Non-addressable dual notification appliance
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a non-addressable notification appliance having multiple (e.g., dual) visual alarms such as strobes for notifying individuals of different types of detected events. For example, the notification appliance of the present invention could have a first strobe for indicating a fire, and a second strobe for providing mass notification of a different emergency such as a terrorist threat or attack. In one embodiment, the visual alarms could be colored differently from one another (e.g., clear and amber). In a typical embodiment, the dual notification appliance could be one of many non-addressable dual notification appliances utilized in a single alarm system that are controlled by a system controller.
1. A non-addressable dual notification appliance, comprising:
at least two visual notification indicators;
microcontroller and communications decoder configured to receive a control signal from a system controller, and which, responsive to a first received control signal having a first pattern, activates a first of the at least two visual notification indicators, and further which, responsive to a second received control signal having a second pattern distinct from the first pattern, activates a second of the at least two visual notification indicators; and
wherein the microcontroller and communications decoder are housed within a same structural unit of the non-addressable dual notification appliance comprising the at least two visual notification indicators.
2. The non-addressable dual notification appliance of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two visual notification indicators provides a visual indication of a distinct detected event.
3. The non-addressable dual notification appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least two visual notification indicators are strobes.
4. The non-addressable dual notification appliance of claim 3 , further comprising an audible notification device that is activated simultaneously with any of the strobes.
5. The non-addressable dual notification appliance of claim 1 , further comprising at least one audible notification indicator.
6. The non-addressable dual notification appliance of claim 1 , where the control signal and a power signal utilize a common line.
7. The non-addressable dual notification appliance of claim 1 , each of the at least two visual notification indicators being associated with a distinct detected event.
8. An alarm system, comprising:
a plurality of non-addressable notification appliances, each non-addressable notification appliance including:
at least two visual notification indicators; and
microcontroller and communications decoder configured to receive a control signal from a system controller, and which, responsive to a first received control signal having a first pattern, activates a first of the at least two visual notification indicators, and further which, responsive to a second received control signal having a second pattern distinct from the first pattern, activates a second of the at least two visual notification indicators; and
wherein the microcontroller and communications decoder are housed within a same structural unit of the non-addressable dual notification appliance comprising the at least two visual notification indicators.
9. The alarm system of claim 8 , wherein each of the at least two visual notification indicators is associated with a distinct detected event.
10. The alarm system of claim 8 , wherein the at least two visual notification indicators are strobes.
11. The alarm system of claim 10 , further comprising an audible notification device that is activated simultaneously with any of the strobes.
12. The alarm system of claim 8 , each non-addressable notification appliance further including at least two audible notification indicators.
13. The alarm system of claim 8 , where the control signal and a power signal utilize a common line.
14. The alarm system of claim 8 , each of the at least two visual notification indicators being configured to provide a unique indication of a different detected event.
15. An alarm method, comprising:
receiving a control message from a system controller at a communications decoder operating with a microcontroller located within a non-addressable notification appliance, the control message corresponding to a detected event; and
activating one of a plurality of visual notification indicators of the non-addressable notification appliance based on a type of the detected event, wherein responsive to a first type of detected event, a first one of the plurality of visual notification indicators is activated, and further which, responsive to a second type of detected event, a second of the plurality of visual notification indicators is activated; and
wherein the microcontroller and communications decoder are housed within a same structural unit of the non-addressable dual notification appliance comprising the plurality of visual notification indicators.
16. The alarm method of claim 15 , the communications decoder interpreting the control message to determine the type of the detected event, and providing a notification signal to a control unit to activate to a specific one of the plurality of visual notification indicators based on the type.
17. The alarm method of claim 15 , the control message comprising a voltage drop.
18. The alarm method of claim 15 , the plurality of visual notification indicators comprising a plurality of strobes.
19. The alarm method of claim 18 , the plurality of strobes having different colors.