BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front side plan view of the component.
FIG. 2 is a right elevation view of the component.
FIG. 3 is a back side plan view of the component.
FIG. 4 is a top elevation of the component.
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the blinking LED circuitry utilized in the an inactive component according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic of an active component according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the alarm system component is herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an” and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the component 1, whether active or inactive, is housed in casing 10 that supports a visible LED 12, a utility port 14 and switch 16. The reverse of the casing 10, has battery cover 18 and an operation verification port 13, so that LED 12 is viewable from both outside and inside a secured location when mounted with the obverse against a window. Without the operation verification port 13, LED 12 would not be viewable from the inside, forcing a user to verify operation be going outside and viewing the LED 12.
One of the keys to the utility of this invention is that inactive and active components are outwardly indistinguishable. An active component, shown in schematic in FIG. 6 would have the battery 20 operably connected by circuitry 34 to the switch and a security device 30 which would monitor the environment through the utility port 14. When in scanning mode, the circuit 34 continues through an integrated circuit 15 and the LED 12. The device may be any number of security micro-devices or sensors on the market or later developed, including but not limited to: smoke, carbon monoxide, light, noise, proximity or motion detectors, heat sensors, miniature cameras, microphones or any other security device that can be made to fit within the volume of the component 1. In its preferred embodiment, the component 1 is small enough to be unobtrusive and light, but large enough to contain necessary components. In its present preferred embodiment, the component has a rectangular obverse measuring about 3.625″ by 2.125″ and has a variable depth ranging from 0.325″ to 0.625″. However, these dimensions should not be seen as limiting, as preferred use will dictate eventual size. When the device 30 registers a pertinent change in it the environment is monitoring, it activates a signaling sub-system 32 to send data to the resident security system. This sub-system may be connected to the alarm system by being hardwired into the system or by an RF or wireless connection. An inactive component would look identical to the active component, thus would sport wires is the active components were hardwired, but would only contain the LED 12 and IC 15.
FIG. 5 depicts a simple circuit diagram for a blinking LED that may be used in either active or inactive components according to the present invention. The disclosed IC minimizes power consumption and extends battery life by switching the LED on and off without an oscillator, though any suitable IC may be used. In the alternative, a traditional oscillator may be used at the sacrifice of battery life. As shown, LED 12 is connected to a resistor 24 the switch 16, the integrated circuit 15 and the power supply 20. In the enlarged portion of the figure depicting the integrated circuit 15, which should be understood by those with knowledge in this art once the appropriate components are disclosed. The components are labeled as follows: 25 indicates one of six type D flip-flops, 26 indicates one of four gated inverters, 27 is a NAND Gate, 28 is a Non-inverting buffer, 29 is a 2-input AND gate, 30 is an inverter, 31 is an XOR gate, and 32 is a 3-input AND gate.
In use, the active components are utilized as an active component in an alarm system. Inactive components may be used as decoys or my be given or sold to non-subscribing individuals, following the current practice in the alarm system industry of giving signs to non-subscribers to serve as both advertising and a deterrent as thieves do not know if the sign is a bluff or if the property really is under surveillance.
While depicted as being battery powered, the component may be configured for an external power supply, such as from being hardwired into an alarm system. Again, the only requirement for the decoy to retain utility is that the decoys be indistinguishable from the active components, so they, too, should have some indication of external power, such as wires “connecting” them to the system extending out of the sightline of potential intruders.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.
Patent Application
20080036618
