physics - Burglar alarm

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Burglar alarm
Burglar (or intrusion), fire and safety alarms are commonly found in electronic form today. A system of sensors is connected to a control unit, which in turn connects to a means for announcing the alarm, hopefully to elicit some response. Some systems are dedicated to one mission, others handle fire, intrusion, and safety alarms simultaneously. Sophistication ranges from small, self-contained noisemakers, to complicated, multizoned digital systems with color-coded computer monitor outputs. Many of these concepts also apply to portable alarms for protecting trucks or other vehicles and their contents (i.e., "car alarms"). See also fire alarm panels for specific fire system issues.

Contents [hide]
1 Detector types 2 System connections 3 Alarm connection and monitoring 4 Alarm response 5 Access control and bypass codes 6 False Alarms 7 See also 8 Sources

Detector types
Intrusion detectors are generally of two classes: point detectors and area (or volume) detectors. Point detectors indicate an intrusion at a specific point, and types include mechanical or magnetic contacts on doors and windows to detect when they are opened or broken, photocell or microwave beams across pathways, pressure-sensitive mats, fiber-optic bend or stess sensors (e.g., for wire fences), proximity switches that detect large animals (humans), and vibration sensors, among others. Area detectors indicate an intruder's presence within the protected area and use such technologies as ultrasonic transducers, passive infrared (heat) detectors, and microwave transducers (sometimes in combinations within one sensor). In general, area sensors detect a sudden change in the measurements being taken and trigger at some predetermined threshold. They are much more prone to false alarms than point sensors, often because of improper aiming or other adjustments. Sophisticated computer-aided sensors include image-processing systems to detect and filter changes in a surveillance video picture (possibly using infrared or other light sources for the image), and can be programmed to detect or ignore different types of motion in different parts of the scene, and can tell the difference between a person and other moving objects. All of these sensors can be used separately or in combinations with others, often depending upon the value of what is being protected, and the budget allocated to reducing the risk of loss. Fire alarm sensors are of three general categories: smoke, flame and heat. Smoke

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detectors are sensors that detect the chemical byproducts of fire optically or by ionized conduction. Flame detectors react to the light spectrum of flames, either infrared or ultraviolet, or both. Modern designs can ignore welding flash and solar light. Heat detectors react to a high temperature, or a rapid rate of temperature rise.

Safety detectors are more varied than the other sensors. They include thermostats for detecting excessively high or low temperatures, water sensors for flooding, excessive carbon monoxide concentrations (also available for other gases), low oxygen concentrations, electrical current on or off, gates and valves open or closed, water pressure available in sprinkler systems . Some intrusion detectors can also be used as safety sensors as well, such as detecting whether anyone is moving inside a room before a dangerous system is activated, or flashing a warning light if a cover is removed from an equipment panel. Similarly, a flame detector could serve a purpose as a safety sensor where a flame is required, as in a heating system. A popular safety sensor for the elderly includes a portable transmitter that sends a signal to a local receiver when a button is pressed. The possibilities are endless, with inexpensive sensors for such things as whether the television set is on, or any other electrical appliance is on or off.

System connections
The trigger signal from each sensor is transmitted to one or more control units either through wires or wireless means (radio, infrared). Wired systems are convenient when sensors (such as smoke detectors) require power to operate correctly, however, they are usually more costly to install. They also have the advantage, if wired properly, of detecting tampering with the wiring connections. Wireless systems, on the other hand, often use battery-powered transmitters which are easier to install, but may reduce the reliability of the system (when batteries wear out randomly). Hybrid systems include sensors wired to common wireless transmitters, or sensors wired through the premises electrical mains to transmit coded signals to the control unit. The control unit usually has a separate channel for burglar and fire sensors, and better systems have a separate channel for every different sensor, as well as internal "trouble" indicators (power out, wire broken, etc).

Alarm connection and monitoring

The desired result of an alarm system is to cause an appropriate alarm output and response when the sensors indicate the conditions for triggering the alarm. Depending upon the application, the alarm output may be local or remote or a combination. Local alarms include noisemakers and light flashers and may be useful for fire alarms and where one hopes to scare off an amateur burglar quickly . However, with the widespread use of inexpensive alarm systems (especially in cars), many urbanites tend to ignore alarms rather than investigating, let alone contacting the necessary authorities. In short, there may be no response at all. In rural areas (e.g., where nobody will hear the fire bell or burglar siren) it may not make much difference anyway, as the nearest responders could take so long to get there that nothing can be done to avoid losses. Remote alarm systems are used to connect the control unit to a predetermined monitor of some sort, and they come in many different configurations. High-end systems connect to a central station via a direct phone wire (or tamper-resistant fiber optic cable), and the alarm monitoring includes not only the sensors, but also the communication wire itself. Similarly, some expensive systems incorporate a telephone dialer unit that will dial a central station (or some other location) and raise the alarm, either with a synthesized voice or an encoded message that the central station decodes. These may connect to the regular phone system on the system side of the demarcation point or at least ahead of all phones within the monitored premises so that the alarm system can cut-off any active calls and call the monitoring company if needed. Encoders can be programmed to indicate which specific sensor was triggered, and monitors can show the physical location (or "zone") of the sensor on a list or even a map of the protected premises, which can make the resulting response more effective. For example, a water-flow alarm, coupled

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with a flame detector in the same area is a more reliable indication of an actual fire than just one or the other sensor indication by itself. Furthermore, because telephone lines can be easily tampered with, some systems employ a radio network for backup when the phone line is out of order. Again, just the fact that someone tampered with the line could trigger an alarm via the radio network, giving early warning of an imminent problem (e.g., arson). Monitored alarms and speaker phones allow for the central station to speak with the homeowner and/or intruder. This may be beneficial to the owner for medical emergencies. For actual break-ins, the speaker phones allow the central station to urge the intruder to cease and desist as response units have been dispatched. From a marketing perspective, some providers give away the alarm system and simply charge for the monitoring (subject to some minimum contract).

Alarm response
Depending upon the zone triggered, number and sequence of zones, time of day, and other factors, the monitoring center can automatically initate various actions. They might be instructed to call the ambulance, fire department or police department immediately, or to first call the protected premises or property manager to try to determine if the alarm is genuine. They could also start calling a list of phone numbers provided by the customer to contact someone to go check on the protected premises. Some zones may trigger a call to the local heating oil company to go check on the system, or a call to the owner with details of which room may be getting flooded. Some alarm systems are tied to video surveillance systems so that current video of the intrusion area can be instantly displayed on a remote monitor, not to mention recorded.

Access control and bypass codes

To be useful, an intrusion alarm system is deactivated or reconfigured when authorized personnel are present. Authorization may be indicated in any number of ways, often with keys or codes used at the control panel or a remote panel near an entry. High-security alarms may require multiple codes, or a fingerprint, badge, hand-geometry, retinal scan, encrypted response generator, or other means that are deemed sufficiently secure for the purpose. Failed authorizations should result in an alarm or at least a timed lockout to prevent "experimenting" with possible codes. Some systems can be configured to permit deactivation of individual sensors or groups. Others can also be programmed to bypass or ignore individual sensors (once or multiple times) and leave the remainder of the system armed. This feature is useful for permitting a single door to be opened and closed before the alarm is armed, or to permit a person to leave, but not return. High-end systems allow multiple access codes, and may even permit them to be used only once, or on particular days, or only in combination with other users' codes (i.e., escorted). In any case, a remote monitoring center should arrange an oral code to be provided by an authorized person in case of false alarms, so the monitoring center can be assured that a further alarm response is unnecessary. As with access codes, there can also be a hierarchy of oral codes, say, for furnace repairperson to enter the kitchen and basement sensor areas but not the silver vault in the butler's pantry. There are also systems that permit a "duress" code to be entered and silence the local alarm, but still trigger the remote alarm to summon the police to a robbery.

False Alarms
System reliabilty can be a problem when it causes false alarms, or fails to alarm when called for. Either way, the source of the problem should be immediately found and fixed, so that responders will not lose confidence in the alarm reports. It is easier to know when there are false alarms, because the system is designed to react to that condition.

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Failure alarms are more troublesome because they usually require periodic testing to make sure the sensors are working and that the correct signals are getting through to the monitor. Some systems are designed to detect problems internally, such as batteries going flat, connections come loose, phone circuit dead, etc.

See also
access control Burglar Emergency Fire Alarms Alarm management Fire alarm panel

Sources
Trimmer, H.William (1981). Undertanding and Servicing Alarm Systems. Stoneham: Butterworth. Weber, Thad L. (1985). Alarm Systems and Theft Protection (2d ed.). Stoneham, MA: Butterworth. Walker, Philip (1985). Electronic Security Systems. Cambridge, UK: University Press PeopleSensor video system, Cognex Inc., viewed January 18, 2005. Schatz, David A., et al. Video safety curtain. U.S. Patent No. 6,297,844, Issued OCt. 2, 2001.

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