Abstract:
A communication system and method of communicating are provided. The communication system includes an intercom unit having a housing, a plurality of lights attached to the housing, a speaker connected to the housing, a microphone connected to the housing and an activator connected to the housing and configured to activate the microphone. The system further includes a controller configured to communicate with the intercom unit and at least one additional intercom unit. A method of communicating includes sending an audio signal over an intercom system wherein the intercom system, comprises a plurality of intercom units having a plurality of signal lights connecting the signal lights to sensors associated with the equipment that is not associated with the intercom system and configuring the signal lights to indicate operating characteristics of the equipment and controlling the intercom system with the controller.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to a communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an audio intercom in combination with a stacklight indication system.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Industrial areas such as factory floors often have signaling devices located near or in the proximity of operating machinery. These signaling devices are connected to the machinery and are configured to indicate the operating status of the machinery. For example, a red light may indicate the machine is not operating. Other lights may indicate other conditions.  
         [0003]     Studies of signaling devices used in industrial areas show that effecting warning, alerting, and communication are best accomplished by devices that can communicate by multiple methods. For example, communication via light indications can include strobe lights, incandescent, halogen, or LED light sources mounted in a stacked configuration. In addition to a light signaling device, an audio speaker or intercom system may also be desirable for communicating with workers located on the factory floor or in industrial areas. In industrial applications, a device may be needed to communicate in areas that have a high ambient noise level, or in areas where the noise level is changing because of equipment or because of a process continuously starting and stopping. In such applications, a visual beacon and tone/voice alert combination may be more likely to call attention to an emergency or equipment malfunction rather than a discrete visual tone or voice signal.  
         [0004]     In addition, it is often desirable to communicate with workers associated with a communication system, and/or give alerts to all workers or to communicate with a specific individual worker. Also, it may be desirable for that worker to communicate with the central control system. For example, the worker may give reports of a machines or a piece of equipment operating status, output, or other type of parameter.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that is able to give both visual and audio signals and also to provide a communication system for communicating with equipment operators in industrial areas.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The forgoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, where in one aspect an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments include a system of communication that provides both visual and audio signals. In other embodiments of the invention, an audio communication system is provided that, in some embodiments, may communicate system wide or with individual portions of the system.  
         [0007]     In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an intercom unit is provided. The intercom unit includes: a housing, a plurality of signal lights attached to the housing, a speaker connected to the housing, a microphone connected to the housing, and an activator connected to the housing and configured to activate the microphone.  
         [0008]     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes an intercom unit comprising: a housing, a plurality of signal lights attached to the housing, a speaker connected to the housing, a microphone connected to the housing, and an activator connected to the housing and configured to activate the microphone. The system, in addition to the intercom unit, further includes a controller configured to communicate with the intercom unit.  
         [0009]     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a communication system is provided. The communication system comprises an intercom unit comprising a means for housing, light emitting signaling means attached to the housing means, means for emitting sound connected to the housing means, means for inputting sound connected to the housing means, and means for activating connected to the housing means and configured to activate the sound inputting means. The communication system further includes, means for controlling the system configured to communicate with the intercom unit.  
         [0010]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of making a communication system is provided. The method includes providing an intercom system having a plurality of intercom units, integrating intercom units with a plurality of signal lights, and adapting one of the signal lights to indicate how a piece of equipment not part of the intercom system is functioning.  
         [0011]     In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a method of communicating is provided. The method includes sending an audio signal over an intercom system wherein the intercom system has a plurality of intercom units having a plurality of signal lights, connecting the signal lights to sensors associated with equipment not associated with the intercom system and configuring the signal lights to indicate operating characteristics associated with the equipment, and controlling the intercom system with a controller.  
         [0012]     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.  
         [0013]     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
         [0014]     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic of an intercom unit in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic of an intercom unit in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures in which like references will refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a communication system having an intercom unit which includes a plurality of signal lights associated with the intercom unit. Another embodiment of the invention includes a method of making a communication system that includes providing an intercom system, having a plurality of intercom units, integrating the intercom units with a plurality of signal lights and adapting the signal lights to indicate how a piece of equipment that is not part of the intercom system is functioning. A further embodiment of the invention includes a method of communicating that includes sending an audio signal over an intercom system, wherein the intercom system includes a plurality of intercom units having a plurality of signal lights. The signal lights are connected to sensors associated with equipment that is not associated with the intercom system and configured to indicate operating characteristics associated with the equipment in controlling the intercom system with a controller.  
         [0019]     An embodiment of the present inventive apparatus is illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  shows a communication system  10 . The communication system  10  includes a plurality of intercom units  12 . The intercom unit  12  includes a stacklight  14 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the stacklight  14  includes a first light  16  and second light  18  and a third light  20 . Other embodiments of the invention may include more or less lights than the three lights shown in the stacklight  14 . The stacklights  14  are used to indicate the status of a piece of equipment, such as an equipment on a factory floor. The stacklights  14  are connected to sensors associated with that equipment and give an indication of the operating status of the equipment. For example, if the equipment is functioning properly, the stacklight  14  may illuminate a green light. If the equipment is malfunctioning, the stacklight  14  may illuminate a red light. If there is a minor problem, the stacklight  14  may illuminate an amber colored light. Other light schemes may be used according to the specific needs of an individual installation.  
         [0020]     Associated with the stacklight  14  is an audio portion  22 . The audio portion  22  has a housing  24 . The housing  24  contains a call button  26 . The call button  26  allows an operator who wants to speak through the audio system  10  to communicate with another audio portion  22 . The operator presses the call button  26  which will cause a microphone  28  to activate and allow the operator to speak into an intercom unit  12  and be heard throughout the system  10 .  
         [0021]     The housing  24  houses a speaker  28  which is configured to allow the operator of the intercom unit  12  to hear audio signals that are broadcast throughout the system  10  or sent to that specific intercom unit  12 . In some embodiments of the invention the speaker  28  converts into a microphone  28  when the call button  26  is activated. Thus, in some embodiments, the speaker  28  and the microphone  28  are the same element but acts as a microphone or speaker depending on how it is operated.  
         [0022]     In some embodiments of the invention, the system  10  is controlled by a system controller  30 . The system controller  30  may be a personal computer or other type of controller, such as a micro-controller. The system controller  30  is connected to the intercom units  12  by connections  32  and  34 . In some embodiments of the invention, the system controller  30  and the intercom units  12  are connected by a wireless connection. The intercom units  12  are connected to other intercom units  12  by connections  36  and  38 . In some embodiments of the invention, the intercom units  12  may be connected to each other via wireless connections.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the audio components contained within the audio portion  22  of the intercom unit  12 . The audio portion  22  is contained within a housing  24 . Mounted on top of the housing  24  is a stacklight  14 . A terminal block  40  is located within the housing  24  and is configured to receive power from an external power source. From the terminal block  40 , the power is sent to an AC/DC power conversion unit  42  where the power received from the terminal block  40  is converted to DC if the audio units are configured to run DC power or convert to an appropriate AC voltage, depending on how the audio components are configured to run. The power is then sent from the AC/DC power conversion unit  42  to the components that require power.  
         [0024]     Within the terminal block  40  there is a receiver for the audio signal received from either the controller  30  or other intercom units  12 . The audio signal is inputted into the terminal block  40  and transferred to the audio transformer  44 . In preferred embodiments of the invention, the audio signal can be 25 volt, 70.7 volt, 100 volt or can range thereinbetween. Other embodiments of the invention may use audio signals and other voltages. From the audio transformer  44 , the audio signal is sent to the dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) decoder/encoder  46 .  
         [0025]     In preferred embodiments of the invention, the type of audio signal that is inputted into the terminal block  40  is a two-toned analog signal. Two tones of different frequency are transmitted over two audio wires or in case of wireless type systems, two-tones of different frequency are transmitted to the terminal block  40 . The DTMF decoder/encoder  46  takes the two different frequency analog tones and converts them into a digital digit. This digital digit is then inputted into a controller  48 , which can be a micro-controller. In the embodiments of the invention that are not equipped with micro-controllers  48 , the digital signal may be decoded by other digital means.  
         [0026]     In preferred embodiments of the invention having a micro-controller  48 , the micro-controller  48  is equipped with an individual address. The purpose of the address is to allow the micro-controller  48  to determine whether a specific tone should be broadcasted through the speaker of the intercom unit  12 .  
         [0027]     In preferred embodiments of the invention, the controller  48  is a micro-controller  48  and has an individual address for each intercom unit  12 . The address is configured within the micro-controller  48  itself or in other embodiments of the invention, the address may result from the positions of several dip switches located on the intercom unit  12 . In either event, the individual address for each intercom unit  12  may be manipulated by the dip switches or changed when it is stored in the micro-controller  48 . In embodiments using the micro-controller  48 , the system controller  30  can configure the micro-controller  48  to change its individual address.  
         [0028]     In preferred embodiments of the invention, the DTMF decoder  46  is also an encoder. The local amplifier  50  is also an audio driver and the speaker  28  is also a microphone. In other embodiments of the invention the DTMF decoder may simply be a DTMF decoder and a separate component is used as an encoder. The local amplifier may simply be an amplifier and a separate unit is used as an audio driver and the speaker may simply be a speaker and a separate unit is used as a microphone.  
         [0029]     The speaker  28  can also be configured as a microphone and the local amplifier  50  can also be configured as a audio driver and the DTMF decoder  46  can also be configured as an encoder. The micro-controller  48  also controls the DTMF decoder/encoder  46 , the local amplifier/audio driver  50 , and the speaker/microphone  28  to determine whether these components  46 ,  50  and  28  should act as an encoder or a decoder, an amplifier or audio driver, and a speaker or a microphone, respectively.  
         [0030]     Call switch  26  is used to aid the micro-controller  48  in determining which mode these components  46 ,  50  and  28  should operate in a call. When the call switch  26  is activated, it sends a signal to the micro-controller  48 , which converts the speaker/microphone  28  into microphone mode, the local amplifier and audio driver  50  into audio driver mode, and the DTMF decoder/encoder  46  into encoder mode. The call switch  26  is activated by the operator of a specific intercom unit  12  when the operator wants to input audio signals into the microphone  28 . (For example, the operator wants to speak into the microphone  28 .) The operator activates the call switch  26  by pressing the button and speaking into the microphone  28 . The microphone  28  picks up the audio tones and voice from the operator and inputs those audio tones into the audio driver  50 . The audio driver  50  then inputs the audio tones into the micro-controller  48  where the micro-controller determines whether the audio tone should be broadcasted to the entire system  10  or simply to the system controller  30 . Alternatively, if the units  12  do not have a controller  48 , the audio driver  50  could directly input the audio tones into the DTMF decoder/encoder  46 . DTMF decoder/encoder takes the signals from the audio driver  50 , transforms the digital signal into two audio tones of different frequencies and inputs those signals into the audio transformer  44 . The audio transformer  44  then inputs the signals into terminal block  40  where they are transmitted through audio connections to either the controller  30 , through the entire system including the controller  30  and the other intercom units  12  or through selected units  12  and the system controller  30 .  
         [0031]     The system  10  is configured through the system controller  30  to send audio signals only to specific intercom units  12  or send and broadcast through all of the intercom units  12 . Optionally, the audio tones can be produced by a selected group of unit  12 . Thus, the micro-controller  48  determines, based on its specific address, whether a tone should be broadcasted or ignored by a specific intercom unit  12 . If the tone is to be broadcasted by a specific unit  12 , micro-controller  48  then inputs the digitized audio signal into the local amplifier and audio driver  50 . The local amplifier  50  amplifies the digital tone and inputs into the speaker/microphone  28  where the microphone  28  broadcasts the audio tones.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the audio components of an intercom unit  12  according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The intercom unit  12  shown in  FIG. 3  is similar to the intercom unit  12  shown in  FIG. 2 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , intercom unit  12  has a terminal block  40 , an AC/DC power conversion unit  42 , an audio transformer  44 , a DTMF decoder/encoder  46 , a micro-controller and unit address selection  48 , call switch  26 , a local amplifier and driver  50 , a lamp driver  52 , and a speaker and microphone  28  contained within the housing  24 .  
         [0033]     One difference between the intercom unit  12  of  FIG. 3  and the intercom unit  12  of  FIG. 2  is the addition of a lamp driver  52  connected to the micro-controller  48 . The lamp driver  52  is operably connected to one of the lights in the stacklight  14 . The lamp driver  52  is configured and arranged so that when the micro-controller  48  detects an incoming audio signal configured to be broadcasted to that particular intercom unit  12 , the micro-controller  48  sends a signal to the lamp driver  52 . The lamp driver  52  then illuminates one of the lamps in the stacklight  14 . Because the manufacturing facility can be very loud, it may be difficult for an equipment operator to hear an audio signal given off by the intercom unit  12 . Thus, illuminating a lamp on the stacklight  14  will alert an equipment operator that an incoming audio signal is being received. If the lamps in the stacklight  14  are configured to use AC current, then the lamp driver  50  is a TRIAC configuration. TRIAC is a three dimensional device that controls and conduct current flow during both alternation of the AC cycle. If the lamps in the stacklight  14  are configured to use DC current, then the lamp driver  50  uses MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) type configuration.  
         [0034]     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.