Abstract:
The battery powered or 120 VAC powered environmental condition detector of the present invention is designed to provide an early warning of the presence of an environmental condition (smoke or carbon monoxide gas or natural gas or propane gas or any multiple combination of these offending agents) to persons in remote areas of a building. The detector sensing the environmental condition emits an audible tonal pattern alarm, while transmitting a radio signal directly to other environmental condition detectors to activate their alarms and to activate an electronically stored human voice recording (or synthesized voice) that indicates the location of the environmental condition detector sensing the environmental condition, or the type of environmental condition, or both. Rechargeable light modules separate from the detector are included that receive the signal from the detector sensing the environmental condition and illuminate areas and paths of egress for the duration of the alarm condition or in case of 120 VAC power failure. All components of the system are easy to install due to the modular design and conventional power sources. An intermittent activation of the electronic circuitry in the detector unit may be used to conserve battery energy in the battery powered embodiment.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/104,217, including Disclosure Document 415668, filed Oct. 14, 1998. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent application entitled Environmental Condition Detector With Audible Alarm And Voice Identifier, Ser. No. 09/299,483, filed Apr. 26, 1999 now issued as Pat. No. 6,144,310. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention pertains to ambient condition detectors. More particularly, the invention pertains to such detectors which incorporate verbal outputs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Harmful agents such as smoke, carbon monoxide gas, natural gas, or propane gas may unknowingly exist for significant periods of time in areas of dwellings before the occupants are warned through conventional environmental condition detector systems. Even with a plurality of conventional detectors, occupants in remote locations of an involved dwelling may not be able to hear the local alarm horn, know where the problem exists, or know what type of problem has been detected based on the audible tonal alarm pattern alone. 
     A need exists for environmental condition detection systems that can effectively provide an early warning to dwelling occupants in remote locations or levels away from the source of the environmental condition and can provide a means for lighted areas and paths of egress while doing so in a cost effective and simple manner. Such a system should be easy to install and operate to encourage usage. 
     Environmental condition detectors designed for remote sensing are commonly electrically hardwired to a central annunciator/controller panel to indicate the location of the environmental condition within a building. Unfortunately, only some businesses and few residences are currently equipped with hardwired detection systems with centralized smoke/fire annunciator panels. 
     Installing and retrofitting of remote environmental condition detection systems within buildings and residences without centralized annunciator panels is greatly facilitated with the environmental condition detector system described herein. Such detectors can incorporate wireless, for example radio frequency, intercommunication capabilities, to verbally indicate the location of the detector which sensed the environmental condition in a remote location. The type of environmental condition detected can be verbally indicated. Areas and paths of egress can be illuminated all without the need for a central control unit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An environmental condition detection system signals occupants of a building or residence through the combined use of an audible tonal pattern alarm and voice when a selected environmental condition, such as an alarm condition, is detected in the area of any of the detectors. In one embodiment, remotely controlled light modules illuminate paths of egress or other desired areas during the selected environmental condition. 
     The detectors can be stand alone units for smoke detection, carbon monoxide detection, natural gas detection, or propane gas detection. Alternately, multiple sensors can be incorporated into a combination unit. 
     In another embodiment, two or more wirelessly coupled detectors form a system. Additional detectors or light modules may be employed as needed for desired coverage. 
     If a selected environmental condition is sensed by any one detector, it emits an audible tonal pattern alarm and also emits an electronically recorded verbal message indicating that the environmental condition is in close proximity to the detector. The verbal message can, for example, state the type of alarm, fire, gas and/or location. Simultaneously, that detector transmits a preset coded, wireless signal to all other such detectors within the region or building tuned to the same said wireless code. This results in the remotely located detector units emitting an audible tonal alarm pattern and an electronically recorded human voice (or synthesized voice) to indicate where, elsewhere in the region or building, the environmental condition has been detected to serve as an early and descriptive warning for the occupants. 
     The voice recording is selectively indicative of the location of the environmental condition sensed or the type of environmental condition sensed, or both. This voice recording can be selected by the user. 
     As an option, the user can record a message into the electronic memory using a microphone for specific dwellings. For example, a smoke detector located on the second floor of a dwelling receiving a radio frequency signal from a smoke detector located in the basement of the same dwelling would, in one embodiment emit the smoke detector tonal pattern alarm and intermittently emit the voice saying “Basement”, or “Smoke in Basement”, “Fire” or similar messages, during periods of silence within the tonal pattern alarm. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a system includes two or more autonomous environmental condition detectors which directly, and wirelessly communicate with other like environmental condition detectors through a radio frequency link (or other wireless link) between units without the need for a centralized control unit. This provides flexibility in location selection, reduced risk of total system failure in the absence of a single centralized control unit, and ease of installation of the system. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, wireless communication can be provided to remote light modules to illuminate paths of egress or to illuminate any other room or area desired by the system user for the duration of the sensing of an environmental condition. The light modules are, in one embodiment, 120 VAC rechargeable battery powered units designed to energize a lamp during a 120 VAC power failure or upon receiving a properly coded radio signal from any of the detectors which within radio signal range have sensed the environmental condition. 
     The light modules are intended to be plugged into standard wall mounted 120 VAC receptacles to provide illumination in close proximity to the floor (approximately 40 cm above the floor). These light modules may be fixed to the wall outlets with screw fasteners to prevent their removal or may be simply held in place by the outlet plug friction so that the light module may be removed and carried as an emergency flashlight during the environmental condition. 
     Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a detector with voice indication according to the invention; 
     FIG. 1A illustrates a multi-detector system wherein the detectors communicate wirelessly directly with one another; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a light module usable in conjunction with the preferred embodiment of the detector diagram shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary audible tonal pattern alarm and recorded voice message combination emitted by the detector of FIG. 1 when configured as a fire detector and using a recorded voice message as an environmental condition type identifier; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary audible tonal pattern alarm and recorded voice message combination emitted by the detector of FIG. 1 when configured as a fire detector using a recorded voice message as an environmental condition location identifier; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary audible tonal pattern alarm and recorded voice message combination emitted by the detector of FIG. 1 when configured as a carbon monoxide detector using a recorded voice message as an environmental condition type identifier; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate verbal message emittable by a fire or smoke detector as in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate verbal message emittable by a gas detector as in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 8 illustrates one method for the user to specify the installation location of the detector of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, specific embodiments are shown in the drawing and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/299,483 filed Apr. 26, 1999. The specification and figures thereof are incorporated herein by reference. 
     A block diagram of a detector  6 -i is illustrated in FIG.  1 . Detector  6 -i is contained within and carried by a housing  8 . 
     Detector  6 -i is powered, for example by a long life battery (alkaline or lithium, for example)  10 . Alternately, a plug can be provided for coupling to standard 120 VAC. AC power with a battery back-up is an alternative. 
     An environmental condition sensor  20 , for example a conventional smoke sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, natural gas sensor, or propane gas sensor, (or any multiple combination thereof) is any sensor type utilizing methods typically known in the art. 
     In one embodiment, sensor(s)  20  could each contain electronics (an ASIC for example) for purposes of making an alarm determination. For example, sensed smoke can be compared to a pre-selected threshold to establish the presence of a fire alarm condition. One or more values of sensed gas concentration can be processed to establish the presence of a gas alarm condition. In such a structure, upon sensing the alarm condition, the sensor  20  energizes an alarm unit  22  which sounds its local alarm to indicate that an environmental alarm condition has been sensed in proximity of the sensor  20 . 
     In an alternate embodiment, processor  30 , in conjunction with instructions prestored in ROM, PROM, EEPROM  32  or the like could be programmed to make an alarm determination. Random access memory  34  could also be coupled to processor  30  to provide temporary data storage. In this embodiment, processor  30  could select from one or more sets of tonal output patterns, stored in memory unit  32 , and use a selected pre-stored set to drive output transducer  22 . Types of storable patterns include a U.S. standard fire alarm pattern, a Canadian standard fire alarm pattern and one or more U.S. standard gas alarm patterns. 
     While the detector  6 -i of FIG. 1 could be used as a stand alone unit, with or without the transmitter  40  and receiver  70 , in an alternate embodiment, it can be one of a plurality of substantially identical detectors in a system. FIG. 1A illustrates a system which incorporates a plurality of detectors  6 - 1 ,  6 - 2  . . .  6 -n all of which are substantially identical to the detector  6 -i of FIG.  1 . 
     In multi-detector systems, see FIG. 1A, the microprocessor  30  (in an active detector such as detector  6 - 1 ), signals a wireless transmitter  40  to transmit a coded, wireless signal defined by a location code selector  50  to all other detectors,  6 - 2 ,  6 - 3  . . .  6 -n. At the same time, optional light modules  100 - 1  . . .  100 - 2  (FIG. 2) within receiving range can also be energized. 
     In the system of FIG. 1A, if one of the detectors goes into alarm, for example detector  6 - 1 , in addition to sounding a local tonal alarm with an intervening verbal alarm identifying message, the active detector communicates wirelessly with other detectors  6 - 2  . . .  6 -n in the range of transmitter  40 . This communication is direct, detector-to-detector. This communication can be implemented by RF transmission, optical transmission, or sonic transmission without limitation. It will be understood that references to “Radio” as a form of wireless transmission in the figures is intended to be exemplary only and not limiting. 
     Each of the detectors  6 - 2  . . .  6 -n which receives a wireless communication from a displaced detector such as detector  6 - 1 , recognizes the alarm type and location of the originating detector given the contents of the received message. Hence, each of the receiving detectors can go into an appropriate alarm state and verbally provide location information and/or type information as to the source of the alarm. It will be understood that a detector, such as detector  6 - 3 , in direct communication with active detector  6 - 1  could also relay a similar message to detector  6 -n which might be out of direct range of the detector  6 - 1 . 
     Additionally, the active detector, such as detector  6 - 1 , can via the same transmission, activate a plurality of light modules  100 - 1  . . .  100 -n corresponding to the light module  100 -i of FIG.  2  and discussed subsequently. The activated light modules can provide a lighted escape pathway for an individual in the vicinity of the active detector  6 - 1  and can provide lighted regions in the vicinity of all light modules  100 - 1  . . .  100 -n located within range. 
     As discussed below, each of the detectors  6 -i can include a location code selector element and a radio address code selector element which is user settable. These user specifiable settings customize the behavior of an otherwise standard detector and provide advantageous flexibility. 
     The location code selector  50  is a user-set dip-switch/jumper arrangement that enables the user to define the location voice information that remote units will play upon receiving a signal from an alarmed detector that initially senses the environmental condition, such as a fire or a gas concentration. The location code selector  50  programs the transmitter  40  to transmit the coded signal. 
     By way of example, detectors located on the first floor of a dwelling may be set by the location code selector  50  to transmit a wireless signal to all other detectors instructing them to emit the audible tonal pattern alarm suitable for the detector type plus a voice playback indicating “First Floor” or “Smoke on First Floor”, “Fire”, “Fire First Floor” or the like, with periodicity. 
     Detectors located on the second floor of a dwelling may be set by the location code selector  50  to transmit a wireless signal to all other detectors instructing them to emit the audible tonal pattern alarm suitable for the detector type plus a voice playback indicating “Second Floor” or “Smoke on Second Floor” with periodicity. The voice messages are played during periods of silence in the audible tonal pattern alarm. 
     The address code selector  60  is a user-set switch that enables the user to select a coded wireless signal to be used for both transmission and reception, the intercommunication link between the detector units. This code is user-selectable to alleviate interference with spurious radio waves, optical waves or sonic waves and with other similar systems that may be operating in close proximity and are not desired to be operated within the same system. 
     Upon reception of a valid wireless signal, the receiver and decoder  70  decodes the signal according to the address code selector  60  setting. Upon verification that the received wireless signal originating from a desired transmitter, the receiver and decoder  70  then signals the microprocessor  30  to energize and drive the alarm unit  22  to sound its audible tonal alarm pattern. 
     Processor  30  also signals the electronic voice storage  80  to play or output the proper pre-stored voice information through the audio transducer/speaker  90  to verbally indicate the location of the detector sensing the environmental condition. An optional microphone  96  provides a means for the user to record short custom location information into the electronic voice storage  80 . 
     It will be understood that a wide variety of electronic configurations for the detector  6 -i come within the spirit and scope of the present invention. As noted previously, the detector  6 -i can incorporate one or more different environmental condition sensors  20 . For example, detector  6 -i can incorporate a smoke sensor such an ionization-type smoke sensor or a photoelectric-type smoke sensor. In addition, that detector can incorporate a gas sensor, such a carbon monoxide sensor, a position sensor, a motion sensor or the like without limitation. 
     Various types of processing come within the spirit and scope of the detector  6 -i. For example, processor  30  can detect signals from the sensors  20  carried by the detector  6 -i, and, based on pre-stored executable instructions, make all necessary alarm decisions. This includes processing of signals from smoke sensors and/or processing of signals from gas sensors, thermal sensors and the like. Alternately, one or more of the sensors  20  can be coupled to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which can carry out processing specific to that type of sensor. Output from the ASIC can in turn be coupled to the processor  30  if desired. 
     Further, it will be understood that the alarm output transducer  22  and the audio transducer  90  can be separate elements or they can be integrated into a single unitary output transducer without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Processor  30  can be augmented, or replaced, with hard wired circuits as desired within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     An output light module  100 -i is illustrated in FIG.  2 . The module  100 -i is intended to be coupled to a 120 VAC electrical outlet by prongs  110 . Received AC powers a 120 VAC to low-voltage DC electrical power supply  120 . The low-voltage DC electrical power supply  120  maintains a rechargeable battery pack  130  in a state of full charge. 
     An internal lamp switch control  140  energizes a low-voltage lamp  150  during a 120 VAC power failure as determined by a 120 VAC power failure circuit  160  or by reception of a properly coded wireless signal by the receiver and decoder  170 . This signal will have been transmitted from a detector unit that has sensed an environmental alarm condition. 
     The receiver and decoder  170  is continuously active and is powered by the power supply  120  through the battery pack  130  when 120 VAC power  110  is available or by the battery pack  130  upon 120 VAC power failure. The receiver and decoder  170  interprets the wireless signals received as programmed by the user-selectable address code selector  180 . The address code selector  180  is set to the same address code as the address code selector  70  in FIG. 1 if the light module  100 -i is to be part of the same system, see FIG.  1 A. 
     Upon reception of a valid wireless signal from a detector that has sensed an environmental alarm condition, the receiver and decoder  170  signals the internal electronic switch  140  to energize the low-voltage lamp  150 . 
     The low-voltage lamp  150  is powered from the power supply  120  as long as the 120 VAC power supply  110  is functioning. Otherwise, the low-voltage lamp  150  is powered by the rechargeable battery pack  130 . 
     Once activated by reception of a valid wireless signal, the low-voltage lamp  150  remains energized at least until no further valid wireless signals are received. If desired, a manual reset can be provided by a user operating the reset switch  190 . When the low-voltage lamp  150  is energized due to a 120 VAC supply failure, it remains energized until the 120 VAC power supply is reactivated or the energy of the battery pack  130  is expended. 
     In addition, other types of receiving units are within the spirit and scope of the present invention. One alternate type of receiving unit is a wirelessly coupled fire extinguisher. 
     FIG. 3 is an exemplary smoke alarm timing plot  200  of the sound emitted by an alarmed detector  6 -i which incorporates a smoke sensor. In the output pattern of FIG. 3, both an audible tonal pattern alarm  210  and a recorded voice message  220  convey information about the specific environmental condition detected. 
     In FIG. 3, the detector embodiment is a fire detector implemented as a smoke detector using voice as an environmental condition type identifier only. The recorded voice message  220  is inserted into the defined silence periods of the prescribed audible tonal pattern alarm  210  consistent with conventional smoke detector alarms. 
     Other messages identifying alarm type could be used. For example, instead of “Smoke”, the detector could verbalize “Fire” or “Fire Fire”. In the example of FIG. 3, groups of three spaced apart 0.5 second fire alarm tones, generated by output transducer  22  (FIG.  1 ), are spaced apart by 1.5 second silent intervals. The verbal alarm message  220  is output repetitiously during the 1.5 second silence interval. The verbal messages specify and can reinforce the type of alarm. Other tone patterns and silent intervals come within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary alarm timing plot of the sound  230  emitted by a smoke detector using an audible tonal pattern alarm  240  to convey a smoke alarm and a recorded voice message  250  to convey the location of the detected fire and smoke. In FIG. 4, the environmental condition detector embodiment is a smoke detector using voice as an environmental condition location identifier only. The recorded voice message  250  is inserted into the defined silence periods of the prescribed audible tonal pattern alarm  240  consistent with conventional smoke detector alarms. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary alarm timing plot of sound  260  emitted by a detector such as detector  6 -i (FIG. 1) with a CO sensor. An audible tonal pattern alarm  270  indicative of detected carbon monoxide and a recorded voice message  280  convey the specific type of environmental condition, carbon monoxide and the location of the alarmed detector sensing the dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. 
     In FIG. 5, the environmental condition detector embodiment is a carbon monoxide detector using voice as both an environmental condition type identifier and location identifier. The recorded voice message  280  is inserted into the defined silence periods of the prescribed audible tonal pattern alarm  270  consistent with conventional carbon monoxide alarms. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a tonal/verbal smoke detector output with an alternate verbal message. FIG. 7 illustrates a tonal/verbal carbon monoxide detector output with an alternate verbal message. The exemplary tonal pattern alarms and recorded voice messages are illustrative and not intended to exhaustively illustrate all possible tonal alarm patterns and recorded voice messages. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates a selectable coding apparatus  290 , corresponding to selector  50  for the user to select one of the pre-defined locations when the detector  6 -i (FIG. 1) has been installed in a dwelling. Selectable coding elements such as a jumper  300  on DIP header pins  310  or DIP switches (not shown) are alternate methods to define the installation location of a detector. Typical dwelling locations are shown in FIG.  6 . The list of FIG. 6 is not intended to be exhaustive. Alternate mechanisms for specifying location also come within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     In summary, in one embodiment, the present inventive wireless communicative environmental alarm system with voice indication for indicating an alarm condition due to the presence of smoke, carbon monoxide gas, natural gas, propane gas or any multiple combination of these offending agents includes one or more sensors for indicating the presence of the selected environmental conditions wherein the sensor(s) is/are any known type. Actuation of an output transducer generates an audible tonal alarm pattern with voice for the duration of the environmental condition. 
     Wireless direct communication between detectors utilizes user-selectable, coded, signal transmission. The detectors can include a user-selectable, coded wireless transmitter and receiver. 
     The communication signal can be coded to verbally indicate the location within the dwelling of the detector that has sensed the respective environmental condition(s) by preset switches or manually settable elements for the user to manually select the verbal information indicative of each environmental condition detector location to be emitted. This selected information will be verbally emitted by all environmental condition detectors that receive the coded wireless signal transmission from the detector that has gone into alarm. 
     Circuitry is included for conservation of battery energy through intermittent activation of the wireless receiving circuitry. Low power electronic circuitry is included to control the activation intermittency of the receiving circuitry. 
     Test circuits for electronically simulating an environmental condition within the respective detector include a test switch accessible to the user operating the test switch activates the local audible alarm and initiates a wireless transmission to all other environmental condition detector units with an embedded code indicative of the location of the detector under test to determine operability of components therein. 
     Verbal information regarding the location of the sensed environmental condition, the type of the sensed environmental condition, or both, is emitted during silent periods within the audible tonal pattern alarm emitted by the active detector during an alarm condition. Multiple tonal patterns can be stored in detector memory. 
     The invention also pertains to a low voltage direct current, rechargeable light module to illuminate areas of a dwelling and paths of egress from a dwelling during an alarm condition. Exemplary modules include connectors for direct connection to a 120 VAC power supply wall outlet or the like; circuitry for conversion of 120 VAC power to a low voltage direct current, and a source of illumination wherein the illumination source includes, for example, a low voltage lamp. 
     The module may include circuitry by which to energize the low voltage lamp upon failure of 120 VAC power supply; or upon reception of a coded wireless signal from a detector&#39;s transmission. Circuitry is included for reception and decoding of the received wireless signal wherein a user can select the code for decoding. The system may also include a facility for manually de-energizing the lamp, such as a reset switch, accessible to the user. 
     It will be understood that in instances where a detector includes two or more sensors that it will include multiple tonal alarms and verbal messages, one set for each sensor. Similarly, multiple coded messages specifying alarm type, associated with each respective sensor, can be wirelessly transmitted to other detectors. 
     Output transducers, such as transducer  22 , can include loud speakers or piezoelectric elements. Transducer  90  can include loud speakers. 
     The various preferred embodiments described above are merely descriptive of the present invention and are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention. Modifications of the present invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art in light of the detailed description above, and such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.