Voice alarm system

• US 7,719,407 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Pearson, Charles T., Leach, Jonathan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/466,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 340/584, 340/628, 340/500, 340/521, 340/286.05, 340/539.11, 340/506, 340/692
• US Class Current: 340/286.05
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

A voice alarm system, coupled to a fire monitoring system responds to received wireless signals. The signals can be emitted by a portable wireless control unit that can be carried or worn by first responders.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an ambient condition monitoring system;

a voice output system coupled to the monitoring system, the voice output system having a plurality of audio transducers and includes a wireless interface responsive to a received wireless communication at least a portion of which is to be emitted verbally by the output system; and

a portable wireless device that emits wireless communications including a designation of output transducers of the voice output system to emit at least one selected verbal message, said verbal message emitted through at least some of the plurality of audio transducers based upon the designation of output transducers and a state of the ambient condition monitoring system and wherein the portable wireless device receives wireless communications from the voice output system.

2. A system as in claim 1 where the monitoring system comprises a fire monitoring system.

3. A system as in claim 2 where the voice output system includes a plurality of voice output transducers.

4. A system as in claim 3 where the wireless device includes output transducer specification circuitry.

5. A system as in claim 4 where the output transducer specification circuitry includes at least one of manually operable, or audibly activated circuitry.

6. A system as in claim 3 where the designation of output transducers includes at least, all transducers, transducers in a region being evacuated, transducers in a region having active an active alert status, transducers in a region having an inactive status, or transducers local to the wireless device.

7. A system as in claim 3 where the wireless device includes a housing, a microphone, a plurality of manually operable control members and control circuits coupled thereto.

8. A system as in claim 7 where the wireless device includes a wireless transmitter coupled to the control circuits.

9. A system as in claim 7 where the fire monitoring system responsive to a designation of output transducers to activate, couples signals to the voice output system specifying these transducers to be activated.

10. A system as in claim 9 where the transducers to be activated include at least, one of all transducers, transducers in a region being evacuated, transducers in a region having active an active alert status, transducers in a region having an inactive status, or transducers local to the wireless device.

11. A system as in claim 6 where the device includes at least one of a keypad, or, speech recognition software.

12. A wireless interface to a voice alarm system comprising:

a plurality of wireless receivers in a region that can communicate with the local voice alarm system and a plurality of portable, paging devices;

a plurality of audio transducers;

a node coupled between the plurality of wireless receivers and plurality of audio transducers, said node having an input receiving a state condition from an alarm system and selectively activating the plurality of audio transducers based upon a state condition detected on the input; and

at least one portable, paging device in the region which includes a verbal output specification unit, and, an RF transceiver, wherein the paging device emits wireless communications to the receivers in the region including at least one of a designation of output transducers in the region to emit at least one selected verbal message, or, a selected verbal message to be emitted wherein the selected verbal message is emitted through at least some of the plurality of transducers based upon the designation of output transducers and the state condition provided by the alarm system and wherein the paging device receives wireless communications from at least one wireless receiver.

13. An interface as in claim 12 where the paging device includes an audio input transducer that receives voice signals to be transmitted.

14. An interface as in claim 12 where members of the plurality of receivers couple received voice to the voice alarm system.

15. An interface as in claim 12 where the output specification unit of the paging device includes a keypad.

16. An interface as in claim 15 where the keypad includes audio output specification elements and associated status indicators.

17. An interface as in claim 14 where the paging device includes a transceiver.

18. An interface as in claim 17 where the paging device presents status information to the voice alarm system.

19. An interface as in claim 18 where at least some of the members of the plurality include an RF transceiver.

20. An ambient condition monitoring system comprising:

a voice output system with an input/output port coupled to the monitoring system where the monitoring system provides a state condition to the input/output port, a plurality of verbal output transducers coupled to the port, and a wireless interface coupled to the port;

a portable wireless communications device that has at least a transceiver, a transducer selection input interface, a microphone coupled to the transceiver, and a verbal output device coupled to the transceiver, with verbal messages received by the microphone broadcast by at least some of the plurality of transducers based upon an input through the selection input interface and the state condition of the ambient condition monitoring system, and with wireless communications received by the wireless communications device broadcast by the verbal output device.

21. A system as in claim 20 wherein the input/output port receives information to be broadcast to the communications device from the monitoring system.