Walter Kidde Portable Equipment, Inc.

Chris R Gilbert

John J Andres

Joseph G DeLuca

Stephen M Ernst

Larry R Ratzlaff

Michael W Apperson

Richard Kwor

Micahel W Apperson

Craig Kleinberg

John Wurtenberger

Joseph Deluca

Michael Apperson

Larry Ratzlaff

Stephen Ernst

Presented is a communications protocol for use by interconnected hazardous condition detectors, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for use in dwellings and other structures. This communications protocol provides conventional signaling to indicate the presence of a smoke condition necessitating the generation of a smoke temporal pattern by all interconnected detectors. The protocol further defines a signaling method by which conventional smoke detectors that are incapable of providing temporal patterns other than that required for a smoke alarm condition will not be sent into an alarm mode of operation upon receipt of a signal other than the conventional smoke alarm signal. This communications protocol defines a pulsed signal to indicate a non-smoke alarm condition that is of a duration that will not trigger the conventional smoke alarms. To allow for the transmission of multiple hazardous conditions alarm notifications, as well as the transmission of additional hazardous condition detector control signals, the communications protocol utilizes a multi-bit signal transmitted via the conventional single signal I/O wire of currently existing interconnect wiring. Through the use of an 8 bit alarm signal, multiple hazardous conditions may be signaled as well as operating modes such as test, hush, reset, low battery, etc. Also presented are smoke, carbon monoxide, and combination hazardous condition detectors that utilize the communications protocol presented herein.

Communication protocol for interconnected hazardous condition detectors, and system employing same

An apparatus for the detection and enunciation of hazardous conditions within an environment comprises at least two detection circuits positioned to sense ambient conditions within a home or business environment. One of the detection circuits senses the presence of smoke, and the other detection circuit senses the presence of carbon monoxide. The apparatus also comprises an alarm circuit which is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one alarm pattern, and preferably a separate alarm pattern for each different sensed condition. A voice synthesizer circuit is also included, and is responsive to each of the detection circuits for generating at least one voice message. As with the alarm patterns, the voice synthesizer preferably generates separate voice messages for each separate detected condition. The apparatus advantageously also contains an interleaving control circuit. This interleaving control circuit interleaves the alarm patterns and voice messages in a predetermined sequence to reduce confusion in an emergency situation. A method for the detection and enunciation of multiple hazardous condition within an environment is also presented, and comprises the steps of: (a) sensing ambient conditions within the environment to detect at least two hazardous condition; (b) generating an alarm pattern and a voice message in response to sensing the hazardous conditions; (c) interleaving the alarm pattern and the voice message; and (e) enunciating these interleaved alarm patterns and voice.

Multicondition detection apparatus and method providing interleaved tone and verbal warnings

A microcontroller-based hazardous condition detector having an intelligent hush feature is presented. The microcontroller controls the operational mode of the detector by monitoring a single user-actuated switch, the inputs from a smoke chamber and a carbon monoxide detector circuit, and the current operating mode of the detector. When in a normal or no-alarm mode, actuation of the switch will cause the microcontroller to place the detector in a test mode of operation. If the detector is in a carbon monoxide alarm mode, actuation of the switch will act to reset the accumulator function of the microprocessor for the carbon monoxide alarm sensing. If the detector is in a smoke alarm mode, actuation of the switch may place the detector in a hush mode if the level of smoke is sufficiently low, or will have no effect if the level of smoke is too high. Once in the hush mode, actuation of the switch will place the detector into the smoke alarm mode. The microcontroller will also place the detector in the smoke alarm mode if the level of smoke increases beyond a certain limit, and after the expiration of a hush mode time limit. To coordinate this operation, the sensitivity of the detector is not changed in any mode of operation, and the microcontroller monitors both an alarm and a hush threshold.

Microprocessor-based combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector having intelligent hush feature

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Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Chris R Gilbert