Electronic alarm and emergency voice communication system

Claim 2

An alarm and emergency voice communication system comprising, in combination, alarm signal generating means continuously operable under normal conditions, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means, speaker circuit means, separate d.c. supervisory circuit means including a d.c. supervisory source, means connecting said voice communication means with said amplifier circuit means when said voice communication means is activated, switch means normally maintaining said alarm signal generating means connected with said amplifier circuit means, normally maintaining said amplifier circuit means disconnected from said speaker circuit means and normally maintaining said d.c. supervisory power source connected to said speaker circuit means whereby an alarm signal is utilized to supervise said amplifier circuit means and a separate d.c. signal is utilized to supervise said speaker circuit means, and control means responsive to an alarm for activation of said switch means.

Claim 3

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 1 including control means responsive to initiation of an alarm or activation of said voice communication means for causing said switch means to connect said amplifier circuit means with said speaker circuit means and disconnect said d.c. supervisory power source from said speaker circuit means.

Claim 4

An alarm and emergency voice communication system comprising, in combination, alarm signal generating means continuously operable under normal conditions, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means, speaker circuit means, separate d.c. supervisory circuit means including a d.c. supervisory power source, switch means normally maintaining said alarm signal generating means connected with said amplifier circuit means, normally maintaining said amplifier circuit means disconnected from said speaker circuit means and normally maintaining said d.c. supervisory power source connected to said speaker circuit means whereby an alarm signal is utilized to supervise said amplifier circuit means and a separate d.c. signal is utilized to supervise said speaker circuit means, first control means responsive to initiation of an alarm or activation of said voice communication means for causing said switch means to connect said amplifier circuit means with said speaker circuit means and disconnect said d.c. supervisory power source from said speaker means, and second control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said alarm signal generating means and connecting said voice communication means to said amplifier circuit means.

Claim 5

An alarm and emergency voice communication system comprising, in combination, alarm signal generating means continuously operable under normal conditions, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means, speaker circuit means, separate d.c. supervisory circuit means including a d.c. supervisory power source, switch means normally maintaining said alarm signal generating means connected with said amplifier circuit means, normally maintaining said amplifier circuit means disconnected from said speaker circuit means and normally maintaining said d.c. supervisory power source connected to said speaker circuit means whereby an alarm signal is utilized to supervise said amplifier circuit means and a separate d.c. signal is utilized to supervise said speaker circuit means, first control means responsive to initiation of an alarm or activation of said voice communication means for causing said switch means to connect said amplifier circuit means with said speaker circuit means and disconnect said d.c. supervisory power source from said speaker means, and second control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said alarm signal generating means and connecting said voice communication means to said amplifier circuit means.

Claim 6

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 3 wherein said speaker circuit means includes a plurality of speakers connected in parallel, and capacitor means connected with said speakers for isolating said speakers from said separate d.c. supervisory signal while permitting normal operation of said speakers when said amplifier circuit means is connected with said speaker circuit means.

Claim 7

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in clain 3 including detector means connected with the output of said amplifier circuit means, said detector meaNs being responsive to a loss of output signal from said amplifier circuit means so as to initiate a trouble indication.

Claim 8

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in clain 3 including detector means connected with the output of said amplifier circuit means, said detector meaNs being responsive to a loss of output signal from said amplifier circuit means so as to initiate a trouble indication.

Claim 9

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 5 wherein said amplifier circuit means includes first and second alternate amplifiers and said detector means operates in response to loss of output signal from said first amplifier to disconnect the latter and connect second amplifier in said amplifier circuit means.

Claim 10

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 5 including control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said detector means.

Claim 11

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 3 wherein said alarm signal generating means includes first and second alarm signal generators and said amplifier circuit means includes first and second alternate amplifiers, said first alarm signal generator normally being operatively connected with said first amplifier and said second alarm signal generator normally being operatively connected with said second amplifier, and control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said first and second alarm signal generator and operatively connecting said voice communication means both to said first and second amplifiers.

Claim 12

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 3 wherein said speaker circuit means includes a plurality of speaker lines, each speaker line supplying a plurality of speakers connected in parallel, a plurality of separate d.c. supervisory circuits including a d.c. power source connected respectively with each of said speaker lines for independent supervision thereof, and control means responsive to initiation of an alarm or activation of said voice communication means for disconnecting each of said speaker lines from its corresponding d.c. supervisory circuit and for connecting said plurality of speaker lines in parallel with said amplifier circuit means.

Claim 13

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 3 wherein said d.c. supervisory circuit means includes first voltage sensing means responsive to a voltage in excess of a first predetermined value for sensing an open speaker circuit and initiating a trouble indication, and second voltage sensing means responsive to a voltage below a second predetermined value for sensing a shorted speaker circuit and initiating a trouble indication, said d.c. supervisory circuit normally producing a voltage at said first and second sensing means having a magnitude intermediate said first and second predetermined values in the absence of an open or shorted speaker circuit.

Claim 14

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 3 including primary tone signal generating means and at least one general tone signal generating means, power supply means for supplying power to said primary tone signal generating means and said general tone signal generating means, said power supply means normally being connected with said primary tone signal generating means and disconnected from said general tone signal generating means, first control means responsive to initiation of a general alarm for disconnecting said power supply means from said primary tone signal generating means and connecting said power supply means to said general tone signal generating means, and second control means connected in overriding relation to said first control means and responsive to initiation of a primary alarm for disconnecting said power supply means from said general tone signal generating means and connecting said power supply means to said primary tone signal generating means.

Claim 15

An alarm and emergency voice communication system comprising, in combination, alarm signal generating means continuously operable under normal conditions, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means, speaker circuit means, separate d.c. supervisory circuit means including a d.c. superviSory power source, switch means normally maintaining said alarm signal generating means connected with said amplifier circuit means, normally maintaining said amplifier circuit means disconnected from said speaker circuit means and normally maintaining said d.c. supervisory power source connected to said speaker circuit means whereby an alarm signal is utilized to supervise said amplifier circuit means and a separate d.c. signal is utilized to supervise said speaker circuit means, first control means responsive to initiation of an alarm or activation of said voice communication means for causing said switch means to connect said amplifier circuit means with said speaker circuit means and disconnect said d.c. supervisory power source from said speaker circuit means, second control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said alarm signal generating means and connecting said voice communication means to said amplifier circuit means, detector means connected with the output of said amplifier circuit means, said amplifier circuit means including first and second alternate amplifiers and said detector means operating in response to loss of output signal from said first amplifier to disconnect the latter and connect said second amplifier in said amplifier circuit means and also to initiate a trouble indication, and third control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said detector means.

Claim 16

An alarm and emergency voice communication system comprising, in combination, alarm signal generating means continuously operable under normal conditions, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means, speaker circuit means, separate d.c. supervisory circuit means including a d.c. superviSory power source, switch means normally maintaining said alarm signal generating means connected with said amplifier circuit means, normally maintaining said amplifier circuit means disconnected from said speaker circuit means and normally maintaining said d.c. supervisory power source connected to said speaker circuit means whereby an alarm signal is utilized to supervise said amplifier circuit means and a separate d.c. signal is utilized to supervise said speaker circuit means, first control means responsive to initiation of an alarm or activation of said voice communication means for causing said switch means to connect said amplifier circuit means with said speaker circuit means and disconnect said d.c. supervisory power source from said speaker circuit means, second control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said alarm signal generating means and connecting said voice communication means to said amplifier circuit means, detector means connected with the output of said amplifier circuit means, said amplifier circuit means including first and second alternate amplifiers and said detector means operating in response to loss of output signal from said first amplifier to disconnect the latter and connect said second amplifier in said amplifier circuit means and also to initiate a trouble indication, and third control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said detector means.

Claim 17

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 12 wherein said speaker circuit means includes a plurality of speakers connected in parallel, and capacitor means connected with said speakers for isolating said speakers from said d.c. supervisory signal while permitting normal operation of said speakers when said amplifier circuit means is connected with said speaker circuit means.

Claim 18

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 12 wherein said alarm signal generating means includes first and second alarm signal generators, said first alarm signal generator normally being operatively connected with said first amplifier and said second alarm signal generator normally being operatively connected with said second amplifier, and wherein said second control means operates in response to activation of said voice communication means to disable said first and second alarm signal generators and operatively connect said voice communication means both to said first and second amplifiers.

Claim 19

An alarm and emergency voice communication system comprising, in combination, alarm signal generating means, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means, speaker circuit means, said alarm signal generating means normally being connected with said amplifier circuit means, said speaker circuit means normally being disconnected from said amplifier circuit means, and said voice communication means when activated being connected with said amplifier circuit means, first control means responsive to initiation of an alarm for operatively connecting said amplifier circuit means and speaker circuit means thereby causing an alarm signal to be conducted to said speaker circuit, and second control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means and connected in overriding relation to said first control means for disabling said alarm signal generating means and operatively connecting said voice communication means with said amplifier circuit and speaker circuit thereby enabling voice signals to be conducted to said speaker circuit.

Claim 20

An alarm and emergency voice communication system comprising, in combination, alarm signal generating means, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means, speaker circuit means, said alarm signal generating means normally being connected with said amplifier circuit means, said speaker circuit means normally being disconnected from said amplifier circuit means, and said voice communication means when activated being connected with said amplifier circuit means, first control means responsive to initiation of an alarm for operatively connecting said amplifier circuit means and speaker circuit means thereby causing an alarm signal to be conducted to said speaker circuit, and second control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means and connected in overriding relation to said first control means for disabling said alarm signal generating means and operatively connecting said voice communication means with said amplifier circuit and speaker circuit thereby enabling voice signals to be conducted to said speaker circuit.

Claim 21

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 15 wherein said alarm signal generating means includes first and second alarm signal generators and said amplifier circuit means includes first and second alternate amplifiers, said first control means operatively connecting said first alarm signal generator with said first amplifier and said second alarm signal generator with said second amplifier, and said second controL means operatively connecting said voice communication means with both said first and second amplifiers.

Claim 22

An alarm and emergency voice communication system as defined in claim 16 wherein said first amplifier is normally connected in said speaker circuit means and said second amplifier is disconnected, and detector means responsive to a loss of output signal from said first amplifier for disconnecting the latter and connecting said second amplifier in said amplifier circuit means, and third control means responsive to activation of said voice communication means for disabling said detector means.

Claim 23

In an alarm and emergency voice communication system of the type having alarm signal generating means, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means and speaker circuit means, an improved d.c. supervisory circuit for detecting both an open and a shorted speaker circuit comprising, in combination, a d.c. supervisory circuit including a d.c. power source connected with a speaker circuit to be supervised, first voltage sensing means which blocks voltage signals less than a first predetermined voltage while conducting higher voltage signals, second voltage sensing means which blocks voltage signals less than a second predetermined voltage while conducting higher voltage signals, circuit means interconnecting said first and second voltage sensing means, means in said supervisory circuit operable in the absence of an open or shorted circuit for producing at said circuit means a normal voltage intermediate said first and second predetermined voltage whereby said normal voltage is blocked by said first sensing means and conducted by said second sensing means, first trouble circuit means connected with said first voltage sensing means for producing a trouble signal in response to a voltage signal conducted past said first voltage sensing means in the event of an open speaker circuit, and second trouble circuit means connected with said second voltage sensing means for producing a trouble signal in response to blockage of a voltage signal by said second voltage sensing means when a short occurs in said speaker circuit.

Claim 24

In an alarm and emergency voice communication system of the type having alarm signal generating means, voice communication means, amplifier circuit means and speaker circuit means, an improved d.c. supervisory circuit for detecting both an open and a shorted speaker circuit comprising, in combination, a d.c. supervisory circuit including a d.c. power source connected with a speaker circuit to be supervised, first voltage sensing means which blocks voltage signals less than a first predetermined voltage while conducting higher voltage signals, second voltage sensing means which blocks voltage signals less than a second predetermined voltage while conducting higher voltage signals, circuit means interconnecting said first and second voltage sensing means, means in said supervisory circuit operable in the absence of an open or shorted circuit for producing at said circuit means a normal voltage intermediate said first and second predetermined voltage whereby said normal voltage is blocked by said first sensing means and conducted by said second sensing means, first trouble circuit means connected with said first voltage sensing means for producing a trouble signal in response to a voltage signal conducted past said first voltage sensing means in the event of an open speaker circuit, and second trouble circuit means connected with said second voltage sensing means for producing a trouble signal in response to blockage of a voltage signal by said second voltage sensing means when a short occurs in said speaker circuit.