WO1995011573A1

WO1995011573A1 - Security system controller

Info

Publication number: WO1995011573A1
Application number: PCT/US1994/011860
Authority: WO
Inventors: J. Kenneth Guscott; Charles Schlosser; David Steele; David Torres
Original assignee: Aritech Corporation
Priority date: 1993-10-18
Filing date: 1994-10-18
Publication date: 1995-04-27
Also published as: AU8082294A

Abstract

A security system (10) having a control unit (20) in communication with at least one sensor unit (30). The system (10) is controllable by a remote control unit (60) in response to a user depressing predefined buttons on the remote control unit. The system in one embodiment is also capable of controlling infrared (IR) controllable devices from the remote control unit. The control unit (20) may be programmed with sensor location dependent information using a programming device which encodes the information as programming data specifying the location of the sensor unit to which the encoded information is being directed. This location dependent information is transmitted to the control unit (20) from the sensor unit by way of a communication link.

Description

SECURITY SYSTEM CONTROLLER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates t security systems and more particularly, to security

*, ms utilizing remote control units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many presently available security systems utilize infra¬ red, ultrasonic or microwave sensors to detect the presence of intruders. These sensors are typically connected to a central control unit which is capable of transmitting emergency information, such as the presence of intruders, to a security headquarters which may then dispatch appropriate personnel to handle the emergency. Such systems typically include a keypad through which codes are entered by which the system can be activated (armed) or deactivated (disarmed) and through which the system can be programmed with location specific information, such as sensor/location correlation information and the codes by which the system can be a:-~-=?d or disarmed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present, invention relates to a security system having a controi unit in communication with at least one sensor unit. In one embodiment the system is controllable by an infra-red (IR) remote control unit which emits a beam of IR radiation (having certain predefined characteristics) in response to a user depressing predefined buttons on the remote control unit. The system is also capable of controlling other IR controllable devices from the IR remote control unit. The control unit may be programmed with sensor location dependent information using a programming device which in one embodiment emits directionally aimed signals having predefined characteristics identifying the information as programming data and specifying the location of the sensor unit to which the signals are being directed. This location dependent information is transmitted to the control unit from the sensor unit by way of a communication link.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING This invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. The above and further advantages of this invention may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the system of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a sensor unit of the embodiment of the system shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an infra- red controller of the embodiment of the system shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a programming device of the embodiment of the system shown in Fig. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In brief overview, and referring to Fig. 1, an embodiment of the system 10 of the invention includes a control unit 20 connected by means of a communication link 25 to one or more sensor units 30. Each sensor unit includes a control signal sensor 32, an infra-red (IR) light emitting diode (IR LED) 34 (capable of emitting IR radiation 52'), and a motion sensor 36. In one embodiment the motion sensor 36 is a pyrometer which is sensitive to the 8-14 micron wavelength range, while the control signal sensor is a IR photodiode capable of detecting IR radiation 52 in the .9-1.2 micron wavelength range. Although in the embodiment shown, the motion sensor 36 and the control signal sensor 32 are both infra-red devices, in other embodiments the motion sensor 34 is an ultrasonic or microwave transmitter/receiver unit as known to the art and the control signal sensor 32 is an ultrasonic or radiowave receiver as known to the art.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the communications L 25 is a bus, but in other embodiments the control and sensor units may be in communication by radio, fiber optic link or other means of communication knov to the art.

In the embodiment shown, the system 1*. is controlled by an infra-red remote control unit 50. The infra-red remote control unit 50 emits a series of pulses of IR radiation 52 having certain predefined characteristics, such as pulse duration and frequency, in response to a user depressing certain buttons or switches 54 on the remote control unit 50. The embodiment of the system 10 depicted is also controllable by a much smaller reduced function control unit 60 which also emits a series of pulses of IR radiation having certain predefined characteristics 52''.

The embodiment of the system 10 shown is also capable of controlling other IR controllable devices such as a video cassette recorder (VCR) 70, shown in phantom. In th s instance commands to control the VCR 70 are emitted by the remote control unit 50 as a series of pulses of IR radiation 52 having the certain predefined characteristics of commands for other IR controllable devices 70. The commands are received by the control signal IR photodiode 32 of the sensor unit 30 and are transmitted to the other sensor units 30 on the communication link 25. These commands for other IR controllable devices 70 are reemitted by all the sensor units 30 of the system 10 as a series of pulses of IR radiation 52 having the predefined characteristics necessary to

the other IR controllable devices 70.

/-.n IR controllable device 70 having an IR photodiode 72 receives the encoded commands in the beam of IR radiation 52 (having defined predefined characteristics) from the sensor unit 30 in the vicinity of the IR controllable device 70, and responds to the command transmitted by the user. Thus it is possible not only to control the security system 10 with an IR remote control unit 50, but also to control other electronic appliances located in other parts of the premises. This retransmission function will typically be available when the remote control unit 50 is an infra-red transmitting unit, such as a universal IR control unit, and not when the remote control unit 50 is a radio, ultrasonic or other control unit known to the art. In more detail, and referring to Fig. 2, an embodiment of sensor unit 30 which utilizes IR radiation for detection and control, includes a control sensor portion 100, a motion sensor portion 150, a retransmission portion 200, a communications portion 250 and a microprocessor portion 300.

Considering each portion individually, the control sensor portion 100 includes the IR photodiode 32 whose output terminal is in electrical communication with an amplifier 110. The amplified signal from the amplifier 110 is the input signal to a demodulator 120 whose output in turn is an input signal to a microprocessor 310. Upon receipt of a control signal by the IR photodiode 32, the amplified signal from amplifier 110 is demodulated and the demodulated control information presented to the microprocessor 310.

The microprocessor 310 first determines if the control information is a valid control signal for the system 10 and if so, the microprocessor 310 reencodes the data in the proper format for transmission over the communications link 25 to the controller 20. In this embodiment, the microprocessor 310 receives signals from the control unit 20 and transmits signals to the control unit 20 by means of a bus transceiver 260 in the communications portion 250. The bus transceiver 260 is in communication with both the microprocessor 310 and the communications link 25. In the embodiment shown, power for the system sensor unit 30 is received also by way of the bus 25. This power is regulated by a voltage regulator 270 and distributed to the components of the sensor unit 30. If the signal received by the IR photodiode 32 is determined by the microprocessor 310 not to be a system control signal, the microprocessor 310 assumes the signal is meant to control another IR controllable appliance, such as a VCR 70. The microprocessor 310 sends the coded signal to the retransmission portion 200 of the sensor unit 30. The coded signal, having the format which was received by the IR photodiode 32, is sent to an IR driver 210 for retransmission by the IR LED 34. Additionally, the coded signal is placed on the bus 25 by the bus transceiver 260 for receipt and retransmission by other sensor units 30 on the bus 25.

When another sensor unit 30 receives the coded message from the bus 25, the microprocessor 310 of the receiving sensor unit 30 also determines the coded message is not a system control signal, and assumes the signal is meant to control another IR controllable d- ice 70. The microprocessor 310 thus also sends the ceded signal to the retransmission portion 200 of the sensor unit 30 for retransmission. The motion sensor portion 150 of this embodiment includes a pyrometer 36 IR detector whose output signal is the input signal to a pseudo-logarithmic amplifier 160. The output signal from the amplifier 160 is transmitted to the microprocessor 310 for analysis. The motion sensor portion 150 also includes a self-calibration driver 170 which is controlled by the microprocessor 310 and is used to calibrate the pyrometer 36 in a manner well known to the art.

The sensor unit 30 also includes a number of drivers 320, 330 for controlling one or more indicator LEDS 340(1)- 340 (n) to provide a visual display of the status of the system 10 to a viewer of the sensor unit 30.

Referring now to Fig. 3, an embodiment of an IR remote control unit 50 and 60 includes a micro-controller 350 which receives timing signals generated by a clock unit 360 and which receives input signals from a keypad encoder ' 70. Pressing a button 54 on the keypad encoder 370 causes the microprocessor 350 to pass the encoded signal with a proper bit pattern to a modulator 390 for transmission as an appropriately modulated IR beam by an IR LED 450. Since the clock signal from the clock unit 350 is configured to be a high frequency signal to supply timing information to the microprocessor 350, and since the series of modulations produced by the modulator 390 is at a much lower frequency, a frequency divider 380 permits the same clock 360 to provide the timing signal for the microprocessor 350 and the modulator 390.

In the case in which the remote control unit is a smaller reduced function control unit 60, the keypad encoder 370 typically has to encode signals from one or two buttons 54 and the microprocessor 350 has to encode correspondingly fewer control signals. For example, one button may be used to arm or disarm the system merely by transmitting a signal that informs the control unit 30 of the system 10 to change whatever state the system 10 presently is in. Thus pushing the button 54 when the system 10 is disarmed causes the system 10 to be armed, and vice versa.

Referring to Fig. 4, the control unit 20 may be programmed with location dependent information by an installer using a programming device 80. Such information, for example correlating individual points in the system to specific sensor units 30 (for example, sensor unit number three is in the hallway) , can thus be programmed into the control unit 20 from any sensor unit 30 of the system 10.

Such programming occurs when the program device 80 modulates IR radiation 52''', to have predefined characteristics identifying the information as programming data and specifying the location of the sensor unit 30 to which the location information signal is being directed. The modulated beam of IR radiation 52''' is directed to and received by the sensor unit 30, and the location data received from the program device 80 is appended by the microprocessor 310 in the sensor unit 30 to information (such as the sensor unit number, sensor type, etc.) maintained within the microprocessor 310 of the sensor unit 30. This information is transmitted from the sensor unit 30 by means of the communication link 25 to the control unit 20. The control unit 20 then stores this location dependent information in its memory. Thus, when an intruder is detected by a given sensor 30, the control unit 20 is able to identify - .e exact location of the intruder by correlating the sensor number with the location dependent information located in memory.

The program device 80 is similar to the previously described remote control units 50 and 60. However, because more information must be transmitted, for example alphanumeric information ror location identification, the keypad has correspondingly more switches 54, and the keypad encoder must encode correspondingly more codes. Additionally, the microprocessor 350 must be programmed to imbed the alphanumeric location information within the proper control signals in order to identify the type of information being transmitted. This can only be done with a directional remote control unit such as an infrared (IR) unit, because the unit being selected by the programmer must be determinable by a directed signal. Thus, it is apparent that any function performed by a key pad unit directly attached to the controller may be performed by a remote control device.

Having shown the preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will realize many variations are possible which will still be within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. Therefore it is the intention to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS We claim:

1. A security system comprising: at least one sensor unit having a control signal sensor; a communications link; a control unit in electrical communication with said at least one sensor unit by way of said communications link; and

a remote control unit having a plurality of predefined buttons, said remote control unit capable of transmitting control signals having predefined characteristics in response to a user depressing at least one of said predefined buttons, said at least one sensor unit receiving said control signals having predefined characteristics and in response thereto controlling the operation of said security system.

2. The security system of claim 1 further comprising a programming device with which said control unit may be programmed with sensor unit location dependent information, said programming device emitting a directed control signal having predefined characteristics identifying said location dependent information as programming data and specifying the physical location of the sensor unit to which said directed control signal is being directed.

3. The security system of claim 2 wherein said sensor unit to which said directed control signal is being directed appends sensor unit dependent information to said location dependent information and transmits said sensor unit dependent information and said location dependent information to said control unit.

4. The security system of claim 3 wherein said control unit comprises a memory and said control unit stores said sensor unit dependent information and said location dependent information in said memory.

5. The security system of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor unit comprises an infra-red light emitting diode.

5 6. The security system of claim 5 wherein said at least one sensor unit emits, from said infra-red light emitting diode, a beam of infra-red radiation having predefined characteristics in response receiving, from said remote control unit, a control signal having predefined 10 characteristics.

7. A sensor unit for use in a security system comprising at least one said sensor unit, a communications link, a control unit in electrical communication with said at least one said sensor unit by way of said communications link, and a remote

15 control unit having a plurality of predefined buttons, said remote control unit capable of emitting a control si nal having predefined characteristics in response to a user depressing at least one of said predefined buttons, said sensor unit receiving said control signal ha-*-^'~g

20 predefined characteristics and in response the-- o transmitting said control signal over said communications link to said control unit thereby controlling the operation of said security system.

8. A remote control unit for use in a security system 25 comprising at least one sensor unit, a communications link, and a control unit in electrical communication with said at least one sensor unit by way of said communicaLions link, said remote control unit comprising a plurality of

_• predefined buttons and being capable of emitting a control

30 signal having predefined characteristics in response to a user depressing at least one of said predefined buttons, wherein said at least one sensor unit receives said control signal having predefined characteristics and in response thereto transmits said control signal to said control unit thereby controlling the operation of said security system.

9. A programming device for security system comprising at least one sensor unit, a communications link, and a control unit in electrical communication with said at least one sensor unit by way of said communications link, said a programming device for programming said control unit with location dependent information, said programming device emitting directed control signal having predefined characteristics identifying said location dependent information as programming data and specifying the physical location of a sensor unit to which said directed control signal is being directed.