text:
Publication number | US4661804 A |
Publication type | Grant |
Application number | US 06/580,877 |
Publication date | 28 Apr 1987 |
Filing date | 16 Feb 1984 |
Priority date | 30 Sep 1982 |
Fee status | Paid |
Publication number | 06580877, 580877, US 4661804 A, US 4661804A, US-A-4661804, US4661804 A, US4661804A |
Inventors | William E. Abel |
Original Assignee | Sentrol, Inc. |
Export Citation | BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan |
Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (92), Classifications (9), Legal Events (6) | |
External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet | |
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 429,116 filed Sept. 30, 1982, entitled Supervised Wireless Security System.
The present invention relates to a security alarm system incorporating a radio communication link between remote sensors and a central security monitoring device.
It has long been considered desirable in an alarm system to use a radio communication link between the remote sensors, such as door switches, window switches, manually-operable personal emergency signal switches, and the like, and a central security monitoring and alarm-signaling device. The potential advantages of such a system include avoiding the expense of installing wiring between remote switches and the central monitoring device, invulnerability of a radio-linked system to cutting of linking wiring, and the possibility of using a portable central security monitoring device.
The disadvantages of previously available wireless systems, however, have made such systems extremely costly, undependable, or both. While it is possible to reduce the cost of such systems by using a single radio transmission frequency for all of the sensor-transmitter units in a system, use of a single radio frequency presents problems of mutual interference between the several transmitters of a system. This problem is potentially increased where there are several similar systems operating in proximity with one another on the same frequency, as is possible within a large office building.
Another problem in previously known wireless alarm systems has been the absence of a transmitted signal so long as there is no unauthorized passage through an alarm-equipped door or window. The radio transmitters associated with the door switches or other sensors in such a system are ordinarily battery-powered, to leave the system operable in the event of commercial power failure, and transmission is minimized to extend battery life. The lack of a continuous positive indication that each particular transmitter is operable has resulted in a general lack of faith in such radio-linked alarm systems in the past. Although it would be possible to continuously transmit signals indicating a normal or safe condition, this would rapidly drain the battery supply power of a remote transmitter in such a system. Additionally, FCC regulations limit the amount of time during which such systems are permitted to transmit, making continuous transmission illegal. One solution to this problem, therefore, has been the use of periodic transmissions of limited duration from each of the transmitters in an alarm system. Mutual radio interference is a problem inherent in such a method of operation of an alarm system when a single transmission frequency is used for all of the transmitter units of the system. Avoiding such interference by using a multiplicity of transmission frequencies increases the cost of a receiver portion of the system. Use of a schedule system to avoid simultaneous transmissions by the various transmitters of a system also adds to the cost of the system.
A separate, but related disadvantage of previously known radio-linked alarm systems has been the necessity to compromise between the desired small transmitter size which would permit convenient inconspicuous mounting of transmitter units in, for example, a window frame or doorway frame, and the desirability of extending the length of time during which the transmitters will remain operable without battery replacement.
Yet another problem which must be addressed in development of a radio-linked alarm system is that it is desirable to know which of several sensors has detected an intrusion and originated an alarm signal transmission. This particular problem has been addressed previously in several ways, including pulse-count identification codes, transmitter identification by transmitted tone modulation, and by digital identification codes transmitted either by transmission pulse techniques or frequency shift keying. As previously employed, however, none of these techniques avoids the problem of mutual radio frequency interference among several transmitters all operating on the same nominal frequency for reception by a single receiver.
Yet a further problem associated with radio-linked systems is that it may be difficult or impossible to economically produce transmitters whose output frequencies are precisely the same and stable enough through long periods of time to assure reception by a radio receiver portion of a central alarm control device whose reception bandwidth is narrow enough to reduce background radio frequency noise in order to provide an adequate signal/noise ratio for reliable reception.
What is needed, then, is a radio-linked security alarm system which is low in cost, provides an extended period of operability without maintenance, whose transmitters are small enough for convenient installation, in which frequent reassurance of the operability of each transmitter is provided, and wherein positive identification of the location of an intrusion is provided automatically by the transmitter unit.
The aforementioned disadvantages of previously known wireless alarm systems are overcome by the present invention, which provides a low cost wireless alarm system and a method for communicating a dependable supervised one-way flow of information from remote sensors using a single transmission pathway to provide frequent, individually identifiable indications of the status of each of a plurality of sensor devices, as well as the status of the transmitter associated with each sensor device. The invention provides transmitters which are of small size, require a very small average current, and are operable for long periods of time without the necessity for maintenance. The wireless alarm system of the invention incorporates a supervisory technique and apparatus by which it becomes apparent within a predetermined time when one or more of the transmitters requires maintenance, and by which the identity of a particular transmitter unit requiring maintenance is made known.
A receiver-decoder and a plurality of encoder-equipped transmitter units are presettable to establish digitally encoded system and channel addresses, and a receiver-decoder of that system rejects signals from transmitters of similar systems operating nearby enough for reception by the receiver-decoder. The decoder section of the receiver-decoder accepts those messages received by the receiver portion only if the messages contain the correct digitally encoded system address, rejecting all other messages. Each message accepted by the decoder is checked for validity and only if valid is the message routed according to its digitally encoded channel address to a corresponding channel within the receiver-decoder. Preferably each channel address code is assigned to only one transmitter unit, and each message acceptable to the receiver-decoder is thus identifiable by its channel address code as having originated from that particular transmitter unit and its associated sensor.
Each message includes, in addition to the system and channel address codes, an indication of the output of the sensor associated with the particular transmitter which has sent the message, for example a door-operated switch which indicates whether a door is open or closed, a fire or smoke detector, or a manually operable portable switch for medical alert purposes. The particular channel receives, decodes, and provides an indication of the digitally encoded status data relating to the condition detected by the particular sensor.
Receipt of a valid message, regardless of the sensor data included in the message, resets a timer which relates to that particular channel in a maintenance warning portion of the receiver-decoder. Failure to receive a message allows a preset time to elapse, after which a maintenance requirement warning indication is provided. In this manner periodic transmission from each transmitter gives frequent reassurance of the operability of each individual transmitter.
In order to avoid interference between the several transmitters in each security alarm system, as well as avoiding interference between similar systems, all of which operate on a single transmission frequency channel, a very low duty cycle ratio is used. At predetermined periods each transmitter broadcasts a very brief message which includes system address, channel address, and sensor data, all in coded form. In a preferred embodiment of the invention each coded message includes address and sensor data sent twice in succession, the duplication permitting the decoder portion of the system to validate the message received.
The duty cycle ratio of each individual transmitter is so low, and the inter-transmission period is sufficiently different among the individual transmitters, that it effectively precludes statistically significant mutual interference among the transmitters of such a system. The length of each individual message, moreover, is short enough so that the individual transmitters each transmit a report frequently enough to be substantially equivalent to fully continuous "supervision" of the individual transmitters.
The low duty cycle also extends the life of the batteries of the transmitter units, and thereby extends the time during which the system will operate without maintenance, as well as reducing the size of the batteries required, and thereby reducing the overall size of each transmitter unit.
FM radio communication is used in the alarm system of the present invention in order to obtain a high signal/noise ratio, while reducing transmitter and receiver complexity. An added feature protects the communication link against frequency drift which may afflict components which operate over a long period of time.
It is therefore a principal objective of the present invention to provide an improved safety and security alarm system using miniaturized battery operated transmitters capable of long-term maintenance-free operation.
It is another important objective of the present invention to provide a wireless safety and security alarm system which is resistant to noise.
lt is a further objective of the present invention to provide a wireless alarm system which provides a positive indication when system maintenance is needed, with identification of which of a plurality of individual transmitters requires maintenance.
It is yet a further objective of the present invention to provide a wireless alarm system which operates on a single nominal radio frequency and provides an indication of which individual transmitter has initiated an alarm indication.
It is a principal feature of the present invention that it provides a combination of frequency modulated radio transmitters utilizing a wide frequency shift to communicate digitally encoded information, with a wide band receiver-decoder for receiving and decoding the information.
It is another important feature of the present invention that it provides a transmitter which periodically transmits a formatted message in a brief amount of time followed by a relatively very long period of silence.
It is yet a further feature of the present invention that it provides a wireless alarm system which produces a warning when maintenance is required, along with an indication of where maintenance is required.
It is an important advantage of the present invention that it provides a more dependable radio-linked security alarm system than has previously been available.
It is another advantage of the present invention that it provides a transmitter for a wireless alarm system which uses a smaller average power and is thereby capable of operating through a longer lifetime using a given battery size than previously known transmitters of comparable size and capability.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an alarm system embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary transmitter-encoder unit which is included in the alarm system shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the circuit of the transmitter shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of a manual switch interface circuit for use with the circuit of FIG. 3.
FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of a loop switch interface circuit for use with the circuit of FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 is graphic representation of an exemplary message transmitted by the transmitter shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary receiver-decoder of the alarm system shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram of the receiver portion of the receiver-decoder shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a schematic circuit diagram of the decoder portion of the receiver-decoder shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a transmitter-encoder unit for use in the alarm system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8a is a waveform diagram of the shape of the pulse signals at certain points in the circuit of FIG. 8.
FIG. 9 is a detailed schematic diagram of the transmitter-encoder of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the receiver portion of the alarm system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 is a detailed schematic diagram of the receiver of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of the decoder portion of the alarm system of FIG. 1.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows security alarm systems 10 and 12, which embody the present invention, in block diagram form. Sensors, such as a door switch 14, a window switch loop circuit 16, a personal portable switch 18, and a fire sensor 20 are associated respectively with transmitters 22-28. Similarly, the door switch 30 is associated with a transmitter 32 in the alarm system 12. The alarm systems 10 and 12 include respective receiver-decoders 34 and 36, each of which includes indicators such as the audible alarm 38, the visual alarm display 40, and the maintenance warning indicators 42. An automatic telephone dialer 44 may also be connected to the receiver-decoder 34.
In accordance with the present invention each of the transmitters 22-28 and 32 are of identical construction and transmit on the same nominal transmitter frequency. Similarly the receiver-decoders 34 and 36 are tuned to receive transmissions in that same frequency band.
Referring now also to FIG. 2, the transmitter 22 may be seen to comprise a voltage controlled variable frequency oscillator 50. An encoder 54, which may be an integrated circuit, and a lock-on pulse generator circuit 56 provide controlling voltages to the voltage controlled variable frequency oscillator 50 by way of a low-pass filter (LPF) 52. A power supply such as a battery BT provides power through a power supply switch circuit 58 to the variable frequency oscillator 50, and through a voltage doubler 59 to another part of encoder 54 and to a lock-on pulse circuit 56 to initiate transmission of a message each time an appropriate signal is provided to the power supply switch circuit 58 by either a timer circuit 60 or a sensor switch circuit 62. The signal from the power supply switch circuit 58 is also provided to a transmit enable circuit 64 which signals the encoder 54 to initiate transmission of a message. The encoder 54, in response, provides an informationcarrying sequence of voltage pulses to the voltage controlled variable frequency oscillator 50, by way of the low-pass filter 52, and, for the duration of each transmission, provides a signal, through a hold-on circuit 66, to the power supply switch circuit 58, retaining the power supply switch circuit 58 in its "on" condition. An alarm switch 67 responds to the state of the sensor switch circuit 62, providing an input voltage enabling the encoder 54 to generate a data character reporting the status of the sensor switch as a part of each transmitted message.
An exemplary schematic diagram for the transmitter 22 may be seen in FIG. 3, showing a preferred embodiment of the transmitter 22. A battery power supply BT1, BT2 comprises a pair of "AAA" 1.5-volt alkaline cells connected in series, at least theoretically capable of powering the transmitter 22 for as long as several years. The timer circuit 60 is a multivibrator circuit including transistors Q1, Q2, which provides an enabling pulse to the turn-on switch circuit 58 through capacitor C3 and resistor R5, at intervals of approximately 35 seconds. This pulse provides a voltage across resistor R6, turning on transistor Q3 in the turn-on switch circuit 58.
When transistor Q3 turns on, the voltage at its collector rises to the voltage of the battery. The collector voltage of transistor Q3 is supplied across the transmit enable circuit 64 with current through the resistors R9 and R10 turning on transistor Q4 and presenting a ground potential or low voltage signal at a transmission enabling terminal TE of integrated circuit U1 of encoder circuit 54, during the time required to charge the capacitor C5.
The encoder 54 comprises an integrated circuit U1, for example integrated circuit MC145026PD manufactured by Motorola Semiconductor Products, Inc., and switch SW1, for example a double in-line package switch having twelve single pole, single throw (SPST) switches, which may be preset to control the output of the encoder. Each set of poles of the switch SW1 associated with a respective terminal A1 -A4 has a possibility of three different settings, providing a total of 81 separate trinary encoded combinations, known as address codes. An address code serves to identify a particular alarm system. The SW1 poles associated with terminals D5 -D8 may each be set in an open or closed position to provide sixteen separate binary combinations known as channel codes. A separate channel code is assigned to each transmitter in a particular alarm system.
The integrated circuit U1 is an encoder which will produce a nine-cell data word in serial format. When the enable terminal TE is pulsed, U1 provides two successive, identical data words out of terminal Dout. The cells of each data word correspond to the input terminals A1 -A4 and D5 -D9 according to the following relationship, beginning with the first cell:
Data word =A1A2A3A4D5D6D7D8D9
Each cell contains one digital character selected from the set characterized as containing the characters "open," "one," and "zero." The character is selected by the state of the device connected to the corresponding input terminal. As an example, terminals A1 -A4, as shown in FIG. 3, are set, respectively, to produce characters zero, one, open, and open. Terminals D5 -D8, as shown, are set, respectively, to produce characters zero, open, zero, and open.
The transmit enable terminal TE in the encoder integrated circuit U1 accepts pulses from the transmissionenabling circuit 64. Input terminal D9 accepts information from the sensor switch circuit 62 to provide a character for the 9th cell in each data word of the message format of the encoder 54. Terminals Rtc, Ctc, and Rs are interconnected by a network including resistor R15, capacitor C9, and resistor R16 to set the frequency of an internal clock of the integrated circuit U1, which is established as 75 Kilohertz in the embodiment shown.
Terminal Dout of the integrated circuit U1 produces, in a serial stream, the two-word output assembled according to the format described above, in voltage pulse, digital signal form. This output is provided through R14 to the low pass filter network 52.
The voltage doubler circuit 59 includes a high potential side having a resistor R7 connected between the positive terminal of the power supply and the side of capacitor C4 opposite the collector of transsistor Q3. The size of capacitor C4 is chosen to maintain the voltage across capacitor C4 nearly constant for the duration of each transmission. The combination of transistor Q3, resistor R7 and capacitor C4 thus provides approximately six volts between terminals Vdd and Vss of integrated circuit U1.
Included in the lock-on pulse generator circuit 56 is a transistor Q7 whose base is connected to ground through a resistor R12 in series with a capacitor C7. A resistor R13 is connected between the base of transistor Q7 and its emitter, which is connected to the positive side of capacitor C4. The collector of transistor Q7 is connected, through resistor R18, to the low-pass filter network 52.
The sensor switch circuit 62 includes switch SW31, which provides an electrical response to an actual sensed condition, such as whether a door is open. The condition of switch SW31 is communicated to the alarm bit switch 67, which in this embodiment comprises a transistor Q5 connected to provide an appropriate electrical signal to terminal D9 of the encoder U1. Switch SW31 connects the base of the transistor Q5 through resistor R11 alternatively to a ground potential through resistor R32, or power supply voltage, through resistors R6, R31, and R32. A capacitor C31 is charged when switch SW31 is in a normal, or "door closed" position, one side of capacitor C31 being connected to resistor R31 and the other side to a junction between resistors R32 and R11. Also connected to the junction between resistors R32 and R11 is one side of a capacitor C32, whose other side is connected to ground.
When switch SW31 moves from the "door-closed" to the "door-open" or "alarm" position capacitor C31 discharges through resistor R32 and capacitor C32 charges, drawing current through resistors R6 and R31 and turning on transistor Q3. This lowers the voltage of the collector of transistor Q5, giving a low level input at terminal D9 of integrated circuit U1, thus encoding the alarm status detected by the sensor switch SW31. Conversely, when switch SW31 moves from the "door-open," or "alarm," position to the door-closed "normal" position, capacitor 32 discharges and capacitor C31 charges again, imposing a voltage across resistors R6 and R31 and turning transistor Q3 on.
In each case, when transistor Q3 is turned on, the voltage on capacitor C4 and at terminal Vdd of integrated circuit U1, rises to approximately six volts. The current through transistor Q3 charges C5, turning on transistor Q4, and a transmission-enabling low pulse is provided from the transmission-enabling circuit 64 to the terminal TE of integrated circuit U1, activating the encoder circuit 54. Once the encoder circuit 54 is activated it proceeds through its programmed routine, and then shuts down. During this time the hold-on circuit 66 keeps transistor Q3 turned on to provide power to the encoder circuit 54 and the variable frequency oscillator 50. The hold-on circuit 66 includes transistor Q6, whose base is connected through resistor R17 to terminal Ctc of integrated circuit U1, and whose collector is connected through resistor R8 to the base of transistor Q3 of the power supply switch circuit 58. Transistor Q6 is turned on by the voltage across R17 with each positive excursion of the internal clock output terminal Ctc of U1. This action discharges C8, thus supplying a substantially constant current through R8 to the base of Q3 for the period of time utilized by U1 to generate its two-word output message, after which the internal clock is disabled.
Variable frequency voltage controlled oscillator circuit 50 comprises, preferably, a series tuned Colpitts type radio frequency oscillator, chosen because of its simplicity and stability. The instantaneous actual oscillator frequency is determined by the complex reactance of the network comprising RF coil L1, capacitors C13, C14, C15, and the junction capacitance of diode D20. This frequency is modulated by application of control voltage pulses from the collector of transistor Q7 and from the Dout terminal of integrated circuit U1, through the low-pass filter 52, to the voltage-controlled variable capacitance diode D20 whose junction capacitance changes with changes in its junction voltage. This change in capacitance in turn modulates the reactance, and, thus, the frequency of oscillation of the oscillator 50. The nominal center frequency of the preferred embodiment is 314 MHz, which may vary slightly with variations in element characteristics; the frequency deviation of the transmitter of the preferred embodiment is �2.5 MHz.
The voltage-controlled diode D20 is connected to ground and in series with the low-pass filter 52. The low-pass filter includes a resistor R18 whose high voltage side is connected to the collector of transistor Q7 of the lock-on pulse generator circuit 56 and, through resistor R14, to the terminal Dout of the integrated circuit U1. A capacitor C10 is also connected, in parallel with the resistor R18 and diode D20, between Q7 and ground. The capacitor C14 has one side connected to a point between resistor R18 and diode D20, while its other side is connected to the emmitter of transsistor Q8 of the oscillator 50. The effect of the low-pass filter 52 is to slow the rise and fall times of the output voltage of the Dout terminal of the encoder U1 to about 2 microseconds each, a rate producing a frequency change in the oscillator's output which can be tracked by a receiver including a suitable automatic frequency tracking circuit.
As a result of the voltage doubling effect of the combination of transistor Q3 and capacitor C4, when transistor Q3 is turned on, the voltage across diode D20 jumps to six volts through the action of transistor Q7, and the D20 capacitance is reduced, raising the output frequency of the oscillator circuit 50 to its maximum, where it remains for approximately 10 microseconds. As capacitor C7 in the lock-on pulse generator circuit 56 is charged it begins to turn transistor Q7 off which causes the voltage across diode D20 to decrease. Under the influence of the decreasing voltage across D20, the instantaneous frequency of the variable frequency voltage-controlled oscillator 50 decreases, over about 5 microseconds, to its minimum. The time during which this occurs is referred to as the "lock-on" period.
In the preferred embodiment, the RF output of the voltage-controlled oscillator circuit 50 is allowed to radiate from the circuit elements, unaided by an antenna. This helps reduce the size of the transmitter 22. It is understood, however, that an antenna may be employed with the transmitter 22 to radiate the RF output.
The timing of the outputs of integrated circuit U1 and the lock-on circuit 56 with reference to the action of oscillator 50 is shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates the frequency output of oscillator 50 with time. When Q3 is activated by the timing circuit 60, oscillator 50 turns on and lock-on circuit 56 provides the "lock-on" pulse through diode D1 in the manner described above which causes the frequency of the oscillator 50 to vary accordingly. At the same time that the lock-on pulse begins, the TE terminal of the integrated circuit U1 is pulsed by transmit enable circuit 64. In the Motorola M145026PD, which comprises U1 in the preferred embodiment, a preliminary period, equivalent in time to two data characters, passes before the first data word is output from terminal Dout of U1. The Motorola device then provides as an output from terminal Dout two successive, identical data words, with a three-character time space separating the pair. As this output, which swings between ground and the voltage at terminal Vdd, is provided through the diode D20 to the oscillator 50, the effect on the frequency oscillator 50 output is clearly shown in FIG. 4. After the second word is output, integrated circuit U1 automatically shuts off itself and, through hold-on circuit 66, the rest of the transmitter 22 as described hereinabove.
Alternative embodiments of the transmitter circuit illustrated in FIG. 3 are provided by use of the switch circuits shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
FIG. 3A depicts a switch circuit which can be substituted for the sensor switch circuit 62 of the FIG. 3 circuit by connecting each circuit point X, Y, BT and ground to its identically designated corresponding point in the FIG. 3 circuit. A switch, SW61, which can comprise, for example, a push-button mechanism in a hand-held transmitter serving as a personal emergency alarm, is depressed, which discharges capacitor C61 through R63. This turns on transistor Q61, activating a timing circuit which includes transistors Q62 and Q63. The values of the timing circuit elements are selected to cause the circuit to oscillate with a period considerably less than the period of timer circuit 60. In the embodiment shown, the values of resistors R65-68 and capacitors C62 and C63 are selected to cause Q3 and the rest of transmitter 22, through circuit connection X, to be switched on every 0.16 seconds. This oscillation will be maintained until switch SW61 is opened, and after that, for the period of time, determined by the values of R61, R62, and C61, required to charge up C61. While switch SW61 is closed, and thereafter for the period of time required to charge C61, the collector voltage of transistor Q61, through circuit connection Y, activates the alarm bit switch 67 and causes the alarm status encoded at terminal D9 of integrated circuit U1 to be set. Thus, closing switch SW61 will increase the rate of transmission and cause each transmission occurrence in the speeded-up sequence to carry an alarm indication.
FIG. 3B depicts a circuit for sensing the state of a switch series loop L40 connected between terminals T41 and T42. The switch loop L40 can comprise, for example, a circuit connecting in series the window and door sensor switches in a single room or group of rooms. The circuit of FIG. 3B is connected at points X, Y, BT, and ground, respectively, to the identically-designated points in the circuit shown in FIG. 3. When any of the switches in loop L40 opens, the loop opens and capacitor C41 is charged toward the potential of BT through resistor R41. The current through R41 turns transistor Q41 on. When Q41 turns on, its collector goes to ground which turns off the transistor pair Q42 and Q44, which have kept point Y at ground and Q5, the alarm bit switch of FIG. 3, off. When transistor Q41 turns on, transistor Q43 turns on quickly through resistor R47 and capacitor C42 because the value R42 is several orders of magnitude less than that of resistor R46. After C42 is charged, base current for Q43 is supplied through R46. The speed of Q43's switch into operation causes circuit point Y to be quickly driven positive. This quick excursion is fed back to transistor Q41 through resistor R53, which speeds up the operation of Q41. The shift into operation of transistor Q43 causes capacitor C44 to discharge and capacitor C45 to charge, which causes current to flow through circuit point X, creating a voltage drop across resistor R6 of FIG. 3. The R6 voltage drop activates transistor Q3 and, with it, transmitter 22. At the same time, circuit point Y is driven positive which causes the alarm bit switch transistor Q5 to turn on, providing an alarm indication to integrated circuit U1. Thus, whenever a switch is opened in the switch loop L40, the switch circuit of FIG. 3B turns on the transmitter 22 and causes it to transmit an alarm indication. The alarm indication will remain set because transistor Q5 of the transmitter 22 will remain on through the operation of transistors Q41 and Q43 of the FIG. 3B circuit. When all switches in the loop L40 are closed and the loop is conductive again, capacitor C41 will discharge to ground potential, turning off transistor Q41, which will cause its collector voltage to rise to BT; this, in turn, will activate Q42 and turn Q43 off. Current through Q42 will cause a voltage drop across resistor R50, which will turn Q44 on. When Q44 goes on, capacitor C45 will discharge, C44 will charge, and the charging current will activate Q3 of the transmitter 22, causing the transmitter once more to transmit. This time, with Q44 on and circuit point Y at ground, Q5 of the transmitter will be turned off, leading terminal D9 of transmitter integrated circuit U1 to sense an open, which will cause the transmitter to indicate a clear or no-alarm condition. The transmitter 22 will then resume its normal non-alarm operation under control of timer circuit 60.
Table I shows the values and types of components of the exemplary transmitter 22 shown in FIG. 3 and switch circuits shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
TABLE I______________________________________CIRCUIT ELEMENTREFERENCE NUMERAL TYPE, DESIGNATOR, ORFROM FIGS. 1-3.B VALUE OF COMPONENT______________________________________R1,13,41,65,68 1.0 MegohmR2,3,50,66,67 10 MegohmsR4,11,45,46,49,53 2.2 MegohmsR5,69 3.3 KilohmsR6,18,20 33 KilohmsR7,8,12,43,44 8.2 KilohmsR9,42,47,48 100 KilohmsR10 30 KilohmsR14,31,51,52 5.1 KilohmsR15 10 KilohmsR16 20 KilohmsR17 220 KilohmsR19 100 ohmsR21 15 KilohmsR32 10 ohmsR61,62,64 270 KilohmsR63 10 ohmsC1,2,61 2.2 microfarads, tantulumC3,6,8,41,42,43,44 0.01 microfarads45,62,63,64C4 10 microfarads, tantulumC5 2,200 picofaradsC7,11 390 picofaradsC9 560 picofaradsC10 120 picofaradsC12 10 picofaradsC13 33 picofaradsC14,15 8.2 picofaradsD1 MV310 voltage-controlled diodeL1 0.47 microHenry coilL2 tunable coilU1 MC145026PD, Motorola integrated circuitQ1,2,4,5,6,41,42,44, 2N508962,63Q3,7,43,61 2N4403Q8 MPS-H10RT1 1,500-ohm NTC thermistorSW1 12-pole ST switchSW31 Form C magnetic reed switchSW61 SPST push-button switchT41,42 Screw terminal______________________________________
The receiver-decoder 34 is shown in block diagram form in FIG. 5 and schematically in FIGS. 6 and 7. The receiver 68 portion may be seen to comprise a receiver antenna 70, a 10 MHz bandwidth band-pass filter 71 tuned to a 314 MHz center frequency, a wide-band radio frequency (RF) mixer 72, a narrow-band intermediate frequency (IF) band-pass filter 73 with a 2 MHz bandwidth, an IF amplifier 74, and an IF FM detector circuit 76. A frequency signal, representing the difference between the voltage-controlled oscillator frequency and the received signal frequency, is passed through the IF band pass filter 73 from the wide-band RF mixer 72 for amplification in the narrow-band IF amplifier 74. A frequency feedback output voltage from the FM detector circuit 76, a voltage which is higher with a higher received signal frequency and lower with a lower received signal frequency, is provided through a dc-coupled amplifier 78 to modulate the output frequency of a voltage-controlled variable frequency local oscillator 80.
The frequency feedback voltage, corresponding to any change in the frequency of the RF signal, thus controls the difference frequency output by the RF mixer 72, allowing the receiver 68 to follow the RF signal of the transmitter 22 even though its frequency varies over a range greater than the IF section bandwidth. The amplified signal detected in the detector 76 is also provided to the decoder 82 by way of a dc level restorer amplifier 81.
As explained previously, the frequency variations transmitted by the transmitter 22 amount to serially encoded digital data characters forming a message consisting of two 9-cell words. When this message is provided by the amplifier 78 to the decoder 82, the decoder circuit reads and remembers the first word, compares the second word to the first word, and if the two words are identical converts the last five characters of data in the word, corresponding to the states of terminals D5-9 of the transmitter encoder integrated circuit U1, from serial to parallel form. The fifth through eighth characters of data in each word provide a channel address in binary coded form, allowing a choice of sixteen separate channel addresses. The final character of each word is the sensor status data character which indicates whether the switch SW1 is in the "normal" or "alarm" position.
For each transmission received whose system address matches the system address of the decoder 82, indicating that that the transmission received is from a transmitter belonging to the system 10 to which the receiver decoder 34 belongs, a signal is provided to the proper one of the sixteen parallel channels of both a maintenance warning circuit 84 and an alarm indicator circuit 86. Receipt of such a signal in any particular channel resets a timer circuit in the respective channel of the maintenance warning circuit 84, preventing a matinenance warning from being produced by the receiver-decoder 34.
FIG. 6 shows schematically a receiver circuit 88 which is tunable to a nominal radio frequency of 314 Megahertz, compatible with the transmitter circuit 22 shown in FIG. 3. It will be seen that the RF signal received through the antenna 70 is filtered and mixed with a signal produced in the local voltage-controlled variable frequency oscillator 80, the difference between the two frequencies being passed through a tuned bandpass coupling transformer filter 73 into the intermediate frequency amplifier 74 comprising a pair of integrated circuits U2, U3 and thence into the detector 76. The band-pass filter 73 is tuned to 20 MHz, with a bandwidth of 2 MHz, allowing only RF signals whose frequency is very close to the actual instantaneous frequency of the transmitter 22 to be amplified and detected. An output signal from the IF detector 76, a 20 MHz Foster-Seeley type FM discriminator, is amplified and provided as a feedback to modulate the frequency of the local oscillator 80. The signal is also amplified in the dc level restorer amplifier 78 and provided at the data output terminal 90. The dc level restorer centers the amplified output of the detector on the input transfer characteristic of transistor Q13 which acts as a slicing amplifier to provide a voltage pulse digital signal which can be handled by the decoder 82.
Table II lists exemplary components of the receiver circuit 68 of FIG. 6.
TABLE II______________________________________CIRCUIT ELEMENTREFERENCE NUMERAL TYPE, DESIGNATOR, ORFROM FIG. 6 VALUE OF COMPONENT______________________________________Q9 MPS-H10 TransistorQ10 3N209 TransistorQ11-Q13 2N5089 TransistorsL3 Antenna loading coilL4 RF tuned coilL5 0.47 Microhenry chokeL6 Oscillator tuned coilU2, U3 MC1355 integrated circuitD10 MV310 Variable capacitance diodeD12, D13 MBD102 Hot carrier diodeD14, D15 IN916B DiodeT1 20 MHz IF transformerT2 20 MHz Discriminator transformer______________________________________
The data provided by the receiver 68 as its output is processed in the decoder 82 to determine whether the signal received is relevant to the alarm system 23, whether it contains a valid message, and to determine what sensor status has been reported in the message. The decoder circuit 82, shown schematically in FIG. 7, includes an integrated circuit U4. The circuit U4 is a Motorola MC145027, modified by the manufacturer to provide four address terminals A1 -A4 and five data terminals D5 -D9 for the purposes disclosed herein. A presettable address encoding switch SW3 is connected to address data terminals A1 -A4 of integrated circuit U4. Any received message which contains the proper combination of data characters matching the selected settings of the address encoding switch SW3 is processed by reading and storing the additional five characters of data in the first word. If the second word is identical to the first word received, the integrated circuit U4 passes on the combination of characters from its data output terminals D1 -D4 to provide the identification of the particular channel, within the alarm system 12, whose transmitter has sent a message. This channel identification information is transmitted through a gate circuit U5 to two pairs of integrated circuits, included respectively in the maintenance warning circuit 84 and the alarm indicator circuit 86. Each time a valid message is received for a particular channel the integrated circuits U6 and U7 provide a resetting pulse to the appropriate one-shot timer circuit 92, of which one is provided for each channel. The timer circuits 92 count down at a frequency established by the integrated circuit U10. So long as a valid signal is received on each channel, resetting the associated circuit 92 within a predetermined time, the maintenance warning circuit 84 interprets the situation as being normal.
If, however, no signal is received on a particular channel within the time provided by the timer circuit 92, the resepctive timer circuit 92 switches on, providing power to the appropriate maintenance warning light emitting diode 94. This causes the respective diode 94 to light, indicating which of the sixteen channels is experiencing a malfunction, and also turns on transistor Q15 whose output is connected to provide an optional audible warning that maintenance is required in the system. A switch SW4 for each channel permits that channel's one-shot timer 92 to be disconnected from the associated LED 94 and from the transistor Q15.
The four channel-identifying data characters are also provided to the pair of integrated circuits U8 and U9, which similarly read the combination of characters provided from terminals D1-D4 of the integrated circuit U4 and provide an output to the appropriate channel's alarm circuit. Also provided to each of the integrated circuits U8 and U9 is the final character of each nine-cell word received, providing an indication of the sensor status reported. So long as the sensor status is normal, corresponding to a "normal" position of switch SW1 in the particular transmitter 22 which has sent the message received and decoded, no output will be provided to any of the channels from the integrated circuits U8 and U9.
When the message transmitted includes an "alarm" status as the final data character, the output on that particular channel goes high and latches there until reset by a "normal" message or by a manual indicator reset switch SW6. The channel outputs of U8 and U9 can also be reset by a manual alarm reset switch SW5 connected with terminals of U8 and U9. The high output on an output channel of U8 or U9 lights an associated light emitting diode 96 and turns on an associated transistor Q16, Q17, Q18, or Q19, whose collector current then actuates an appropriate one of the relays 98, 100, 102, or 104 to initiate a predetermined course of action, such as actuating an automatic telephone dialer 44 or an audible fire or burglar alarm 38.
Table III lists exemplary components of the decoder of FIG. 7.
TABLE III______________________________________CIRCUIT ELEMENTREFERENCE NUMERAL TYPE, DESIGNATOR, ORFROM FIG. 7 VALUE OF COMPONENT______________________________________C20,21 .0022 microfarad capacitorC22 .047 microfarad capacitorC23 0.1 microfarad capacitorU4 Integrated circuit MC145027, Motorola (modified)U5,10 Integrated circuit MC14011B, MotorolaU6,7,8,9 Integrated circuit MC14099B, MotorolaQ15-Q19 2N440192 MC14541 binary counters (16)R25 330 ohm resistors (16)R26 680 ohm resistors (16)R27,38 180 KilohmsR28 68 KilohmsR33,39 20 KilohmsR29,30,34,35,36 2.7 KilohmsR37 10.5 Kilohms______________________________________
System Operation
The use of four trinary encoded data characters for each system address code provides a choice of up to 81 systems such as the alarm systems 10 and 12, each containing 16 channels, which may be selected using the settings of contacts 9-12 of transmitter switch SW1 to provide channel identification in the message transmitted by each transmitter 22, with each transmitter 22 being capable of reporting a normal or alarm condition using the final data character of the nine-cell word automatically transmitted by the encoder U1. Including the two-cell initial space, the nine-cell word, the three-cell interword space, and the second nine-cell word, with each cell taking eight cycles of the internal clock of the integrated circuit U1, approximately 182 cycles of the internal clock are required for a complete transmission which is triggered each time the timer circuit 60, or a sensor switch circuit turns on the transistor Q3.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the internal clock frequency of the integrated circuit U1 determined by the combination of R15, C9, and R16 is preferably at least 75 KHz, and the entire message is transmitted in a period of approximately 0.0025 seconds or less. A transmission is followed by a non-transmitting period of approximately 35 seconds established by the timer circuit 60, giving an operating duty cycle ratio of no more than about one in 14,000 for any one transmitter. Because of the random difference between the transmission periods initiated by the timer circuits of different transmitters 22, the result is a very low likelihood of interference between any two transmitters 22 in any one system 10 or 12 even though all of the transmitters 22 are operating on the same nominal radio frequency, unless more than one transmitter 22 is assigned the same channel address code.
It is understood, however, that the duty cycle may be substantially higher than this figure and may be changed, for example, to as high as one in 100 by speeding up the timer circuit 60 and changing the internal clock rate of the integrated circuit U1.
While a duty cycle ratio as great as 1:1,000 would be usable with a small number of potentially interfering transmitters 22, a lower duty cycle is preferred. In the preferred embodiment, then, with 16 transmitters 22 in a system 10, all transmitting on the same nominal frequency, with an operating duty cycle ratio of about 1:14,000 for each transmitter, there is a statistical probability of approximately 1/438 that any single transmission may be blocked by a simultaneous or overlapping transmission from another of the 16 transmitters 22, and the statistical likelihood of two successive transmissions from any single transmitter being blocked is only about 1/192,000 or, converted into time by multiplying by the 35 second nominal period of the clock circuit 60, two successive blocked transmissions once in 77 days. Carried further, this equates to a false maintenance indication having only one chance in 45,000 of occurrence in a one-year period, or a probability of only 1 in 36,000,000,000 of four successive transmissions being blocked. While the statistical likelihood of such malfunctions would increase with increased use of the doors and other facilities with which sensors are associated, the statistical probabilities stated would be substantially correct during periods when a building equipped with the alarm system 10 is unoccupied and therefore most vulnerable.
Even when 27 alarm systems with 16 transmitters per system, totalling 432 transmitters, are operating in the same frequency band within receivable range of the receiver-decoder of a particular system, the statistical chance of a door being opened in that system without receipt of the first transmission of a "door open" message (because of an overlapping transmission by a transmitter in a neighboring system) is only one in sixteen, and the chance only 1/256 that the door could remain open for as long as 35 seconds, or two transmissions from the transmitter 22, without triggering the associated alarm and providing an identification of the open door.
As a final example, on a system having four transmitters, with each transmitter adjusted to provide a relatively high duty cycle of one in 100, as by scheduling a 0.1 second transmission every 10 seconds, there is only one chance in 12.5 that the first transmission of any one transmitter will be blocked, and one in 156 that the second scheduled transmission 10 seconds later would overlap the transmission of another transmitter.
The result is that the very low duty cycle ratio reduces to statistical insignificance the likelihood of failure to receive an alarm transmission within an acceptable time.
An attendant benefit of the low duty cycle ratio is an extension of transmitter battery lifetime which results from the reduction in transmission or "on" time.
While the antenna and radio frequency amplifier section of the receiver 34 are tuned to receive transmissions in the frequency band extending at least 1.6% of the nominal frequency on either side of the nominal frequency, the intermediate frequency amplifier is tuned to receive signals within a much narrower frequency bandwidth of only 2.0 Megahertz, less than 50% of the full 5 Megahertz frequency shift due to the �2.5 MHz frequency deviation. For this reason, the lock-on pulse generated at the beginning of each transmission from each transmitter includes a sweep of the actual instantaneous oscillator frequency passing relatively slowly through the nominal frequency to which the receiver is tuned, to give the receiver an opportunity to detect the transmitted signal and begin tracking the variations of transmission frequency which contain the system address, channel address, and status data in frequency modulated digitally encoded format. The range of the initial frequency ramp provided by the transmitter extends from approximately 2.5 Megahertz (0.8%) above the inherent actual center frequency of the oscillator to 2.5 Megahertz (0.8%) below the inherent actual center frequency of the oscillator. Thus the frequency ramp ensures that the frequency of the transmission will pass through the tuned nominal frequency of the receiver, even though the transmitter oscillator's actual frequency may shift by as much as 0.8% as a result of temperature shifts, supply voltage variations, or changes of the characteristics of its electronic components during its lifetime.
The present invention teaches, then, avoiding interference among a plurality of transmitter units in a wireless security alarm system and avoiding interference among a plurality of similar systems, all operating in a single radio frequency channel, by periodically transmitting from each transmitter a message whose length is as short as practicable, but certainly less than 1/10 of a second, and thereafter waiting for a period of at least 10 seconds as required by government regulations. This method avoids interference between transmitters by the use of an extremely low duty cycle ratio while still transmitting frequently enough to provide assurance of transmitter operability, to reduce the likelihood of transmission by more than one transmitter in the reception area during the same time to a statistically insignificant value. Additionally, the invention comprises transmission of information using a digitally encoded frequency modulation keyed message format, receiving each transmission by the use of a receiver which has an intermediate frequency section whose bandwidth is narrower than the received signal frequency deviation, and which locks onto and then tracks the changing frequency of the transmitted signal.
Furthermore, the present invention teaches a method of continually verifying that each transmitter of a wireless alarm system according to the invention remains operable, by providing a maintenance warning whenever the time since the last valid signal from any single transmitter unit of the system exceeds a predetermined value and by using digitally encoded system address and channel address information to identify specifically which transmitter has sent a particular message or has failed to send any message.
Alternative System
For certain applications, government restrictions such as those promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission on the use of frequency modulated transmissions having certain band widths might preclude the use of the frequency tracking system of FIGS. 2-7 which utilizes the circuitry of lock-on pulse generator circuit 56. In such a case, an alternative system shown in FIGS. 8-12 can be used which accomplishes essentially the same result while preserving the system's ability to compensate for drift in the center frequency of the transmitters. Due to this expected drift it is necessary for the receiver 168 to maintain a relatively wide RF band width. With such a wide band width, however, comes the attendant problem of noise. The frequency tracking system of FIGS. 2-7 used the technique of tuning the center frequency of the receiver 68 by the use of a lock-on pulse which swept the bandwidth of the receiver to enable it to lock onto the center frequency of the particular transmitter. According to current FCC regulations, any shift in frequency that exceeds 0.25% of the center frequency of the transmitter is not allowed unless the amplitude of that transmission is 20 db below the level of the transmission at center frequency. The same objective can be accomplished however, and the wide frequency acquisition range of the receiver can be maintained, by providing a transmitter 122 which transmits frequency modulated pulses of reduced energy in the spectrum that exceeds 0.25% of the center frequency while at the same time maintaining the information inherent in the wide excursions from the transmitter's center frequency formed by the digitally encoded output pulses of the encoder. These pulses modulate the frequency of a variable frequency oscillator 150 to produce frequency modulated output pulses which represent relatively large excursions from the center frequency of the transmitter, but in this alternative embodiment of the invention, because of the shape of the pulses and their reduced energy content, they fall well within Federal Communication Commission standards for such devices.
In order to receive such pulses and reconstruct the digital code, the system does not use the frequency tracking system of FIG. 5, but instead, uses a receiver 168 having enhanced noise rejection capability and a high-gain automatic frequency control circuit. The noise reduction circuitry utilizes a Schmitt trigger for restoration of the digitally encoded wave form and a negative feedback circuit for DC level voltage centering. The hysteresis trigger points of the Schmitt trigger are set as far apart as possible to still enable reliable operation with the desired signal. Noise signals of lesser amplitude than the trigger points are ignored thus reducing the possibility of false operation due to random noise. The negative feedback circuit has a relatively long time constant which maintains the output voltage level approximately centered at 1/2 the supply voltage in the presence of noise with a nonuniform frequency distribution in order to prevent the formation of abnormally wide or abnormally narrow pulses from the noise which could be interpreted as data by the decoder. The automatic frequency control circuit consists of a high-gain amplifier with a low-pass filter for controlling the output frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator over a range of approximately �2.5 MHz.
Another difference is that the receiver 168 requires a longer period of time to lock onto the incoming signal, up to 1/6 the total transmission period of approximately 3 microseconds, than did the previous frequency tracking receiver of the preferred embodiment.
The decoder has also been modified to insure that a properly coded message has been received. The decoder U301 of the alternative embodiment utilizes a time delay circuit U303 which prevents the utilization of an encoded message until five consecutive identical encoded messages have been received. The transmitter 122, accordingly, transmits three sets of two identically coded messages each within a period of three milliseconds. This is accomplished by having its encoder U101 operate at a higher frequency and by holding the encoder IC chip on for a longer period of time. The time delay circuit U303 therefore verifies that the received signal is genuine by requiring the reception of five identically encoded messages before gating the information to the maintenance warning circuit and the alarm indicator circuit.
FIG. 8 shows in block diagram form, and FIG. 9 in schematic diagram form, the transmitter portion of the alternative system. The transmitter 122 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the preferred embodiment. The principal differences are that the low-pass filter 52 and the lock-on pulse circuit 56 of FIGS. 2 and 3 have been replaced by a pulse shaping circuit 100. Pulse shaping circuit 100 is connected between encoder U101 and oscillator 150. Its function is shown in FIG. 8A. The output of encoder 154 comprises a series of long and short square waves representing a digitally encoded message. The pulse shaping circuit 100 operates on the leading and trailing edges of each square wave pulse to produce voltage spikes which are positive going for the leading edge of a pulse and negative going for the trailing edge of each pulse. The spike has a peak amplitude equal to the amplitude of the input square wave, and the distance between the leading edges of a positive/negative spike pair is equal to the pulse width of the square wave from which the pair is derived. In this way the information inherent in the amplitude and width of the digitally encoded pulses is preserved in the voltage spikes representing the output of the pulse shaping circuit 100. At the same time the energy content is minimized in the portion of the waveform farthest from the center frequency.
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, pulse shaping circuit 100 comprises capacitor C109 and resistor R116. The circuit is, in essence, a differentiator which functions to remove a substantial portion of the energy content of the square wave output pulses from encoder 154. The positive and negative going spikes resulting from such differentiation drive the frequency of oscillator 150 off of its center frequency of 314 MHz by approximately �1.2 MHz if the spike is positive and -1.2 MHz if the spike is negative. Thus although the frequency bandwidth of the transmitter is essentially the same as that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the output pulses from the transmitter are significantly shorter in duration at the upper and lower frequency deviations. This technique complies with FCC regulations since only the short duration spikes exceed 0.25% of the center frequency and the energy content of the spikes is down more than 20 db outside the allowable frequency spectrum. Nevertheless, the information inherent in the width of the pulses from the encoder output is preserved since each of those pulses creates a positive-negative spike pair where the distance between the leading edges of each spike pair is the same as the width of the encoded pulse.
Since according to the alternate embodiment of FIGS. 8-12 the encoded pulses are transmitted as a series of positive and negative going frequency modulated spikes, provision must made in the receiver of FIGS. 10 and 11 for decoding the spikes and retrieving the digitally encoded messages. As in the preferred embodiment, the frequency acquisition range of the receiver must be relatively wide in order to allow for drift in the center frequencies of the transmitters, which may occur over a period of time due to the aging of components or due to power consumption from the batteries. Also, the receiver must provide means for discriminating between the transmitted signals and radio frequency noise whose wave form may at times resemble the series of positive and negative going spikes characteristic of the transmitted pulses.
The receiver is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, and it is very similar in operation to the receiver circuit of FIGS. 5 and 6. Referring to FIG. 10, the receiver 168 contains many of the same circuit components as the receiver 68 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The primary differences are that in the alternative embodiment of FIG. 10, the wide band direct current coupled amplifier 78 has been omitted, automatic frequency control (AFC) amplifier 178 has been added and the DC level restorer amplifier 81 has been replaced by output amplifier and data restorer 181.
AFC amplifier 178 which utilizes integrated circuit U3B is connected to the output of IF discriminator 176 which is a conventional Foster-Seeley type discriminator. Automatic frequency control amplifier 178 comprises operational amplifier U3B having shunt capacitor C230 connected in parallel with resistor R217. The amplifier provides enhanced gain for the discriminator output, and the shunt capacitor and resistor network serves as a lowpass filter to smooth the output waveform into a variable DC voltage. Local oscillator 180 is the same circuit as voltage control local oscillator 80 in FIG. 5. In the receiver 168 of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 10, however, the lock-on action of the voltage control oscillator is not instantaneous as it was in the receiver in FIG. 5 due to the filtering action of AFC amplifier 178. Thus there is a finite period of time at the beginning of a transmission that is required to tune the receiver to the center frequency of the transmitter being received.
The aforementioned time lapse could not be tolerated in the receiver 68 of FIG. 5 because the transmitters transmitted only the minimum requirement of two digitally encoded messages before shutting down. In this embodiment, however, the encoder U101 has been modified to transmit six identically encoded messages, thus allowing the time period occupied by the first message for the receiver to lock on to the incoming signal. This is accomplished by setting the internal clock frequency of U101 to 195 KHz. The internal clock frequency is a function of the circuit values of C108, R112, and R111 in FIG. 9. A 10.5K resistor is connected to pin 13 of U101, a 180 pfd capacitor is connected to pin 12 and a 20K resistor is connection to pin 11. Additionally, the input to the TE enable pin of U101 is lengthened by modifying the circuit values of enable period switch 104, particularly by connecting a 47K pfd capacitor and a 56.2K resistor to the base of Q104. At this frequency, and with a longer enabling pulse, a total of three pairs of identically coded messages are transmitted within 0.003 seconds.
The output of the Foster-Seeley discriminator 176 also feeds the input of the output amplifier and data restorer 181 as shown in FIG. 11. Data restorer 181 is a network consisting of U3A and two feedback circuits. A negative feedback circuit is formed by the output of U3A and R226, C239 and R225. A positive feedback loop is formed by the output of U3A, resistor R230 and resistor R229. U3A and the positive feedback loop together comprise a Schmitt trigger. The Schmitt trigger is a hysteresis circuit that restores the positive and negative going voltage spikes, the form of the discriminator output, into the square wave pulses which represent the original digitally encoded messages. The negative feedback circuit provides a DC centering action in the presence of noise with a nonuniform frequency distribution so that the output wave form tends to remain approximately symmetrical. In practice it has been found that radio frequency noise which is overly nonsymmetrical in character can trigger the decoder which could thus provide a false alarm. The negative feedback circuit eliminates this problem.
The decoder of the alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 12 and is the same as that illustrated in 25 FIG. 7 of the preferred embodiment with two exceptions. First, connected between output VT (pin 11) of decoder integrated circuit U301 and gating circuit U302 is a time delay circuit 300 which delays the VT output until five successive identical coded words have been received and decoded. The output of U301 at VT goes high after two identical coded messages are received. Successive valid coded messages from the VT output of U301 begin to charge capacitor C310 which gradually raises the voltage level on the positive input of U303. After five successive identical messages the positive input to U303 is high enough to cause the output of U303 to go high, thereby enabling gate circuit U302 to pass information from the data output terminals D5-D9 of U301 to two pairs of integrated circuits U305, U306 and U307, U308. Diode D301 connected in parallel with input resistor R305 causes a fast resetting of the output for the next set of coded words when VT goes low by discharging capacitor C310.
U305 and U306 function in the same manner as U6 and U7 of FIG. 7. The pin assignments for U305, U306 and U309-U324 are indicated in FIG. 12. U309-U324 are one-shot counter-timers driven by clock oscillator U304, which function as missing pulse detectors for each of the 16 channels which form the output lines of four bit binary decoders U305 and U306.
As long as each of integrated circuits U309-U324 receive an output pulse from decoder circuits U305, U306 within a 240 second time span, visual maintenance alarm indicators DS302∝DS317 remain off. In this case 240 seconds is an arbitrarily chosen time period which could be longer or shorter depending upon the user's tolerance for false maintenance alarms and his immediate need to know of a faulty transmitter. If, however, 240 seconds elapse without receipt of a valid pulse, the particular alarm visual indicator and the system audio buzzer controlled by Q301 become activated indicating the particular channel, and, hence, the particular transmitter that failed.
Each time a valid maintenance pulse is received, counter-timers U309-U324 are reset to 240 seconds regardless of how much time had elapsed since the last transmission. This means that a transmission from a particular channel could have been jammed or been interfered with by the transmission of an adjacent channel or by random RF noise by as many as six consecutive times before a valid transmission is received. This feature insures that the possibility of false maintenance alarms resulting from this type of interference is reduced to a statistically insignificant number.
In order that any two channels not interfere with one another, each transmission from one must precede the other by 3 milleseconds and follow the other by 3 milleseconds.
The probability of any two channels interfering with each other over a single transmission period of 35 seconds, in a 16 channel system operating on a duty cycle of 1:12,000, is two times 16/12,000 or 1/375. Over a 70-second period (two transmissions) the probability of the same event occurring is (1/375)2. For each successive transmission period the probability decreases exponentially. This may be expressed algebraically as P=2(XD)N, where P=probability of interference between any two transmissions; X=number of transmitters operating on the same frequency; D=denominator of the duty cycle ratio (the numerator of this ratio is always, by definition, 1), and N=number of transmission periods, or the total time elapsed divided by the time between transmissions.
It can be seen that by setting the maintenance alarm timers U309∝U324 to a high multiple of the time between transmission, the probability of a false alarm caused by interference, which would prevent the resetting of U309-U324, becomes very small. In the example given, since 240 seconds is greater than six, but less than seven transmission periods of 35 seconds each, the probability would be P=(2) (16/12,000)6, an extremely small number.
Thus, the system may be adjusted for the convenience of the user depending upon the number of transmitters, the duty cycle and the user's tolerance for false maintenance alarms. The longer the period, the longer the user must wait to determine whether a particular transmitter has failed. In the example given, 240 seconds will elapse after failure before the visual indicator will signal a failure. A shorter time period will give an earlier warning, but since N decreases with a shorter period, the probability of a false maintenance alarm becomes higher. However, even with shorter time periods the duty cycle ratio is small enough to insure that the statistical probability of false alarms is well within acceptable limits.
Tables IV, V and VI list exemplary component values of the circuit elements shown in FIGS. 9, 11 and 12, respectively.
TABLE IV______________________________________Circuit ElementReference Numeral Type, Designator, orFrom FIG. 9 Value of Component______________________________________Q101,102,104,105,106 2N5089 TransistorQ103 2N4403 TransistorQ107 MPS-H10 TransistorU101 MC145026PD Integrated CircuitD101 IN916B DiodeD102 BB505B, BB121A or B, BB105A or B, BB205A or B Tuning DiodeL101 0.47 Microhenry 10% InductorL102 Oscillator CoilSW101 12 Pole Single Throw SwitchSW121 Form C (SPDT) Magnetic Reed SwitchC101,102 2.2 MFD 10% 25 V Tantulum CapacitorC103,106,107,121,122 10 K PFD 10% Ceramic CapacitorC104 68 MFD 10% 6 V Tantulum CapacitorC105 47 K PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC108 180 PFD 2% Ceramic CapacitorC109 75 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC110 390 PFD 10% Ceramic CapacitorC111 33 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC112,115 12 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC113 47 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC114 8.2 PFD � .5 PFD Ceramic CapacitorR101 1 MEGOHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorR102,103 10 MEGOHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorR104,110 2.2 MEGOHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorR105,107,114,117, 3.3 K OHM 5% 1/8 Watt Resistor121,122R106 8.2 K OHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorR108 15.4 K OHM 1% ResistorR109 56.2 K OHM 1% ResistorR111 10.5 K OHM 1% ResistorR112,118 20 K OHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorR113 220 K OHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorR115,124 10 OHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorR116,123 5.1 K OHM 5% 1/8 Watt ResistorBT101,102 1.5 Volt Alkaline Battery, AAA Size______________________________________
TABLE V______________________________________Circuit ElementReference Numeral Type, Designator, orFrom FIG. 11 Value of Component______________________________________Q201 3N209 Mosfet TransistorQ202 MPS-H10 TransistorU201,202 MC1355 Integrated CircuitU203 LM392 Integrated CircuitD201 BB505B, BB121A or B, BB205A or B, BB105A or B Variable Capacitance DiodeD202,203 MBD101, MBD102 or Equal DiodeL201 Antenna CoilsL202 RF CoilL203,205 0.47 Microhenry 10% InductorL204 Oscillator CoilC201,202 3.3 PFD � .5 PFD Ceramic CapacitorC203 390 PFD 10% Ceramic CapacitorC204 2.2 K PFD 10% Ceramic CapacitorC205,208,214,217,218, 5 K PFD 20% Ceramic Capacitor219,221,224,225,226,227,234,238C206,207 75 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC209 22 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC210 33 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC211,212 6.8 PFD � .5 PFD Ceramic CapacitorC213,231,241 120 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC215,216,222,223, 10 K PFD 10% Ceramic Capacitor228,237C220,229,240 100 K PFD 20% Ceramic CapacitorC30 1 K PFD 10% Ceramic CapacitorC232,233 68 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC235,236 220 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC239 2.2 MFD 10% Tantulum CapacitorR201 47 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR202,207 100 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR203 33 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR204,205,227 2.7 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR206,212,213,221 10 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR208,231 10 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR209,214,218,224 20 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR210 39 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR211 62 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR215 1 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR216 62 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR217 430 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR219,220 680 OHM 5% 1/4Watt ResistorR222 330 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR223 1 MEG OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR225,226 120 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR228,229 6.8 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR230 180 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorT201 1 F TransformerT202 FM Discriminator Transformer______________________________________
TABLE VI______________________________________Circuit ElementReference Numeral Type, Designator, orFrom FIG. 12 Value of Component______________________________________Q301,302,303,304,305 2N4401 TransistorU.sub. 301 SC41208 Custom Integrated CircuitU302,304 4011B Integrated CircuitU303 LM392 Integrated CircuitU305,306,307,308 4099B Integrated CircuitU309 thru 324 MC14541B Integrated CircuitVR301 LM330T-5.0 Voltage RegulatorD301,302,303,304, 1N916B Diode305,306F301 2 Amp FuseRL301,302,303,304 Form C RelayLS301 Audio BuzzerSW301,304,306 8PST Switch (Numbered 1-8)SW305,307 8PST Switch (Numbered 9-16)SW302 SPDT Spring Return SwitchSW303 DPDT SwitchTB301 14 Pole Screw Terminal StripDS301 Green L.E.D.DS302 thru 333 Red L.E.D.C301,302 820 PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC303,304,305,306, 100 K PFD 20% Ceramic Capacitor307,109,312C308 10 MFD 10% 10 V Tantulum CapacitorC310,313 47 K PFD 5% Ceramic CapacitorC311 10 K PFD 10% Ceramic CapacitorR301 10.5 K OHM 1% ResistorR302 178 K OHM 1% ResistorR303,330 thru 345 330 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR304,309 20 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR305,306,307 38.2 K OHM 1% ResistorR308 10 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR310,314 thru 329 680 OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR311 68.1 K OHM 1% ResistorR312 180 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorR313,346,347,348,349 2.7 K OHM 5% 1/4 Watt ResistorP301,302 PCB Pin and Clip______________________________________
The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.
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U.S. Classification | 340/539.17, 341/177, 455/525, 379/40, 340/531, 341/174 |
International Classification | G08B25/10 |
Cooperative Classification | G08B25/10 |
European Classification | G08B25/10 |
Date | Code | Event | Description |
5 Oct 1984 | AS | Assignment | Owner name: SENTROL, INC., 10831 S.W. CASCADE BLVD., PORTLAND, Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 15, 1984;ASSIGNOR:ABEL, WILLIAM E.;REEL/FRAME:004308/0976 Effective date: 19840824 |
27 Feb 1990 | CC | Certificate of correction | |
1 Nov 1990 | FPAY | Fee payment | Year of fee payment: 4 |
26 Sep 1994 | FPAY | Fee payment | Year of fee payment: 8 |
23 Oct 1998 | FPAY | Fee payment | Year of fee payment: 12 |
27 Jan 1999 | AS | Assignment | Owner name: SLC TECHNOLOGIES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION, OR Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:SENTROL, INC.;REEL/FRAME:009719/0483 Effective date: 19970926 |


text: Now That Fiat Has Chrysler, A Name Change Is In OrderZac Estrada1/02/14 5:00pmFiled to: Conversation of the DayCOTD1673EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Remember DaimlerChrysler? Of course you do. It was one of the most unimaginatively named companies, right up there with PSA Peugeot Citroen. And as history shows, it probably should've just been called Daimler. Fiat's roughly five-year relationship with Chrysler, though, has been different. Now that Fiat has all of Chrysler, the speculation is on as to how this is going to affect the marriage. Personally, I'm concerned with the name. They could just call it a day with Fiat-Chrysler, but I think we're all in agreement it should be more creative than that. Especially if this is totally unlike the Daimler days. Some of you are also concerned and gave your suggestions, if anyone from Fiat is listening: Slave2anMG: Fiatsler?Chrysliat?Fiapar?Mopiat?D-Dubya: I vote for Fiachler as a name; it sounds terrible.IMissTheOldInternet: I nominate "Chryst". Surefire way to boost sales all across the American south.cazzyodo: FryslerBecause it has "fry" in it and America loves its fries.Looking at your direct deposit and seeing Frysler might make you think you've taken a fast food job. Honorary COTD to TxBrumski Photo: FiatReply167 repliesLeave a reply

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Please call 800-633-7377 for a personal consultation between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
You can also call the appointment center to schedule, change or cancel an appointment or ask questions.
A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation may be necessary to diagnose any number of emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders. An evaluation of a child, adolescent, or adult is made based on behaviors present and in relation to physical, genetic, environmental, social, cognitive (thinking), emotional and educational components that may be affected as a result of the behaviors presented.
Many times, families, spouses, or friends are the first to suspect that their loved one is challenged by feelings, behaviors, and/or environmental conditions that cause them to act disruptive, rebellious, or sad. This may include, but is not limited to, problems with relationships with friends and/or family members, work, school, sleeping, eating, substance abuse, emotional expression, development, coping, attentiveness and responsiveness. It is important for families who suspect a problem in one, or more, of these areas to seek treatment as soon as possible. Treatment for mental health disorders is available.
Comprehensive psychiatric evaluationThe following are the most common components of a comprehensive, diagnostic psychiatric evaluation. However, each evaluation is different, as each individual's symptoms and behaviors are different. Evaluation may include the following:
Evaluation of a Family Member It is natural, and quite common, for spouses and family members to question themselves when it becomes necessary for a loved one to be psychiatrically evaluated, and may have many questions and concerns as to his/her welfare and emotional well-being. Common questions frequently asked include the following:
Once a diagnosis is made, family involvement and active participation in treatment is extremely important for any individual with a mental health disorder. The physician will address questions and provide reassurance by working with you to establish long- and short-term treatment goals for your loved one.
You may obtain a psychiatric evaluation by making an appointment with any of Beaumont's board certified psychiatrists. Should you need a psychiatrist, please visit Beaumont's Physician Referral and Information Services online or call 1-800-633-7377.
Copyright © 2016 Beaumont Health. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Site Map


text:
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text:
Leeds Festival 2011 launch set for 21st March
The official launch for Leeds 2011 will be Monday, March 21st at 7pm, according to the festival website, which went live today.
At the launch event the organisers are expected to announce the three Main Stage headliners, plus NME/Radio One Stage headliners, along with a number of other acts set to appear at the festival.
Rumours this year have been varied, with Muse, The Strokes, and My Chemical Romance topping fan's lists and website gossip columns.
Indeed, earlier this year, Melvyn Benn fuelled the rumour mill when he told BBC Newsbeat that the headliners would once again be exclusive and would not be found topping any other UK festival this summer.
We are running our own Leeds Festival Facebook page for the festival, which we would invite all Leeds Music Scene readers to join.
Leeds Festival tickets are expected to be priced at around £190 this year, and should once again be available through See Tickets and TicketMaster.
Leeds Festival 2011 takes place between Friday, August 26th and Sunday 28th August at Bramham Park.
Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival 2017: latest line up, news and ticket information.
Leeds Festival takes place at Bramham Park between 25th-27th August 2017.
Buy your Leeds 2017 tickets from Ticketmaster or See Tickets.


text:
Top Definition
A massive breakfast meal in which all the major fixings are served. Lots of eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausage, ham, cheese, omelets, etc.
Anyone want to go out to Waffle House? I need a good heart bomb to wake me up.
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December 24, 2013
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One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.
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text:
Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
One of the best moments at last night's excellent Romney smack-down was when the President called Governor Romney on the lack of detail in his tax plan. Here's the Wall Street Journal's synopsis:
And the president even found a better formulation for his complaint that Mr. Romney isn't giving details of how he'd pay for his plan for an across-the-board tax cut. It was a formulation that engaged both Mr. Romney and the audience simultaneously. During your business career, the president said to Mr. Romney, "you wouldn't have taken such a sketchy deal." Turning to the audience, he declared, "And neither should you."
From my blog ("About Mitt Romney's $5 Trillion Tax Cut") posted the day after the first debate:
The bottom line is that we have no idea how Gov. Romney will make up the revenue lost due to the tax cuts he has specified in some detail. Obviously, Gov. Romney doesn't either. The odd thing is that he seems to think that this is irrelevant.
It sounds like some sort of confidence game.
Romney to typical millionaire: "Hey there. Have I got a deal for you! How would you like to save a quarter million bucks in 2015? Sounds good, doesn't it?"
Millionaire: "Uh, sure. What do I have to do to get the quarter million bucks?"
Romney: "Hey, don't worry about that. Those are just details. Sign here."
would never have fallen for that scam. Why does he think the voters should?
Feeling very pleased with myself right now.
Follow me on twitter.


text:
Strong Jobs Report Raises a Question: How Much Can the U.S. Economy Grow?
byThe job market is strengthening so impressively that it has some people scared: What happens when the U.S. economy runs out of headroom to grow?
Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that employers added 288,000 jobs in June and that the unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent, the lowest since the financial crisis month of September 2008. Both numbers were a surprise. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had been forecasting job growth closer to 200,000 and a flat unemployment rate of 6.3 percent.
Economists worked fireworks metaphors into their write-ups, but JPMorgan Chase Chief U.S. Economist Michael Feroli went automotive, writing, "The job growth numbers appear to be firing on all cylinders."
Ebullience over the jobs report helped send the Dow Jones industrial average above 17,000 for the first time. Traders in the bond market were less excited because strong job growth can raise inflation, the enemy of bonds. The yield on 10-year Treasuries ticked up a fraction to 2.66 percent from 2.63 percent by late morning.
In May, U.S. employment finally rose above its previous peak of December 2007. In the past month it continued to surge higher, as this chart shows:
The strongest job growth since the recession is indisputably good news. On top of the employment gains, average hourly earnings rose 0.2 percent in June and 2 percent over the past year. That's a healthy development because it gives workers the money they need to spend, helping both them and the economy. "My own expectation is that as the labor market begins to tighten, we will see wage growth pick up some," Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told reporters last month. Yellen said believes there is still plenty of slack in the labor market and no risk of inflation, so there's no rush to start tightening monetary conditions.
Even long-term joblessness, which has been a sore point in this expansion, is easing. The number of long-term unemployed fell to 3.1 million, and their share of all jobless fell to 32.8 percent, the lowest since June 2009. The share of working-age people in the labor force—i.e., the participation rate—stayed little changed at 62.8 percent.
But there's a dark cloud inside every silver lining: To inflation-phobes, a rebound in wage growth is a warning sign of inflation ahead. The fear is that the deep 2007-09 recession knocked many people out of the labor force permanently, so there's not as much slack in the job market as there appears to be. On top of that, the inflation-worriers say, a lack of investment in labor-saving machinery and software means that workers' productivity isn't growing much, putting further pressure on the labor market.
Some economists said a strong economy will force Yellen's hand and moved up their expectations of how soon the Federal Open Market Committee would begin to raise the federal funds rate, the rate on overnight loans between banks that it controls. The Fed has been pointing toward sometime in 2016. But Rick Rieder, BlackRock's chief investment officer for fundamental fixed income, said in an appearance today in an appearance on Bloomberg TV that the Fed could start hiking as soon as the first quarter of 2015.
"Although wages are far from spiraling out of control," there is "a rising risk of accelerating wage inflation," James Paulsen, chief investment strategist and economist at Wells Capital Management, wrote in an analysis today.
In a report released on Wednesday, Morgan Stanley economists wrote that "if data trends continue to suggest that … there isn't a large remaining margin of slack in the economy … the Fed may face some difficult choices."
"They've got a problem. They've got a communications problem," Joseph LaVorgna, the chief U.S. economist of Deutsche Bank Securities, said in a post-release conference call with reporters, referring to Federal Reserve rate-setters. He noted that the unemployment rate, at 6.1 percent, is already down to where Fed forecasters thought it would be by the end of the year.
Of course, if the U.S. has a problem with a too-tight labor market, it's still far better off than other advanced economies with lower birth rates and less immigration. A Boston Consulting Group study this week said the U.S. may even have surplus labor in the years ahead.