Intrusion alarm and emergency illumination apparatus and method

Claim 2

An intrusion alarm and emergency illumination apparatus comprising: an audible alarm; an illumination device; means for detecting sounds with waveforms having a relatively fast increase in amplitude as is associated with sharp noises such as pops, clicks, and the sounds of impact or breaking of wood, metal or glass and for producing an output signal in response thereto; and, circuit means for energizing said illumination device and sounding said audible alarm in response to said output signal.

Claim 5

In an audio-actuated switch for controlling current through an electrical device including an audio transducer and means for amplifying the output of said transducer to provide an output waveform used to trigger an electronic switch in response to sound, the improvement wherein the means for amplifying the output waveform of the transducer includes a digital band-pass amplifier comprising: an inverter; and, a feedback loop connected to said inverter having a capacitive element in parallel with a resistive element.

Claim 6

In an audio-actuated switch for controlling current through an electrical device including an audio transducer and means for amplifying the output of said transducer to provide an output waveform used to trigger an electronic switch in response to sound, the improvement wherein the means for amplifying the output waveform of the transducer includes a digital band-pass amplifier comprising: an inverter; and, a feedback loop connected to said inverter having a capacitive element in parallel with a resistive element.

Claim 7

In an audio-actuated switch for controlling current through an electrical device, which audio-actuated switch includes an audio transducer whose output waveform is amplified and an electronic switch triggered by said amplified waveform in response to sound, the improvement wherein said audio-actuated switch comprises means solely responsive to amplified transducer output waveforms having a relatively fast increase in amplitude as is associated with sharp noises such as pops, clicks, and the sounds of impact and breaking of wood, metal or glass.

Claim 8

In an audio-actuated switch for controlling current through an electrical device, which audio-actuated switch includes an audio transducer whose output waveform is amplified and an electronic switch triggered by said amplified waveform in response to sound, the improvement wherein said audio-actuated switch comprises means solely responsive to amplified transducer output waveforms having a relatively fast increase in amplitude as is associated with sharp noises such as pops, clicks, and the sounds of impact and breaking of wood, metal or glass.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said band-pass amplification means amplifies output waveforms of said transducer having frequencies within a band centered between 500 and 10,000 hertz.

Claim 12

An intrusion alarm and emergency illumination apparatus comprising: an audible alarm; an illumination device; an audio transducer for producing output waveforms in response to sounds; a band-pass amplifier to amplify output waveforms of said transducer; discriminating means for detecting amplified transducer output waveforms having a rapid rise time and for producing an output signal in response thereto; radio frequency detection means for detecting a remotely broadcasted, radio frequency alarm signal and for producing an output signal in response thereto; circuit means for energizing said illumination device during power outages, and for energizing said illumination device and activating said alarm in response to the output signal of said discriminating means or the output signal of said radio frequency detection means.

Claim 13

An intrusion alarm and emergency illumination apparatus comprising: an audible alarm; an illumination device; an audio transducer for producing output waveforms in response to sounds; a band-pass amplifier to amplify output waveforms of said transducer; discriminating means for detecting amplified transducer output waveforms having a rapid rise time and for producing an output signal in response thereto; radio frequency detection means for detecting a remotely broadcasted, radio frequency alarm signal and for producing an output signal in response thereto; circuit means for energizing said illumination device during power outages, and for energizing said illumination device and activating said alarm in response to the output signal of said discriminating means or the output signal of said radio frequency detection means.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said circuit means includes means for selectively disabling said audible alarm so that only said illumination device is energized in response to the output signal of said discriminating means or the output of said radio frequency detection means.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said circuit means is operative to deactivate said audible alarm and deenergize said illumination device after a preselected interval following activating of said audible alarm and the energizing of said illumination device in response to the output signal of said discriminating means.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said circuit means includes: a logic circuit including logic gates wired in the configuration of a monostable multivibrator; a first electronic switch for activating and deactivating said alarm in response to a switching output of said logic circuit; and, a second electronic switch for energizing and deenergizing said illumination device in response to a switching output of said logic circuit.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said circuit means further includes means for preventing activation of said alarm for a second preselectable time interval after the alarm system is enabled to detect audio signals.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said activation preventing means includes a first capacitor which reaches an alarm enabling voltage after the second preselectable interval; and, wherein said logic circuit includes: a second capacitor which reaches an alarm deactivating voltage after the alarm has been activated for the first-recited preselectable interval, and a first logic gate producing a switching output in response to the voltages on said capacitors.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said logic gate is a NAND gate with a first input terminal connected to said first capacitor and a second input terminal connected to said second capacitor; and wherein said circuit means includes a second logic gate for producing a switching output for energizing said illumination device in response to either the output signal of said discriminating means or a power outage.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said logic gate is a NAND gate with a first input terminal connected to said first capacitor and a second input terminal connected to said second capacitor; and wherein said circuit means includes a second logic gate for producing a switching output for energizing said illumination device in response to either the output signal of said discriminating means or a power outage.

Claim 21

An intrusion alarm apparatus comprising: detecting means for producing an output signal in response to an audio signal; an audible alarm; and, circuit means for activating said alarm in response to the output signal of said detecting means and for deactivating said alarm after a preselected interval following activation of said alarm comprising: a logic circuit including logic gates wired in the configuration of a monostable multivibrator, and an electronic switch for activating and deactivating said alarm in response to a switching output of said logic circuit.

Claim 22

An intrusion alarm apparatus comprising: detecting means for producing an output signal in response to an audio signal; an audible alarm; and, circuit means for activating said alarm in response to the output signal of said detecting means and for deactivating said alarm after a preselected interval following activation of said alarm comprising: a logic circuit including logic gates wired in the configuration of a monostable multivibrator, and an electronic switch for activating and deactivating said alarm in response to a switching output of said logic circuit.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said circuit means further comprises means for preventing activation of said alarm for a second preselectable interval after the alarm system is enabled to detect audio signals.

Claim 24

An intrusion alarm apparatus comprising: detecting means for producing an output signal in response to an audio signal; an audible alarm; circuit means for activating said alarm in response to the output signal of said detecting means and for deactivating said alarm after a first preselected interval following activation of said alarm comprising: a logic circuit including logic dates wired in the configuration of a monostable multivibrator, and an electronic switch for activating and deactivating said alarm in response to a switching output of said logic circuit; said circuit means further comprising means for preventing activation of said alarm system for a second preselectable interval after the alarm system is enabled to detect audio signals and including a first capacitor which reaches an alarm enabling voltage after the alarm system has been enabled for the second predistable interval, and wherein said logic circuit further comprises: a second capacitor which reaches an alarm deactivating voltage after the alarm has been activated for the said first preselected interval, and a logic gate producing a switching output in response to the voltages on said capacitor.

Claim 25

An intrusion alarm apparatus comprising: detecting means for producing an output signal in response to an audio signal; an audible alarm; circuit means for activating said alarm in response to the output signal of said detecting means and for deactivating said alarm after a first preselected interval following activation of said alarm comprising: a logic circuit including logic dates wired in the configuration of a monostable multivibrator, and an electronic switch for activating and deactivating said alarm in response to a switching output of said logic circuit; said circuit means further comprising means for preventing activation of said alarm system for a second preselectable interval after the alarm system is enabled to detect audio signals and including a first capacitor which reaches an alarm enabling voltage after the alarm system has been enabled for the second predistable interval, and wherein said logic circuit further comprises: a second capacitor which reaches an alarm deactivating voltage after the alarm has been activated for the said first preselected interval, and a logic gate producing a switching output in response to the voltages on said capacitor.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said logic gate is a NAND gate with a first input terminal connected to said first capacitor and a second input terminal connected to said second capacitor; and, wherein said first-recited preselectable interval is determined by selecting an impedance through which said second capacitor is charged in response to the output signal of said detecting means.