Supervised paging, messaging background music and emergency voice evacuation system
The present invention generally discloses a supervised paging, messaging background music and emergency voice evacuation system. In one embodiment, the system comprises at least one telephone zone controller and at least one telephone zone paging speaker splitter or addressable paging splitter. Specifically, telephone zone controller acts as a controlling authority for the routing and playback of audio in selectable zones. In cooperation with the telephone zone controller, the telephone zone paging speaker splitter is an addressable device that is capable of splitting an audio signal in different manners, e.g., in Class A mode or in Class B mode. The present system provides addressable functions that are not found in existing supervised paging, messaging background music and emergency voice evacuation system.
1. A notification system, comprising:
a telephone zone controller; and
at least one addressable splitter for communication with said telephone zone controller and for routing a received audio signal to at least one zone supported by said at least one addressable splitter, wherein the at least one addressable splitter comprises a plurality of addressable splitters that are each assigned a virtual address and a non-broadcast command is issued to one or more of the plurality of addressable splitters via a respective virtual address.
2. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein said telephone zone controller and said at least one addressable splitter are in a master/slave configuration.
3. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one addressable splitter supports a plurality of zones, wherein each one of said plurality of zones comprises one or more notification appliances.
4. The notification system of claim 3 , wherein said one or more notification appliances comprise at least one of: an audible notification appliance or a visible notification appliance.
5. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein at least one addressable splitter comprises a plurality of addressable splitters deployed in a daisy chain configuration.
6. The notification system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one addressable splitter controls a plurality of different zones.
7. The notification system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a multi-function emergency voice evacuation system for receiving an audio signal from said telephone zone controller, for amplifying said audio signal to provide said received audio signal, and for forwarding said received audio signal to said at least one addressable splitter.
8. The notification system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more audio boosters in communication with said at least one addressable splitter.
9. A method for providing one or more addressable functions in a notification system, comprising:
providing a telephone zone controller; and
providing at least one addressable splitter for communication with said telephone zone controller and for routing a received audio signal to at least one zone supported by said at least one addressable splitter; and
issuing at least one of: a broadcast command or a non-broadcast command to said at least one addressable splitter, wherein said issuing said non-broadcast command comprises:
assigning a virtual address to each one of a plurality of addressable splitters; and
issuing said non-broadcast command to one or more of said plurality of addressable splitters via a respective virtual address.
10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:
configuring said telephone zone controller and said at least one addressable splitter in a master/slave configuration.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said broadcast command is issued to each one of said at least one addressable splitter.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
initializing said notification system, wherein initializing comprises:
powering up each one of said at least one splitter first;
powering up said telephone zone controller; and
transmitting at least one configuration message from said telephone zone controller to each one of said at least one splitter.
13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving a received audio signal at said at least one addressable splitter;
splitting said received audio signal into a plurality of audio signals at said at least one addressable splitter, wherein each one of said plurality of audio signals is intended for a respective zone of a plurality of zones controlled by said at least one addressable splitter; and
routing said plurality of audio signals to said respective zone via said at least one addressable splitter.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
periodically transmitting a heartbeat signal from said telephone zone controller to said at least one addressable splitter; and
transmitting status information from said at least one addressable splitter to said telephone zone controller in response to said heartbeat signal.
15. A notification system, comprising:
a telephone zone controller;
at least one addressable splitter for communication with said telephone zone controller and for routing a received audio signal to at least one zone supported by said at least one addressable splitter, wherein the at least one addressable splitter comprises a plurality of addressable splitters that are each assigned a virtual address and a non-broadcast command is issued to one or more of the plurality of addressable splitters via a respective virtual address; and
at least one computer in communication with said telephone zone controller.
16. The notification system of claim 15 , wherein said computer provides an interface for programming one or more logical zones.
17. The notification system of claim 15 , wherein said computer provides an interface for programming one or more background music zones.
18. The notification system of claim 15 , wherein said computer provides a graphical user interface (GUI).