GB2320394A - Monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

Monitoring devices 1 to 12 at various locations in a building are connected to telephone lines extending to a central telephone exchange controller in the form of a PABX card in a personal computer. Each monitoring device derives power from the telephone lines and when initiated sends a unique dial number to the PABX card so that the central controller can identify the type of device that has been initiated and can display the location of that device. A screen of the personal computer may display a physical layout of the premises and the positions of the monitoring devices. Preprogrammed functions may be executed based on the type, location and individual program of each monitoring device. For example, a security service may be alerted, or a call may be made to the fire brigade or to the owner of the premises. The monitoring devices 1 to 12 may be fire alarms, high temperature alarms, intruder detectors, dampness alarms, or blood pressure sensors.

Description

MONITORING SYSTEMS The invention relates to monitoring systems.

It is already known to have a telephone system associated with or controlled by a central controller to provide a small telephone exchange that is normally used in a set of offices or office complex. The central controller is electrically connected to a number of telephone extension lines coupling the controller to respective handsets or fax machines. The lines are laid around the offices or other premises extending respectively from the central controller to each handset or fax machine.

Offices and other premises, including homes, often require monitoring systems comprising security devices, intruder or personnel movement monitoring devices, fire alarms and the like which conveniently are monitored at a central point where appropriate action can be taken, preferably automatically. At present this requires the laying of devoted electric or other communication channels and a devoted central processor connected to receive messages or input signals from the devices.

It is an object of the invention to overcome this problem.

According to the invention there is provided a monitoring system for premises in which there are a plurality of electric telephone wires extending to a central telephone exchange controller and distributed around the building, including a plurality monitoring devices arranged to be electrically connected to respective of the wires at chosen locations along the wire which are arranged to derive electric power from the wires and to impress a unique respective dial number on to the wire whenever the device is initiated, in which the central controller is programmed to identify the dialled numbers and to provide a signal that identifies the type of device that has been initiated, where appropriate, and the relative geographical location of that device within the region of the premises.

The monitoring devices may be selected from the group consisting of fire alarms, dampness alarms, high temperature alarms, infra-red intruder alarms, and contact opening or closing alarms for monitoring the condition of doors or windows.

The monitoring device may also be a testing device for use in a consulting or monitoring room, such as a blood pressure sensor. In that situation, the sensed results can be relayed to a central point or preferably to a monitor in the consulting room via the telephone wires.

In that situation the blood pressure sensor in effect dials into the system and connects a central controller and/or room monitor to the blood pressure sensor to display and record if required the results of the blood pressure testing for any deviations outside acceptable ranges to indicate an abnormal or serious change of condition of a patient, say, in an intensive-care unit.

The central controller is preferably programmed to control the connections of the exchange lines to the telephones and fax machines to carry out otherwise normal telephone exchange functions.

The central controller may be mounted on a card that is arranged to fit to a personal computer and be programmable by a keyboard of the personal controller and arranged to display conditions of the monitoring system on a screen of the personal computer. Generally, no hardware, in addition to the personal computer and PABX is required and monitoring functionality is implemented in software.

A monitoring system according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing of the system.

The system includes five branch lines, one line is connected to a fax machine and four are connected to respective telephone handsets. There are twelve monitoring devices 1 to 12 which are located at known or certain physical locations throughout a premises and electrically connected as shown to various of extension telephone lines that are distributed throughout the premises. The lines are all connected to a private automatic branch exchange (PABX) mounted in a card held in a personal computer (PC). Each monitoring device is powered by power from its respective exchange line and normally includes a re-chargeable battery to provide operating power when the device is initiated to provide a unique dial pulse which passes to the PABX. Normally or preferably these dial pulses each comprise a single digit.

Standard available low cost digital time modulate frequency generators are capable of generating sixteen different frequencies and so it is relatively easy and not expensive to arrange for sixteen or certainly fifteen (if "0" is reserved for normal telephone operation) different single digits. In other words, it is quite convenient to have up to fifteen monitoring devices for each monitoring system of the invention and be able to distinguish which device of the fifteen has been initiated. For convenience and to distinguish the monitoring device dial pulses from normal telephone dialling, the monitoring devices are arranged whenever initiated to generate their unique pulses two times at pre-determined intervals with delays between.

On receipt of pulses from any of the monitoring devices, a micro-computer in the PABX is programmed to identify what kind of monitoring device it is, and also from its memory to identify where the particular monitoring device is located within the premises. The micro-computer is also programmed to provide control output signals to cause appropriate action, such as to alert a security service if an intruder alarm is initiated, to call the fire brigade if there is a fire, to contact the owner of the premises if unusual dampness levels (or water seepage) occurs, and so on. Normally, the utilities of the host PC can be used to execute preprogrammed functions based on the type, location and individual program of each sensor.

It will be appreciated that in the described embodiment there can be enormous versatility and it will be noted in particular that, where required, the programme of the PABX micro-computer can be arranged to be altered by a user, using a normal programming facility provided in the personal computer to adapt the system where a fire alarm is changed to an intruder alarm, for example. Further, there is no need for special or dedicated wiring to power or to communicate with the monitoring devices; the monitoring system uses wiring already in place and required anyway for the PABX telephone network. In the particular arrangement described, a screen of the personal computer is used to give or provide a display centrally to identify, if desired, a physical layout of the premises and the relative positions of the monitoring devices. In this way, whenever any of the monitoring devices are initiated a marker or other indicator can be arranged to appear on the screen and the location (and type) of that monitoring device readily identified visually.

The telephone exchange may include a microcomputer mounted on a card which is arranged to fit to and be removable from the personal computer installation, which has a screen and a keyboard. The microcomputer is programmed to generate visual displays during operation of any of the alarm devices and to show any active connections and calls of the telephones (or fax). The programme may include the facility to re-direct calls, to identify one telephone as a night line receiver for all calls, and so forth.

Indeed, by manual operation of the keyboard, it is possible to change the configuration of telephone and alarm connections at the PABX as required.

Claims (5)

1. A monitoring system for premises in which there are a plurality of electric telephone wires extending to a central telephone exchange controller and distributed around the building, including a plurality monitoring devices arranged to be electrically connected to respective of the wires at chosen locations along the wire which are arranged to derive electric power from the wires and to impress a unique respective dial number on to the wire whenever the device is initiated, in which the central controller is programmed to identify the dialled numbers and to provide a signal that identifies the type of device that has been initiated, where appropriate, and display the relative geographical location of that device within the region of the premises.

2. A monitoring system according to claim 1, in which the monitoring devices are selected from the group consisting of fire alarms, dampness alarms, high temperature alarms, infra-red intruder alarms, and contact opening or closing alarms for monitoring the condition of doors or windows.

3. A monitoring system according to claim 1, in which the central controller is programmed to control the connections of the exchange lines to the telephones and fax machines to carry out otherwise normal telephone exchange functions.

4. A monitoring system according to claim 3, in which the central controller is mounted on a card that is arranged to fit to a personal computer and be programmable by a keyboard of the personal controller and arranged to display conditions of the monitoring system on a screen of the personal computer.

5. Monitoring systems substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.