Programmable alarm system having proximity detection with vocal alarm and reporting features

A vocal alarm system comprising:

• a housing having a control module therein, said control module including processing means for controlling the operation of said system, said processing means including means for generating a first vocal warning upon the initial detection of a body mass within the prescribed distance from said proximity detector, and means for generating a second vocal warning in the event the body mass is sensed as still remaining within the prescribed distance from said proximity detector at the conclusion of a prescribed time period subsequent to the generation of said first vocal warning;
• a proximity detector coupled to said control module, said proximity detector having means for detecting the presence of a body mass within a prescribed distance of said detector;
• at least one sensor electronically coupled to said control module and physically coupled to said housing, said at least one sensor having means for sensing an unauthorized entry event associated with said housing;
• and
• alarm means for generating a vocal warning in response to a detection by said proximity detector of a body mass that has moved within the prescribed distance of said proximity detector, and for generating a vocal alarm in response to a detection by said sensor of an unauthorized entry event.

A method of operating an alarm system, said alarm system including a proximity detector for detecting the presence of a body mass within a prescribed distance thereof, and a tamper sensor for sensing the occurrence of an unauthorized tamper event associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring the proximity detector to determine if a body mass has entered within said prescribed distance;
• (b) issuing a first vocal warning in the event that the monitoring of step (a) indicates that a body mass has entered within the prescribed distance;
• (c) monitoring the tamper sensor to determine if an unauthorized tamper event has occurred;
• (d) triggering an audible alarm in the event that the monitoring of step (c) indicates that an unauthorized tamper event has occurred;
• and
• (e) triggering said audible alarm in the event that the proximity sensor indicates that the body mass remains within the prescribed distance at the conclusion of a prescribed time period subsequent to the issuance of the vocal warning of step (b) regardless of whether the tamper sensor indicates a tamper event has occurred.

The method of operating an alarm system, said alarm system including a proximity detector for detecting the presence of a body mass within a prescribed distance thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring the proximity detector to determine if a body mass has entered within said prescribed distance;
• (b) issuing a first vocal warning in the event that the monitoring of step (a) indicates that a body mass has entered within the prescribed distance;
• (c) issuing a second vocal warning in the event that the monitoring of step (a) indicates that the body mass remains within the prescribed distance at the conclusion of a prescribed time period subsequent to the issuance of the vocal warning of step (b);
• and
• (d) triggering an audible alarm in the event that the monitoring of step (a) indicates that the body mass remains within the prescribed distance at the conclusion of a second prescribed time period subsequent to the issuance of the vocal warning of step (c).

An improved alarm system, said alarm system including a proximity detector for detecting the presence of a body mass within a prescribed distance thereof, and synthetic speech means for issuing a vocal alarm, the improvement comprising:

• (a) means for monitoring the proximity detector to determine if a body mass has entered within said prescribed distance;
• (b) means for issuing a first vocal warning with said synthetic speech means in the event that the monitoring means determines that a body mass has entered within the prescribed distance;
• and
• (c) means for triggering an audible alarm with said synthetic speech means in the event that the monitoring means determines that the body mass remains within the prescribed distance at the conclusion of a prescribed time period subsequent to the issuance of the first vocal warning.