System and method for transmitting surveillance signals from multiple units to a number of points

• US 6,963,279 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Microwave Corp (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Microwave Corp (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martinelli, Gary, Bordoley, Moti
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Jr., Thomas J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US10/454,385
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22, 340/539.17, 340/539.18, 340/539.19, 340/539.26
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range

Abstract

A communication device for relaying data associated with a surveillance system is envisioned. The communication device has a plurality of inputs for communicatively coupling the communication device with a plurality of surveillance sensors, each of the plurality of inputs associated with one of a plurality of surveillance sensor data streams. Also present is a wireless communication system for inputting and outputting a data stream, the data stream being directed to another remote wireless communication device. This data stream contains the surveillance sensor data. The communication device also has a communication junction communicatively coupled to the wireless communication device and the plurality of inputs. The communication junction coalesces the data from the plurality of inputs into the data stream. The communication junction also retrieves individual surveillance sensor data from the data stream, and directs the particular surveillance sensor data stream to a particular one of the plurality of inputs.

Claims

1. A communication device for relaying data associated with a surveillance system, the communication device comprising:

a plurality of inputs for communicatively coupling the communication device with a plurality of surveillance sensors, each of the plurality of inputs associated with one of a plurality of surveillance sensor data streams including input surveillance sensor data streams directed to the plurality of surveillance sensors and output surveillance sensor data streams directed from the plurality of surveillance sensors;

a first wireless communication device for inputting an input data stream containing the input surveillance sensor data streams directed to the plurality of surveillance sensors, and for outputting an output data stream containing the output surveillance sensor data streams directed from the plurality of surveillance sensors, the output data stream directed to a second wireless communication device;

a communication junction, communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication device and the plurality of inputs, operable to coalesce the plurality of output surveillance sensor data streams into the output data stream; and

the communication junction operable to retrieve an individual input surveillance sensor data stream from the input data stream, and direct the individual input surveillance sensor data stream to a particular one of the plurality of inputs,

the second wireless communication device being associated with a second communication junction communicatively coupled to the second wireless communication device and a second plurality of inputs and being operable to coalesce a second plurality of output surveillance sensor data streams into a second output data stream, the second communication junction further being operable to retrieve a second individual input surveillance sensor data stream from a second input data stream, and direct the second individual input surveillance sensor data stream to a particular one of the second plurality of inputs.

2. The communication device of claim 1, the communication junctions each comprising a multiplexer, communicatively coupled to the plurality of inputs, that multiplexes the plurality of output surveillance sensor data streams into the output data stream.

3. The communication device of claim 2 wherein the multiplexer employs a time domain multiplexing algorithm.

4. The communication device of claim 1, the communication junctions each comprising a demultiplexer, communicatively coupled to the wireless communication device, that demultiplexes the input data stream into the plurality of input surveillance sensor data streams.

5. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication devices and the communication junctions are coupled in a bidirectional manner.

6. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the communication between the communication junctions and the wireless communication devices is delivered on a subcarrier associated with the outputs of the first wireless communication devices to the second wireless communication device.

7. The communication device of claim 1 wherein a received data stream comprises control messages for a particular surveillance sensor.

8. The communication device of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of inputs is associated with an acoustic message.

9. A communication device for relaying data associated with a surveillance system, the communication device comprising:

a plurality of inputs for communicatively coupling the communication device with a plurality of surveillance sensors, each of the plurality of inputs associated with one of a plurality of surveillance sensor data streams including input surveillance sensor data streams directed to the plurality of surveillance sensors and output surveillance sensor data streams directed from the plurality of surveillance sensors;

a first wireless communication device for inputting an input data stream containing the input surveillance sensor data streams directed to the plurality of surveillance data sensors, and for outputting an output data stream containing the output surveillance sensor data streams directed from the plurality of surveillance sensors, the output data stream directed to second wireless communication device;

a communication junction, communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication device and the plurality of inputs, operable to coalesce the plurality of output surveillance sensor data streams into the output data stream;

the communication junction operable to retrieve an individual input surveillance sensor data stream from the input data stream, and direct the individual input surveillance sensor data stream to a particular one of the plurality of inputs; and

one of the plurality of inputs is associated with an acoustic message delivered to an operator,

the second wireless communication device being associated with a second communication junction communicatively coupled to the second wireless communication device and a second plurality of inputs and being operable to coalesce a second plurality of output surveillance sensor data streams into a second output data stream, the second communication junction further being operable to retrieve a second individual input surveillance sensor data stream from a second input data stream, and direct the second individual input surveillance sensor data stream to a particular one of the second plurality of inputs.