more sensors operatively responding to a predetermined environmental indicator by providing a sensor signal identifying the responding sensor;

an alarm communication device connected to a communication network and having a telephone number for receiving calls on the communication network; and

an alarm microprocessor operatively connected to the one or more sensors and the alarm communication device, where the alarm microprocessor uses the alarm communication device to call and operatively connect to the receiver after receiving the sensor signal and transmitting an alarm signal to the receiver correlating to the responding sensor.

b. providing a receiver positioned in a second location separate from the alarm device comprising;

a receiver communication device for connecting to the communication network and operatively connecting to the alarm communication device over the communication network; and

a receiver microprocessor operatively connected to the receiver communication device, where the receiver microprocessor receives the alarm signal and identifies the location of the alarm device;

c. sensing a predetermined environmental indicator using one or more sensors;

d. calling automatically from the alarm device a the receiver;

e. transmitting an alarm signal from the alarm device over the communication network to the receiver; and

f. identifying the location of the alarm device by the telephone number.

17. The method according to claim 16, the step of calling automatically from the alarm device comprises calling from a wireless telephone on a wireless communication network.

18. The method according to claim 16, the step of selecting a telephone number for an alarm device comprising the step of:

encoding in the telephone number at least a geographic area within an area code area where the alarm device is located.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

calling from the receiver the alarm device by dialing the telephone number; and

listening from the receiver for sounds adjacent to the alarm device.

20. An alarm system comprising:

an alarm device positioned in a location, and a receiver positioned in a second location separate from the alarm device, the alarm device comprising;

a smoke detecting sensor operatively responding to a predetermined amount of smoke by providing a sensor signal;

a wireless alarm telephone comprising an alarm microphone and alarm speaker, being connected to a wireless communication network and having a telephone number for receiving calls on the wireless communication network, the telephone number identifying the location of the alarm device;

a camera providing a video signal;

an alarm microprocessor operatively connected to the smoke detecting sensor, the camera, and the wireless alarm telephone, where the alarm microprocessor uses the wireless alarm telephone to call and operatively connect to the receiver after receiving the sensor signal and sending an alarm signal and the video signal to the receiver; and

an audible alarm within a range of about 80 to 120 decibels when the alarm microprocessor receives the sensor signal;

the receiver comprising;

a receiver communication device comprising a receiver microphone and receiver speaker, for connecting to the wireless communication network and operatively connecting to the wireless alarm telephone over the wireless communication network;

a display device;

a receiver microprocessor operatively connected to the receiver communication device and the display device, where the receiver microprocessor receives the alarm signal when the wireless alarm telephone and the receiver communication device are operatively connected, and identifies the location of the alarm device by the telephone number; and

the receiver microprocessor uses the receiver communication device to call and operatively connect to the alarm device by dialing the telephone number and creating a communication channel between. the alarm device and the -receiver, receiving the video signal and displaying the video signal on the display device.