Leigh A Laughlin

US Patent:

56916990, Nov 25, 1997

Filed:

Feb 8, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/598300

Inventors:

Burton Warner Vane - Fairport NY
Leigh Austin Laughlin - Fairport NY

Assignee:

Detection Systems, Inc. - Fairport NY

International Classification:

G08B 1712

US Classification:

340578

Abstract:

A security detector including an optical emitter and a controller for determining detector specific values of predetermined parameters and operating the emitter to transmit a code representing the values. The controller periodically initiates test cycles of the detector, determines the detector specific values, and operates the emitter to transmit a bit stream including an alpha-numeric code representing the values. For a smoke detector, the parameters include atmospheric density, information for determining detector sensitivity and alarm threshold. The emitted radiation is in the visible spectrum and the controller operates the emitter to transmit one code at rates perceptible to humans and another code imperceptible to humans. The imperceptible code provides machine readable information as bytes of alpha-numeric characters. Other features include a method and an optical reader for decoding and displaying the transmitted data.