System and Method of Time-Augmented Annunciation of Signals

• US 20150302714A1
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rauworth, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

An apparatus to set an output window includes an ambient condition detector from which non-alarm messages can be output at a pre-determined time. The detector includes a real-time clock which can be set wirelessly by a real-time synchronizing message. A message emitting window can also be wirelessly pre-set. The non-alarm messages are emitted at times in the pre-set window.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a detector having, at least one ambient condition sensor, control circuits coupled to the sensor, a communications interface coupled to the control circuits, and a clock circuit coupled to the control circuits, the control circuits activate an output device, responsive to a predetermined, non-alarm, detector condition, in accordance with at least one of a preset time, or activation window.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 which includes a manually operable element, separate from the detector, to provide a preset time, or window, to activate the output device in response to the predetermined, non-alarm detector condition.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 which includes synchronization circuits, responsive to a synchronization message to set the clock to a predetermined time.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2 which includes an output device selected from a class that includes an audible output device or a visual output device.

5. An apparatus as in claim 2 where the control circuits establish at least one of an output start time or an output stop time.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 where at least one of the start time, or the stop time is obtained from the preset time received from the element.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6 where the control circuits respond to a received wireless synchronization signal to set a time parameter in the clock.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 which includes a control unit coupled wirelessly to the detector wherein the control unit responds to signals from the element providing the preset time to activate the output device.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the control unit emits a synchronization signal to establish a time parameter at the detector.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9 wherein members of a plurality of detectors can be wirelessly communicated with by the control unit.

11. An apparatus as in claim 9 where the detector activates the output device to identify a predetermined non-alarm condition at the preset time.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11 wherein activation continues for a selected time interval.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein first and second different conditions are identified starting at first and second different times, or windows.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 which includes a plurality of detectors in communication with the control unit and wherein at least some of the detectors identify non-alarm conditions at different predetermined times.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14 where some of the detectors include a first type of ambient condition sensor and others include a different type of sensor.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a detector having, at least one ambient condition sensor, control circuits coupled to the sensor, storage circuits coupled to the control circuits, and a clock circuit coupled to the control circuits, the control circuits activate an output device, responsive to a predetermined, non-alarm, detector condition, in accordance with at least one of a preset time, or activation window, and, a manually operable element, separate from the detector, to provide the preset time, or window, to activate the output device in response to the predetermined, non-alarm detector condition.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16 which includes a plurality of detectors wherein some of the detectors respond to smoke, or fire, and others respond to a selected gas and wherein the detectors include at least one of a wired or wireless communication interface.

18. An apparatus as in claim 17 where the control circuits establish at least one of an output start time or an output stop time wherein at least one of the start or stop times is stored in the storage circuits.

19. An apparatus as in claim 16 wherein the detector includes a real-time clock and where the control circuits respond to a received wireless synchronization signal to set a time parameter in the clock. 20, An apparatus to set an output window comprises an ambient condition detector from which non-alarm messages can be output at a pre-determined time, the detector includes a real-time clock which can be set wirelessly by a real-time synchronizing message, a message emitting window can also be wirelessly pre-set, and wherein, the non-alarm messages are emitted by the detector during times in the pre-set window.