System, converter and method for wide area distribution of supervised emergency audio

• US 8,217,798 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lontka, Karen D., Barsky, Lev M., Strelecki, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US12/502,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 340/577, 340/628, 340/692, 340/506, 381/111, 381/120
• US Class Current: 340/577
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A wide area fire safety and detection system is disclosed. The system includes a control node configured to execute a first detection routine, wherein the control node has a network interface, and an amplifier having an audio output, wherein the amplifier is configured to communicate the audio output to a plurality of fire safety nodes. The system further includes a remote node in communication with the control node, wherein the remote node has a network interface configured for communication with at least the network interface of the control node, and an audio converter configured to receive the audio output and generated a converted audio output, wherein the converted out is compatible with a microphone input.

Claims

1. A wide area fire safety and detection system comprising:

a control node configured to execute a first detection routine, wherein

the control node comprises;

a network interface; and

an amplifier having an audio output, wherein the amplifier is configured to communicate the audio output to a plurality of fire safety nodes;

a remote node in communication with the control node, wherein the

remote node comprises;

a network interface configured for communication with at least the network interface of the control node;

an audio converter configured to receive the audio output and generate a converted audio output, wherein the converted output is compatible with a microphone input.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fire safety nodes are selected from the group consisting of:

microphones, fire detectors, fire alarms and fire indicators.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the amplifier includes a first amp configured to generate a first audio output and a second amplifier configured to generate a second audio output.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the audio converter is configured to receive the first and second audio outputs to generate the converted audio output.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the amplifier is selected from the group consisting of:

a 30-Watt amplifier, a 40-Watt amplifier and a 180-Watt amplifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network interfaces are configured to communicate status information related to the audio converter between the remote node and the control node.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio converter is configured to convert the audio output from a first output format to a second output format.

8. An audio converter comprising:

a first audio input configured to receive a first audio output from a first amplifier;

a second audio input configured to receive a second audio output from a second amplifier;

an audio converter module configured to convert the first audio output from a first audio format to a second audio format and configured to convert the second audio output from a third audio format to the second audio format; and

an audio output configured to communicate a third audio output in the second audio format to a microphone input.

9. A method of audio communication comprising:

receiving a first audio input provided by a first audio output of a first amplifier;

receiving a second audio input provided by a second audio output of a second amplifier;

converting the first audio output from a first audio format to a second audio format; and

converting the second audio output from a third audio format to the second audio format; and

communicating a third audio output in the second audio format to a microphone input.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

communicating control information via a network communication module.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control information includes information selected from the groups consisting of:

alarm information, status information, and maintenance information.