Door alarm system and method for controlling it
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BUCHHALTER THOMAS
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing door alarm systems require active arming and disarming, leading to a high risk of false alarms and operational errors, especially for inexperienced users.
A door alarm system equipped with a proximity sensor that automatically disarms when a person approaches the door from the inside and a door opening sensor that automatically arms when the door is closed, combined with a radio receiver for authorized disarming from outside.
Eliminates the need for manual arming and disarming, reducing the risk of false alarms and ensuring reliable security with minimal user effort.
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a door alarm system with a housing that can be attached to the inside of a door, comprising an alarm device, an arming / disarming device and a door opening sensor, wherein the arming / disarming device includes a radio receiver with at least one associated portable transmitter to disarm the arming / disarming device via a corresponding radio signal.
[0002] The invention further relates to a method for controlling a door alarm system which is arranged on the inside of a door and comprises an alarm device, an arming / disarming device and a door opening sensor, wherein the arming / disarming device is disarmed via a corresponding radio signal with at least one radio receiver and at least one associated portable transmitter.
[0003] Door alarm systems of the type mentioned above are known and are used as part of initial installation as well as for retrofitting house and apartment doors to secure them against unauthorized opening, for example in the case of an attempted break-in.
[0004] Such a door alarm system is typically mounted on the inside, i.e., facing the interior of the house or apartment, on or next to the entrance door. The housing is placed, for example, in a corresponding recess in the door leaf or securely attached to the door or its frame, e.g., by gluing. After arming / disarming the system, for example, when leaving the apartment, the door alarm system monitors the entrance door using the door opening sensor and, when armed, triggers an alarm via the alarm device as soon as the entrance door is opened. To prevent the entrance door from being opened without triggering an alarm, e.g.,To enable authorized persons to open the door upon their return, one or more portable transmitters are provided for authorized persons, which send a corresponding radio signal to the radio receiver in order to disarm the arming / disarming device before, during or within a short predetermined period of time after the door is opened and to prevent the alarm from being triggered.
[0005] A disadvantage of the previously known door alarm systems of the type mentioned above is that they must always be actively armed and disarmed to fulfill their monitoring and alarm functions. A user must therefore always remember to arm the door alarm system when leaving the house or apartment. On the other hand, an armed door alarm system carries the risk of false alarms, for example, if the system is not disarmed before the door is opened upon returning. The additional procedures required for arming and disarming pose a high risk of error and an undesirably high operating effort, especially for untrained or inexperienced individuals.
[0006] The object of the invention is to propose a door alarm system and a method for controlling a door alarm system which overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and provide a door alarm system that is particularly easy and reliable to operate with high security.
[0007] To solve the stated problem, the invention proposes the design of a door alarm system according to the features of claim 1. A method according to the invention for solving the stated problem is the subject of claim 8.
[0008] Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.
[0009] According to the invention, a door alarm system is proposed in which the arming / disarming device includes a proximity sensor for detecting a person approaching the housing and is configured such that the arming / disarming device can be disarmed when a person is detected.
[0010] Since the door alarm system according to the invention is mounted on the inside of the door to be monitored, the door alarm system can be armed in its default state even if a person is in the secured apartment. Opening the door from the inside reliably does not trigger an alarm, as opening the door from the inside always requires a person to approach the door from the inside. This authorized approach by the person prior to opening the door is reliably detected by the proximity sensor provided according to the invention, which then immediately disarms the arming / disarming device of the door alarm system according to the invention. False alarms due to operator error are therefore impossible.
[0011] Regardless of the aforementioned internal arming / disarming of the alarm system, when the monitored door is approached from the outside, the arming / disarming device of the door alarm system is disarmed in the usual manner by means of a radio signal from the portable transmitter to the radio receiver, in order to be able to open the door without triggering an alarm.
[0012] According to one proposal of the invention, the proximity sensor is formed by a pyroelectric sensor, in particular a passive infrared motion sensor (PIR sensor), which is used in building technology, e.g. as a motion sensor, in a variety of proven applications.
[0013] To further enhance operational safety and ease of use, it is proposed that the arming / disarming device be configured such that it can be armed when the door opening sensor detects a closed door. This ensures that the door opening sensor automatically and immediately arms the door alarm system according to the invention as soon as the monitored door is closed or closed again. It is therefore unnecessary, and cannot be forgotten, to arm the door alarm system according to the invention to achieve its safety function. A door alarm system that has been disarmed, for example, by the proximity sensor or the radio receiver, is automatically rearmed as soon as the monitored door is closed again.
[0014] According to a further aspect of the invention, the radio receiver is configured such that it can be switched on when the door opening sensor detects an open door. In this way, the radio receiver, as a component of the door alarm system according to the invention, can be operated with significantly reduced energy consumption, since it is only activated when the door opening sensor detects a door opening and, at that moment, the receiver's function is required to receive a radio signal from the transmitter and disarm the system accordingly. Such a design is particularly advantageous when the door alarm system according to the invention is retrofitted to a door to be monitored and, for this purpose, has batteries integrated into the housing for operating voltage supply.
[0015] Similarly, the at least one transmitter, which can be carried on a key ring by authorized persons, for example, can be equipped with a motion sensor to extend the operating time of an integrated battery. This sensor activates the transmitter when it detects movement and deactivates the transmission function when idle, for example, when the key ring is not in use, in order to conserve battery power. If an authorized person approaches from the outside and unlocks the monitored door, the transmitter is activated during this process. As soon as the door opens, the radio receiver is also activated, controlled by the door opening sensor, receives the radio signal from the transmitter, and disarms the arming / disarming device of the door alarm system according to the invention.
[0016] This process can be supported by ensuring that a short, defined period of, for example, up to 2 seconds remains between the door opening and the alarm being triggered, within which the activation of the radio receiver and the disarming can be carried out without triggering an alarm.
[0017] The radio signal transmitted between the at least one transmitter and the radio receiver can, for example, be subject to the Bluetooth radio protocol.
[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, the door opening sensor can be designed as a magnetic field sensor and interact with an associated magnet. If the door alarm system according to the invention is mounted on the inside of the door leaf, the associated magnet is attached to the door frame in a suitable position, where it is in close proximity to the door alarm system when the door is closed. For example, such a magnet can be self-adhesive. As soon as the door is opened, the magnetic flux changes due to the increasing distance to the door alarm system, which the door opening sensor in the housing of the door alarm system according to the invention can reliably detect.
[0019] It is understood that the reverse arrangement can also be provided within the scope of the invention, i.e. the door alarm system is fixedly attached to the door frame and the magnet is attached adjacent to it on the door leaf.
[0020] As an alarm device, the door alarm system according to the invention can include a siren, as is known per se, which emits a clearly audible acoustic alarm signal in the event of an alarm being triggered. Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, it can also have an interface to a smart home system or a home automation system and, in addition to alarm notifications, transmit status messages from the door alarm system, such as arming or disarming, door open or closed, and the battery status, to the system or be integrated into a smart home environment. A GSM interface can also be provided for calling and notifying designated persons or organizations in the event of an alarm.
[0021] In addition to the door opening sensor, the door alarm system according to the invention can also have other sensors, e.g. vibration sensors, in order to reliably detect and sound an alarm in the armed state in the event of a break-in attempt.
[0022] The inventive method for controlling a door alarm system is based on the fact that the door alarm system is arranged on the inside of a door to be monitored and has an alarm device, an arming / disarming device and a door opening sensor, wherein the arming / disarming device is disarmed via a corresponding radio signal with at least one radio receiver and at least one associated portable transmitter.
[0023] To enable automatic and self-disarming of the door alarm system from the armed to the disarmed state, for example, when a person attempts to open the door from the inside, it is proposed that the arming / disarming device include a proximity sensor to detect a person approaching the housing and disarm the device upon detection. In this way, the disarming occurs without any action required from the person as soon as they legitimately approach the door alarm system from within the enclosed interior space.
[0024] According to one aspect of the invention, the arming / disarming device is also activated when the door opening sensor detects a closed door. The method according to the invention is designed such that the door alarm system is armed every time the door is closed, in order to achieve maximum security. This arming also occurs automatically without any human intervention as soon as the door is closed.
[0025] In addition to the previously explained automatic disarming when a person approaches the inside area via the proximity sensor, automatic disarming can also be provided via the radio receiver and associated portable transmitter, which an authorized person carries, for example, on their key ring.
[0026] According to one aspect of the invention, the radio receiver is activated when the door opening sensor detects that the door is open. This minimizes the receiver's energy consumption, as it is only activated when a radio signal is needed to disarm the system. The transmitter can also be equipped with a motion sensor to save energy, activating its transmission function only when movement is detected. For example, if the transmitter is attached to a key ring, it will switch on when the door is opened.
[0027] Further embodiments and details of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 a door alarm system according to the invention in front view; and Fig. 2. The sequence of operations for the control of the door alarm system according to the invention.
[0028] From the Fig. Figure 1 shows a door alarm system, which is used to monitor house or apartment entrance doors.
[0029] The door alarm system comprises a housing 3, to be mounted on the inside of a door (not shown), with a display 31 on the visible side and a keypad with numerous buttons 33 for configuring various operating states and settings. The door alarm system also includes at least one portable wireless sensor 4, which can be used, for example, as a key fob, and a magnet 5, which may be self-adhesive. The sensor 4 and magnet 5 are separate from the housing 3.
[0030] In a manner not shown in detail, the housing 3 is inserted into a corresponding recess in the door leaf for monitoring purposes, particularly during initial installation, or mounted on the door leaf, particularly when retrofitting the door with a door alarm system. For this purpose, the housing 3 can be equipped with self-adhesive strips on its base opposite the visible side shown. Similarly, the magnet 5 is fixed in place adjacent to the housing 3, for example, on the door frame of the door to be monitored, for instance, by gluing.
[0031] Inside the housing 3 is an arming / disarming device (not shown in detail) which communicates, among other things, with a radio receiver 36 and a door opening sensor 35, both of which are integrated into the housing 3. Furthermore, the arming / disarming device communicates with a proximity sensor 32 integrated into the front of the housing 3, which can, for example, be a PIR sensor and detects the approach of a person.
[0032] Finally, the housing 3 also features an alarm device 34 in the form of a siren, which can also be supplemented, for example, by a GSM module or an interface to a smart home system.
[0033] The door opening sensor 35 is designed to detect the magnetic field of magnet 5 and to indicate changes in this magnetic field. When the door is closed in an installation position, magnet 5 and housing 3 are as shown. Fig. As shown schematically in Figure 1, when the two magnets come to rest side by side, the door opening sensor 35 registers a corresponding magnetic field, which is stored during the initial installation of the door alarm system. As soon as the door is opened, the distance between the magnet 5 and the door opening sensor 35 increases, and the magnetic field measured by the door opening sensor 35 decreases accordingly, so that the door opening sensor 35 can reliably register the opening of the door and send a corresponding signal to the arming / disarming device.Furthermore, if the door alarm system is supplemented with a small spring, which is attached, for example, in the area where the door overlaps the door frame (e.g., glued on), this spring ensures that a door that is not properly closed always springs back into its open position. The door alarm system can report this, for example, via the interface to a smart home system, and, moreover, ensures that the door alarm system is only armed when the door is correctly closed, as described in more detail below.
[0034] The radio receiver 36 inside the housing 3 is configured to receive a correspondingly coded radio signal from the transmitter 4 or from several such transmitters 4 and, for example, to signal the receipt of such an authenticated radio signal to the arming / disarming device. For this purpose, several such transmitters 4, for example up to 12, can be paired with the door alarm system; these transmitters operate according to a common radio protocol, such as the Bluetooth radio protocol.
[0035] The display 31 and the keypad 33 are only activated when needed to reduce the power consumption of the door alarm system, which can be powered, for example, by batteries or rechargeable batteries (not shown here) housed in housing 3, or by an external power supply.
[0036] The transmitters also have an internal power supply, for example via a button cell battery, and allow for operation over sufficiently long periods. Furthermore, to extend battery life, they can be equipped with a motion sensor that activates the transmitter's transmission function for a short, predefined period only when the transmitter is moved, such as when attached to a keyring and the key is pressed to open the door. If the transmitter is stationary, no signal is transmitted. With such a control system, battery life of several years can be achieved.
[0037] A key feature of the door alarm system shown is that, after initial setup and configuration, it requires no further operation by persons authorized to pass through the monitored door. Instead, the door alarm system allows for automatic control without intervention from authorized personnel, enabling reliable monitoring of the equipped and secured door. This functionality is illustrated in a flowchart in the [document / section / section]. Fig. 2 explained in more detail below.
[0038] After initial commissioning and configuration, for example of the measured magnetic field of magnet 5 and pairing of the transmitters 4, possibly also integration into a smart home system and storage of an emergency number for the GSM module in step 10, the door alarm system is armed in step 12 after passing through the connection node 11 by means of the arming / disarming device, i.e. in the basic state the door alarm system is always armed.
[0039] In this armed basic state, the display 31 and the radio receiver 36 of the housing 3 are deactivated to reduce power consumption, however, both the door opening sensor 35 and the proximity sensor 32 are active.
[0040] In step 13, the door alarm system is armed and monitors the door's open / closed status. As long as the door opening sensor 35 does not signal that the door is open, the door alarm system remains in an armed standby loop between steps 11, 12, and 13, as indicated by the repeat loop W1 in Fig. 2 is shown.
[0041] If the door opening sensor 35 registers a door opening, the radio receiver 36 is immediately activated in step 14. Simultaneously, in step 15, it is also checked whether the proximity sensor 32 is within range of the Fig. 1. The inside of the door alarm system 3, as shown, detects a person.
[0042] The event of an open door detected by the door opening sensor 35 can have 3 different causes.
[0043] The first cause is that a person inside the room enclosed by the monitored door, for example a house or apartment, has approached the door and opened it. In this case, the person is detected by the proximity sensor 32.
[0044] The second reason is that a person authorized to open the door from the outside, as they possess the necessary key and a radio sensor 4. In this case, the activated radio receiver 36 receives a corresponding signal from the transmitter 4.
[0045] The third cause is unauthorized opening of the door, in particular an attempted break-in. In this case, neither the proximity sensor 32 nor the radio receiver 36 detects the presence of an authorized person, so an alarm is triggered.
[0046] These 3 different causes are addressed in the circuit and control principle according to Fig. 2 as shown below: If a person is detected by the proximity sensor 32, a jump occurs from step 15 via the connection nodes 18 and 19 to step 20 and the door alarm system is disarmed in order to prevent an alarm from being triggered according to the first cause.
[0047] If, however, no person is detected by the proximity sensor 32, step 16 checks whether the radio receiver 36 is receiving a signal from a transmitter 4. If this is the case, step 16 jumps to the connection node 18 and from there, via connection node 19, to step 20, in which the door alarm system is disarmed, according to the second cause.
[0048] If, however, the radio receiver 36 does not receive a radio signal in step 16, the third cause is an attempted break-in and the alarm device 34 is activated in step 17.
[0049] In cases where the door alarm system has been disarmed in step 20 due to an authorized, legitimate opening of the door, the door opening sensor 35 is then used to check whether the door has been closed correctly again. If this is not the case, the loop W2 returns to connection node 19 and the door alarm system remains disarmed in step 20.
[0050] If, however, the door is closed correctly again and the corresponding signal from the door opening sensor 35 is reported back as a result of the detection of the magnetic field of the magnet 5, a jump back to the connection node 11 occurs and from there to step 12, in which the door alarm system is armed again.
[0051] The arming and disarming described above is carried out by appropriately controlling the arming / disarming switching device by means of the proximity sensor 32, door opening transmitter 35 and / or radio receiver 36 in the manner described.
[0052] The detection of an approach by the proximity sensor 32 can be carried out as in the illustrated embodiment according to Fig.2 the detection of the door opening and activation of the radio receiver 36 in steps 13 and 14 may be connected downstream or arranged in parallel to it, in order to disarm the door alarm system in accordance with step 20 immediately upon detection of a person by the proximity sensor 32.
[0053] As explained above, the door alarm system requires no further operation after initial setup. It automatically disarms itself briefly when the door is legitimately opened from either the inside or outside, and automatically rearms itself after the door is closed again, without any manual intervention. Therefore, the arming or disarming of the door alarm system cannot be forgotten, preventing false alarms or the door from being secured.
[0054] Furthermore, the standard armed state of the door alarm system and the immediate alarm output in the event of unauthorized opening of the door ensure a particularly high level of security.
[0055] With such a door alarm system, apartment entrance doors can be fully secured from the second floor upwards, since from this height the only access to the apartment is through the entrance door.
[0056] It goes without saying that the housing 3 can also be equipped with a vibration sensor or the like, for example to detect a forced entry into the door.
[0057] Since the door alarm system described above requires no additional operating steps when opening or closing the monitored door, it requires minimal effort – namely, a one-time setup. It is therefore particularly suitable for use by children or elderly people, as they do not need to learn any additional arming or disarming procedures.
Claims
[1] Door alarm system with a housing (3) that can be attached to the inside of a door, comprising an alarm device (34), an arming / disarming device and a door opening sensor (35), wherein the arming / disarming device includes a radio receiver (36) with at least one associated portable transmitter (4) to disarm the arming / disarming device via a corresponding radio signal, characterized by , that the arming / disarming device includes a proximity sensor (32) for detecting a person approaching the housing (3) and is configured such that when a person is detected, the arming / disarming device can be disarmed. [2] Door alarm system according to claim 1, characterized by , that the proximity sensor (32) is formed by a pyroelectric sensor. [3] Door alarm system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by, that the arming / disarming device is configured such that it can be armed when the door opening sensor (35) detects a closed door. [4] Door alarm system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the radio receiver (36) is configured such that it can be switched on when the door opening sensor (35) detects an open door. [5] Door alarm system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the at least one transmitter (4) has a motion sensor and can be activated when motion is detected by the motion sensor. [6] Door alarm system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the door opening sensor (35) is designed as a magnetic field sensor and includes an associated magnet (5). [7] Door alarm system according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by, that the alarm device (34) includes a siren and / or an interface to a home automation system. [8] Method for controlling a door alarm system which is arranged on the inside of a door and comprises an alarm device (34), an arming / disarming device and a door opening sensor (35), wherein the arming / disarming device is disarmed by means of a corresponding radio signal with at least one radio receiver (36) and at least one associated portable transmitter (4), characterized by , that the arming / disarming device includes a proximity sensor (32) for detecting a person approaching the housing (3) and disarms the arming / disarming device when a person is detected. [9] Method according to claim 8, characterized by , that when the door opening sensor (35) detects a closed door, the arming / disarming device is armed. [10] Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by , that the radio receiver (36) is switched on when the door opening sensor (35) detects an open door.