Patent · US Expired

Telephone monitoring and alarm device

US5923731A · kind A · utility

119Cited by
30References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 30, 1997
Grant dateJul 13, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 30, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M11/04
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A telephone monitoring and alarm apparatus which has a telephone line sensing means which determines whether an incoming telephone line is cut or busy and alerts a user as to the status of the telephone line. Other sensing means detect the presence of fire, smoke, water, or other designated conditions and transmits a representative alarm signal to the apparatus. Upon receipt of an alarm indication from one of the sensing means or a line cut/line busy condition from the telephone line sensing means, a processing means disconnects the telephone extensions at the location from the incoming telephone line, and executes a predetermined response. This response can be visual alarms, audio alarms or dialing a predetermined telephone number and transmitting a predetermined alarm message. The apparatus can be programmed as to which telephone numbers to call and messages to send. Additionally, each apparatus has a unique programmable security address thereby preventing activation of the apparatus based upon another alarm condition at a near-by location. The alerting features of the apparatus can be manually activated by a telephone extension or a pendant.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.