Multiple annunciation system

• US 4,410,883 A
• Filed: 04/09/1981
• Issued: 10/18/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norman J. Swiston Sr
• Original Assignee: Norman J. Swiston Sr
• Inventors: Swiston, Norman J. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US06/252,343
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 340/538, 340/505, 340/531, 340/518, 340/310 A, 340/310 R, 340/825.06, 340/825.07-825.13, 340/825.54, 340/825.55, 340/310 CP
• US Class Current: 340/538
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/06 using power transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/04 Monitoring of the detection circuits

Abstract

A multiple annunciation system for a building, including a master unit and a plurality of remote units connected to the master unit by electric power wiring extending throughout the building. Each remote unit generates a characteristic code signal, and transmits this signal to the master unit over the power wiring. The master unit is programmed with a series of reference values corresponding to the individual remote units in the building, and the incoming code signals from the remote units are compared and checked against the corresponding reference values. Absence of an incoming code signal, due to an interruption in transmission of a remote unit, produces an alerting signal identifying the particular remote unit which has ceased to transmit.

Claims

1. In a communication system for a building including a master unit and a plurality of remote units connected to said master unit by electrical power wiring extending throughout the building, said master unit and said plurality of remote units each being connected to receive or transmit signals over said electrical power wiring, the improvement comprising each of said remote units comprising a remote unit digital signal generating means for generating a respective predetermined remote unit digital coded frequency signal having a digital coded frequency signal value, remote unit signal transmitting means connected to said electrical power wiring for transmitting said respective remote unit digital coded frequency signal to said master unit over said electrical power wiring, a remote unit digital coded frequency signal cut off means including an input signal receiving means for deactuating said digital signal generating means and interrupting transmission of said digital coded frequency signal upon receipt of an alerting input signal by said input signal receiving means, said master unit comprising a signal interrogating means for interrogating and interpreting each of said remote unit digital coded frequency signals, to determine whether any interruption in transmission of one or more digital coded frequency signals has occurred, said signal interrogating means including:

a digital coded frequency signal receiving means connected to said electrical power wiring for receiving said digital coded frequency signals from each of said remote units,

a digital decoder means for converting each of said digital coded frequency signal values into respective remote unit actual binary values, signal comparator means for scanning each of said remote unit actual binary values and correlating same with respective remote unit reference binary values, and

alerting signal generating means for generating an alerting signal in respect of a remote unit when a reference binary value for said remote unit is not correlated with an actual binary value for said remote unit.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said cut off means includes a listening device which actuates said cut off means upon detection by said listening device of an audible frequency signal.

3. A communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said listening device includes means for delaying actuation of said cut off means for a predetermined period of time upon detection by said listening device of said audible frequency signals.

4. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein each of said remote units and said master unit operate in a continuous mode, in which each remote unit continuously transmits a characteristic digital coded frequency signal which is converted into a respective remote unit actual binary value, and said master unit continuously interrogates each of said actual binary values and compares same with reference binary values for each of said remote units.

5. In a communication system for a building, including a master unit and a plurality of remote units connected to said master unit by electrical power wiring extending throughout the building, said master unit and said plurality of remote units each being connected to receive or transmit signals over said electrical power wiring, the improvement comprising each of said remote units comprising an audio remote transmission unit including an audio remote transmission unit digital signal generating means for continuously generating a respective predetermined audio remote transmission digital coded frequency signal having a digital coded frequency signal value, an audio remote transmission unit input signal receiver for receiving an input audio frequency signal, an audio remote transmission unit digital coded frequency signal cut off means connected to said input signal receiver for deactuating said digital signal generating means and interrupting transmission of said digital coded frequency signal upon receipt of an input audio frequency signal by said input signal receiver, audio remote transmission unit signal transmitting means connected to said electrical power wiring for transmitting said respective audio remote transmission unit digital coded frequency signal to said master unit over said electrical power wiring, said master unit comprising a signal interrogating means for interrogating and interpretating each of said audio remote transmission unit digital coded frequency signals, to determine whether any interruption in transmission of one or more of said digital coded frequency signals has occurred, said signal interrogating means including:

a digital coded frequency signal receiving means connected to said electrical power wiring for receiving said audio remote transmission unit digital coded frequency signals from each of said remote transmission units,

a digital decoder means for converting each of said audio remote transmission unit digital coded frequency signal values into respective audio remote transmission unit actual binary values, signal comparator means for scanning each of said audio remote transmission unit actual binary values and correlating same with respective audio remote transmission unit reference binary values, and

alerting signal generating means connected to said master unit for generating an alerting signal in respect of an audio remote transmission unit when a reference binary value for said audio remote transmission unit is not correlated with an actual binary value for said audio remote transmission unit, indicating an interruption in transmission of a respective digital coded frequency signal value from said audio remote transmission unit.

6. A communication system according to claim 5, wherein said cut off means is actuated by receipt of audible frequency signals.

7. A communication system according to claim 5, wherein said cut off means is actuated upon receipt by said input signal receiver of an audible alarm tone emitted by a commercially available smoke detector.

8. In a communication system for a building, including a master unit and a plurality of remote units connected to said master unit by electrical power wiring extending through the building, said master unit and said plurality of remote units each being connected to receive or transmit signals over said electrical power wiring, the improvement comprising each of said remote units comprising a remote unit digital signal generating means for generating a respective predetermined remote unit digital coded frequency signal having a digital coded frequency signal value, remote unit actuating means connected to said remote unit for actuating said digital signal generating means to generate a said remote unit digital coded frequency signal upon receipt of an alerting signal by said remote unit actuating means, remote unit signal transmitting means connected to said electrical power wiring for transmitting said respective remote unit digital coded frequency signals to said master unit over said electrical power wiring, said master unit comprising a signal interrogating means for interrogating and interpreting each of said remote unit digital coded frequency signals when transmitted to said master unit, said signal interrogating means including:

a digital coded frequency signal receiving means connected to said electrical power wiring for receiving a said digital coded frequency signal from a remote unit which has been actuated,

a digital decoder means for converting each of said digital coded frequency signal values into respective remote unit actual binary values,

signal comparator means for scanning each of said remote unit actual binary values and correlating same with respective remote unit reference binary values, and

alerting signal generating means for generating an alerting signal in respect of a remote unit when a reference binary value for said remote unit is correlated with an actual binary value for said remote unit.

9. A communcation system according to claim 8, wherein said remote unit is a mobile unit which is connectable to said electrical power wiring extending throughout the building when it is desired to transmit a characteristic digital signal to said master unit.

10. In a communication system for a building including a master unit and a plurality of remote units connected to said master unit by electrical power wiring extending throughout the building, said master unit and said plurality of remote units each being connected to receive or transmit signals over said electrical power wiring, the improvement comprising each of said remote units comprising a remote unit pulsed digital signal generating means for generating a predetermined remote unit pulsed digital coded frequency signal having a pulsed digital coded frequency value, remote unit signal transmitting means connected to said electrical power wiring for transmitting said remote unit pulsed digital coded frequency signal to said master unit over said electrical power wiring, a remote unit digital coded frequency signal cut off means including an input signal receiving means for deactivating said digital signal generating means and interrupting transmission of said pulsed digital coded frequency signals upon receipt of an alerting input signal by said input signal receiving means, said master unit comprising a signal interrogating means for interrogating and interpreting each of said remote unit pulsed digital coded frequency signals, to determine whether any interruption in transmission of one or more pulsed digital coded frequency signals has occurred, said signal interrogating means including:

a pulsed digital coded frequency signal receiving means connected to said electrical power wiring for receiving said pulsed digital coded frequency signals from each of said remote units,

a digital decoder means for converting each of said pulsed digital coded frequency signal values into respective remote unit actual binary values,

signal comparator means for scanning each of said remote unit actual binary values and correlating same with respect to remote unit reference binary values, and

alerting signal generating means for generating an alerting signal in respect of a remote unit when a reference binary value for said remote unit is not correlated with an actual binary value for said remote unit after elapse of a predetermined period of time which is greater than the time period separating each of said pulsed digital coded frequency signals.

11. A communication system acccording to claim 10, wherein said remote unit pulsed digital signal generating means generates a regular periodic pulsed digital frequency signal.

12. In a communication system for a building including a master unit and a plurality of remote units connected to said master unit by electrical power wiring extending throughout the building, said master unit and said plurality of said remote units each being connected to receive or transmit signals over said electrical power wiring, the improvement comprising each of said remote units comprising a remote unit pulsed digital signal generating means for generating a predetermined remote unit pulsed digital coded frequency signal having a pulsed digital coded frequency signal value, remote unit signal transmitting means connected to said electrical power wiring for transmitting said remote unit pulsed digital coded frequency signal to said master unit over said electrical power wiring, said remote unit pulsed digital signal generating means being actuated upon receipt of an alerting input signal, said master unit comprising a signal interrogating means for interrogating and interpreting each of said remote unit pulsed digital coded frequency signals when transmitted by one or more of said remote units to determine whether one or more of said units has been actuated by receipt of an alerting input signal, said signal interrogating means including:

a digital coded frequency signal receiving means connected to said electrical power wiring for receiving a pulsed digital coded frequency signal from one or more of said remote units;

a digital decoder means for converting each of said pulsed digital coded frequency signal values into respective remote unit actual binary values;

signal comparator means for scanning each of said remote unit actual binary values and correlating same with respect to remote unit reference binary values; and

alerting signal generating means for generating an alerting signal in respect of a remote unit when a reference binary value for said remote unit is correlated with an actual binary value for said remote unit, indicating that a pulsed digital coded frequency signal has been transmitted by said remote unit.

13. A communication system acccording to claim 12, wherein said pulsed digital coded frequency signal is a regular periodic pulsed digital coded frequency signal.

14. A communication system according to claim 12, wherein said pulsed digital coded frequency signal is an irregular pulsed digital coded frequency signal.

15. In a communication system for a building including a master unit and a plurality of remote units connected to said master unit by electrical power wiring extending throughout the building, said master units and said remote units each being connected to receive or transmit signals over said electrical power wiring, the improvement comprising each of said remote units comprising a remote unit digital signal generating means for generating a respective predetermined remote unit digital coded frequency signal having a digital coded frequency signal value upon receipt of an alerting signal by said remote unit, said remote unit including a listening device for actuating said remote unit digital signal generating means upon receipt by said listening device of an audible alerting input signal from an alerting source, remote unit signal transmitting means connected to said electrical power wiring for transmitting said respective remote unit digital coded frequency signal to said master unit over said electrical power wiring, said master unit comprising a signal interrogating means for interrogating and interpreting each of said remote unit digital coded frequency signals transmitted to said master unit, said signal interrogating means including:

a digital coded frequency signal receiving means connected to said electrical power wiring for receiving said digital coded frequency signal from a remote unit which has been actuated,

a digital decoder means for converting each of said digital coded frequency signal values into respective remote unit actual binary values,

signal comparator means for scanning each of said remote unit actual binary values and correlating same with respect to remote unit reference binary values, and

alerting signal generating means for generating an alerting signal in respect of a remote unit when a reference binary value for said remote unit is correlated with an actual binary value for said remote unit.