Interactive wireless home security detectors

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6762686
  • Patent Number
    6,762,686
  • Date Filed
    Monday, May 20, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 13, 2004
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Pham; Toan
    Agents
    • Krieg DeVault Lundy LLP
Abstract
The wireless home security detector monitors fire, smoke, and home security to protect the home. The wireless home security detector dials the proper authorities in the event of an emergency. An alarm will come on in seconds after the smoke or fire is detected. When the fire alarm is activated, it will emit a special code that will activate the passive infrared motion detector that will check for any body heat inside the home. If body heat is detected, the infrared motion detector will activate an alarm responsive to detecting the location of a person; and include a human voice response. This alarm will keep sounding if body heat is detected and it will also monitor the body heat location as the person moves from one room to the other. The motion detector will stay on in the occupied room as an indication that a person has been located inside the room, to aid authorities in an emergency. A programmable microprocessor is used for receiving, storing and processing data from the interactive detectors, the interactive alarms and the human body sensors, and a reporter is used to transmit sensed alarm activities to selected proper authorities in the presence of an emergency.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is directed to an interactive wireless home security system, utilizing wireless interactive programmable detectors to provide direct wireless communication to the police department and/or the fire department, when a dangerous condition is sensed.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Each year thousands of people die horrible deaths from fires in America. Eighty percent of these fires are residential fires. When undetected, these fires may lead to serious injury or death. Current home security devices are intended to get the attention of the occupants inside the home.




Burglary and fire hazard accidents are the leading cause of death in the US. Monitoring stations are sometimes used to monitor a home when the occupants are away. These monitoring stations are expensive,




The government has made it a law that all businesses have fire extinguishers and many other fire protection devices. But homes are not tied to this law. Most fires start from residential areas. More civilian deaths are from fire rather than car accidents. Yet, more emphasis is placed on car safety, than on home safety. It is far more expensive to repair damages caused by fire than it is to repair damages caused by car accidents.




Fire often occurs in places that are not easily noticed during the initial phase, when the fire is most easily controlled. The sooner a fire or burglar is detected, the more quickly the fire or police department can respond.




Statistics show that a burglary is committed some where in America every ten seconds. Only 16.5% of U.S homes have burglar alarms. The burglary rate in neighboring geographical areas often varies according to the residents age and lifestyles, the proximity to high crime areas, zoning regulations, and land use. The burglar is sometimes equipped to kill. Thus knowledge of the location of the burglar is essential to quick apprehension.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The interactive wireless home security detector disclosed herein, is designed to protect homes from burglary, fire, smoke, carbon monoxide poisoning, and forced entry. In an emergency, the interactive wireless home security detector is programmed to call the Police, Fire department, relatives, and/or the homeowner's office or cell phones. The wireless home security detector communicates with other detectors when activated, and an alarm for the detected activity is enabled to alert the environment about such activity. The activated alarm will enable an inferred detector, which will emit rays to detect the presence of human body temperature in the area of the alarm. When a human body temperature is sensed, the alarm will stay on, to identify the location of the person. If the person moves from room to room, the alarm will follow the movement of the person to aid in locating the person. The interactive security alarm system is self monitoring, and designed to monitor all activities in the home, using digital wireless and line communication and a sensing means to transfer data from homes directly to the proper authorities. Detectors take pictures of any unauthorized entry, and broadcast a human voice response in addition to notifying authorities. Signs may be used to warn an unauthorized person of the presence of the security device.




The interactive system is programmable and monitors the entire house. Radio wave signals and/or microwave signals are used to communicate an alarm condition to the authorities. The microprocessor and sensors are installed in the system to allow the systems to communicate and recognize the unique identification codes of each sensor. A control panel touch pad is used to program the interactive security detectors. Batteries are used to energize the remote sensors. The receiver uses redundant, spatially diverse antennas that virtually eliminate the chance of missing signals. The interactive detecting system also uses phone lines and radio transmissions to send signals to the proper authorities. The reporter has a built in energy storage capacity that will allow it to communicate with the proper authorities, even if the home power is out. The sensors pick up signals when activated, and emit a radiant code that is energized by the radio waves or microwaves and absorbed by other sensors in the house. The radio frequency of the signals varies during use, to improve reliability.




The sensors are programmed with a unique identification code so that no two sensors within the range of the control panel have the same identity. A built in microprocessor controls intelligence, and includes sophisticated decoding capabilities that won't allow signals from the wrong sensor to trip the alarm. The wireless security system won't communicate with another wireless device such as cordless phone unless they are coded to communicate to each other. The system uses two antennas with “spatial diversity” for receiving signals.




In the learn mode, the reporter will automatically program each function introduced to it. Sensors can be added or deleted from the system to meet the need for an improved home security system.




Wireless sensors, when activated, will allow communication between the sensor and the reporter. The sensors have two basic functions; the first is to detect a change of state, and the second is to communicate or send a message about the change of state to various authorities. The messages sent by the interactive security detectors are very specific and are sent to selected receivers. The receivers include other motion detectors and fire alarms, and also include messages to the proper authorities. This system encodes information by modulating an electromagnetic wave, which radiates out in all directions from the transmitter's antenna. Battery power empowers the transmitter antenna, and allows the sensors to propagate through space to reach the receiver antenna.




The interactive detecting device uses radio waves and/or microwaves as the communication medium, which is intended to incorporate human voice into the transmitted messages. When the coded signal reaches the receiver antenna, the receiver will then interpret and decode the received information, translate it into a message that is indicative of the danger, and passes the information and the location of the sensor through the reporter to the authorities, whether it is an intrusion, fire, medical, or environmental sensor.




The emitting code for each sensor is different. The sensors are programmed with unique coded sensor numbers, to avoid false activation.




The transmitter consists of a radio frequency oscillator that will generate the carrier frequency and also modulates to impose the message into the carrier frequency while the antenna emits or radiates the signal. The sensor will detect the environmental changes and also allows the transmitter to communicate these changes to the proper authorities.




An automatic controller controls the different signals transmitted from a burglar entering the home, or the existence of fire inside the home. The controller has a diode that is used for diffusion to allow the controlled circuit to be integrated. The semiconductor, which draws very little current from the battery, allows the free electrons to be drawn towards the positive potentials, permitting the resulting movement of the electron to drift each time there is a detection.




When smoke is detected, the charge carrier will repel each other from the areas of higher concentration to lower concentration to allow for a precise detection of the location of a fire. The low current will flow when sensing an intruder due to diffusion, to activate the alarm even without an applied voltage. Due to the diffusion, a potential difference will develop as the detector is activated. Since the receiver is programmed to only hear certain codes, false alarms will not be caused by radio signals from sources like garage doors or TV remote control, or airplanes passing overhead. The stay mode will allow the system to be on, but the occupants can move inside the protected area without setting the alarms off. When in the away mode, all the interior and exterior sensors will be on. With the no delay mode, the device will immediately be activated when any of the doors or windows are opened. When the perimeter detector is on, normal activities can continue inside the home, as long as the exterior openings are not opened. The device will provide optimum protection against loss of valuable property and home due to fire or burglar, by providing early warning to the various stations and inhabitants. All the various types of smoke detectors will emit a suitable code when activated.




An Ionization smoke detector is designed to protect particles of combustion, and the photoelectric smoke detectors generate a beam of light, which also detects cool smoke from mattresses or sofas when ignited by cigarettes.




Poisonous gasses can knock out inhabitants within three minutes or less when there is fire. If some one is knocked out, the passive infrared motion detector will pin point the exact location of the victim and make it possible for the fire department to rescue the said person. A pyro-sensor can also be used to sense body heat when monitoring a trapped person in case of fire or to sense the location of an intruder. An Ionization smoke sensors will detect particles of combustion. The Ionization smoke detector will provide a faster response to an open flame fire, Where as a photoelectric smoke sensor will generate beam of lights and if the beam is broken, an alarm will then be activated. This sensor detects cool smoke that is produced by cigarette burnt mattresses and sofas. This kind of smoke also contains carbon monoxide and can kill sleeping occupants before setting off the Ionization smoke detector. The present invention allows the detectors to network and stay interactive with other detectors in the home, including wireless phones and the like. The passive infrared sensors will count pulses from any fire alarm sensors and allow adjustment of its sensitivity to detecting any body heat that is trapped in the smoke. The glass mounted circuitry will analyze and detect the frequency of breaking glasses and communicates the exact location of the intruder by sensing body heat. The reporter has a systems console that acts as the brain of the interactive security detectors. The reporter listens for transmissions from sensors and activates the appropriate dialing code. With the smoke detector, the motion detector, and other detectors interacting, the burglar will know that he has been discovered and will not stay long in the home. The reporter will dial the police without the burglar knowing, and his body heat will always be monitored should the intruder try to hide. A perimeter alarm will sound before the intruder enters the house. If area alarms are installed in every room of the house, then entry will be detected as soon as it occurs. The interactive security detector uses radio waves, microwaves, or ultrasonic signals to detect any movement in the house and also to communicate to the reporter. The motion detector will detect motions by sending out signals and then it will analyze the signal that is reflected back by objects in the room. The signal operates on the same basic principles as radar or sonar detectors.




The interactive security detector will also discriminate against random motion that is created by winds or heating or cooling systems, and will set off when motion is progressive and not random. The passive infrared detector will respond to a heat source in the 98-degree Fahrenheit range, which correspond to the temperature of the human body. This will detect a person trapped in fire or smoke. The motion detector must progress across several detectors before the alarm is sounded. A sound detector looks for a certain amount of sound from breaking glasses, cracking wood, hammering on the lock, etc. Passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors, which work by detecting body heat inside and around the house, are adjusted to work on broad or narrow spaces. Motion sensors can also be aimed and masked to prevent a false alarm caused by pets, heat vents, and objects in the house. All the sensors are designed to network with each other. The sound sensors are design to hear specific frequencies such as those made by breaking glasses. The smoke sensor will detect smoke and sound an alarm. Radiant energy from the alarm will activate the infrared motion detector that will then monitor any body heat within a room. The smoke alarm will send a programmable fire alarm code from the electronic microprocessor to the microprocessor receiver. The infrared motion detector, upon receiving said code, will then be activated to monitor any body heat in each room. The rate of rise sensor which is used to detect sharp increase in temperature in areas where smoke or high temperature might occur naturally, such as the kitchen, furnace room, and garages. The home interactive security detectors can also control a freeze sensor, to detect ambient temperature drops, before serious damage occurs.




A wireless touch pad allows the user to control the interactive security detectors without having to go to any control panel or company control station. A speaker is built into the interactive security detector for human voice response. The touch pad can be coded to allow access to other systems, or to prevent unauthorized persons, or very young children, from operating the system. The homeowner can program the interactive device to increase or reduce the amount of security on the premises.




The burglar alarm and the fire alarm may be incorporated into a single housing to share electronic components and save cost.




The reporter contains a control panel and provides a central location where all unsafe activities are sent for immediate reporting. It contains the necessary circuits to analyze the emitted data from the detectors and also to communicate to the authorities. The reporter contains a terminal block for sensing devices, a relay to activate the communicator or dialing code, and the power supply to energize the system, and the microprocessor that analyzes all data received from the sensing devices before the law enforcement stations are properly informed.




The reporter also has an AutoDial that calls the police or fire department when the alarm is tripped. It may also be linked to direct phone wiring in a hard wiring system, or linked to the panel by radio in a wireless system. The reporter also has a battery back up which protects the interactive security detector against a power black out that can leave monitored homes unprotected. The battery is connected to the power supply to charge the battery to provide full energy when needed or as back ups during black outs. The reporter is preferably enclosed in a tamper proof enclosure to avoid easy access.




The motion detector will stop its alarm signal approximately two minutes after the burglar is no longer detected or when the fire temperature or smoke has been taken cared of. The microprocessor for the reporter will call a predetermined phone number each time any of the detectors are activated, with a standard vocal recording that would give a complete address of the home in question, whether it is a burglar or a fire based on the radiated code.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




FIG.


1


. is a block diagram and symbol for a silicon control rectifier and a SCR switching circuit for the detectors.





FIG. 2A

is a diagram showing the transmitter circuit for transmitting SHSID coded signals.





FIG. 2B

is a diagram showing the receiver circuit for receiving SHSID coded signals.




FIG.


3


. is a diagram showing the circuit for the alarm buzzer.




FIG.


4


. is a diagram of the discriminator circuit.





FIG. 5

is a diagram showing the photocell and LED for descriptive picturing of a human body within the home during actuation of an alarm in an emergency.





FIG. 6

is a diagram of the interactive wireless home security detectors located about a home, including the microprocessor, the reporter, and a touch pad.





FIG. 7

is a diagram of the interactive wireless home security detectors located within a room in a home.





FIG. 8

is a diagram of the interactive wireless home security detectors showing perimeter protection.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




The present invention is a wireless interactive security detector apparatus


4


designed to network and interact with other detectors in a house or home


5


. The wireless interactive security detector apparatus


4


is controlled by a programmable microprocessor


100


and a controller


85


, such as a Silicon Control Rectifier (SCR). The wireless interactive security detector apparatus


4


is designed to reduce a homeowner's chance of being victimized, by utilizing a human voice warning


16


, and a photocell


24


to take pictures of any unauthorized entering, and immediately dial the proper authorities


35


, such as the police or fire departments


36


,


37


. However, the interactive security detector apparatus


4


will detect an intrusion or coded signal


9


at any point of entering into the home


5


when programmed, and activate the programmable reporter


50


in response to an unauthorized intrusion.




The detector is configured as an interactive detector


10


with at least one programmable microprocessor


100


and a SCR


85


. The microprocessor


100


and the SCR


85


are the basis for coordinating the interactions between programmable detector


10


for home security, which operates in circumstances that are deemed unsafe for homeowners.




Transmitters


40


and receivers


45


or transceivers


46


are used, with a programmable reporter


50


that includes an external touch pad


31


and keypad


30


to input programming for the interactive detectors


10


, to enable and interact with other detectors and the programmable reporter


50


. The programmable reporter


50


receives coded signals from the interactive detectors


10


, and selectively dials the proper authorities


35


for rescue.




The interactive detectors


10


may be different detectors, but each are electronically controlled by the programmable microprocessor


100


, the SCR


85


, the transmitters


40


, and the receivers


45


, to report all unsafe activities within the home


5


, to the programmable reporter


50


. The programmable reporter


50


is selected to be a hard wired telephone connection


52


or a wireless phone communication means


54


, to enhance the ability to communicate with said interactive detectors


10


in dangerous, or unsafe situations.




The programmable reporter


50


will then wirelessly communicate with the proper authorities


35


, such as the fire department


37


and the police department


36


for immediate assistance. Batteries are preferably provided to provide power to the transmitter


40


in the event of a power failure.




Interactive detectors


10


provide direct communication with the proper authorities


35


, to further enable the proper authorities


35


to come to the homeowner's rescue. The programmable reporter


50


and the microprocessor


100


has the configured ability and capability to accommodate various types of signals and software with different hardware configurations, without allowing the hardware to disrupt the intelligence of the interactive security detector apparatus


4


. The microprocessor


100


, the SCR


85


, the transmitter


40


, and the programmable reporter


50


deliver data processing capabilities through wireless communication means


54


within the home


5


. Said communication means


54


is transmitted through radio waves


75


or microwaves


76


, to their programmed destinations for fast response.




Researchers have proven that burglaries and fire hazards are the leading cause of deaths in the US. Still, homeowners are constantly wondering on how to safely protect their homes


5


from these dual perils in order to further protect the lives of their families and love ones. However, in order to achieve maximum security in the home (


5


), homeowners need to install detectors


10


in various sensitive entrances into their home


5


. Since all detectors


10


work basically on the same concept, only the passive infrared PIR motion detector


15


and the general smoke detector


20


are detailed in this embodiment. The concept behind interactive detectors


10


includes any known detector


10


used at home


5


to detect and protect the homeowners from different unsafe conditions.




Statistically, thousands of people die horribly deaths each year from fires in which 80% are residential fires. The present invention is designed to improve home safety in all categories. When people are trapped in their homes


5


because of fire


1


or smoke


2


, the smoke


2


will interrupt the flow of current and the fire alarm


7


will then emit a radiant energy


8


, or coded signal


9


, that will be transmitted through the transmitter


40


, to the PIR


15


. The PIR


15


upon receiving the coded signal


9


, will then be enabled to detect any body heat


25


from individuals that may be trapped in the home


5


, due to existing fire


1


or smoke


2


.




Understanding that most deaths are from fire (


1


), rather than car accidents, the present invention is intended to use the emitted radiant energy pulses


8


, from the fire alarm


7


, to interactively activate the PIR


15


and other detectors


10


, so as to monitor any body heat


25


, when fire


1


or smoke


2


is detected in the home


5


.




The invention is intended to further advance home securities to better serve and protect homeowners. It can be very devastating to be involved in any fire


1


or extended smoke


2


situation. Therefore, the supplemental home interactive security detector apparatus


4


will protect homeowners when a family member is trapped by smoke


2


or fire


1


, or subject to other dangers inside the home


5


.




Since fire


1


occurs in places that are not easily noticed, the spread of the smoke


2


from the fire


1


is detected by the detector


10


, that will enable activation of an alarm


7


. The alarm


7


will then emit a coded signal


9


, or radiant energy


8


, to the PIR


15


to activate the programmable reporter


50


, that will then dial the proper authorities


35


directly, without the extra expenses of paying private monitoring stations.




There are three types of fire detectors


10


that could be incorporated to interact with the other devices for the interactive security detector apparatus


4


. There are; the heat sensor


11


, the Ionization smoke detector


12


, and the photoelectric smoke detector


13


.




The heat sensor


11


will react to heat caused by fire


1


and should be placed close to the kitchen or furnace to give an early warning of the initial fire


1


, and also communicates to the infrared motion detector


15


or the body heat sensor


25


. Some fires


1


progress to an area where escape is difficult and the fire generates enough heat to set off distant heat sensors


11


. These heat sensors


11


are best suited for installation around the kitchen, furnace, and water heater to warn of the possible ignition caused by the heat build up and would interact with the other detectors to monitor any trapped person in the home


5


.




Ionization smoke detectors


12


use small radiant sources to detect the presence of ionized air or gas. When these elements are present, the alarm


7


will then come on and radiant energy


8


will be emitted to activate the infrared motion detector


15


to monitor any body heat


25


as an indication of a person trapped in the home


5


. The Ionization smoke detector


12


will respond best to flame fires


1


and because a fire


1


may smolder for a long time before flaming, and an Ionization smoke detector


12


may not give adequate warning of this type of fire


1


. Occupants may inhale much smoke


2


, and be trapped inside. But by incorporating the detectors


10


to communicate to each other, it will be much faster to detect the location or area where a person is trapped, and thus speed the rescue effort.




A photoelectric smoke detector


13


has an infrared eye


26


, which will look for smoke


2


in the air and immediately activate a response faster, since most people die from smoke inhalation when a fire


1


occurs. When the smoke


2


is detected, the area will be monitored to clear any person who may still be inside the home


5


at the time the smoke


2


is detected. The fire department will then have complete knowledge of the location of a person is inside the home, as the infrared motion detector


15


or the body heat sensor


25


continues to output an alarm. The photoelectric smoke detector


13


will detect smoldering fire


1


before it flames and before it generates enough heat to set off the heat sensor


11


.




All the detectors


10


are preferably interactive and allow other detectors


10


to monitor for any trapped person while the reporter


50


calls for the trained personnel to come to the rescue of any trapped person. Experience has proven that most home fires


1


begin as smoldering fire, therefore the photoelectric smokedetector


13


is recommended for the general use in homes to keep track of any smoldering fire


1


. But any sensed information would have to be reported immediately to the fire department


37


so that further damages would be minimized and many lives saved.




The invention further provides full security powers in the home


5


, without requiring the use of any monitoring station (not shown). An improved wireless key pad


30


or touch pad


31


, and a programmable reporter


50


control the interactive security detector


4


by entering codes


32


through the key pad


30


or the touch pad


31


to selectively enable or disable security through the reporter


50


.




All the activities are reported to the proper authorities


35


, such as police


36


or fire departments


37


, from the coded input


32


through the programmable reporter


50


, to immediately summon a rescue. When a burglar is detected in the perimeter of the home


5


or inside the home


5


, the PIR


15


will sense the body heat


25


and optically picture


33


the burglar through the photocell


24


, and the LED


23


, to further produce a complete description of the burglar.




The eye of the photocell


24


is incorporated in the infrared eye


26


and is powered and controlled by the reporter


50


. The spread of smoke


2


will activate the smoke detector


20


that will then activate the PIR


15


. The PIR


15


, upon receiving the emitted code


32


from the smoke detector


20


, will activate the reporter


50


to dial the fire department


37


or police station


36


for immediate response, to aid the occupants and also reduce the damages inside the home


5


. Labels or signs


78


are distributed around the home


5


to warn burglars and intruders of the protection around the home


5


. The interactive security detector sign


78


, will often scare burglars away. If the burglar ignores the sign


78


and proceeds break in, the eye of the photocell


24


will take pictures


33


of the intruder while the PIR


15


will sense the intruder's body heat


25


and activate the alarm


7


. This will then emit a coded signal


9


, or radiant energy


8


, that will activate the reporter


50


. The reporter


50


, after receiving the emitted signal


9


, will then dial the police station


36


directly to further reduce the confrontation between the intruder and the homeowner. The said device when programmed will also monitor the activities inside the home


5


. The discriminator


70


will prevent false activation of the interactive security detector


4


, and when activated, the reporter


50


will call for the proper authorities


35


for their immediate response. The coded signal


9


and radiant pulses


8


will then travel through radio frequencies or microwave signals of sufficient strength to communicate to the proper authorities


35


. All signals are transmitted through at least one of: radio waves


75


, microwaves


76


, or ultrasonic waves


77


. When transmitting coded signals


9


and radiant pulses


8


, a redundant or diverse antenna


79


is used to eliminate any unwanted signal. Signals are transmitted through phone lines or by wireless phone communication means


54


to the police station


36


or to other proper authorities


35


. The reporter


50


has a built in transformer


80


and a battery power source


21


that will allow communication when there is any electrical blackout. The detector


10


picks coded signals


9


and radiant pulses


8


and stays in activation as the signals


8


and


9


are emitted through radiant codes


32


to energize the radiant waves and allow absorption by the other sensors in the home


5


. When the fire alarm


7


is on, the impulse of the sound of the alarm will emit a radiant energy


8


that will then be powered by the radio waves


75


or microwaves


76


or ultrasonic waves


77


. The energy will then be absorbed by the PIR


15


, and if an occupant were trapped inside the home


5


, the PIR


15


would then activate the reporter


50


, by emitting a second radiant energy


8


to the reporter


50


that would immediately allow dialing of the proper authorities


35


. The reporter


50


, upon receiving the radiant energy


8


, will dial the fire department


37


and/or the police department


36


for immediate assistance. The built in microprocessor


100


controls this device intelligence, to selectively not signal when a wrong sensor tries to trip the alarm. The electromagnetic waves


75


,


76


will allow communication in the home


5


, by working closely with the PIR detector.


15


. When the smoke detector


20


is activated, communication is enabled. The smoke detector


20


will detect changes of state and send messages or signals


8


,


9


about the change of state of the detectors to the various authorities


35


through the frequency energy waves


75


,


76


, or


77


. All messages are sent to the receivers


35


,


25


, and


90


.




The sent information is then encoded by modulating electromagnetic waves


75


,


76


,


77


which radiate out in all directions from the transmitter


40


. The battery


21


power, which empowers the transmitter


40


, will then allow the detectors


10


to send out at least one electromagnetic wave signal


75


,


76


,


77


that will propagate through space and reach the receiver


45


.




The radio receiver


45


, upon accepting the modulated signal


8


,


9


, will then interpret the meaning so that the surrounding environment is better understood and cleared of dangers. The receiver


45


after receiving and decoding information will then translate the information into a message that is indicative of the specific dangerous environment. The decoded information will then be passed on to the reporter


50


, that will then dial the proper authorities


35


. The signal from the transmitter


40


will send information about the transmitted signal.




The automatic controller


60


controls different signals that are transmitted from the fire alarm


7


or the motion alarm


6


. The controller diode


65


allows the controller


60


circuitry to integrate. When smoke


2


is detected, the charge carrier will repel each other, allowing a precise detection of the location of the intruder or fire. When an intruder is sensed, the diffusion will cause the lower current to flow to activate the alarm


7


even without any applied voltage.




When the smoke detector


20


is activated, a potential difference will develop and the SCR


85


will serve as a closed circuit. When the smoke detector


20


is disabled, the SCR


85


will serve as an open circuit. The SCR


85


will receive all its instructions from the microprocessor


100


. When there is no detection, the SCR


85


will block any applied voltage in either direction.




When a motion is sensed, the SCR


85


will then be enabled to conduct voltage in the forward direction and the signal will be applied to the gate electrode


86


. The SCR


85


is forward biased with the positive lead of the voltage source connected to the anode


87


and the negative lead is connected to the cathode


88


. Junction one


92


and Junction three


93


are forward biased and Junction two


94


is reversed biased. If a voltage pulse or current pulse is applied to the SCR


85


, the forward bias will then conduct, allowing the SCR


85


to control the detecting signals.




When the SCR


85


is in conduction, the gate


86


will be of no consequence and the circuitry will continue to be in conduction regardless of the presence or lack of the gate


86


signal, until the forward current drops below a certain level, which will be indicative of no body heat. The SCR


85


will allow S


1


to be open when it is not in conduction, or when the smoke detector


20


is disabled or in the normal mode.




When S


1


is closed, a positive voltage will be applied into conduction and will remain in conduction until the forward voltage is removed or the gate


86


is reversed as the detector is disabled. The microprocessor


100


will monitor the emitting code


8


,


9


and activate the SCR


85


to control the detectors


10


simultaneously. This microprocessor


100


will perform specific functions of home security, and will also receive signals


8


,


9


from the electronic smoke detectors


20


in the home


5


and send said signals


8


,


9


to other devices like the reporter


50


to report the activity to the appropriate authorities


35


. The PIR


15


will send out signals and then it will analyze the signal that is reflected back by the objects in the home


5


. It will then discriminate against random motion that is created by winds or by a heating and cooling system.




A group of semiconductor devices or Thyristors act as open or closed switches when a detector


10


is activated. When the detectors


10


are disabled, the Thyristor is positioned as an open circuit. And when the detector


10


is enabled, the Thyristor is positioned as a closed circuit and the radiant energy is emitted. The Thyristor is the controller that tells the passive infrared motion detectors


15


and other detectors


10


where the emitting signal is coming from, so it can differentiate an intruder code from a fire code.




The controller


85


will receive all instructions from the microprocessor


100


. This controller


85


is preferably a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR). When the detector


20


is in its normal state, the silicon-controlled rectifier


85


will block any applied voltage in either direction. When a motion is sensed or the PIR


15


is activated, the silicon-controlled rectifier


35


will conduct voltage in the forward direction as the appropriate signal from the detectors


10


,


15


is applied to its gate electrode


86


.




The silicon-controlled rectifier


85


has the positive lead of the voltage source connected to the anode


87


and the negative lead connected to the cathode


88


. Junction one


92


and junction three


93


are forward biased and junction two


94


is reversed biased. The gate


86


is the control point for the silicon-controlled rectifier


85


. The reverse bias does not conduct and the forward bias will not conduct at its normal state, since one of the diode junctions will be reversed biased.




However, the forward biased silicon controlled rectifier


85


will conduct if a voltage or current pulse is applied to the gate


86


in the direction to the forward bias junction two


94


. Once the silicon-controlled rectifier


85


is activated, the gate


86


signal will then be of no consequence. That is, the circuit will continue to conduct regardless of the presence or lack of the gate


86


signal until the forward current drops below a certain level, which is indicative of no body heat


25


.




The silicon-controlled rectifier


85


can also be made to conduct without a signal to the gate


86


. In this embodiment, the device will block current up to the point that is the forward break-over voltage. At this point the silicon-controlled rectifier


85


will break down and conduct even without a gate


86


signal.




As shown in

FIG. 5

, the silicon-controlled rectifier


85


switch S


1


is open when the silicon-controlled rectifier


85


does not conduct or the detector is in the normal mode and the passive infrared motion detector is disabled. When Si is momentarily closed, a positive voltage is applied into conduction and will remain in conduction until the forward voltage is removed or the gate


86


is reversed as the enabled detector is disabled.




This silicon-controlled rectifier


85


has two diodes that are formed back to back. The current ranges in milli-amperes. The transistors are also incorporated in this device to amplify signals to the desired frequencies. The advantage of the incorporated transistor is the low operational power, no warm ups necessary, cool operation, low operational voltage and very small physical size. The transistor will also withstand excessive vibration and shock, and are very inexpensive.




The transistor is designed to accept changes in ambient temperature. The transistor is connected so that the emitter is common to the input and output circuits of the infrared motion detector


15


to receive and transmit different signals. The input signal is applied across the EB junction and the output signal is taken from across the CE output circuit. It measures the static collector characteristics of the transistorized code from the burglary or fire alarm


7


. The passive detectors do not require an operating voltage to function. They require resistors, capacitors, and diodes. The interactive detectors


10


require an operating voltage to function, like transistors.




The narrow band should have a smaller receiver


45


band width to avoid interference while the receiver


45


processes the signals received by the antenna


79


and regenerate the digital messages of the transmitter


40


. For the spread spectrum, the transmitter


40


will communicate across wide band of choices on the radio spectrum. Preferably, the same data will be transmitted over many different frequencies at the same time.




The invention is fully described by means of the specific embodiment. It is further to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described thereto, but encompasses any and further development within the scope of the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. An interactive wireless home security detector apparatus, comprising:a) a first set of interactive detectors, each of the first set of interactive detectors being selected to detect at least one of smoke, fire, head, and freezing temperature, and a second set of interactive detectors, each of the second set of interactive detectors being selected to detect at least one of selected sounds, motion, and unauthorized entry; b) at least one human body sensor for detecting the location of a human body within a home, each human body sensor having a transmitting and receiving means for enabling networking and wireless communication signals with the first set and the second set of interactive detectors; c) at least one alarm, for signaling actuation of at least one of the first set and the second set of interactive detectors, and for signaling actuation of at least one human body sensor for indicating the presence of a human body within the home upon actuation of at least one of the first set and second set of interactive detectors; d) at least one transmitter for transmitting a coded signal from at least one of the first set and second set of interactive detectors; e) at least one receiver, for receiving the coded signal from the transmitter; f) a programmable microprocessor for receiving, storing and processing data from the receiver; and g) a programmable reporter for inputting programming from the programmable microprocessor to the first set and second set of interactive detectors, and for selectively reporting sensed alarm activities to selected proper authorities in the presence of an emergency detected by at least one of the first set and the second set of interactive detectors, to initiate a rescue.
  • 2. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one human body sensor is a temperature sensing means, each human body sensor located in selected areas within a home, for monitoring the location of a human body in a home in the presence of an emergency, and for tracking movement of a human body within the home, and for continuously signaling the location of the human body with the home in the presence of the emergency.
  • 3. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one alarm is a plurality of alarms, each alarm located in selected areas within a home, for signaling the presence and location of the emergency, and said alarms adapted to emit coded signals readable by a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors being in wireless communication with the first set and the second set of interactive detectors, and the human body sensors.
  • 4. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second set of interactive detectors includes at least one image recorder to record and store the image of the human body within the home, in the presence of an alarm signal.
  • 5. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programmable reporter selectively reports sensed alarm activities to selected proper authorities by at least one of: wireless communication and existing telephone lines, and the proper authorities are selected from at least one of a police department, a fire department, and a remote home security monitoring station.
  • 6. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 5, wherein the wireless communication is transmitted by at least one of: radio waves, microwaves and ultrasonic waves.
  • 7. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coded signals from the first set and the second set of interactive detectors are unique to each interactive detector, and the programmable microprocessor stores the location and type of detector relating to each unique coded signal, and reports the location and type of detector to the reporter upon actuation of at least one alarm signal in the presence of an emergency.
  • 8. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 7, wherein the coded signal is modulated prior to transmission, and further includes a human voice message responsive to the address of the home, the nature of the alarm signal, and the presence of a human body with the home during the emergency.
  • 9. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of interactive detectors include at least one of: a heat detector, an ionization smoke detector and a photoelectric smoke detector.
  • 10. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1, wherein an antenna is used to transmit coded signals to a remote location, and the antenna is one of a redundant antenna and a diverse antenna, to reduce the likelihood of a false signal.
  • 11. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 1 wherein transistors are incorporated into the interactive detectors to amplify signals from the interactive detectors to a desired frequency suitable for transmission, which provides no warm up, cool operation, low operational voltage and small physical size.
  • 12. An interactive wireless home security detector apparatus, comprising:a) a first plurality of interactive detectors, each of the first plurality of interactive detectors being selected to detect at least one of smoke, fire, heat, and freezing temperatures, and a second plurality of interactive detectors, each of the second plurality of interactive detectors being selected to detect at least one of selected sounds, motion, and unauthorized entry; b) a plurality of human body temperatures sensors, each human body temperature sensor having a transmitting and receiving means for enabling networking and wireless communication signals with the first and second plurality of interactive detectors, each human body temperature sensor for monitoring the presence and location of a human body in a home in the presence of an emergency, and for continuously signaling the location of the human body within the home in the presence of the emergency; c) a plurality of alarms, each said alarm emits a coded signal readable by a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors being in wireless communication with the first and second plurality of interactive detectors, each alarm being positioned within a selected area of the home, for signaling actuation of at least one of the first plurality of interactive detectors and for signaling actuation of at least one of the second plurality of interactive detectors, and for signaling actuation of at least one human body temperature sensor in the presence of an alarm, and for indicating the location and presence of a human body within the home; d) a plurality of transmitters, each transmitter for transmitting a coded signal from one of the first and second plurality of interactive detectors; e) at least one receiver for receiving the coded signal from at least one of the first and second plurality of transmitter; f) at least one microprocessor for receiving, storing and processing data from the receiver; and g) at least one reporter for inputting programming from the microprocessor to the plurality of interactive detectors, and for selectively reporting a sensed alarm condition to at least one of the police department and the fire department in the presence of an emergency, said reporting of a sensed alarm sent by at least one of: wireless communication and existing telephone lines, to initiate a rescue.
  • 13. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication is transmitted by at least one of: radio waves, microwaves and ultrasonic waves.
  • 14. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coded signals from the interactive detectors are unique to each interactive detector, and the programmable microprocessor stores the location and type of interactive detector relating to each unique coded signal, and reports the location and type of the interactive detector to the reporter upon actuation of the interactive detector in the presence of an emergency.
  • 15. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second set of interactive detectors includes at least one image recorder to record and store the image of the human body within the home, and to transmit the recorded image to the proper authorities, in the presence of an alarm signal.
  • 16. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interactive detectors include at least one of: a heat detector, an ionization smoke detector and a photoelectric smoke detector.
  • 17. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 12, wherein an antenna is one of: a redundant antenna and a diverse antenna, and said antenna is used to transmit coded signals to a remote location.
  • 18. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 12, wherein the encoded signal is modulated prior to transmission, and further includes a human voice message responsive to the location of the home, the nature of the alarm signal, and the presence or absence of a human body within the home at the time of the emergency.
  • 19. An interactive wireless home security detector apparatus, comprising:a) a first plurality of interactive detectors, each of the first plurality of interactive detectors being selected to detect at least one of smoke, fire, heat, smoke, and freezing temperatures, and a second plurality of interactive detectors being selected to detect at least one of selected sounds, motion, and unauthorized entry, a coded signal from each of the first interactive detectors and the second interactive detectors being unique to each interactive detector, and a programmable microprocessor for storing the location and type of interactive detector relating to each unique coded signal, and reporting the location and type of interactive detector to a reporter upon actuation of one or more of the interactive detectors in the presence of an emergency; b) a plurality of human body temperature sensors, each human body temperatures sensor having a transmitting and receiving means for enabling networking and wireless communication signals with a plurality of interactive detectors, each human body temperature sensor for monitoring the presence and location of a human body in a home in the presence of an emergency, and for continuously signaling the location of the human body within the home in the presence of the emergency; c) a plurality of alarms, each said alarm emitting a coded signal readable by a plurality of sensors, said plurality of sensors being in wireless communication with the first and second plurality of interactive detectors, each alarm being positioned within a selected area of the home, for signaling actuation of at least one interactive detector, and for signaling actuation of at least one human body temperature sensor for indicating the location and presence of a human body within the home; d) at least one image recorder to record and store the image of the human body within the home, in the presence of an alarm signal; e) a plurality of transmitters, each transmitter for transmitting a coded signal from one of the plurality of interactive detectors; f) at least one receiver for receiving the coded signal from one of the plurality of transmitters; g) at least one microprocessor for receiving, storing and processing data from the receiver; h) at least one reporter for inputting programming from the microprocessor to the first and second plurality of interactive detectors, and for selectively reporting a sensed alarm condition to a least one of: the police department and the fire department in the presence of an emergency, said reporting of a sensed alarm sent by wireless communication selected from at least one of: radio waves, microwaves and ultrasonic waves, to initiate a rescue; and i) an antenna is used to transmit coded signals to a remote location.
  • 20. The interactive wireless home security detector apparatus of claim 19, wherein the encoded signal is modulated prior to transmission, and further includes a human voice message responsive to the location o the home, the natures of the alarm signal, and the presence or absence of a human body within the home during the emergency.
RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 09/577,383, filed May 23, 2000 now abandoned; which claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/135,352 filed May 21, 1999, entitled SUPPLEMENTAL HOME INTERACTIVE SECURITY DETECTORS, By Joseph A. Tabe, which are incorporated by reference herein.

US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
4737770 Brunius et al. Apr 1988 A
4857912 Everett, Jr. et al. Aug 1989 A
5319698 Glidewell et al. Jun 1994 A
5438607 Przygoda, Jr. et al. Aug 1995 A
5486810 Schwarz Jan 1996 A
5971597 Baldwin et al. Oct 1999 A
6114948 Astell Sep 2000 A
6583720 Quigley Jun 2003 B1
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/135352 May 1999 US
Continuation in Parts (1)
Number Date Country
Parent 09/577383 May 2000 US
Child 10/150155 US