Abstract: An apparatus for shutting-off electrical appliances and electrical devices upon detection of an audible alarm issued by a separate fire alarm. The separate fire alarm device generates an audible warning upon detecting fire. The shutting off device make use of these ever improving ubiquitous fire alarms to greatly reduce the cost and complexity of providing a power shut-off response in the case of fire. The shut-off device includes a switch to interrupt electrical power to an appliance, the switch is activated by a microphone for detecting an audible alarm.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing damage caused by malfunction of an electrically-powered appliance. The present invention provides a device and method for de-powering electrical equipment upon detection of an alarm signal issued by a separate device (“alarm”). Upon detection of the alarm signal, the microcontroller may de-energize a normally-open relay or other switching device, to interrupt electrical power to an appliance. Smoke detectors are widely available at very low cost, and using the acoustic alarm signal thereof, greatly reduces the cost and complexity of providing a shut-off response in the case of fire, as compared to duplicating the functionality of the smoke detector.