Method and apparatus for providing graduated annunciation of an impending alarm in a security system
View Patent ↗A method of operating a security system includes sensing a security breach, and providing an indication to a user that an alarm signal will be issued in response to the sensing of the security breach. The indication perceptibly changes with time.
1. A method of operating a security system, said method comprising the steps of:
sensing a security breach; and
providing an indication to a user that an alarm signal will be issued in response to said sensing step, the indication perceptibly changing with time.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication comprises a visual indication.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the visual indication comprises a spatial representation of at least one of:
a period of time elapsed since said sensing step; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the changing of the indication comprises a changing of a color of the visual indication.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication comprises an audio indication.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the audio indication includes spoken words beginning at least one of:
a period of time after said sensing step; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the audio indication includes a sound pulse beginning at least one of:
a period of time after said sensing step; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating an alarm in response to the sensing step unless the user aborts the activating step within a predetermined period of time after the sensing step occurs.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the indication is provided to the user during the predetermined period of time to alert the user of the need to abort the alarm activating step.
10. A security system comprising:
a sensor configured to sense a security breach and transmit a detection signal dependent thereon; and
an indicating device configured to provide an indication to a user that an alarm signal will be issued in response to the detection signal, the indication perceptibly changing with time.
11. The security system of claim 10 wherein the indication comprises a visual indication.
12. The security system of claim 11 wherein the visual indication comprises a spatial representation of at least one of:
a period of time elapsed since the sensing of the security breach; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
13. The security system of claim 11 wherein the changing of the indication comprises a changing of a color of the visual indication.
14. The security system of claim 10 wherein the indication comprises an audio indication.
15. The security system of claim 14 wherein the audio indication includes spoken words beginning at least one of:
a period of time after the sensing of the security breach; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
16. The security system of claim 14 wherein the audio indication includes a sound pulse beginning at least one of:
a period of time after the sensing of the security breach; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
17. The system of claim 10 further comprising:
a controller configured to receive the detection signal from the sensor, the controller being configured to issue the alarm signal after a predetermined time delay period from receipt of the detection signal; and
a user interface to permit the user to abort the alarm signal within the predetermined time delay period.
18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a wireless sensor network hub to provide communication between the controller and sensor.
19. The system of claim 17 wherein the controller includes a telephone interface to send the alarm signal to a central station receiver.
20. The system of claim 17 wherein the indicating device provides the indication to the user during the predetermined time delay period to alert the user of the need to abort the issuance of the alarm signal.
21. The system of claim 17 wherein the user interface is configured to receive at least one of a passcode entered by the user and an input from an identification token located near the interface to abort the alarm signal within the predetermined time delay period.
22. A method of operating a security system, said method comprising the steps of:
sensing a security breach; and
providing an indication to a user that an alarm signal will be issued in response to said sensing step, the indication perceptibly changing with time to thereby indicate to the user at least one of:
a period of time elapsed since said sensing step; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the indication comprises a visual indication.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the visual indication comprises a spatial representation of at least one of:
a period of time elapsed since said sensing step; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
25. The method of claim 23 wherein the changing of the indication comprises a changing of a color of the visual indication.
26. The method of claim 22 wherein the indication comprises an audio indication.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein the audio indication includes spoken words beginning at least one of:
a period of time after said sensing step; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.
28. The method of claim 26 wherein the audio indication includes a sound pulse beginning at least one of:
a period of time after said sensing step; and
a period of time before the alarm signal will be issued.