Systems, methods, and apparatus for automatically disabling appliances in response to a smoke detector
AssigneeCrucs Holdings, LLC
InventorKevin M. Crucs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatus for automatically disabling an appliance. When a smoke detector/alarm is activated, a signal or message is sent to at least one safety device operatively coupled to at least one appliance. The appliance is disabled in response to receiving the signal or message. The systems, methods, and apparatus are based on the implicit assumption that, if a smoke detector/alarm is activated, the source of the smoke is likely due to a nearby appliance that is in use.
Claims23
A method of automatically disabling appliances, said method comprising:
- generating a unique interrupt signal within a smoke detector, wherein said unique interrupt signal identifies said smoke detector and is indicative of an alarm of said smoke detector being activated;
- sending said unique interrupt signal to a central computer;
- said central computer using said unique interrupt signal to correlate said smoke detector to a unique subset of a plurality of appliances;
- said central computer sending a message to one or more safety devices associated with said unique subset of a plurality of appliances in response to said correlating, wherein each of said one or more associated safety devices operatively couples a source of energy to said unique subset of a plurality of appliances;
- and
- each of said one or more associated safety devices automatically de-coupling a source of energy from said unique subset of a plurality of appliances in response to said message.
A system providing an automatic safety capability, said system comprising:
- a plurality of appliances;
- means for operatively coupling and decoupling a source of energy to each of said plurality of appliances;
- means for detecting smoke and generating a unique interrupt signal in response to detecting smoke, wherein said unique interrupt signal identifies said means for detecting smoke;
- means for receiving said unique interrupt signal, using said unique interrupt signal to correlate said means for detecting smoke to a subset of said plurality of appliances, and generating a message in response to receiving said unique interrupt signal, and;
- means for communicating said message to a subset of said means for operatively coupling and decoupling associated with said subset of appliances,
- wherein said subset of said means for operatively coupling and decoupling is configured to decouple a source of energy from each of said subset of appliances in response to said message.
An automated safety device, said safety device comprising:
- a two-state gas valve having a gas input port and a gas output port and capable of providing a flow state and a non-flow state;
- a switch operatively connected to said two-state gas valve to change said gas valve from said flow state to said non-flow state in response to a signal;
- and
- a communication interface and microcontroller operatively connected to said switch to receive a message from an external central computer and to provide said signal to said switch in response to said message, wherein said automated safety device is self-contained and is configured to operatively connect between an energy source and an appliance.
An automated safety device, said safety device comprising:
- an electrical on/off power switch having an electrical power input port and an electrical power output port and capable of switching from a conductive state to a non-conductive state in response to a signal;
- and
- a communication interface and microcontroller operatively connected to said electrical on/off power switch to receive a message from an external central computer and to provide said signal to said electrical on/off power switch in response to said message, wherein said automated safety device is self-contained and is configured to operatively connect between an energy source and an appliance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.