EP1460597A1 - Method of operation of a system for the protection of persons and goods - Google Patents

Abstract

The process involves activating a temporization unit when a control unit (3) is requested to engage a delay time (T1). An unlocking unit (6) of a lock (5) is activated when an activation unit (11) of a signaling device (7) is activated during the delay time. The signaling device is inhibited during the time in such a way that the signaling device is activated only if the activation unit is activated after the delay time.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of personal and property security.

Calling for help systems are already known which include a portable object provided with a button which, when requested, activates, by remote control, a signaling device such as a neighborhood warning siren and / or a remote warning telephone transmitter.

Systems are also known which allow an outside person to warn a person in his home and the latter to activate, by means of a button, the unlocking of an electric organ for closing an access door in this home.

The present invention aims to combine such systems in order to improve the safety and comfort of people in their home, especially elderly people with reduced mobility.

For this, the present invention relates to a method of operating a security system comprising a warning device triggered by a control member, an activation member of a signaling device and a means for unlocking an electrically operated lock.

The method according to the invention consists in: activating a delay member when the control member is requested in order to initiate a delay delay (T1), - activating the means for unlocking the lock when said activation member is requested during the time delay (T1), and to inhibit the signaling device during the aforementioned time delay (T1) so that this signaling device can only be activated if said activation member is requested outside time delay (T1).

According to the invention, a new delay time (T1) can preferably be triggered only after a safety delay has elapsed (T3) following either an earlier time delay (T1) previously engaged when said activation member has not been pressed during the time delay (T1), or upon activation of the unlocking means of the lock when said activation member has been requested during the time delay (T1).

According to the invention, the method preferably consists in prolonging the inhibition of the signaling device during a protection delay (T2) following either an earlier delay delay started (T1) when said activation member has not not been requested during the delay time (T1), that is to say upon activation of the unlocking means of the lock when said activation member was requested during the delay time (T1).

According to the invention, the aforementioned protection period (T2) is less than the aforementioned security period (T3).

According to the invention, the method can advantageously consist in activating said warning device according to a different operating mode and / or in activating said unlocking means when a complementary control member is requested.

According to the invention, the signaling device can advantageously be able to activate said unlocking means after being pressed.

• la figure 1 représente un schéma général d'un système de sécurité selon l'invention ;
• les figures 2 à 5 représentent différents chronogrammes de fonctionnement du système de sécurité de la figure 1 ;
• et la figure 6 représente un schéma général d'une variante de réalisation dudit système de sécurité.

The present invention will be better understood from the study of a security system and its operation, described by way of nonlimiting examples and illustrated by the drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a general diagram of a security system according to the invention;
• Figures 2 to 5 show different timing diagrams of the security system of Figure 1;
• and FIG. 6 represents a general diagram of an alternative embodiment of said security system.

Referring to Figure 1, we can see that there is shown a security system 1 intended to be installed and used by one or more people living in a home.

This security system 1 comprises a warning device 2 comprising for example a chime 2a, placed inside the home, associated with an external control member 3 provided with an external push button 3a.

The external control button 3a is placed near a door 4 for access to the home. This door 4 is provided with an electrically controlled lock 5, for example with an electromagnet which comprises an unlocking means 6 actuating this electromagnet.

The security system 1 also comprises a device 7 for signaling or calling for help, which may for example consist of a siren placed outside the home and / or a telephone transmitter for transmitting a message d call for help connected to the public telephone network to remotely notify one or more correspondents or a surveillance or rescue center.

The safety device 1 also comprises a portable box 8, such as a medallion, or any object capable of being easily carried by a person. This portable box 8 contains an electronic circuit 9 supplied for example by a battery 10 and is provided with an activation member 11 such as a push button connected to the electronic circuit 9.

Generally and in a manner known per se, in the presently described example, the aforementioned components of the security system 1 comprise electronic circuits provided with radio transmitters and / or receivers so that they can be connected and thus communicate with each other by radio means by exchanging specifically coded radio signals. More particularly, the external control member 3 is connected by radio to the electronic circuit 9 of the portable unit 8 and the latter is connected by radio by means of unlocking 6 of the door 4, to the warning device 2 and to the device. signaling 7, the portable box 8 thus playing the role of a central.

The electronic circuit 9 of the portable unit 8 is programmed to recognize the radio signal emitted by the external control member 3 by comparison with an expected signal contained in a code memory C1 and is programmed to manage control orders as will be described later.

The electronic circuit 9 of the portable unit 8 is also adapted to be subjected to a delay time T1, a protection time T2 and a safety time T3 of a duration greater than the time T2, these times preferably being adjustable by for example potentiometers 12, 13 and 14 included in the portable box 8.

The security system 1 which has just been described can, in one example, be programmed to operate in the following manner.

Referring to Figure 2, we will describe how the security system 1 operates in the case where the button 3a of the control member 3 is not pressed.

If the person provided with the portable box 8 requests the activation member 11 of this box at any time, the electronic circuit 9 emits a radio signal 15 which, being received and understood by the signaling device 7, activates the latter for send a signal 16 for help. In the case of an outdoor siren, this siren is activated and in the case of a telephone transmitter, this telephone transmitter is activated so as to automatically take a telephone line to at least one particular call number and transmit a message 'call for help.

Referring to Figure 3, we will now describe the case where the button 3a of the control member 3 is pressed and the activation member 11 of the portable housing 8 is not requested.

When the button 3a of the external control member 3 is pressed by a person placed outside the home, this member 3 emits a radio signal 17 which, being received and understood by the electronic circuit 9 of the portable housing 8, activates the delay time T1 and sends a signal to the warning device 2 to activate the chime 2a according to the reference 18.

At the end of the delay time T1, the electronic circuit 9 of the portable unit 8 emits a signal which, being received by the warning device 2, deactivates the chime 2a and the electronic circuit 9 activates the safety delay T2 and the delay protection T3.

During the period corresponding to the addition of the delay time T1 and the safety time T3, any new pressing of the button 3a of the external control member 3 is not taken into account by the electronic circuit 9 of the portable unit 8 .

At the end of this duration, that is to say at the end of the delay T3, the system 1 finds itself in the state described with reference to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, we will now describe the case where the button 3a of the external control member 3 is pressed and / or the activation member 11 of the portable unit 8 is requested by the time delay T1 .

As in the case described with reference to FIG. 3, the signal 17 emitted by the external control member 3, following a pressing of the button 3a by a person outside the home, controls the start of the delay time T1 of the electronic circuit 9 of the portable box 8 and this circuit 9 emits a control signal from the warning device 2 to activate the chime 2a according to the reference 18.

If the person provided with the portable box 8 requests the activation member 11 of this box during the time delay T1 according to the reference 19, namely after a period t, his electronic circuit 9 emits a radio signal which , being received and understood by the unlocking means 6, causes the unlocking of the electric lock 5 according to the reference 20. The outside person is then authorized to enter the home.

Also, when the person requests the activation member 11 of the portable box 8, the electronic circuit 9 of this box triggers the protection time T2 and the security time T3.

During this protection period T2, any new request from the activation member 11 has no effect. On the other hand, at the end of this protection period T2, a request 19a from the activation member 11 of the housing 8 generates the activation of the signaling device 7 according to the reference 16a.

During a period corresponding to the addition of the time t and the safety time T3, any further pressing of the button 3a of the external control member 3 has no effect.

At the end of this duration, that is to say at the end of the delay T3, the system 1 finds itself in the state described with reference to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the case of FIG. 3 has been shown, in which however the activation member 11 of the portable housing 8 is requested after the delay time T1 but before the end of the time limit security T3.

If the activation member 11 of the portable housing 8 is requested during the protection period T2, this request has no effect.

As according to FIG. 4, if the activation member 11 of the portable box 8 is requested after the end of the protection period T2, the electronic circuit 9 of the portable box 8 emits a command signal from the signaling device 7 to call to help as in the case described with reference to figure 2.

The operating modes of the security system 1, as described above, can therefore be summarized as follows.

When the button 3a of the external control member 3 is not pressed, any request from the activation member 11 of the portable unit 8 generates activation of the signaling or call-out device using 7.

When the button 3a of the control member 3 is pressed for the first time, any further pressing of this button is inhibited for a period equal at most to the addition of the delay time T1 and the safety time T3. In the case where the activation member 11 of the portable housing 8 is requested during the delay time T1, the duration of this inhibition is equal to the addition of the aforementioned duration t and the safety delay T3.

When the button 3a of the external control member 3 is pressed, any activation of the signaling and call for help device 7 is inhibited for a period equal at most to the addition of the delay time T1 and the time delay T2 protection. In the event that the activation member 11 of the portable housing 8 is requested during the T1 time delay, the duration of this inhibition is equal to the addition of the aforementioned duration t and the T2 safety delay.

Referring to Figure 6, we can see that there is shown a security system 21 different from the security system 1 which has just been described by the fact that it comprises on the one hand a central station 22 fixed and d 'other hand a portable housing 23, such as a medallion, capable of being easily worn by a person as was the portable housing 8 and connected by radio to the central 22, this central 22 and the portable housing 23 being functionally equivalent to the portable box 8.

The central unit 22 includes an electronic circuit 24 including a radio transmitter and receiver and adapted to be subjected to a delay time T1, a protection time T2 and a safety time T3 of a duration greater than the time T2, these times possibly being adjustable.

In this example, an unlocking means 6 carried by a door 4 connected to the electronic circuit 24 by wire and the warning device 2, such as a chime, is also connected to the electronic circuit 24 by wire via a circuit d modulation adaptation 25.

The portable unit 23 includes an electronic circuit 26 including a radio transmitter, powered by a battery 27, to which is connected an activation member 11 such as a push button.

The electronic circuit 24 of the central unit 22 is programmed to recognize the radio signal emitted by the portable unit 23 when this activation member 11 is requested, by comparison with an expected signal contained in a code memory C2.

Thus constituted, the security system 21 functions like the security system 1, in accordance with the timing diagrams of FIGS. 2 to 5.

In addition, the security system 21 may include at least one additional portable unit 28 capable of being assigned to an authorized person.

This additional portable box 28 includes an electronic circuit 29 including a radio transmitter, powered by a battery 30, to which is connected an activation member 31 such as a push button.

The electronic circuit 24 of the central unit 22 is programmed to recognize the radio signal emitted by the portable unit 28 when its activation member 31 is requested, by comparison with an expected signal contained in a code memory C3.

When the authorized person presents himself outside door 4 and requests the activation member 31 of his box 28, the electronic circuit 24 of the central unit 22, having received and understood the signal emitted by this box 28, sends a control order to the unlocking circuit 6 of the door 4 to authorize the opening of the latter and at the same time controls the warning device 2 via the modulation adaptation circuit 25 so that the chime 2a emits a sound different from that which it emits following a request from the outer box 3, in order to warn the occupant of the home of his entry.

Furthermore, the signaling device can advantageously comprise a telephone transmitter 32 connected by telephone to a surveillance agency 33.

In the case where an authorized person provided with a portable box specially coded to activate the telephone transmitter 32 via the central station 22 programmed for this purpose and to call this agency 33, an operator can optionally actuate the unlocking means 6 of the door remotely 4, via the telephone transmitter 32 and the central station 22 programmed for this purpose, in order to allow said person to enter the home.

The present invention is not limited to the examples described above. Many other alternative embodiments of the invention are possible without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims (6)

Method of operating a security system comprising a warning device (2) triggered by a control member (3), an activation member (11) of a signaling device (7) and an unlocking means (6) an electrically controlled lock (5), characterized in that it consists: - to activate a delay device when the control device is requested in order to trigger a delay delay (T1), - activating the means for unlocking the lock when said activation member is requested during the time delay (T1), - And to inhibit the signaling device during the aforementioned time delay (T1) so that this signaling device can only be activated if said activation member is requested outside the time delay (T1). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a new delay time (T1) can only be started after the expiration of a safety delay (T3) following either an earlier delay time (T1) engaged when said activation member has not been pressed during the delay time (T1), or upon activation of the unlocking means of the lock when said activation member has been pressed during the delay time (T1) ). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists in prolonging the inhibition of the signaling device during a protection delay (T2) following either a previous delay delay started (T1) when said activation member was not requested during the delay time (T1), that is to say upon activation of the unlocking means of the lock when said activation member was requested during the delay time (T1). Method according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the aforementioned protection time (T2) is less than the aforementioned safety time (T3). Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists in activating said warning device (2) according to a different operating mode and / or in activating said unlocking means (6) when an organ additional control (28) is requested. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signaling device (7) is capable of activating said unlocking means (5) after being pressed.

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