Life safety device for the hearing impaired

• US 7,675,407 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Albert, Reyes, Javier E., Yuk, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US11/759,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/539.11, 340/539.14, 340/7.6
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• 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

The instant invention includes a central security and alarm system that operates to protect a home or business and includes a personal safety device to communicate with a hearing-challenged end-user at the protected home or business. The system includes at least one alarm event detection device, and a central panel in communication with the personal safety device and the at least one alarm event detection device, the central panel comprising a processor for carrying out a method of communicating to the hearing-challenged end-user at the detection of alarm events via the personal safety device. The method includes detecting an alarm event at the home or business and notifying a designated, hearing-challenged end-user that the alarm event has occurred by causing a life safety device in the possession of the hearing challenged end-user to communicate the detected event by a mechanical communication signal.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a secured perimeter, border and/or building (“

protected premises”

) and for communicating notice of detected alarm events at the protected premises to a hearing-challenged end-user using a life safety device, the method comprising steps of;

detecting an alarm event at the protected premises by an alarm event detection device;

notifying a designated, hearing-challenged end-user that the alarm event has been detected by causing the life safety device in the possession of the hearing challenged end-user to Communicate the detected alarm event by a mechanical communication signal; and

sending a panic message from the life safety device of the hearing-challenged end-user to the alarm event detection device.

2. The method for monitoring as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the alarm event includes that the alarm event detection device communicates the detection to a central monitoring panel at the protected premises, which controls the personal safety device to notify the hearing-challenged end user of said detected alarm event.

3. The method for monitoring as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of notifying the designated, hearing-challenged end-user includes automatically causing the life safety device to vibrate upon receipt of a command from the central monitoring station.

4. The method for monitoring as set forth in claim 2, further including a step of communicating by the hearing-challenged end-user via the personal safety device to a central monitoring panel in response to the notifying.

5. The method for monitoring as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of notifying includes using various sequences, sets or counts of relatively short vibrations to communicate particular alarm event occurrences.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein three short vibrations communicate to the hearing-challenged end-user that he/she should call a central monitoring station, and a constant vibration in excess of three (3) seconds indicates that the protected premises should be immediately vacated.

7. A central security and alarm system that operates to protect a home or business and includes a life safety device to physically communicate with a hearing-challenged end-user at the protected home or business, the system comprising:

at least one alarm event detection device located within the protected home or business;

a central panel in communication with the life safety device and the at least one alarm event detection device, the central panel comprising a processor for carrying out a method of communicating to the hearing-challenged end-user at the detection of an alarm event via the life safety device, where the method comprises the steps of;

detecting an alarm event by the at least one alarm event detection device;

notifying the designated, hearing-challenged End-user that the alarm event has occurred by causing the life safety device in the possession of the hearing challenged end-user to communicate the detected event by a mechanical communication signal; and

sending a panic message from the life safety device of the hearing-challenged end-user to the alarm event detection device.

8. A computer program product disposed in a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method for monitoring a secured perimeter, border and/or building (“

protected premises”

) and for communicating notice of detected alarm events at the protected premises to a hearing-challenged end-user using a life safety device, the method comprising steps of;

detecting an alarm event at the protected premises;

notifying a designated, hearing-challenged end-user that the alarm event has been detected by causing the life safety device in the possession of the hearing challenged end-user to communicate the detected alarm event by a mechanical communication signal; and

sending a panic message from the life safety device of the hearing-challenged end-user to the alarm event detection device.