Extra security smoke alarm system

• US 5,889,468 A
• Filed: 11/10/1997
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William Robert Banga
• Original Assignee: William Robert Banga
• Inventors: Banga, William Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen Jr., Thomas J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US08/966,509
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 340/628, 340/629, 340/691, 340/332, 340/506, 340/825.36, 340/825.37, 379/39, 379/40, 379/42, 379/43, 379/44, 379/45
• US Class Current: 340/628
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network

Abstract

An extra security alarm system for monitoring conditions within a predetermined monitoring area and alerting persons located throughout the monitoring area, persons in the vicinity and appropriate emergency personnel of an emergency situation. The extra security alarm system includes a plurality of sensors strategically positioned throughout the monitoring area for sensing conditions within the monitoring area. Each of the sensors includes a control unit for analyzing the sensed conditions to determine if an alarm situation exists and generating a sensor signal indicative of the sensed conditions, a transmitter for transmitting the generated signal to the other sensors, a receiver for receiving sensor signals from the other sensors and an alarm for generating an alarm signal upon determining an alarm condition has been sensed by the system. A central monitoring unit is centrally positioned within the monitoring area and includes a receiver for receiving sensor signals from the sensors, a control unit for analyzing the received signals and generating an emergency signal upon determining an emergency situation exists and a transmitter for transmitting the generated emergency signal. A telephone unit for alerting emergency personnel is positioned to receive the emergency signal from the central monitoring unit and a device for alerting persons in a vicinity of the monitoring area upon receipt of said emergency signal from said central monitoring unit is positioned about a periphery of the monitoring area.

Claims

1. An extra security alarm system for monitoring conditions within a predetermined monitoring area and alerting persons located within the monitoring area, in a vicinity of the monitoring area and appropriate emergency personnel as to existence of an emergency situation, said extra security alarm system including:

a) a plurality of sensor means strategically positioned throughout the monitoring area for sensing conditions within the monitoring area, each of said plurality of sensor means including a sensor for sensing a plurality of conditions, a control unit for analyzing the conditions sensed by said sensor to determine if an alarm situation exists and generating a sensor signal indicative of the sensed conditions, a transmitter for transmitting the sensor signal to other ones of said plurality of sensor means, receiver means for receiving sensor signals from the other ones of said plurality of sensor means, and alarm means for generating an alarm signal upon determining at least one of an alarm condition has been sensed by said sensor and receipt of a sensor signal indicating an alarm condition has been sensed by one of said plurality of sensor means;

b) a central monitoring unit including receiver means for receiving said sensor signals from said plurality of sensor means, control means for analyzing said received signals to determine if an emergency situation exists and generating an emergency signal upon determining an emergency situation exists, and transmitter means for transmitting said emergency signal;

c) means for alerting emergency personnel upon receipt of an emergency signal from said central monitoring unit comprising telephone means for automatically calling appropriate emergency personnel, said telephone means including a receiver to receive emergency signals issued by said central monitoring unit, telephone controller means for analyzing said emergency signals to determine whether a signal has been received which indicates that an emergency situation exists, and a memory unit for storing a plurality of telephone numbers of emergency personnel, said telephone controller means retrieving selected ones of said plurality of telephone numbers upon analysis of said emergency signals for automatically contacting said appropriate emergency personnel; and

d) means for alerting persons in a vicinity of the monitoring area upon receipt of an emergency signal from said central monitoring unit comprising flasher means including a receiver to receive a signal from said central monitoring unit, flasher controller means for analyzing any signal received from said central monitoring unit to determine if a signal indicating an emergency situation has been received, and means connected to said flasher controller means to issue an audible alarm for indicating that an emergency situation exists, and means for flashing existing lights to provide a visual indication that an emergency exists.

2. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein said central monitoring unit further includes display means for indicating which of said plurality of sensor means has sensed an alarm condition.

3. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensor means each include a receiver tuner for receiving signals transmitted over any of a plurality of frequencies.

4. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 3, wherein each of said receiver tuners are tuned to an identical frequency.

5. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 4, wherein said plurality of sensor means each include a transmitter tuner for transmitting signals over any of a plurality of frequencies.

6. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 5, wherein each of said transmitter tuners are tuned to transmit signals at an identical frequency.

7. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 6, wherein said central monitoring unit is able to transmit signals to said plurality of sensor means at any of said plurality of transmitting frequencies.

8. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 7, wherein said central monitoring unit is able to scan through a range of frequencies for receiving signals transmitted by said plurality of sensor means at any of said plurality of transmitting frequencies.

9. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for alerting emergency personnel includes a cellular transmitter for contacting emergency personnel thorough cellular telephone networks upon receipt of an emergency signal from said central monitoring unit.

10. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensor means are each able to sense at least one of smoke, carbon monoxide, propane gas, motion, light, temperature and water level to determine if an emergency situation exists.

11. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for alerting persons includes a flasher positioned at a periphery of the monitoring area for generating a visible signal upon receipt of an emergency signal from said central monitoring unit to alert persons located in a vicinity of the monitoring area as to existence of an emergency situation.

12. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein said central monitoring unit includes a reset button for shutting down said system upon generation of said emergency signal.

13. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 12, wherein said reset button shuts down said system for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of sensor means further includes a reset button for shutting down said system upon generation of said emergency signal.

15. The extra security alarm system as recited in claim 1, wherein said central monitoring unit further includes a reset button for shutting down said system upon generation of said emergency signal.