US 6,121,875 A · Monitoring and alerting system for buildings

Abstract

A system is disclosed for sensing selected conditions particularly adjacent to an unoccupied commercial business building and taking the appropriate action. Corrective action may include shutting down a system, sending a signal to an occupied location for evaluation of the selected abnormal condition, or making a record of the abnormal condition for rectification at a later time. The system includes one or more light level sensors including microcomputer controlled photocell units directed to observe the light level at selected locations and to transmit signals indicating sensed light values below a desired value, and includes a receiver receiving the transmitted signals and which responds to such signals to produce a correction signal. If the commercial establishment is a bank and the light level is at an ATM (automatic teller machine) the system may respond to the correction signal by temporarily shutting the ATM machine down and illuminating a sign to indicate that the ATM is not open. If the condition sensed is a different type of discrepancy, failure of heating, water leak detection or other emergency, the system includes a modem and telephone communications link to a human monitoring station for instantaneous alerting and to allow corrective action.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system for monitoring and responding to light levels below a predetermined level established by lights on or adjacent to a business installation to insure adequate consumer light level protection comprising:

light sensing means for sensing the light levels in the immediate area of said installation, said light sensing means including a photocell, a microcomputer having a clock connected to said photocell taking very short time samples of the photocell output and converting said samples into digital light value signals varying with said photocell outputs;
program means causing said microcomputer to:
a) establish a predetermined "darkness detect" light value;
b) respond to a predetermined number of light value samples showing a progressive increase in light values to produce a signal to turn said lights off;
c) respond to another predetermined number of light value samples showing a progressive increase in light values to produce a sunset detect light value reference;
d) following a predetermined time period to respond to the occurrence of a light value corresponding to the sunset detect light value reference to produce a signal to turn said lights on;
e) following a set time period after said lights on signal to sample light values to establish a night reference light value;
f) beginning with step b) repeating the above steps;
a receiver receiving said lights off and lights on signals;
and
means connected to said receiver and responsive to said lights on and lights off signals to produce output signals to turn said lights off and to turn said lights on.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Monitoring and alerting system for buildings

Life of this patent

Monitoring and alerting system for buildings

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17