Voice Evacuation System

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to audio systems of the kind used in commercial and other large structures and more particularly to such a voice evacuation system readily adapted for multiple additional uses such as paging, background music etc.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

In voice evacuation systems, it is important to provide for continuous monitoring to insure the system is at all times in operating condition. Such monitoring requires continual testing of the amplifiers in the system and a supervisory alarm system to maintain a continuing check on the condition of the distribution circuits.

In the usual system, the output from a conventional audio amplifier is connected to a distribution circuit that includes a number of loudspeakers appropriately positioned to disseminate the desired instructions in the event of an emergency. One or more back-up amplifiers are provided and are arranged to be substituted for the main amplifier in the event of its failure.

To be certain of the proper functioning of th amplifiers, it is necessary to operate the amplifiers continuously, even when no emergency is present. It is also important to be certain of the operation during a power outage when the amplifiers must be operated from a back-up power supply. Because of the heavy power drain of the amplifiers during this period, large and expensive battery supplies are usually required.

In the event of failure of the main power amplifier, relay circuits substitute a back-up amplifier. This requires that each back-up amplifier have power capabilities equal to that of the main amplifier.

To supervise the operation of the distribution circuit, it is usual to disconnect the distribution circuits from the amplifiers and connect a monitoring voltage to the distribution circuit. An alarm is sounded if the distribution circuits are either open or short-circuited. Because of the limitations of the signal coupling, a direct monitoring voltage cannot be superimposed on the distribution circuit. The result is that the supervisory circuit is inoperative when the amplifiers are connected to the distribution circuits. This is a substantial difficulty because the most critical time for determining the proper operation of the distribution circuits is during an actual emergency.

This same limitation makes it necessary for any emergency lighting, signaling or control system, such as a series of lights, audible devices or other auxiliary controls, to be handled by a separate circuit.

The audio signal to be distributed is applied to a pulse width modulator to produce a higher frequency signal having a pulse width that is a function of the amplitude of the audio signal. This signal is passed through an amplifier whose output is immune to artificially imposed a-c or d-c levels.

Generally, several such amplifiers are connected in parallel, an arrangement which is not possible with the currently existing systems. Each amplifier is provided with a self-checking circuit that is arranged to disconnect the output of that amplifier in the event of its improper operation. This arrangement requires less total amplifier capacity for back-up purposes. For example, assume four amplifiers are connected in parallel in a system requiring 1200 watts of output power. Each amplifier will be capable of handling 400 watts. During normal operation, with all four amplifiers operating, each amplifier will be handling a load of three hundred watts. If one of the amplifiers should fail, even during actual emergency conditions, it will immediately disconnect itself from the distribution circuits while the other three amplifiers will continue normal operations with each of the amplifiers handling a load of four hundred watts. In the conventional arrangement, where the amplifiers are not connected in parallel, it would be necessary to provide a back-up amplifier system capable of handling the entire 1200 watts.

Under standby conditions it is not necessary to maintain the operation of the amplifiers, because a defective amplifier will immediately disconnect itself under actual emergency conditions. This significantly reduces the required capacity of a battery back-up supply.

Because with this system it is possible to superimpose a monitoring signal voltage on the distribution circuit, the operation of the distribution circuit is monitored continuously even during emergency conditions. Moreover, other emergency devices requiring d-c power sources may be connected directly to the distribution circuits. Such an arrangement eliminates the need for a separate circuit to handle emergency lights, audible devices or other auxiliary controls.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates diagrammatically the components of one of the amplifier assemblies and its associated monitor; and

FIG. 3 shows a series of square wave pulses illustrating the method of modulation by the audio signals.

As shown in FIG. 1, three amplifier assemblies, generally indicated at 2, 4 and 6, have input circuits connected in parallel to an audio signal source 12. The output circuit of the amplifier assembly 2 is connected through a monitor circuit 14 to a distribution circuit, generally indicated at 16. The amplifiers 4 and 6 are similarly connected through monitor circuits 18 and 22, respectively, to the distribution circuit 16.

The components of the amplifier assembly 2 are shown in FIG. 2. The audio signals are applied to a converter circuit 24 which generates and modulates a series of square waves. The square waves are generated at a frequency, for example, approximately equal to 10 or 20 times the mid-frequency of the audio signals to be handled. In this example the frequency of the square waves is 144 kHz. When no input signal is applied, the positive and negative halves of the square pulse are identical, except for polarity, as indicated by curve "a" in FIG. 3, and no net d-c component is produced. When a signal is applied, the width of the pulse is modulated to increase the duration of the positive portion of the pulse and cause a corresponding decrease in the width of the negative portion of the pulse, as illustrated by curve "b" in FIG. 3. Under these conditions, a net voltage component is generated by the pulse. A further increase in the amplitude of the applied signal, as illustrated by curve "c" in FIG. 3, causes a further widening of the positive part of the square pulse and a corresponding diminution of the negative portion, generating a greater net voltage component, as illustrated by curve "c" in FIG. 3. The asymmetrical width variation of a series of the square waves is a representation of the frequency of the incoming audio signal.

The signal from the converter 24 is fed through a switch-mode driver 26 and a switch-mode amplifier 28 to the monitor 14. Within the monitor 14 an inductance 32p and a capacitor 33 form a low-pass filter to remove the higher frequency components resulting in amplified audio signals. The inductive winding 32p also forms the primary of a transformer, generally indicated at 32 and, extracts a small portion of the signal into a secondary winding 32s which has a center tap which may be connected to the common ground circuit. The signals produoed by the two halves of the winding 32s are rectified by rectifiers 34 and 36, combined and filtered by a capacitor 38. The resulting d-c signal is applied to any desired circuit interruption device, illustated in this example as a normally-open relay, diagrammatically illustrated at 42 and 44. So long as a signal is present in the primary 32p of the transformer 32, a pair of relay contacts 44 remain closed allowing the signal from the amplifier 28 to be applied to the distribution circuit 16.

If the amplifier 28 fails to function properly and no signal is present at the transformer 32, the relay contacts 44 open, disconnecting the amplifier from the distribution circuit 16. The load is then picked up and distributed between the other two amplifier assemblies 4 and 6. A visual indicator, which may be a light-emitting diode 46, or other device, is actuated by the same circuit that controls the relay 42 to provide either a visual or audible indication that the amplifier assembly 2 has failed

The combined signals from the amplifier assemblies 2, 4 and 6 (FIG. 1), or any two of the amplifier assemblies in the event one of them has failed, is passed to the distribution circuit 16. The distribution circuit is terminated, in the usual manner, by a termination resistor 54. A number of loud speakers 58, capacitively coupled to the distribution circuit 16, are positioned in appropriate locations to provide voice evacuation information.

To provide supervision of the distribution circuit 16, a d-c current source 62 is connected through a high-impedance isolation circuit 64, which has a relatively low d-c resistance but a high impedance to the audio signals. This circuit superimposes a d-c control voltage on the distribution circuit 16. In the event the distribution circuit 16 is broken, that is, presents an open circuit, the voltage on the distribution circuit increases because current no longer flows through the termination resistor 54. This increase in voltage is detected by a d-c level detector 66. The d-c level detector is connected to the distribution line through a resistor 68 and to the common ground circuit through a capacitor 72. The resistor 68 and the capacitor represent a relatively long time constant, for example, 3 to 5 seconds. If the voltage at the d-c level detector increases above a predetermined level, an alarm 74 is actuated to indicate the open circuit condition in the distribution circuit 16.

In the event the distribution circuit is short-circuited, the increased current flow through the impedance 64 lowers the voltage on the distribution circuit. The d-c level detector 66 determines that the voltage is below a predetermined value and actuates the alarm 74 to indicate the short-circuit condition of the distribution circuit 16.

Lights, audible signals or other auxiliary controls may be connected to the distribution circuit 16 to provide notification or controls. A conventional strobe light, for example a capacitive discharge circuit using a Xenon flash lamp, indicated diagrammatically at 76, is connected through a rectifier 78 and an L-C filter, comprising a series inductor 82 and a parallel capacitor 84, to the distribution circuit 16. The voltage from a source 86, connected to the distribution circuit 16 through a high impedance device 88, charges the capacitor (not shown) in the strobe indicator 76 to produce the flashing indication.

Interference between the operation of the circuit for monitoring the distribution circuit, energized by the current source 62, and the operation of the auxiliary attachments, such as the strobe lights 76, powered by the source 86, can be prevented in a number of ways. In this example, the current source 62 applies a negative voltage to the distribution circuit 16. This voltage does not actuate the strobe light circuits because of the rectifiers 78 that do not transmit the negative current flow. When the voltage source 86 is connected to the distribution circuit 16, by completing the circuit connection indicated by the broken line "d", the d-c level detector 66 may be disabled or the computer

circuits, or other controlling devices, may be programmed to ignore the alarm 74 whenever the circuit "d" is completed.

In the example shown, Class B wiring has been shown. It will be apparent to those familiar with this industry that Class A wiring, in which the termination resistor 56 is located in the area of the amplifiers 2, 4 and 6, can be used.