US3156909A

US3156909A - Burglar alarm and monitoring system

Info

Publication number: US3156909A
Application number: US207312A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ben C Werk
Original assignee: MCCUNE ELECTRONICS Inc
Current assignee: MCCUNE ELECTRONICS Inc
Priority date: 1962-07-03
Filing date: 1962-07-03
Publication date: 1964-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-10

Description

Nov. 10, 1964 B. c. WERK BURGLAR ALARM AND MONITORING SYSTEM Filed July s, 1962 INVENTOR.

BEN WERK www A 7' TORNEI 3,156,909 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 ffice 3,156,909 BURGLAR ALARM AND MONITORING SYSTEM Ben C. Werk, Camden, NJ., assigner to McCune Electronics, Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed July 3, 1962, Ser. No. 207,312 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-261) This invention relates to a burglar alarm and monitoring system and more particularlyto a system for transmitting an alarm by radio. v n

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a burglar alarm and monitoring system that m-ay be installed in a building having a multiplicity of rooms or room-like areas and arranged so that any soundoccuri-ing in .the rooms or room-like areas is electrically detected, `amplified and' used to control a radio transmitter so as to broadcast said actuating sound on a predetermined wave length so that it may be received by a .tuned receiver and comprise a remote alarm.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a burglar alarm and monitoring system that incorporates an intercommunicationsystem in a building as part of its detecting and actuating means.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a burglar `ala-rm and monitoring system that is arranged 4to monitor a given area or areas at a predetermined .time and utilize any sounds occurring in the monitored areas to actuate a transmitter -to 'broadcast said sounds yas an alarm.

A still further object of the invention is the provision intercommunication system control unit 13. The central intercommunication system control unit 13 -includes a speaker or function selector section 14 coupled by suitable conductors 15 with .the amplifier 12 thereof as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The speaker or function selector 14 device acts to permit the intercommunication unit 13 -to receive signals from the speakers 10, 10 or to transmit signals thereto as in the case of the usual intercommunication equipment.

As. utilized in the present invention, the speaker or function selector 14 is controlled either manually or automatically as by an automatic time clock 16 coupled thereto by conductors 17 in the illustrated embodiment so that the speakers 10, 10 act as microphones for the detection of sounds in the sever-al areas in which the same are located with the input signals therefrom delivered to the amplifier 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the automatic time clock 16 also controls the amplier 12 so that the complete burglar alarm and monitoring system is automatic in operation and will go into operation at a predetermined time regardless of its manual setting from its immediate previous use. The automatic time clock is coupled by suitable conductors 18 to the amplifie-r 12 for .this purpose and the automatic time clock 16, the amplifier 12, and speaker or function sc lector 14 are in connection with a suitable power source (not shown).

of a burglar alarm and monitoring system that will detect and convert voice and other sound energy to electrical energy yand which energy is used to cont-rol a radio transmitter.

Tlhe burglar alarm and monitoring system disclosed herein comprises an improvement in such systems in that the system is not apparent upon casual or careful inspection of the premises as it utilizes conventional intercommunication 'apparatus normally found in various buildings, rooms, warehouses and the like. The system is arranged to use the intercommunication system to pick up any sound occurring in the supervised arca during predetermined periods of time, such as at night, and to use these sounds to operate the app-ropriate por- 4tions of a radio broadcasting `transmitter so as to broadcast .the sounds whereupon they may be received in a remote location and advise the listener of an abnormal situation requiring invention. The system in no way interferes with the usual use and operation of the intercommunication system of which it is a part.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear `as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and The system includes a voice operated relay device 19 coupled -by suitable conductors 20 with the speaker or function selector 14 `and by suitableconductors 21 with the .automatic time clock 16. The voice operated relay device 19 is coupled by suitable conductors 22 to a radio transmitter 23 which in turn is connected with a power source (not shown) and arranged so that it is in operation with respect to its radio frequency circuits and subject to immediate actuation of its audio frequency circuits as controlled by the voice operated relay 19. A transmitting antenna 24 is electrically'connected in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it :being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of .the invention herein chosen for purposes of vthe disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spi-rit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in `the .accompanying drawing, wherein:

lFIGURE 1 illustrates in block diagram form the detecting and transmitting portion of an embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates in block diagram form a receiving portion of `an embodiment of the invention.

By referring to FIGURE l of the drawings, it will be seen that a plurality of intercommunication speakermicrophone units 10, 10 are illustrated in block form and coupled by suitable conductors 11, 11 to an amplifier 12 comprising part of a conventional central office to the transmitter 23 and those skilled in the art will observe that if desired a coding device 25 may be coupled by conductors 26 to the audio frequency circuits of the transmitter 23 so that a -coded .audio signal is broadcast rather 4than the actual sounds picked up by the speakers 10 heretofore referred to.

It will thus be observed that lthe detection, controlling circuit and transmitting portions of the burglar alarm and monitoring system comprise the several devices i1- lustrated in the block diagram of FIGURE 1 and that in operation, for example, in a school building having a number of rooms .and a conventional intercommunication system installed therein the speakers 10, 10 will be located one in each of the rooms or buildings and the central intercommunication control unit 13 Will be located in a central location such as an omce. In the case of a school system as used in the illustration herein given, .the intercommunication control unit 13 and the speakers 10, 10 operate in their usual conventional manner during school hours so that one or more or all of the speaker units 10, 10 may be supplied with desirable programming from the central unit 13, or alternately, any one of them may be used with the central control unit 13 as a two-Way intercommunication system, all as well known in the art. At the close of school hours, the system may be manually de-energized as is customary. At a desired time thereafter, the automatic time clock 16 will re-energize the intercommunication system as hereinbefore described and set the speaker or function selector 14 thereof so that the speakers 10, 10 act as sound detecting units, feeding their sound responsive electronic signals back to the amplifier 12 of the intercommunication unit 13. Simultaneously, the

3 voice operated relay device 19 is energized and placed in communictaion with the function selector 14 and a circuit established therethrough to the amplier 12. Thus, a noise, such as the breaking of glass, the slamming of a door, or of persons talking to one another, will be picked up by the speaker or speakers 10, the signal delivered :to the amplier 12 and function selector 14 and from the amplifier 12 and function selector 14 to the voice operated relay device 19. Simultaneously, with the automatic energizationA of the intercommunication unit 18 the automatic Itime clock 16 will energize the radio vtransmitter 23 so that the same is in standby condition ready to transmita radioyfrequency signal. The signal delivered to lthe voice operated relay device 19 as hereinbefore 'described operates 'the sameto instantly establish electrical connection with the radio frequency circuits of the radio transmitter 23 whereupon such signals are broadcast either in the form picked up by the speakers 10, 10 if desired in coded form having been bypassed through the coding device 25 before being delivered to .the radio frequency portion of the radio transmitter 23. Upon the termination of the sounds actu- -ating the voice operated relay 19, the same will drop out and the radio frequency portion ofthe radio transmitter 23 disconnects. Thus, there is no continuing audio frequency transmission which could be detected by someone attempting to monitor the same, or will the Wave length employed be monopolized.

By referring to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, a block diagram illustration of a conventional radio receiver 27 may be seen coupled to a receiving antenna 28 preferably matching the Wave length of the transmitting anytenna 24 and if necessary of a directional nature preferably oriented relative thereto. The radio receiver 27 may be and preferably is coupled by conductors 29 with -a decoding device 30 whichwill automatically receive and decode the signals transmitted by the coding device 25, and transmitter 23. The coding and

decoding devices

25 and 30 may obviously comprise voice scramblers as known in .the art or they may alternately comprise devices converting sound Waves in the audible cycle range to pulse codes.

The radio receiver 27 may be coupled to an automatic time clock 31 by electrical conductors 32 and which automatic time clock 31 may be synchronized with the automatic ytime clock 16 heretofore referred to. The receiver 27 may obviously be locatedat a considerable distance from the location of `the detecting, controlling and transmitting signal system illustrated in FIGURE 1 and heretofore described.

In the case of the school building example hereinbefore referred to the receiver 27 may be located in the custodians home or in the office of the city, county, or State police serving the area in which the school is located.

It will thus be seen that a burglar breaking into a building equipped with the burglar alarm and monitoring system disclosed herein and making some slight sound, or talking to a co-conspirator, will automatically actuate the system without his being aware of the existence of :the same, inasmuch as the regular and usually applied tests for a 4burglar alarm system will vfail to disclose the present system. In actual installations now operating, each breaking and entering of the supervised buildings -and monitoring system, apparatus comprising means operable to generate and trans-mit an alarm signal, and remote means operable to receive said alarm signal, said means operable to generate and transmit an alarm sig- `nal comp-rising a plurality of speaker-microphones, an

amplifier coupled 'to' said speaker-microphones, a function selector coupled to said amplifier, said function selector acting to receive signals from said speaker-microphones and transmit signals to said speaker-microphones, a voice operated relay coupled to said function selector, and a radio transmitter coupled to said function selector by way of said voice operated relay, said transmitter responsive in operation to said voice operated relay, said remote means operable .to receive said alarm signal comprising a radio receiver tuned to the frequency of said transmitter.

2. The -burglar alarm and monitoring `system set forth in claim 1 and wherein said apparatus includes a coding device coupled to said transmitter and acting to transform signals delivered to said transmitter prior to ythe transmission thereof.

3. In a burglar alarm and monitoring system a central oce unit, a plurality of locations remoteI from said central oce unit, conductors connecting the central ofce unit and the locations, sound transducers in said locations, an amplifier and a speaker and function selector device in said central office unit, said speaker and function selector device acting to receive signals from said sound ltransducers and transmitting said same signals Ito ysaid sound transducers, a radio transmitter in said central ofice unit, said sound transducers normally in energized yrelation with said .amplifier and speaker and function selector, a voice operated relay device in said central oice unit and interposed between said amplitier, speaker and function selector and said transmitter and arranged to actuate said transmitter from the detection of Sounds by said sound transducers and means connecting said amplifier, speaker tand function selector and transmitter to a power source.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,497,194 6/24 Norden et a1. 340-224 1,547,873 7/25 Hopkins 340-261 1,867,834 7/32 Hopkins ot a1.

2,433,413 12/47 Withoy 179-2 2,474,757 6/49 Parent 340-224 2,616,973 11/52 Maotz 179-2 2,935,565 5/60 McAdam et al 179-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,200,337 12/59 France.

NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A COMBINATION INTERCOMMUNICATION, BURGLAR ALARM AND MONITORING SYSTEM, APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS OPERABLE TO GENERATE AND TRANSMIT AN ALARM SIGNAL, AND REMOTE MEANS OPERABLE TO RECEIVE SAID ALARM SIGNAL, SAID MEANS OPERABLE TO GENERATE AND TRANSMIT AN ALARM SIGNAL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPEAKER-MICROPHONES, AN AMPLIFIER COUPLED TO SAID SPEAKER-MICROPHONES, A FUNCTION SELECTOR COUPLED TO SAID AMPLIFIER, SAID FUNCTION SELECTOR ACTING TO RECEIVE SIGNALS FROM SAID SPEAKER-MICROPHONES AND TRANSMIT SIGNALS TO SAID SPEAKER-MICROPHONES, A VOICE OPERATED RELAY COUPLED TO SAID FUNCTION SELECTOR, AND A RADIO TRANSMITTER COUPLED TO SAID FUNCTION SELECTOR BY WAY OF SAID VOICE OPERATED RELAY, SAID TRANSMITTER RESPONSIVE IN OPERATION TO SAID VOICE OPERATED RELAY, SAID REMOTE MEANS OPERABLE TO RECEIVE SAID ALARM SIGNAL COMPRISING A RADIO RECEIVER TUNED TO THE FREQUENCY OF SAID TRANSMITTER.