Multifunction smoke alarm unit

• US 7,994,928 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Robert Charles Richmond
• Inventors: Richmond, Robert Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US12/151,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 340/628, 340/577, 340/541, 340/552, 340/561, 340/565
• US Class Current: 340/628
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems

Abstract

Improvements in a smoke alarm are presented. The multifunction smoke alarm unit includes separate sensors within a single enclosure for detecting smoke and occupancy, sounding a distinctive audible alarm when combustion is detected or the presence of a person within the area of the sensor. The multifunction smoke alarm can replace an existing single function smoke alarm. Multiple multifunction smoke alarms are networkable together for various purposes. Additional features include intruder alarm, visitor annunciator, integrated illumination source, external lighting control, HVAC system control, ceiling fan control, ventilation control, and/or fire safety system control. The proposed multifunction smoke alarm provides much-needed improvements for security, energy saving, safety, and user convenience without the need for completely separate systems for each purpose.

Claims

1. A multifunction smoke alarm unit comprising:

a single enclosure that approximates the size of a smoke detector configured for installation on a ceiling or wall;

at least two separate sensors located within said single enclosure, wherein at least one of said sensors is a smoke or combustion detector, and at least one of said sensors is an occupancy sensor that detects the presence and absence of occupants;

said at least two separate sensors are powered externally from an AC source;

said at least two separate sensors further includes a battery to provide power in the event of AC power disruption;

further includes at least one hard wired interconnect which can connect to at least one other smoke alarm or multifunction smoke alarm unit;

said interconnect link(s) provides propagation of smoke alarms, occupancy alarms and signal events to at least a second smoke alarm and or multifunction smoke alarm, and

at least one audible warning device for notification of a-combustion or an occupancy or vacancy detection event.

2. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that further includes one or more communication link(s) which can connect to at least one network, computer network, external lighting, HVAC system, HVAC thermostat ceiling fan, ventilation system, security alarm, and or fire safety system.

3. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that further includes an ambient light sensor that determines the light level in proximity to said multifunctional smoke alarm unit.

4. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that further includes an integrated illumination source.

5. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 2 wherein said communications link(s) is/are, wireless, or power line communication.

6. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 5 wherein said communications link(s) provides control information for external lighting, HVAC systems, HVAC thermostats, ceiling fans, ventilation systems, security alarms, fire safety systems that utilize the sensor information from at least one other smoke alarm or multifunction smoke alarm.

7. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 which functions both as a smoke alarm and as an intruder detection security alarm.

8. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 which functions both as a smoke alarm and as a visitor annunciation device.

9. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 4 which functions as a smoke alarm and also provides lighting activation of said integrated illumination source when an occupant is present and or when sufficient ambient light is not present.

10. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 6 which functions as a smoke alarm and also turns on and or off external lighting automatically based upon the presence or absence of at least one occupant and or as a function of the ambient light level.

11. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 6 which functions as a smoke alarm and also adjusts the HVAC system temperature setback automatically as a function of the presence of at least one occupant or absence of all occupants.

12. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that is compatible with and connects to NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm code industry standard for smoke alarm AC power wires and or interconnect wires.

13. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 5 wherein said communications link(s) is/are used by at least one external remote control device(s) to control the operation and/or alarm functions and/or initiate self-testing of at least one multifunction smoke alarm unit.

14. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 5 wherein said communications link(s) is/are used by an external computer for control, upload new operating software, download stored data, monitoring, and or testing, by a software application in conjunction with at least one multifunction smoke alarm unit.

15. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that further incorporates automatic selection of multiple occupancy sensitivity settings to reduce a probability of false occupancy or false vacancy detection.

16. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that further sounds an audible “

vacancy warning”

alarm to inform an at least one stationary occupant to move in order to avert false detection of vacancy.

17. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 9 which functions as a smoke alarm and also turns on and or off external lighting automatically based upon the presence or absence of at least one occupant and or as a function of the ambient light level and wherein light and dark detection thresholds are adaptively determined for lighting control.

18. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that further has a concealed occupancy sensor lens.

19. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 that incorporates an interior sealed chamber containing the occupancy sensor element, which prevents air flow from entering and falsely triggering the occupancy sensor, and also an open chamber for enclosing the combustion sensing element, which allows smoke to enter the open chamber.

20. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 2 wherein said communications link(s) provides control information for external lighting, HVAC systems, ceiling fans, ventilation systems, security alarms, fire safety systems.

21. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 18 wherein the outward appearance of said multifunction smoke alarm does not have the appearance of a motion sensor.

22. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 12 which utilizes said NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm code industry standard smoke alarm AC wiring to control at least one of external lighting, HVAC systems, ceiling fans, ventilation systems, security alarms, fire safety systems by means of power line communication.

23. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 12 which utilizes said NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm code industry standard smoke alarm AC wiring to provide power for an integrated illumination source.

24. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 12 which utilizes the industry standard smoke alarm interconnect as a means to provide occupancy-based HVAC control for an entire multi-room building equipped with multiple multifunction smoke alarms.

25. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 7 which utilizes the industry standard smoke alarm interconnect to sound an intruder alarm from multiple locations throughout a building by propagating the intrusion alarm to all the other smoke alarms and/or multifunction smoke alarms which are also connected to said interconnect.

26. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 6 which functions as a smoke alarm and also turns off external lighting automatically after an area of a room becomes vacant for purposes of saving energy and or in order to comply with energy-saving mandates.

27. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 6 which further includes upgrade capabilities that provide improvements for security, energy saving, safety, and user convenience by controlling external lighting, HVAC systems, ceiling fans, ventilation systems, security alarms, and/or fire safety systems.

28. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 which utilizes NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm code industry standard smoke alarm installation locations for both detection of smoke/combustion and occupancy detector installation and occupancy detection without compromising operational performance of said occupancy sensor.

29. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 7 which can be controlled by a single control unit for purposes of arming the intruder alarm, disarming the security alarm, silencing the intruder alarm, and/or silencing a smoke alarm.

30. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 1 which utilizes a single audible alarm component to distinctively sound any of smoke alarms, intruder alarms, intruder alarm arm signals, intruder alarm disarm signals, visitor annunciation signals, vacancy warning signals, and or occupancy-based smoke alarm signals.

31. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 6 that further can detect and report the location of occupants to an external fire safety device or computer when a smoke alarm is sounded.

32. The multifunction smoke alarm unit according to claim 6 that further can detect and report the location of occupants as a distinctive audible sound when a smoke alarm is sounded.

33. A multifunction smoke alarm unit comprising:

a single enclosure that approximates the size of a smoke detector configured for installation on a ceiling or wall;

at least two separate sensors located within said single enclosure, wherein at least one of said sensors is a smoke or combustion detector, and at least one said sensors is an occupancy sensor;

one or more communication link(s) which can connect to at least one other smoke alarm unit, multifunction smoke alarm unit, network, computer network, external lighting, HVAC system, HVAC thermostat, ceiling fan, ventilation system, security alarm, and or fire safety system;

at least one audible warning device for notification of a combustion or a motion detection event;

functions as a smoke alarm in accordance with NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm code industry standard smoke alarm building codes, and

functions as an intruder alarm, visitor annunciator, occupancy-based automatic night light with integrated illumination source, automatic security light controller, occupancy-based external lighting controller, occupancy-based HVAC system controller, occupancy-based ceiling fan controller, occupancy-based ventilation controller, and/or occupancy-based fire safety system controller.