Central station alarm

Abstract

A plurality of remotely located transponder units each communicate with a central station unit to provide a full array of alarm and status signals to the central station. The transponder units are capable of remotely addressing the central station unit directly, without the need for human intervention at the central station, to alter subscriber opening and closing times, passwords, and other system parameters. The transponder also permits defective zones to be shunted either from the central station or locally pending repair, testing and status checks.

We claim: 
     
       1. An alarm apparatus operating within a predetermined set of operating parameters comprising first input means adapted to receive at least one signal representative of the status of an alarm sensor,   second input means for entering changes to said operating parameters other than actuating or deactuating said alarm apparatus,   sequencing means responsive to said first and second input means for generating signals representative of the status of at least one alarm sensor and the changes received from said second input means, and   transmitting means for communicating to a central alarm station the status of the at least one alarm sensor together with the changes to system operating parameters.   
     
     
       2. A method for communicating a change in system operating parameters, other than actuating or deactuating the subscriber system, in a subscriber system of a central station alarm system .Iadd.capable of transmitting alarm inputs .Iaddend.comprising the steps of entering in the subscriber system a change in said system operating parameters other than actuating or deactuating the subscriber system,   transmitting the change in system operating parameters to the central station in the same manner as is used to transmit alarm inputs, and   altering the system operating parameters stored in the central station to correspond to the changes entered in the subscriber system without action by an operator of the central station.   
     
     
       3. The alarm apparatus of claim 1 wherein said alarm apparatus is adapted for use in a central station alarm system and further including means for identifying .[.the.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.individual entering changes to said operating parameters.   
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2 further including the step of automatically identifying at the central station .[.the.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.individual entering in the subscriber system changes in system operating parameters.   
     
     
       5. An alarm apparatus having a predetermined set of operating parameters for remote use in a central station alarm system and adapted for bidirectional .Iadd.non-voice .Iaddend.communication with a .[.central station.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.unit.Iadd., said alarm apparatus .Iaddend.comprising .Iadd.one or more second units having .Iaddend. first input means responsive to signals from said .[.central station.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.unit,   second input means adapted to receive at least one signal representative of .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.status of an alarm sensor,   third input means for entering signals to alter at least some of said operating parameters .Iadd.other than actuating or deactuating said second unit.Iaddend., and   output means .[.adapted for communicating.]. .Iadd.operable to communicate .Iaddend.to said .[.central station.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.unit the status of said alarm sensor and said signals from said third input means.     
     
     
       6. A central station alarm system comprising a first unit, .Iadd.and .Iaddend.   a plurality of remotely located second units adapted for bidirectional .Iadd.non-voice .Iaddend.communication with said first unit and each of said second units having a predetermined set of operating parameters, first input means adapted to receive at least one signal representative of .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.status of an alarm sensor, second input means adapted to receive signals from said first unit, third input means for entering changes in said operating parameters .Iadd.other than actuating or deactuating said second unit.Iaddend., first processing means for altering said operating parameters in response to signals received from said second and third input means, and output means .[.for supplying.]. .Iadd.operable to supply .Iaddend.to said first unit the status of said first input means and said operating parameters in response to an inquiry from said first unit.   
     
     
       7. The alarm system of .[.either.]. claim .[.5 or.]. 6 wherein at least one of said second units includes alarm means for indicating the status of said first input means even when communications .[.with.]. .Iadd.between said second units and .Iaddend.said first unit are disabled. 
     
     
       8. The alarm system .[.of either.]. of .[.claims 5 or.]. .Iadd.claim .Iaddend.6 wherein said first input means is adapted to receive signals representative of the status of a plurality of alarm inputs. 
     
     
       9. The alarm system of claim 8 wherein the operating parameters of said second units include indicia capable of disabling at least a portion of said first input means to mask at least one of said signals representative of the status of said alarm inputs. 
     
     
       10. The alarm system of claim 9 wherein said first unit includes means for altering said operating parameters of each of said second units. 
     
     
       11. The alarm system of claim 8 wherein said second unit is responsive to signals from said first unit to actuate said second unit in the event .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.user of said second unit fails to timely actuate said second unit. 
     
     
       12. An alarm apparatus having a predetermined set of operating parameters, and adapted for bidirectional .Iadd.non-voice .Iaddend.communication with a central station unit, comprising first input means responsive to at least one signal representative of .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.status of an alarm sensor,   keyboard means for entering indicia to identify each user of the alarm apparatus and for entering changes to said operating parameters, and   output means .[.for communicating.]. .Iadd.operable to communicate .Iaddend.to said central station .Iadd.unit .Iaddend.said .[.identifying.]. indicia each time any of said operating parameters is changed.   
     
     
       13. The alarm system of claim 8 wherein said second unit is responsive to signals from said first unit to monitor signals received by said first input means representative of said plurality of alarm inputs. 
     
     
       14. The alarm system of claim 8 wherein one of said operating parameters is a normal closing time at which the alarm system is activated, and .[.said alarm.]. .Iadd.an alerting .Iaddend.means of said second unit is actuated to remind .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.user .Iadd.at one of said second units .Iaddend.of the normal closing time. 
     
     
       15. The alarm system of claim 9 wherein each .[.of said disabled.]. alarm .[.inputs.]. .Iadd.input disabled subsequent to an opening time of the alarm system .Iaddend.is returned to an enabled state at the next .[.subsequent.]. opening time .[.of the alarm system.].. 
     
     
       16. A method for transmitting updated information in a central station alarm system from a remotely located unit to .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.central station unit comprising the steps of storing information representative of at least one alarm input,   entering first indicia representative of a .Iadd.specific .Iaddend.user of the remotely located unit without voice communication between said central station unit and said remotely located unit,   entering second indicia representative of a change in operating parameters of the remotely located unit,   transmitting at least said first indicia to the central station unit, and   entering said change in operating parameters only if the user represented by said first indicia is authorized to make changes in the operating parameters of the system.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16 further including the steps of transmitting said second indicia to the central station unit, and   entering the change represented by said second indicia only if the user represented by said first indicia is authorized to change the operating parameters of the remotely located unit in the manner indicated by said second indicia.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 16 further including the step of entering a third indicia in place of said first indicia to indicate an emergency, without voice communication between said remotely located unit and said central station unit.   
     
     
       19. A central station alarm system comprising a .[.primary.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.unit, and   a plurality of .[.secondary.]. .Iadd.second .Iaddend.units for bidirectional non-voice communication with said first unit having a predetermined set of operating parameters, keyboard means for entering indicia representative of .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.user of the .[.secondary.].  .Iadd.second .Iaddend.unit and changes in said operating parameters, and transmitter means for providing to said .[.primary.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.unit said indicia representative of the user of the .[.secondary.]. .Iadd.second .Iaddend.unit and changes in said operating parameters without voice communication between said user and an operator of the .[.primary.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.unit.   
     
     
       20. A central station alarm system comprising a first unit, and   at least one remotely located second unit adapted for communication with said first unit, said second unit having first input means adapted to receive at least one signal representative of .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.status of an alarm sensor, and second input means adapted to receive a signal representative of a test situation, and output means for supplying to said first unit the status of said alarm .[.input.]. .Iadd.sensor .Iaddend.coupled with said signal representative of a test situation to cause said first unit to recognize alarm signals from said first input means as a test without voice communication between .[.the.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.operator of said first unit and .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.user .Iadd.of said second unit.Iaddend..   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 16 further including the step of supplying to the remotely located unit from the central station unit at least some of said first indicia in the event the first indicia has been lost or destroyed at the remotely located unit.