Motion detector for detecting tampering and method for detecting tampering

• US 8,319,638 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US11/940,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 340553-557, 340565-567, 340/426.26, 340/539.23, 340/539.31, 340/541, 340/545.3, 340/545.4, 340/660, 340/683, 340/500, 340/501, 340/506, 340/507, 340517-530, 340/511, 340/6, 348/148, 348/143, 348152-155, 250221-224, 250/DIG.1, 250/342
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/193 using focusing means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems

Abstract

A motion detector and a method for detecting a tampering of the motion detector. The tampering can include a spraying or brushing of a lens of the motion detector. The motion detector comprises a lens, a single sensing section for detecting infrared signals within a protected area, and detecting vibrations on the lens in the form of acoustic signals, the vibrations and the infrared signal causing a voltage change in the single sensing section, a first and second amplifier for amplifying the voltage change for processing for tampering and motion, respectively, first and second filter for filtering the voltage change for processing for tampering and motion, respectively, a microcontroller for determining if the detected voltage change is consistent with a pattern that is indicative of tampering or motion and alarm generating section for generating a tamper alarm or a motion alarm based upon the determination by the microprocessor.

Claims

1. A method for detecting tampering of a motion sensor comprising the steps of:

providing a lens through which energy passes;

focusing the energy passing through the lens onto a single Sensing element;

detecting a single voltage change in the single sensing element;

filtering the voltage change by filtering out a portion of the voltage change outside of a first bandwidth, the first bandwidth including a frequency band consistent with motion detection;

filtering the voltage change by filtering out a portion of the voltage change outside of a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth including a frequency band consistent with spraying on the lens and with brushing on the lens;

evaluating at least one of a rate of change, duration, and amplitude of the voltage change in the first bandwidth and of the voltage change in the second bandwidth;

comparing the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the first bandwidth

with first predetermined threshold values to determine if the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the first bandwidth is indicative of motion and the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the second bandwidth with second predetermined threshold values to determine if the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the second bandwidth is indicative of spraying or brushing; and

generating an alarm signal based upon the comparing.

2. The method for detecting a tampering of a motion sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

amplifying the voltage change using a first preset gain.

3. The method for detecting a tampering of a motion sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

amplifying the voltage change using a second preset gain.

4. The method for detecting a tampering of a motion sensor according to claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises the step of generating a first alarm signal if the voltage change has characteristics indicative of tampering, and a second alarm signal if the voltage change has characteristics indicative of motion.

5. The method for detecting a tampering of a motion sensor according to claim 4, wherein said first alarm signal is different from the second alarm signal.

6. The method for detecting a tampering of a motion sensor according to claim 5, further comprising the step of transmitting the first alarm signal and second alarm signal to a control panel.

7. The method for detecting a tampering of a motion sensor according to claim 5, further comprising the step of transmitting the first alarm signal and second alarm signal to a central monitoring station.

8. A motion detector for detecting a tampering comprising:

a lens for focusing energy onto a single sensing section;

the single sensing section for detecting the focused energy from the lens, the single sensing section exhibiting a voltage change when detecting the focused energy from the lens;

a first amplifier for amplifying the voltage change in the single sensing section, the first amplifier transmitting a first amplified voltage change;

a second amplifier for amplifying the voltage change in the single sensing section, the second amplifier transmitting a second amplified voltage change;

a first filter for filtering out a portion of the first amplified voltage change outside of a first bandwidth, the first bandwidth including a frequency band consistent with motion detection, the first filter transmitting a first filtered, amplified voltage change;

a second filter for filtering out a portion of the second amplified voltage change, outside of a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth including a frequency band consistent with spraying on the lens and with brushing on the lens, the second filter transmitting a second filtered, amplified voltage change;

a microcontroller for evaluating at least one of a rate of change, duration, and amplitude of the voltage change in the first bandwidth and of the voltage change in the second bandwidth and for comparing the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the first bandwidth with first predetermined threshold values to determine if the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the first bandwidth is indicative of motion and the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the second bandwidth with second predetermined threshold values to determine if the at least one of the rate of change, the duration, and the amplitude of the voltage change in the second bandwidth is indicative of spraying or brushing; and

an alarm generating section for generating an alarm based upon the comparison determination by the microcontroller.

9. The motion detector of claim 8, wherein said single sensing section comprising a pyro-electric sensor.

10. The motion detector of claim 8, wherein the first amplifier and the first filter are in parallel with the second amplifier and the second filter.