Abstract:
The present invention relates to a system and method for the deactivation of an alarm system situated within a home or business environment by the use of a sound-activated wireless key device. This present invention describes a wireless key that “hears” a pulsing, warning tone, identifies the tone and automatically sends out a signal to disarm the alarm system thus allowing for the automatic hands-free deactivation of the alarm system. The invention comprises “listening” circuitry that is able to identify the sound of the audio warning, even when the invention is located within clothing or a handbag.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to the field of security systems that require a remote wireless key and local keypad for the activation or deactivation of the security system. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Currently, when entering a residence or business protected by a home security system, an individual is confronted by a loud pulsating tone that is generated by the security system to remind the homeowner to disarm the security system. The security system can be disarmed by either entering in a multi-digit numeric security code, into a wall-mounted keypad, or by pushing a button on a handheld keyfob which generates a wireless, coded disarm message, which is transmitted to a receiver associated with the control panel. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a system and method for the deactivation of an alarm system situated within a home or business environment by the use of a sound-activated wireless key device. This present invention describes a wireless key that “hears” a pulsing, warning tone, identifies the tone and automatically sends out a signal to clear (disarm) the alarm system thus allowing for the automatic hands-free deactivation of the alarm system. The invention comprises “listening” circuitry that is able to identify the sound of the audio warning, even when the invention is located within clothing or a handbag. 
   An embodiment of the present invention comprises a system for the remote disarming of a home or commercial security system. The system comprises an alarm base station, wherein the alarm base station comprises a RF receiver, and at least one alarm keypad in communication with the alarm base station, the alarm keypad comprising a speaker device. Further, the system comprises at least one remote wireless key, wherein the remote wireless key has the capability to communicate with the alarm base station. The remote wireless key comprises a processor, a microphone, wherein the microphone receives an audio input and outputs an electrical signal. A signal detector is in electrical communication with the processor and the microphone in addition to a RF signal transmitter that is in electrical communication with the processor. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method for the remote disarming of a home or commercial security system. The method comprises the steps of receiving an audio tone signal that is transmitted by an alarm system keypad at a remote wireless key. In response to receiving the audio tone at the remote wireless key the wireless key transmits a disarming signal to an alarm base station, wherein upon receiving the disarming signal the base station disarms the security system. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a system that relates to the present invention. 
       FIG. 1A  is a diagram illustrating a detector that may be used within embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of a method that relates to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   One or more exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below in detail. The disclosed embodiments are intended to be illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. In reference to the drawings, like numbers will indicate like parts continuously throughout the views. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a system for the remote disarming of a home or commercial security system. The system comprises an alarm base station  130 , wherein the alarm base station  130  comprises a RF receiver  120 , and at least one alarm keypad  104  in communication with the alarm base station  130 , wherein the alarm keypad  104  comprises a speaker device  124 . The system also comprises at least one remote wireless key  102 , wherein the remote wireless key  102  has the capability to communicate with the alarm base station  130 . The remote wireless key  102  comprises a processor  116 , a microphone  106 , wherein the microphone  106  receives an audio input and outputs an electrical signal, and a signal detector  114  that is in electrical communication with the processor  116  and the microphone  106 . The remote wireless key  102  further comprises a RF signal transmitter  118  that is in electrical communication with the processor  116 . 
   A pulsing audio tone signal S 1  is broadcast from the speaker  124  of the alarm keypad  104  and enters the microphone  106  wherein S 1  is pre-amplified at a pre-amplifier  108 . Since a microphone is an extremely high input impedance device, circuitry is required to lower the circuit impedance and amplify the voltage level of S 1 . The pre-amplified S 1  is amplified at an amplifier  110 , giving it voltage gain and increasing the amplitude of S 1 . The amplified S 1  is then input to a bandpass filter  112 , the bandpass filter  112  being designed to be within the frequency bandwidth of the pulsating warning tone from the alarm keypad  104 . The bandpass filter  112  will filter out the majority of audio signal noise present on S 1 . The resulting output from the bandpass filter  112  is signal information that is present within the bandwidth of the filter in addition to the filtering of other extraneous noises. 
   The filtered S 1  is then applied to an audio detector  114 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1A , within the detector  114 , S 1  is transmitted to a rectifier  202 , wherein S 1  is full-wave rectified, and an integrator  204  that integrates the bursts of sine waves that represent S 1 . Next, the integrated S 1  is compared to a threshold level  208  that is fixed in a voltage comparator  206  within the detector. If S 1  exceeds the preset threshold level  208 , an interrupt signal S 2  is sent to the input of the processor  116   
   The interrupt signal S 2  is used to “wake-up” the processor  116 , that is, since the processor  116  is normally in a dormant state when signals aren&#39;t present in order to conserve battery power. Once the processor  116  is activated, then it performs an analog to digital conversion of S 1  and then performs a digital signal process on S 1 , which consists of bursts of sine waves. 
   The analog circuitry such as the preamplifier  108 , amplifier  110  and the comparator  206  are configured from extremely low power analog circuitry that can stay on all the time, consuming only minimal battery power. Features on the S 1  waveform consist of the period of the entire sine wave burst, the period of the individual sine wave, the total length of the signal, etc. These can be used either partially or totally to identify a legitimate pulsing audio tone signal that is broadcast from the alarm keypad  104 . 
   It is to be added that it may be possible to shortcut some of the digital signal processing by analyzing only the detected signal waveform for repetition rate, although this is not as rigorous. The processor  116  will contain a program routine that generates the wireless protocol for message transmission. When the detection of a valid pulsing audio tone signal from the alarm keypad  104  is detected, a wireless disarm message will be transmitted to the alarm base station  130 , wherein the base station will disarm the security system. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention that comprises a method for the remote disarming of a home or commercial security system. The method comprises the steps of receiving an audio tone signal at a remote wireless key  102  at step  202 , wherein the audio tone signal is transmitted by an alarm keypad  104 . The audio tone signal comprises a predetermined audio tone that is represented by a waveform, wherein the waveform is used to identify an alarm base station  130 . 
   An aspect of the present method comprises the step of performing an impedance lowering and amplification function upon the received audio tone signal before outputting the signal. Further aspects of the present invention involve amplifying and filtering the signal and transmitting the signal to a detector  114  and a processor  116 . The detector  114  compares the signal to a predetermined voltage threshold level, and if the voltage level of the signal exceeds the predetermined threshold an interrupt signal is sent to the processor  116 , the interrupt signal activating the processor from a dormant mode. 
   Upon activation of the processor  116  by the interrupt signal, the processor  116  performs an analog to digital conversion upon the signal to convert the signal&#39;s waveform and then digitally processes the signal waveform, wherein the digitally processed signal waveform is compared to a set of predetermined audio tone waveform data that is used to identify to the alarm base station. 
   If the digitally signal processed waveform is determined to match the predetermined audio tone waveform data then the processor  116  commands the transmitter  118  to transmit a disarm signal. At step  204 , the wireless key  102  transmits the disarm signal to the alarm base station  130 . Lastly, at step  206 , the alarm base station  130  is disarmed upon the reception of the transmitted disarm signal. 
   It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.