FR2628558A1 - Self-contained security monitoring and alarm system - is used in home, vehicles, office contains microprocessor and sensors which monitor for almost every eventuality - Google Patents

Abstract

The system is contained in a box. It contains a quantity of sensors and the analogue circuits that receive and process the signals. The circuits produce data outputs which are fed to a microprocessor. The circuits also receive data from the microprocessor for control purposes. A keyboard is used to program the microprocessor. A liquid crystal screen displays the authorised and active functions. Visual and audible alarms are produced for each anomolous event. The box contains its own power supply thus making it completely self contained. The sensors indicate the presence of gas, fire or adjacent bodies. They detect seismic waves, earthquakes or shocks. They detect access violations and the displacement of objects placed in front of the box. ADVANTAGE - Small dimensions, less cumbersome, many functions, self-contained.

Description

PORTABLE AND AUTONOMOUS DEVICE HAVING MULTIPLE
PROGRAMMABLE SECURITY AND ALARM FUNCTIONS
The invention relates to a device grouping in a single box, of very limited dimensions and portable, two, three or more security and alarm functions for the home, the workplace, public places, cars, etc., the device being self-powered and expandable.

 Currently anti-theft, fire, anti-gas, etc. alarm systems for homes, workplaces, cars, etc., still retain the structure of devices with connections, physical constraints and various components, even when These are systems of the groupable type in modular form. Traditional security and alarm systems, which have long applied the same concept of industrial installation technique, are therefore complex, restrictive and expensive; they require specialized personnel for installation, programming and maintenance and are therefore not very accessible and unattractive for the general public. The evolution of technology, customs and housing nevertheless suggests the opposite, in order to be able to also extend the offer of security and alarm devices to the general public without any constraints.

 The present invention has been conceived according to these considerations and aims to provide an electronic device which includes in a housing of reduced size the security functions or some very useful alarm and functions, which do not exist at present, even under modular form, only at the level of installations.

 The purpose of said invention is therefore to provide a device having several security and alarm functions, small, portable or even pocket, expandable and easily programmable even by the user, so that it can be used in all conditions.

 Another object of the said invention is to provide a practical security and alarm device, since it is devoid of mechanical and power links, autonomous, electric and particularly economical, in order to make it also accessible to the general public.

 Such a device can be considered as a computer specially designed for security, small in size, portable, which can be widely used for the home, the car, the workplace, places open to the public, etc. A device that conceptually and materially renews the logic behind this service, since it can be moved everywhere and programmed without any constraint.

 Such an invention therefore relates to an electronic security and alarm device comprising, in a single portable housing: 1 / input sensors, each of which is responsible for detecting a non-security or alarm condition; 2 / analog circuits connected to said sensors, in order to receive and process the signals which the latter send and in order to supply the corresponding data; 3 / a microcomputer for programming the various functions and for exchanging data with said analog circuits corresponding to the sensors; 4 / a micro-keyboard for programming; 5 / a liquid crystal screen for the enabled and active functions, for the power means managed by said microcomputer, in order to give an optical, acoustic and / or printed signal of each non-security or alarm condition; 6 / an electrical source to supply the system to make it autonomous.

 The most common safety and alarm functions, which can be grouped in the device, concern the indication of the presence of gas, flames or contiguous bodies, the detection of seismic waves, tremors, shocks, etc. ., or violation of access must remain inaccessible and movement of objects must remain stationary.

One or all of these functions can be provided in the same device. The device can be provided with an external input for a possible additional service or to connect to and operate an already existing service. It is also possible to provide the device with a transceiver of radio signals, for radio controls for example, which would also be managed by a micro-computer.

More details of the invention will be given in the following description referring to the accompanying drawings (indicative and non-limiting drawings), in which
- Figures I and 2 show two different views of the device housing;
- Figure 3 illustrates a block diagram of the internal circuits for the realization of many functions.

 Such a device consists of a box-shaped body (10), encompassing all the means of detection, control, programming, supply and display of the functions and / or services that the device must provide.

 The advantage of the housing (10) lies in its reduced size, which makes it portable, even pocket, and in its low weight for the same reasons. For example, the box can be parallelepiped, less than 180 mm in length, less than 125 mm in height and less than 60 mm in depth. The total weight of the device does not exceed 700 g.

Such a device can be designed to perform all or some of the most widespread and useful security and alarm functions, depending on specific needs. These functions include:
- detecting the presence of gas in a room;
- flame and fire risk detection;
- detection of bodies near the device;
- the detection of seismic waves or tremors of any kind;
- detection of violation of reserved access, movement of objects, etc.

 All these functions, or depending on the choice only, can be provided in the same device. Depending on this choice, the device comprises two, three or more sensors, including: a gas sensor (it), a flame sensor (12), a volumetric sensor (13), a seismic sensor (14), a position or movement sensor (15), etc. The device also consists of analog circuits (21) - (22) - (23) - (24) - (25), each of which is connected respectively to a sensor (11) - (12) - (13) - (14) - (15), to receive the signals, process them and provide output data. The analog circuits are connected to a microcomputer (16), which is located in the body of the device and which must ensure data exchange with and for the programming of said analog circuits. On the other hand, the microcomputer is connected to a micro-keyboard (17) for programming commands and to a liquid crystal screen (18) which signals. the enabled and / or active functions, when programming the device and when a non-security or alarm condition is detected.

 The microcomputer (16) also manages a power circuit, integrated in the body of the device, which includes at least. a pilot relay (19), for controlling an output contact (19 '), a power amplifier (20), which manages an acoustic and optical signaling device (20'), and possibly another power amplifier (40 ) for a printer (40 '), in order to account for any unsafe or alarm condition.

 All the circuits are supplied by a suitable accumulator (26), through a converter (27), so that the device is released from any external power source and is therefore autonomous.

 External connectors (28) may also be located on the housing (10) of the device, to connect an additional function and / or service, compared to those already mentioned, or a service that may already exist. Thus, will it be possible to extend the security functions covered by the device, for example, by connecting to the connectors (28) a water detecting probe.

 The additional function and / or service is / are also programmed and managed by the microcomputer by means of a suitable analog circuit (29).

 Finally, the device may also include a transmitter-receiver circuit (30) - (31) for radio control, having one or more communication channels in order to subsequently increase the performance of the device, as well as a small light signal (41).

 Access to the microcomputer (16) for programming, commissioning and deactivation of the device is made possible through an adapter (33), using an encoded key (32). If you insert the coded key (32) into the slot provided for this purpose and if you activate it by pressing the corresponding push button, you can access the microcomputer and display the programs in memory, modify them if necessary and select those that should remain operative after the key is removed.

 In any case, when a sensor detects a non-security or alarm situation, it sends a signal to the corresponding analog circuit, - which in turn sends the corresponding data to the microcomputer. The latter processes the data, controls it and, depending on the preset program, enables the power circuit to send the planned alarm signal.

Analog sensors and circuits do not have any particular characteristics worthy of attention, even if they have been designed and adapted so that they can be placed in the portable housing of the device. The microcomputer is, for example, that sold by
HITACHI, Japan, under reference 63705
It should be noted that, in order to obtain the best performance, the position (15) or movement sensor should be of the mercury electronic bulb type, already described in a previous patent from the same applicants, or better still an analogous type employing a small golden sphere, which arranged on a detector circuit, can be moved so as to detect the violation or the displacement of a normally immobile body, to which the device is applied.

 Regarding the seismic sensor, it is designed for the protection of doors, windows, walls, vehicles, etc., and it is responsible for detecting direct or indirect voltages of any kind, causing vibrations in the controlled structure, independently of the contact surface.

 Thanks to its characteristics, the device described here is not only portable, but can also be programmed easily and comfortably by the user and can therefore be moved and adapted to each case, according to specific needs, without losing its functional character, in passing from one place to another.

Claims (5)

 1 / Electronic and programmable and autonomous alarm and security device, characterized in that it comprises, in a single portable housing (10): a / input sensors (11-12-13-14-15) , each of them being responsible for detecting a non-security or alarm condition; b / analog circuits (21-22.23-24-25) connected to said sensors, in order to receive and process the signals which the latter send and in order to provide the corresponding data: cl a microcomputer (16) for programming the various functions and for an exchange of data with said analog circuits corresponding to the sensors; d / a micro-keyboard (17) for programming; el a liquid crystal screen (18) for the planned and active functions, for the power means (19-20) managed by said microcomputer, in order to give an optical, acoustic and / or printed signal of each condition of no -security or alarm; f / an electrical power source (26-27) for the system to make it autonomous.  2 / Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises external connection means (28) for connecting an additional or existing function and / or service, said means also being connected to the microcomputer (16 ) by an analog circuit (29) for programming, processing and displaying data from the outside.  3 / Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises a transceiver (30-31) for radio control connected and managed by the microcomputer.  4 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sensors (11-12-13-14-1S) for detecting non-security or alarm are chosen from a gas sensor, a sensor for flame, ur volumetric sensor, a seismic or shaking sensor, a position or movement sensor, a sensor for water and similar substances, k device which may include all or some of said sensors and corresponding analog circuits.  5 / Device according to one of claims i to 4, characterized in that it comprises a coded key (32) for access to the microcomputer for programming, commissioning and deactivation of the device and / or certain functions.