Cordless phone system with integrated alarm and remote monitoring capability

• US 9,154,933 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rogalski, Gary, Tischler, Ralph, Pothiboon, Supajet Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US14/459,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20140357217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/404.1, 455/426.2, 455/462, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2725 using electronic memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A cordless telephone system provides home security. Each handset associated with the cordless telephone system detects an event, such as a noise level that exceeds a threshold noise level, smoke, carbon monoxide, intrusion or moisture level. If an event is detected the system presents a message from the base unit to an alert telephone number of the home owner that provides notification of the event.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone system for notifying a home owner of a possible home security event in a home of the home owner, the cordless telephone system, comprising:

a base unit having a base unit memory configured to store an alert telephone number for a telephone of the home owner; and

a plurality of handsets associated with the base unit, each handset having a digital signal processor configured to detect a noise level,

wherein during a home security mode of operation of the cordless telephone system, each of the plurality of handsets is configured to;

detect a noise level;

compare the detected noise level to a threshold noise level; and

in response to detecting that the noise level exceeds the threshold noise level, cause a notification message to be presented to the telephone of the home owner associated with the alert telephone number, and wherein the notification message includes the location of a handset that has detected noise level that exceeds the threshold noise level.

2. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein a location associated with each of the one or more handsets is stored in the base unit memory.

3. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a motion detector in one or more of the handsets and base unit.

4. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a carbon monoxide detector in one or more of the handsets and base unit.

5. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a moisture detector in one or more of the handsets and base unit.

6. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a camera to record video or one or more snapshots of a room in which a handset or base unit detects a threshold noise level exceeded.

7. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising one or more speakers through which a notification message can be played.

8. The cordless telephone system of claim 7, wherein the at least one or more speakers is/are in one or more of the handsets and the base unit.

9. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the handsets comprises one or more of a motion detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a smoke detector and a moisture detector.

10. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein audio information is stored to the base unit memory when the threshold noise level is exceeded.

11. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of threshold noise levels, each threshold noise level corresponding to a different time of day.

12. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a calibration mode of operation for calibrating the threshold noise level.

13. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a configuration file, wherein the configuration file includes the alert telephone number.

14. The cordless telephone system of claim 13, wherein the configuration file includes a location of each handset.

15. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein the handsets and/or the base station comprise a digital signal processor that is programmed to identify sounds emitted by a smoke detector, a CO detector, a moisture detector, an intrusion detector, or combinations thereof.

16. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the handsets and the base station further comprise at least one of a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a moisture detector and an intrusion detector.

17. A method for notifying a home owner of a possible home security event detected in a home of the home owner, the method comprising:

providing a cordless telephone system in a home security mode of operation, wherein a phone number for a mobile telephone of the home owner is stored in the cordless telephone system;

detecting an event in the home through at least one of a plurality of the handsets and the base station of the cordless telephone system that are positioned in various locations in the home, each of the plurality of the handsets including noise detection control circuitry and a speaker;

using the phone number to present the home owner with a notification message regarding the detected event, wherein the notification message includes a location of a handset that has detected noise level that exceeds a threshold noise level; and

playing an alarm message through a speaker of a handset of the plurality of the handsets that detected a noise threshold being exceeded.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a plurality of threshold noise levels, each threshold noise level corresponding to a different time of day.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing a location corresponding to at least one handset of the cordless telephone system in a configuration file.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more of the base station and the handsets comprises a digital signal processor that identifies events based upon one or more of the following:

a noise level that exceeds a threshold noise level;

an audible sound characteristic of a smoke detector;

an audible sound characteristic of a carbon monoxide detector;

an audible sound characteristic of an intrusion detector; and

an audible sound characteristic of a moisture detector.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing video of the determined location, storing at least one photograph of the determined location, or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the home owner may instruct the cordless phone system to directly alert an emergency service by entering a predetermined sequence of keypad entries.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the event is a moisture detection, detection of carbon monoxide, detection of motion, intrusion detection, or combination thereof.