Abstract:
Process for operating a security system, for the protection of persons and belongings, comprising a warning device ( 2 ) triggerable by a control unit ( 3 ), a unit ( 11 ) for activating a signalling device ( 7 ) and a means ( 6 ) of unlocking an electrically controlled lock ( 5 ), this process consisting:—in activating a timeout unit when the control unit is invoked so as to engage a timeout interval (T 1 ),—in activating the element for unlocking the lock when the said activation unit is invoked during the timeout interval (T 1 ), and in disabling the signalling device during the aforesaid timeout interval (T 1 ) so that this signalling device can be activated only if the said activation unit is invoked outside of the timeout interval (T 1 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of the security of persons and belongings. 
   Systems for calling for help are already known, said systems comprising a portable object furnished with a button which, when it is invoked, activates, by remote control, a signalling device such as a warning siren in the vicinity and/or a remote warning telephone transmitter. 
   Systems are known moreover which allow an outside person to warn a person in his or her home and which allow the latter to activate, by virtue of a button, the unlocking of an electric unit for closing a door for access to this home. 
   An aim of the present invention is to combine such systems in order to improve the security and comfort of persons in their home, in particular of senior citizens with reduced mobility. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   For this purpose, a subject of the present invention is a process for operating a security system comprising a warning device triggerable by a control unit, a unit for activating a signalling device and a means of unlocking an electrically controlled lock. 
   The process according to the invention consists: in activating a timeout unit when the control unit is invoked so as to engage a timeout interval (T 1 ),—in activating the means of unlocking the lock when the said activation unit is invoked during the timeout interval (T 1 ),—and in disabling the signalling device during the aforesaid timeout interval (T 1 ) so that this signalling device can be activated only if the said activation unit is invoked outside of the timeout interval (T 1 ). 
   According to the invention, a new timeout interval (T 1 ) cannot preferably be engaged until after the elapsing of a security interval (T 3 ) subsequent either to an earlier timeout interval (T 1 ) previously engaged when the said activation unit has not been invoked during the timeout interval (T 1 ), or upon the activation of the means for unlocking the lock when the said activation unit has been invoked during the timeout interval (T 1 ). 
   According to the invention, the process preferably consists in prolonging the disabling of the signalling device during a protection interval (T 2 ) subsequent either to an earlier timeout interval previously engaged (T 1 ) when the said activation unit has not been invoked during the timeout interval (T 1 ), or upon the activation of the means for unlocking the lock when the said activation unit has been invoked during the timeout interval (T 1 ). 
   According to the invention, the aforesaid protection interval (T 2 ) is less than the aforesaid security interval (T 3 ). 
   According to the invention, the process can advantageously consist in activating the said warning device according to a different mode of operation and/or in activating the said unlocking means when a supplementary control unit is invoked. 
   According to the invention, the signalling device may advantageously be able to activate the said unlocking means after having been invoked. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The present invention will be better understood on studying a security system and its method of operation, which are described by way of nonlimiting examples and illustrated by the drawing in which: 
       FIG. 1  represents a general diagram of a security system according to the invention; 
       FIGS. 2 to 5  represent various timing charts of the operation of the security system of  FIG. 1 ; 
     and  FIG. 6  represents a general diagram of a variant embodiment of the said security system. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , it may be seen that represented therein is a security system  1  intended to be installed and used by one or more persons living in a home. 
   This security system  1  comprises a warning device  2  comprising for example a buzzer  2   a , located inside the home, associated with an exterior control unit  3  furnished with an exterior push button  3   a.    
   The exterior control button  3   a  is located in proximity to a door  4  for access to the home. This door  4  is furnished with an electrically controlled lock  5  controlled by an electromagnet for example which comprises an unlocking means  6  actuating this electromagnet. 
   The security system  1  furthermore comprises a device  7  for signalling or for calling for help which can for example consist of a siren located outside the home and/or a telephone transmitter for transmitting a message calling for help linked to the public telephone network so as to remotely warn one or more parties or a monitoring or emergency centre. 
   The security device  1  also comprises a portable housing  8 , such as a pendant, or any object that can easily be carried by a person. This portable housing  8  encloses an electronic circuit  9  powered for example by a battery  10  and is furnished with an activation unit  11  such as a push button linked to the electronic circuit  9 . 
   In a general manner known per se, in the example now described, the aforesaid components of the security system  1  comprise electronic circuits furnished with radio emitters and/or receivers so that they can be linked and thus communicate with one another by radio, exchanging specially coded radio signals. More particularly, the exterior control unit  3  is linked by radio to the electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8  and the latter is linked by radio to the means  6  for unlocking the door  4 , to the warning device  2  and to the signalling device  7 , the portable housing  8  thus playing the role of a central facility. 
   The electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8  is programmed to recognize the radio signal emitted by the exterior control unit  3  by comparison with an expected signal contained in a code memory C 1  and is programmed to manage control orders as will be described later. 
   The electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8  is also suitable for being subjected to a timeout interval T 1 , to a protection interval T 2  and to a security interval T 3  of a duration greater than the interval T 2 , these intervals preferably being adjustable by virtue for example of potentiometers  12 ,  13  and  14  included in the portable housing  8 . 
   The security system  1  just described can, in an example, be programmed to operate in the following fashion. 
   The manner in which the security system  1  operates in the case where the button  3   a  of the control unit  3  is not invoked will be described while referring to  FIG. 2 . 
   If the person furnished with the portable housing  8  invokes this housing&#39;s activation unit  11  at any moment, the electronic circuit  9  emits a radio signal  15  which, being received and understood by the signalling device  7 , activates the latter to emit a signal  16  calling for help. In the case of an exterior siren, this siren is activated and in the case of a telephone transmitter, this telephone transmitter is activated in such a way as to automatically seize a telephone line to at least one particular call number and transmit a message calling for help. 
   The case where the button  3   a  of the control unit  3  is invoked and the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  is not invoked will now be described while referring to  FIG. 3 . 
   When the button  3   a  of the exterior control unit  3  is invoked by a person located outside the home, this unit  3  emits a radio signal  17  which, being received and understood by the electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8 , triggers the timeout interval T 1  and emits a signal to the warning device  2  to activate the buzzer  2   a  according to the reference  18 . 
   At the end of the timeout interval T 1 , the electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8  emits a signal which, being received by the warning device  2 , deactivates the buzzer  2   a  and the electronic circuit  9  engages the security interval T 2  and the protection interval T 3 . 
   For the duration corresponding to the addition of the timeout interval T 1  and of the security interval T 3 , any new invoking of the button  3   a  of the exterior control unit  3  is disregarded by the electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8 . 
   On completion of this duration, that is to say on completion of the interval T 3 , the system  1  is again in the state described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
   The case where the button  3   a  of the exterior control unit  3  is invoked and/or the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  is invoked by the timeout interval T 1  will now be described while referring to  FIG. 4 . 
   As in the case described with reference to  FIG. 3 , the signal  17  emitted by the exterior control unit  3 , subsequent to an invoking of the button  3   a  by a person outside the home, causes the starting of the timeout interval T 1  of the electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8  and this circuit  9  emits a control signal for the warning device  2  so as to activate the buzzer  2   a  according to the reference  18 . 
   If the person furnished with the portable housing  8  invokes the unit  11  for activating this housing in the course of the timeout interval T 1  according to the reference  19 , namely on expiry of a duration t, its electronic circuit  9  emits a radio signal which, being received and understood by the unlocking means  6 , brings about the unlocking of the electric lock  5  according to the reference  20 . The person outside is then permitted to enter the home. 
   Likewise, when the person invokes the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8 , the electronic circuit  9  of this housing engages the protection interval T 2  and the security interval T 3 . 
   During this protection interval T 2 , any new invoking of the activation unit  11  has no effect. On the other hand, on completion of this protection interval T 2 , an invoking  19   a  of the unit  11  for activating the housing  8  gives rise to the activation of the signalling device  7  according to the reference  16   a.    
   For a duration corresponding to the addition of the interval t and of the security interval T 3 , any new invoking of the button  3   a  of the exterior control unit  3  produces no effect. 
   On completion of this duration, that is to say on completion of the interval T 3 , the system  1  is again in the state described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , it may be seen that represented therein is the case of  FIG. 3 , in which case however the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  is invoked after the timeout interval T 1  but before the end of the security interval T 3 . 
   If the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  is invoked during the protection interval T 2 , this invoking has no effect. 
   As according to  FIG. 4 , if the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  is invoked after the end of the protection interval T 2 , the electronic circuit  9  of the portable housing  8  emits a control signal from the signalling device  7  so as to call for help as in the case described with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
   The modes of operation of the security system  1 , such as are described hereinabove, may therefore be summarized in the following manner. 
   When the button  3   a  of the exterior control unit  3  is not invoked, any invoking of the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  gives rise to the activation of the device for signalling or for calling for help  7 . 
   When the button  3   a  of the control unit  3  is invoked for a first time, any new invoking of this button is disabled for a duration equal at most to the addition of the timeout interval T 1  and of the security interval T 3 . In the case where the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  is invoked during the timeout interval T 1 , the duration of this disabling is equal to the addition of the aforesaid duration t and of the security interval T 3 . 
   When the button  3   a  of the exterior control unit  3  is invoked, any activation of the device for signalling and for calling for help  7  is disabled for a duration equal at most to the addition of the timeout interval T 1  and of the protection interval T 2 . In the case where the unit  11  for activating the portable housing  8  is invoked during the timeout interval T 1 , the duration of this disabling is equal to the addition of the aforesaid duration t and of the security interval T 2 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , it may be seen that represented therein is a security system  21  different from the security system  1  just described in that it comprises on the one hand a fixed central facility  22  and on the other hand a portable housing  23 , such as a pendant, that can easily be carried by a person as could the portable housing  8  and is linked by radio to the central facility  22 , this central facility  22  and the portable housing  23  being functionally equivalent to the portable housing  8 . 
   The central facility  22  comprises an electronic circuit  24  including a radio emitter/receiver and suitable for being subjected to a timeout interval T 1 , to a protection interval T 2  and to a security interval T 3  of a duration greater than the interval T 2 , these intervals optionally being adjustable. 
   In this example, a means of unlocking  6  carried by a door  4  is linked to the electronic circuit  24  by wire and the warning device  2 , such as a buzzer, is also linked to the electronic circuit  24  by wire via a modulation adaptation circuit  25 . 
   The portable housing  23  comprises an electronic circuit  26  including a radio emitter, powered by a cell  27 , and to which an activation unit  11  such as a push button is linked. 
   The electronic circuit  24  of the central facility  22  is programmed to recognize the radio signal emitted by the portable housing  23  when this activation unit  11  is invoked, by comparison with an expected signal contained in a code memory C 2 . 
   Thus constructed, the security system  21  operates like the security system  1 , in accordance with the timing charts of  FIGS. 2 to 5 . 
   As a supplement, the security system  21  can comprise at least one additional portable housing  28  that can be allocated to an authorized person. 
   This additional portable housing  28  comprises an electronic circuit  29  including a radio emitter, powered by a cell  30 , and to which an activation unit  31  such as a push button is linked. 
   The electronic circuit  24  of the central facility  22  is programmed to recognize the radio signal emitted by the portable housing  28  when its activation unit  31  is invoked, by comparison with an expected signal contained in a code memory C 3 . 
   When the authorized person is outside the door  4  and invokes the unit  31  for activating his or her housing  28 , the electronic circuit  24  of the central facility  22 , having received and understood the signal emitted by this housing  28 , despatches a control order to the circuit  6  for unlocking the door  4  to authorize the opening of the latter and at the same time commands the warning device  2  via the modulation adaptation circuit  25  so that the buzzer  2   a  emits a different sound from that which it emits subsequent to an invoking of the exterior housing  3 , doing so in order to warn the occupant of the home of his or her entry. 
   Moreover, the signalling device may advantageously comprise a telephone transmitter  32  linked telephonically to a monitoring agency  33 . 
   In the case where an authorized person is furnished with a portable housing specially coded to activate the telephone transmitter  32  via the central facility  22  programmed for this purpose and call this agency  33 , an operator can optionally remotely actuate the means  6  for unlocking the door  4 , via the telephone transmitter  32  and the central facility  22  programmed for this purpose, so as to allow the said person to enter the home. 
   The present invention is not limited to the examples described above. Many other variant embodiments of the invention are possible without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.