Non-contact sensor for security systems
A security system includes a sensor configured to detect a distance to an object along a direction in an area; an alarm panel in communication with the sensor; at least one of the sensor and the alarm panel configured to determine a state of the object in response to the distance to the object along the direction.
1. A security system comprising:
a sensor configured to detect a distance to an object along a direction in an area, the sensor mounted in a fixed location in the area;
an alarm panel in communication with the sensor;
at least one of the sensor and the alarm panel configured to determine a state of the object in response to the distance to the object along the direction.
2. The security system of claim 1 wherein:
the alarm panel is configured to generate an alert in response to the state of the object.
3. The security system of claim 1 wherein:
at least one of the sensor and the alarm panel stores provisioning data for each object in the area.
4. The security system of claim 3 wherein:
the provisioning data includes an object identifier, a distance to the object, a direction to the object and state data for the object.
5. The security system of claim 4 wherein:
the state data comprises a first state and a first distance corresponding to the first state and a second state and a second distance corresponding to the second state.
6. The security system of claim 1 wherein:
at least one of the sensor and the alarm panel is configured to transmit an alert message over a network in response to the state of the object.
7. The security system of claim 1 wherein:
the object is a door and the state is at least one of open, closed and partially open.
8. A method comprising:
detecting a distance to an object along a direction in an area using a sensor mounted in a fixed location in the area;
receiving the distance to the object along the direction;
determining a state of the object in response to the distance to the object along the direction.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
generating an alert in response to the state of the object.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
storing provisioning data for each object in the area.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein:
the provisioning data includes an object identifier, a direction to the object and state data for the object.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein:
the state data comprises a first state and a first distance corresponding to the first state and a second state and a second distance corresponding to the second state.
13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
transmitting a message in response to the state of the object.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein:
the object is a door and the state is at least one of open, closed and partially open.
15. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a di stance to an object along a direction in an area from a sensor mounted in a fixed location in the area;
determining a state of the object in response to the distance to the object along the direction.
16. A security system comprising:
a sensor configured to detect a distance to each one of a plurality of objects in an area;
an alarm panel in communication with the sensor;
at least one of the sensor and the alarm panel configured to determine a state of each of the plurality of objects in response to distance to the object.