Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080220780 | Method for the automatic calibration of location anchors - A target radio can be located and tracked by an array of anchor radios. The anchor radios are calibrated when each anchor radio transmits an anchor message that is received by the other anchor radios. The distance between anchor radios is known because their positions are known. The received signal strengths are dependent on distance and an attenuation value. The calibration operation uses the received signal strengths and known anchor radio locations to determine the attenuation values of the anchor radios. After calibration, a target radio transmission can be received by the anchor radios. Each anchor radio estimates the distance to the target. The distance estimates and the anchor locations can then be used to determine the target radio's location. | 09-11-2008 |
20090018785 | Model-based determination of power source replacement in wireless and other devices - A model-based system and method for analyzing power source performance and optimizing operational costs are provided. Data from the power source (such as a battery) and/or a device associated with the power source is analyzed and processed to predict an operating life of the power source. This could allow, for example, a power source replacement schedule to be generated for the device. If the analysis indicates that abnormal conditions exist or that any user-defined alerts are warranted, a message could also be sent to an operator terminal. The system and method may continue to monitor the device and thus provide real-time data. The data may also be stored in memory, collected over time, and analyzed or used in various ways. The system and method thus provide a cost effective and reliable analysis of power source performance and any associated operational and replacement costs. | 01-15-2009 |
20090051551 | Apparatus and method for wireless location sensing - A sensor assembly includes a sensor configured to detect at least one material or condition, such as a smoke detector, fire detector, or carbon monoxide detector. The sensor assembly also includes a base configured to be mounted on a structure, such as a wall or ceiling, and to receive the sensor. The sensor assembly further includes a wireless module located between the sensor and the base. The wireless module is configured to transmit position information. The wireless module may include one or more electrical contacts used to form at least one electrical connection between the base of the sensor assembly and the sensor. The wireless module may also include a printed circuit board having the contacts, wireless radio circuitry, an antenna, and other components. The printed circuit board could be substantially hidden from view when the sensor is attached to the base and the base is mounted on the structure. | 02-26-2009 |
20090092263 | Systems and Methods for Delivering Directional Audio and Personalized Emergency Alerts Via Addressable Speakers - A public address system installed in a building or other region being monitored can communicate with a regional fire detection system. Responsive to information received from the fire detection system as to developing dangerous conditions, a control unit for the public address system can adaptively create one or more evacuation routes for a region associated with a developing condition. One or more loud speakers in the region can be used to communicate a preferred evacuation route to individuals in the region. The route can be dynamically altered as the condition varies over time. | 04-09-2009 |
20090128327 | Systems and Methods of Detection Using Fire Modeling - A system for adjusting parameters of ambient condition detectors in a regional monitoring system is coupled to or includes fire modeling processing. Based on outputs from the processing, selected parameters of respective detectors can be adjusted to shorten detector time to alarm. As a fire condition develops, different detectors can be adjusted dynamically and in real-time. | 05-21-2009 |
20090219162 | Speaker Circuit Resident Notification Appliances - Both notification appliances and speakers usable to broadcast verbal messages into a region can be coupled to common signal and power providing communication lines. Composite output modules can include speakers, horns, and strobe lights, all without limitation, which can be independently driven and controlled from a common pair of lines. | 09-03-2009 |
20090237242 | Remotely Controllable Route Indicating Devices - A flexible audio output device includes control circuits couplable to a communications system and an audio announcement system. The communications system can transmit function specifying parameters to the device. Various forms of directional audio, or verbal messages can be emitted in accordance with received parameters. | 09-24-2009 |
20090256699 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALIBRATION OF RADIO FREQUENCY LOCATION SENSORS - A method includes receiving, in a scanner, at least one radio-frequency (RF) signal from a sensor proximate to the scanner. The method also includes storing location information, corresponding to a location of the scanner, and signal strength information corresponding to the scanner. The method further includes calibrating location records according to the signal strength information and location information. There is also a system for calibrating location records. The system includes a plurality of sensors each configured to transmit an RF signal. The system also includes a scanner configured to receive at least one RF signal from a sensor proximate to the scanner, store location information corresponding to a location of the scanner, and store signal strength information corresponding to the scanner. The system further includes a location manager configured to receive the stored signal strength information and location information from the scanner and to calibrate location records according to the stored signal strength information and location information. | 10-15-2009 |
20100177684 | WIRELESS MONITORING AND ALARM SYSTEM - A monitoring system includes a multi-hop time division multiple access communication system to link a control unit wirelessly and redundantly with a plurality of modules. Communications to modules occur during predetermined time slots in a first portion of a selected frame. Communications from the modules occur during corresponding time slots during a second portion of the frame. | 07-15-2010 |
20110059698 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALIBRATION OF RADIO FREQUENCY LOCATION SENSORS - A method includes receiving, in a scanner, at least one radio-frequency (RF) signal from a sensor proximate to the scanner. The method also includes storing location information, corresponding to a location of the scanner, and signal strength information corresponding to the scanner. The method further includes calibrating location records according to the signal strength information and location information. There is also a system for calibrating location records. The system includes a plurality of sensors each configured to transmit an RF signal. The system also includes a scanner configured to receive at least one RF signal from a sensor proximate to the scanner, store location information corresponding to a location of the scanner, and store signal strength information corresponding to the scanner. The system further includes a location manager configured to receive the stored signal strength information and location information from the scanner and to calibrate location records according to the stored signal strength information and location information. | 03-10-2011 |
20120092159 | Failsafe Signal Transmission for Wireless Sensor Mesh - An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of transceivers arranged in a mesh network that each synchronously communicate with at least one other of the plurality of transceivers in an assigned slot of a TDMA channel, at least a first of the plurality of transceivers asynchronously transmitting a priority message on a priority channel that is different than the TDMA channel and at least a second of the plurality of transceivers that detects an information content of the asynchronous priority message on the priority channel and retransmits the detected information content synchronously on the TDMA channel to a third transceiver of the plurality of transceivers. | 04-19-2012 |
20120146787 | Wireless Transceiver for Firefighter Safety - A firefighter tracking system is provided for use in conjunction with a fire truck to track firefighters at the scene of a fire. The system a plurality of portable wireless transceiver tags each carried by a respective firefighter, an accelerometer within each of the plurality of portable wireless transceiver tags, a motion processor within each of the plurality of portable wireless transceiver tags coupled to the accelerometer, the motion processor processes information from the accelerometer, detects an immobilized state of the respective firefighter and wirelessly transmits information including a notification of the detected immobilized state, a gateway carried by the fire truck that receives the transmitted information from each of the plurality of portable wireless transceivers and a status processor coupled to the gateway within the fire truck programmed to determine and display a status of at least some of the firefighters at the location of the fire via the received information including at least the immobilized state of the at least some of the firefighters. | 06-14-2012 |
20120163352 | FIELD OPTIMIZED, CONFIGURABLE WIRELESS FIRE SYSTEM - A method and apparatus are provided for setting up a fire alarm system. The method includes the steps of coupling a user interface to a wireless fire detection system having a wireless gateway and a plurality of wireless fire detectors, receiving a selection through the user interface of a wireless transmission parameter used in transmitting messages between the wireless gateway and the plurality of wireless fire detectors, determining a latency time value associated with use of the received selection of the wireless transmission parameter in the transmission of messages between the wireless gateway and the plurality of fire detectors, displaying the calculated latency time value on the user interface and changing an operating mode of the plurality of wireless fire detection devices in accordance with the received selection. In addition to latency, the fire alarm system may receive a selection and determine the battery life and sensor/output device capacity that is possible and display these parameters for the benefit of a user. | 06-28-2012 |
20120194339 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTION OF DEVICE DISPLACEMENT AND TAMPERING - A method for determining the displacement of or the tampering with a device is provided. The method includes determining an effective displacement in an X direction of a device, determining an effective displacement in a Y direction of the device, and determining an effective displacement in a Z direction of the device. The method also include determining if any one of the effective displacement in the X direction, the effective displacement in the Y direction, or the effective displacement in the Z direction is greater than a predetermined threshold, and when at least one of the effective displacement in the X direction, the effective displacement in the Y direction, and the effective displacement in the Z direction is great then the predetermined threshold, determining that the device has been displaced. | 08-02-2012 |
20130336292 | WIRELESS FIRE SYSTEM BASED ON OPEN STANDARD WIRELESS PROTOCOLS - A wireless fire detection monitoring system comprises a control unit which includes a wireless transceiver and control software to implement a wireless multi-hop communications protocol. A network of battery powered monitoring devices is provided for monitoring alarm conditions. Each monitoring device includes software to implement the wireless communication protocol with one of, the control unit and at least one other child member of the plurality, or, at least two other members of the plurality where a selected device communicates with at least one child device and at least one parent device. The wireless multi-hop communications protocol comprises a time division multiple access communications protocol with the monitoring devices being time synchronized and the control unit and the monitoring devices are adapted to communicate compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard. | 12-19-2013 |
20130342347 | WI-FI MESH FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM - A Wi-Fi mesh fire detection system and methods therefor are provided. The system can include a plurality of access points, where each access point in the plurality of access points is wirelessly connected to at least two other access points in the plurality of access points. For example, a first access point can be assigned as a primary parent device to a third access point, and a second access point can be assigned as a secondary parent device to the third access point. The third access point can transmit a message to the secondary parent device when the third access point fails to confirm that the primary parent device successfully received the message transmitted by the third access point. | 12-26-2013 |
20130343202 | ACCESS POINT SYNCHRONIZATION IN WI-FI FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS - Systems and methods of backup battery support for switches and access points in fire detection systems are provided. Methods can include identifying a communications time interval for a plurality of devices, detecting a power failure, identifying a start time for a next scheduled communications time interval for a respective one of the plurality of devices, placing a wireless access point in a low power mode, and, substantially immediately prior to the start time, removing the wireless access point from the low power mode. | 12-26-2013 |
20140321344 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING BATTERY LIFE IN WIRELESS MULTI-HOP COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS - Systems and methods for optimizing battery life in wireless multi-hop communication systems are provided. Some methods include a child node transmitting a data packet to a parent node in a wireless system, wherein the data packet includes a parent node identifier, data information, and a length of the data information, and wherein the data packet omits inclusion of a child node identifier. Some methods include a parent node receiving a data packet from a child node in a wireless system, wherein the data packet includes a parent node identifier, data information, and a length of the data information, and wherein the data packet omits inclusion of a child node identifier. | 10-30-2014 |
20150029025 | Interference Avoidance Technique for Wireless Networks Used in Critical Applications - An apparatus is provided that uses the steps of providing a plurality of wireless sensor devices coupled to a controller in a security system configured into a wireless network where at least one is a child sensor device that communicates with the controller through at least first and second parent sensor devices, the child sensor device measuring an environmental parameter within the secured area and transmitting a message to the controller through the at least two parents, the message is transmitted during a first time period and on a first frequency to the first parent and a copy is transmitted during a second time period and on a second frequency to the second parent wherein the first and second times and first and second frequencies are all different and wherein the first and second time periods are directly adjacent to one another in time. | 01-29-2015 |