System and method for efficiently generating audible alarms

摘要

Various inventive features are disclosed for efficiently generating regulation-compliant audible alerts, including but not limited to 520 Hz square wave alert/alarm signals, using an audio speaker. One such feature involves the use of a non-linear amplifier in combination with a voltage boost regulator to efficiently drive the audio speaker. Another feature involves speaker enclosure designs that effectively boost the output of the audio speaker, particularly at relatively low frequencies. These and other features may be used individually or combination in a given alarm-generation device or system to enable regulation-compliant audible alerts to be generated using conventional batteries, such as AA alkaline batteries. Various examples of efficiently generated regulation-compliant audible alerts and further enhancing such audible alerts by utilizing speaker enclosure designs are provided.

主权项

1. A alarm device, comprising:
a detection device configured to detect an alarm condition; a voltage boost regulator, said voltage boost regulator configured to generate a boosted DC power signal by boosting a DC input voltage from a battery source, said boosted DC power signal having at least a threshold DC voltage associated with a threshold sound intensity; a non-linear amplifier configured to amplify a signal, said non-liner amplifier powered by the boosted DC power signal generated by the voltage boost regulator; signal processing circuitry that is configured to receive an alarm condition detection signal from the detection device and in response to the signal, generate an output signal to the non-linear amplifier such that the non-liner amplifier generates an amplified output signal; and a speaker that is configured to receive the amplified output signal from the non-linear amplifier and output an audible alert signal, said speaker comprising a diaphragm driven by a coil.