Method and device for manual triggering

• US 8,314,714 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Finsecur
• Original Assignee: Finsecur
• Inventors: Pichard, Laurent, Bonazzi, Christophe, Di Marco, Stéphane
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US11/791,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20090027220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/665
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure

Abstract

The manual trigger device includes:

• • a housing presenting a flexible or mobile surface,
  • an emission unit that emits an electromagnetic field,
  • a reception unit that receives the electromagnetic field, and emits a signal representative of the electromagnetic field received,
  • a modulation element that modulates the electromagnetic field, and is connected to the flexible or mobile surface of the housing such that when the surface is deformed or moved, the reception unit receives an electromagnetic field modulated by the modulation element according to the deformation of the flexible or mobile surface and
  • a processing circuit that processes the signal, and adapted to detect a modulation of the electromagnetic field representative of a push on the surface with a predetermined pressure and to command, upon detection, the change in appearance of a warning device visible from the outside of the housing.

Claims

1. A manual trigger device, that comprises:

a housing presenting a flexible or mobile surface,

means for generating an electromagnetic field;

means for sensing an electromagnetic field that senses the electromagnetic field emitted by the means for generating adapted to generate a signal representative of the sensed electromagnetic field;

means for modulating an electromagnetic field that modulates the electromagnetic field emitted by the means for generating connected to the flexible or mobile surface of the housing in order that, when the flexible or mobile surface is deformed or moved, the means for sensing senses an electromagnetic field modulated by the means for modulating according to the deformation or movement of the flexible or mobile surface; and

a processing circuit that processes the signal emitted by the means for sensing adapted to detect a modulation of the electromagnetic field representative of a push on the flexible or mobile surface with a predetermined pressure and to command, once detection has occurred, a change in appearance of a warning device visible from an outside of the housing,

wherein the processing circuit is adapted to command the change in the state of the warning device after emitting an alert message to a central station and receiving a message acknowledging receipt from the central station.

2. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the means for modulating is adapted to continuously modulate the electromagnetic field emitted by the means for generating in order that, when the flexible or mobile surface is deformed or moved, the means for sensing senses an electromagnetic field continually modulated by the modulation means.

3. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the means for generating and the means for sensing jointly form a condenser, the deformation of the flexible or mobile surface modifying electrical properties of said condenser and varying a capacitance of the condenser.

4. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit comprises a means for magnetization adapted to change configuration during activation and to reset the device and resume an initial configuration when a magnetic key is utilized.

5. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the warning device is mechanically linked to the means for magnetization.

6. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is adapted to communicate with a central station and to receive a reset instruction from the central station, the processing circuit being adapted to reset itself and set the warning device to an initial appearance on reception of the reset instruction.

7. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit is adapted to measure a length of time elapsed since a manual activation, then to reset and return the warning device to an initial appearance when said length of time is greater than a predetermined length of time.

8. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit is adapted to test the detection of an electromagnetic field by the means for sensing and, if there is no detection, to emit an alert signal indicating a malfunction of the device.

9. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit is adapted to measure a length of time of a manual activation, then to reset and return the warning device to an initial appearance when said length of time is greater than a predetermined length of time.

10. The manual trigger device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit is adapted to detect a modulation of the electromagnetic field representative of a pull on the flexible or mobile surface with predetermined pull strength and to reset and return the warning device to an initial appearance when detection of the pull has occurred.

11. A manual trigger device, comprising:

means for emitting light rays;

means for receiving light rays that receives light rays emitted by the means for emitting adapted to emit a signal representative of the light rays received;

means for modulating light rays that modulates the light rays emitted by the means for emitting connected to a flexible or mobile surface of a housing in order that, when the flexible or mobile surface is deformed or moved, the means for receiving light rays receives light rays modulated by the means for modulating; and

a processing circuit that processes the signal emitted by the means for receiving light rays adapted to detect a modulation of the light rays representative of a push on the flexible or mobile surface with a predetermined pressure and to command, once detection has occurred, a change in appearance of a warning device visible from the outside of the housing,

wherein the processing circuit is adapted to command the change in the state of the warning device after emitting an alert message to a central station and receiving a message acknowledging receipt from the central station.

12. The manual trigger device according to claim 11, wherein the means for modulating is adapted to continuously modulate the light rays emitted by the means for emitting in order that, when the flexible or mobile surface is deformed or moved, the means for receiving receives light rays continually modulated by the modulation means.

13. The manual trigger device according to claim 11, wherein the means for emitting light rays comprises a light-emitting diode.

14. The manual trigger device according to claim 11, wherein the means for modulating light rays comprises an interior surface of the flexible or mobile surface, on which the light rays emitted by the means for emitting are reflected towards the means for receiving.

15. The manual trigger device according to claim 11, wherein the means for modulating light rays comprises an opaque component set in movement by the deformation or displacement of the flexible or mobile surface in order to be positioned between the means for emitting light rays and the means for receiving light rays.

16. The manual trigger device according to claim 11, wherein the means for receiving light rays comprises a photosensitive semi-conductor component.

17. A manual trigger method, comprising:

a step of generating an electromagnetic field;

a step of sensing the electromagnetic field generated during the generating step, during which a signal is emitted representative of the sensed electromagnetic field;

a step of modulating the generated electromagnetic field in order that, when a flexible or mobile surface is deformed or moved, the signal emitted during the step of sensing is modulated;

a step of processing the signal representative of the sensed electromagnetic field in order to detect a modulation of the electromagnetic field representative of a push on the flexible or mobile surface with a predetermined pressure and to command, once detection has occurred, the change in appearance of a warning device visible from the outside of the housing;

a step of emitting an alert message to a central station;

a step of receiving a message acknowledging receipt from the central station; and

a step of commanding a change in state of the warning device after receiving said acknowledging message from the central station.

18. The manual trigger process according to claim 17, wherein the electromagnetic field is a propagation of light.