Title:
AN ALARM SIGNAL RESPONDER
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2010/136808
Kind Code:
A4
Abstract:
Known responders designed to detect and respond to a the sound of a smoke alarm consume more power than is consistent with long battery life. They also rely on a prior knowledge of the frequency characteristics of the smoke alarm. The problem is solved using a processor (8), connected to receive signals derived from a microphone (5) and programmed to detect (20) a degree of consistency in one or more characteristics of bursts of sound from the smoke alarm (SD) before responding. This is preferably done using means (18) for examining measured periods and/or on/off ratios of the sound bursts. In this way it becomes possible to eliminate problems associated with high false alarm rates, high processor power requirements and the dependency on a knowledge of the characteristics of the smoke alarm. Furthermore, because the processor (8) needs only to detect consistency in the pattern of on/off pulses in the received signal, the processing power is a magnitude less than would be necessary for more complex methods.
Inventors:
WILSON DEREK ALEXANDER (GB)
TOOP NICOLAS JAMES (GB)
TOOP NICOLAS JAMES (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB2010/050887
Publication Date:
March 10, 2011
Filing Date:
May 27, 2010
Export Citation:
Assignee:
WILSON DEREK ALEXANDER (GB)
TOOP NICOLAS JAMES (GB)
TOOP NICOLAS JAMES (GB)
International Classes:
G08B17/10; G08B1/08; G08B3/10; G08B7/06; G08B29/28
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
TOLFREE, Roger (Toll DroveManea, Cambridgeshire PE15 0JX, GB)
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