Code combination property alarm system

• US 4,114,147 A
• Filed: 03/24/1977
• Issued: 09/12/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John R. Hile
• Original Assignee: John R. Hile
• Inventors: Hile, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US05/780,841
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 340/274 C, 340/274 R, 340/276, 340/420
• US Class Current: 340/528
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

A property protection alarm system is disclosed for protecting property against unauthorized intrusion and the like. The alarm system includes a numeric key board and a code combination logic circuit for arming an alarm energization circuit in response to the proper entry of a predetermined numeric code in the numeric keyboard. This predetermined code must be entered within a given period of time determined by the code combination logic circuit. In addition, the numeric key associated with the last digit of the predetermined code must be depressed for a given period of time as also determined by the code combination logic circuit. An exit delay circuit is connected to the output of the code combination logic circuit for delaying the arming of the alarm energization circuit in order to permit an authorized operator to leave the property without energizing the alarm. The alarm energization circuit is connected to a sensing circuit for sensing any intrusion of the property. The alarm energization circuit is capable of triggering a local alarm upon any intrusion of the property including an authorized intrusion. On the other hand, the alarm energization circuit includes an entrance delay circuit which delays the energization of an external alarm to enable an authorized user to disarm the alarm energization circuit by entering the predetermined numeric code in the numeric keyboard before the expiration of the time period provided by the entrance delay circuit.

Claims

1. A property protection alarm system for protecting property against unauthorized intrusion and the like comprising:

sensing means for sensing an alarm condition such as any intrusion of the property, said sensing means including means for detecting movement through normal entrance to the property;

a local audible alarm;

an external alarm;

alarm energization means responsive to said sensing means for energizing said local audible alarm for a given alarm interval upon the occurrence of any intrusion of the property including an authorized intrusion through said normal entrance and energizing said external alarm only after a predetermined entrance delay period;

arming means connected to said alarm energization means for enabling an authorized user of said alarm system to arm and disarm said alarm energization means, said arming means including a numeric keyboard having a plurality of keys and a code combination logic circuit connected thereto for arming and disarming said alarm energization means in response to a predetermined numeric code entered in said numeric keyboard by actuation of selected ones of said keys, said code combination logic circuit including code timing means responsive to the actuation of the first of said selected ones of said keys associated with the predetermined numeric code for establishing a predetermined code interval in which all of the remaining ones of said selected ones of said keys associated with the predetermined numeric code must be actuated in order to arm or disarm said alarm energization means;

said alarm energization means including exit delay means actuated by said arming means for delaying only the arming of said alarm energization means by said arming means for a predetermined exit delay period to permit the authorized user of said alarm system to leave the property through said normal entrance without energizing either said local audible alarm or said external alarm, said alarm energization means further including entrance delay means connected to said external alarm for delaying energization of said external alarm for the predetermined entrance delay period to permit the authorized user to enter the property through said normal entrance without energizing said external alarm and disarm said alarm system by actuating said arming means, said local audible alarm being immediately energized for a given alarm interval in response to any intrusion of the property including an authorized intrusion through said normal entrance.

2. An alarm system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said code combination logic circuit includes digital timing means responsive to the actuation of a predetermined one of said selected ones of said keys in said numeric keyboard, said digital timing means having a timing period during which said predetermined one of said selected ones of said keys associated with a predetermined one of the digits in the predetermined numeric code must be continuously activated in order for said code combination logic circuit to arm or disarm said alarm energization means.

3. An alarm system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said code combination logic circuit further comprises a number of sequentially actuated digital logic circuits corresponding to the number of said remaining ones of said keys associated with the predetermined numeric code, each of said digital logic circuits being responsive to the actuation of one of said remaining ones of said keys in said numeric keyboard, the first of said digital logic circuits being actuated by said code timing means and the last of said digital logic circuits being responsive to the actuation of the last one of said selected ones of said keys associated with the last digit of the predetermined numeric code to arm or disarm said alarm energization means.

4. An alarm system as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of said digital logic circuits includes an AND gate having one input connected to a predetermined one of the numeric keys of said keyboard and having an output connected to the input of an associated flip-flop, wherein each of said flip-flop is conditioned by said code timing means for acceptance of said AND gate output for the predetermined code interval, wherein the AND gate of the first of said digital logic circuits has another input connected to the output of said code timing means and each AND gate of the other of said digital logic circuits has another input connected to the output of the flip-flop associated with the AND gate of the preceding digital logic circuit to thereby cause each of said flip-flops to change state in sequential order in response to the fulfillment of the coincidence condition of the associated AND gate.

5. An alarm system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said code timing means is reset by the actuation of any numeric key in said numeric keyboard other than said selected ones of said numeric keys associated with the predetermined numeric code.

6. An alarm system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said alarm energization means comprises a local alarm timer connected to said sensing means for immediately energizing both said local audible alarm for the given alarm interval and said entrance delay means upon any intrusion of the property, said alarm energization means further including an alarm relay connected to said entrance delay means for energizing said external alarm upon expiration of the predetermined entrance delay period provided by said entrance delay means, said alarm relay having relay contacts connected to said external alarm for energizing said external alarm upon actuating said relay contacts.

7. An alarm system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said alarm energization means further comprises timing means connected to said local alarm timer for enabling said local alarm timer to periodically test said sensing means after energization of said local audible alarm to determine the continued existence of an alarm condition, said timing means enabling said local alarm timer to de-energize said local audible alarm when said alarm condition is eliminated.

8. An alarm system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said sensing means comprises an AND gate having one input connected to a normally open sensing loop and another input connected to a normally closed sensing loop, the output of said AND gate being connected to the input of said local alarm timer through a switching transistor, whereby said switching transistor changes state for an instant in response to an alarm condition to trigger said local alarm timer, said switching transistor immediately returning to its original state.

9. An alarm circuit as claimed in claim 8 further comprising first testing means for testing and indicating the condition of said normally open sensing circuit and said normally closed sensing circuit and second testing means for testing said external alarm.

10. An alarm circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensing means further comprises a manual panic button for energizing said external alarm, a cable connecting said alarm energization means to said arming means and cable protection means connected to said external alarm for protecting the integrity of said cable, said cable protection means being responsive to the cutting and/or disconnecting of said cable to energize said external alarm.