JP7555055B2 - Alarm device, control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention generally relates to an alarm device, a control method, and a program, and more specifically to an alarm device that notifies the occurrence of an external event such as a fire, a control method for the alarm device, and a program.

As an example of a conventional alarm, the alarm described in Patent Document 1 is given. This alarm has a smoke detector with a smoke inlet opening located in the center of its cover, and detects a fire when smoke from a fire reaches a predetermined concentration. The alarm also has an acoustic hole on the lower left side of the smoke detector in the cover, and has a built-in speaker behind it that outputs an alarm sound or voice message. The alarm is installed, for example, on a wall in the living room or bedroom of a house, and in the unlikely event of a fire breaking out, it detects the fire and initiates an alarm.

JP 2010-49604 A

Incidentally, in the case of home alarms (alarms), in addition to fires (external events), there are various other events (internal events) that can occur within the home alarm itself that should be notified to residents. However, when multiple events occur at the same time, there is a possibility that the residents will not be properly notified.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned reasons, and aims to provide an alarm device, a control method, and a program that can improve the reliability of notifications.

An alarm device according to one aspect of the present invention is installed on a structure. The alarm device comprises an equipment detection unit, a control unit, and a notification unit. The equipment detection unit detects first information corresponding to an internal event related to the alarm device itself. The control unit receives the first information and determines whether the internal event has occurred, and receives second information related to an external event that is the subject of an alarm sound and determines whether the external event has occurred. The notification unit notifies the occurrence of the internal event and the occurrence of the external event. When the notification event that is currently being notified or is to be notified is the internal event, and the internal event or the external event that has a higher priority than the notification event occurs later, the control unit interrupts the notification of the notification event with the lower priority and executes the notification of the internal event or the external event with the higher priority by interrupting. When the notification event that is currently being notified or is to be notified is the external event and an internal event having a lower priority than the external event occurs later, the control unit continues or starts the notification of the external event with the higher priority and puts the notification of the internal event with the lower priority into a waiting state without immediately executing the notification.

A control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling an alarm device installed in a structure. The control method includes a detection step, a first determination step, a second determination step, and a notification step. In the detection step, first information corresponding to an internal event related to the alarm device itself is detected. In the first determination step, the first information is received and a determination is made as to whether or not the internal event has occurred. In the second determination step, second information related to an external event that is the subject of an alarm sound is received and a determination is made as to whether or not the external event has occurred. In the notification step, the occurrence of the internal event and the occurrence of the external event are notified. In the notification step, if the notification event that is currently being notified or is to be notified is the internal event, and the internal event or the external event that has a higher priority than the notification event occurs later, notification of the notification event with the lower priority is interrupted, and notification of the internal event or the external event with the higher priority is performed. In the notification step, when the notification event currently being notified or to be notified is the external event and the internal event having a lower priority than the external event occurs later, the notification of the external event having a higher priority is continued or started as is, and the notification of the internal event having a lower priority is not immediately executed but is put into a waiting state.

A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer system to execute the above control method.

The present invention has the advantage of being able to improve the reliability of notifications.

FIG. 1 is an external view of an alarm device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the above alarm device. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a bedroom in which the alarm device is installed. FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the alarm device. FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the alarm device. 6A and 6B are external views of a third modification of the audio device of the above embodiment.

(1) Overview The following embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. In addition, each figure described in the following embodiment is a schematic diagram, and the size and thickness ratios of each component in each figure do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

As shown in Figure 3, the alarm device 1 of this embodiment is installed in a structure C1 (construction materials such as ceilings and walls). As shown in Figure 2, the alarm device 1 comprises an equipment detection unit 6, a control unit 10, and an alarm unit 8. The equipment detection unit 6 detects first information corresponding to an internal event related to the alarm device 1 itself. The control unit 10 receives the first information and determines whether or not an internal event has occurred. The control unit 10 also receives second information related to an external event that will trigger an alarm sound and determines whether or not an external event has occurred. The alarm unit 8 notifies of the occurrence of an internal event and an external event.

Here, as an example, "internal events" include at least the time to replace the alarm device 1. In addition to the time to replace it, internal events may also include a malfunction within the alarm device 1 and a dead battery.

The "external event" is assumed to be a fire, as an example. Accordingly, alarm device 1 is, as an example, a fire alarm that outputs an alarm sound or other sound when a fire occurs. However, the external event is not limited to a fire, and may be a gas leak, a tsunami, an earthquake, the intrusion of a suspicious person, etc., as long as it is subject to the alarm sound.

As shown in FIG. 2, the alarm 1 of this embodiment further includes a photoelectric sensor (fire detection unit 2) that detects smoke inside, but the fire detection unit 2 may also be a constant temperature sensor that detects heat. The fire detection unit 2 may also be separate from the alarm 1. The control unit 10 of the alarm 1 may receive second information regarding a fire by communicating with another alarm (fire alarm) that is equipped with the fire detection unit 2.

The alarm device 1 is installed on one surface (ceiling or wall) of a structural body C1 such as a room, bedroom, staircase, or hallway in a house. The house may be a detached house or an apartment building. Furthermore, the alarm device 1 may be installed not only in a residential building but also in a non-residential structural body C1 (ceiling or wall, etc.). Examples of non-residential buildings include office buildings, theaters, movie theaters, public halls, amusement parks, complexes, restaurants, department stores, schools, hotels, inns, hospitals, nursing homes, kindergartens, libraries, museums, art galleries, underground shopping malls, stations, airports, etc.

The control unit 10 of this embodiment causes the notification unit 8 to give priority to a fire notification over a notification of the time to replace the alarm device 1. With this configuration, a fire notification is made before a notification of the time to replace the alarm device 1. This prevents a situation in which, even though a fire that is the subject of an alarm sound has occurred, a notification of the time to replace the alarm device, which is less urgent, is being made and the user is unable to be notified of the occurrence of a fire. This improves the reliability of notifications.

(2) Details (2.1) Overall configuration The overall configuration of the alarm device 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below. Here, as an example, the alarm device 1 is a battery-powered fire alarm. However, the alarm device 1 may also be a fire alarm that is electrically connected to an external power source (e.g. a commercial power system) and is driven by converting AC power (e.g. an effective value of 100 V) supplied from the external power source into DC current.

In the following, as shown in Figure 3, it is assumed as an example that the alarm device 1 is installed on the ceiling surface (one surface of the structural body C1) inside the home of the resident 100. Accordingly, the up/down and left/right directions of the alarm device 1 will be defined and explained using the up/down and left/right arrows shown in Figure 1. These arrows are merely provided to aid in the explanation and do not have any substance. Furthermore, these directions are not intended to limit the direction in which the alarm device 1 can be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the control unit 10, equipment detection unit 6, notification unit 8 (first output unit 11 and operation light 15) and fire detection unit 2, the alarm device 1 further comprises, for example, a second output unit 12, a battery 13, an operation unit 3, a housing 4 and a light-transmitting unit 5 (see FIG. 1). The alarm device 1 also comprises a memory unit 7. As an example, the alarm device 1 is assumed to be a stand-alone fire alarm, with no communication function for communicating with other fire alarms.

(2.2) Housing The housing 4 houses therein the control unit 10, the equipment detection unit 6, the first output unit 11, the second output unit 12, the battery 13, the fire detection unit 2, the operating light 15, the memory unit 7, and a circuit board (not shown) on which the control unit 10 and circuit components constituting various circuits are mounted. Although not shown in the figure, the various circuits referred to here are, for example, an acoustic circuit, a first lighting circuit, a second lighting circuit, and a power supply circuit, which will be described later.

The housing 4 is made of synthetic resin, for example flame-retardant ABS resin. The housing 4 is formed into a flat cylindrical shape overall. The housing 4 has an attachment portion on its upper surface, and is attached to one surface (installation surface) of the structure C1 by the attachment portion.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 4 has a hole 401 in its peripheral wall 400 that can introduce smoke into the labyrinth provided inside the housing 4. The housing 4 has a partition wall that divides the internal space into two, upper and lower. The labyrinth and fire detection unit 2 are located in the upper first space, and the control unit 10, first output unit 11, second output unit 12, operating light 15, circuit board, etc. are located in the lower second space.

The housing 4 also has a long slit-shaped window hole 403 in one direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1 ) in its bottom wall (cover). The window hole 403 is disposed opposite the first output unit 11 housed in the housing 4. The window hole 403 guides the sound output from the first output unit 11 to the outside of the housing 4.

The housing 4 also supports the light-transmitting portion 5 on its lower wall 402 so that the lower surface of the light-transmitting portion 5 is exposed to the outside of the housing 4. The light-transmitting portion 5 is a disc-shaped member having light-transmitting properties. The light-transmitting portion 5 is formed of a material such as acrylic resin or glass. The light-transmitting portion 5 is disposed opposite the second output portion 12 housed in the housing 4. The light-transmitting portion 5 guides the light emitted from the second output portion 12 to the outside of the housing 4. The light of the second output portion 12 is sometimes called "illumination light", but the light of the second output portion 12 is weaker than the illumination light output by a general lighting device, and is light that illuminates an evacuation route. The light-transmitting portion 5 may have a lens portion whose outer surface is formed in a convex shape in order to distribute the light from the second output portion 12 toward the surrounding area R1 such as the floor surface. In addition, a light-guiding member may be provided between the light-transmitting section 5 and the second output section 12 to efficiently guide the light from the second output section 12 to the light-transmitting section 5.

Furthermore, the housing 4 supports the operation unit 3 on its bottom wall 402 so that the bottom surface of the operation unit 3 is exposed to the outside of the housing 4. The operation unit 3 accepts operation input from the outside. The operation unit 3 can be pushed upward by a pushing operation with a user's finger or the like. The operation unit 3 is a translucent disc-shaped member. The operation unit 3 is disposed opposite the operation light 15 housed in the housing 4. In addition, the operation unit 3 is configured to push a push button switch (not shown) housed in the housing 4 when pushed.

In this embodiment, the window hole 403 and the operation unit 3 are arranged in one direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1 ) so that the center of the lower surface of the lower wall 402 is sandwiched between the window hole 403 and the operation unit 3 when the lower surface of the lower wall 402 is viewed from below. In addition, the light-transmitting unit 5 is disposed in front of the center of the lower surface of the lower wall 402 when the lower surface of the lower wall 402 is viewed from below.

(2.3) Notification unit The notification unit 8 notifies of the occurrence of internal events, such as the time to replace the alarm device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "replacement time"), a malfunction within the alarm device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "malfunction"), and a dead battery (a state in which the battery 13 has little remaining capacity). The battery 13 is, for example, a lithium battery. The notification unit 8 also notifies of the occurrence of an external event, such as the occurrence of a fire. Here, both the first output unit 11 and the operating light 15 correspond to the notification unit 8, but it is also possible for only one of them to correspond to the notification unit 8.

The first output unit 11 has a function of notifying the occurrence of an internal event and a function of notifying the occurrence of a fire. The first output unit 11 outputs sound (sound waves). When the control unit 10 determines that a fire has occurred, the first output unit 11 outputs an alarm sound to notify the occurrence of a fire.

The first output unit 11 is composed of a speaker that converts an electrical signal into sound. The speaker has a diaphragm, and emits an alarm sound by mechanically vibrating the diaphragm in accordance with an electrical signal. The speaker is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the front, and is disk-shaped. The first output unit 11 outputs an alarm sound (e.g., a "beep" sound) under the control of the control unit 10. It is preferable that the first output unit 11 outputs the alarm sound by changing the volume (sound pressure level) of the alarm sound. The alarm sound may include, for example, a sweep sound that sweeps from a low tone to a high tone. The alarm sound may include, for example, a voice message such as "There's a fire. There's a fire." Here, it is assumed that the alarm sound is composed of a sweep sound and a voice message that follows the sweep sound.

The circuit board described above has mounted thereon circuit components constituting, for example, an audio circuit. The audio circuit has a low-pass filter, an amplifier, and the like. When the audio circuit receives a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal corresponding to an alarm sound generated by the control unit 10 in the event of a fire, the audio circuit converts the signal into a sine-wave audio signal by the low-pass filter, amplifies the signal by the amplifier, and outputs the signal as an alarm sound from the first output unit 11.

When the control unit 10 determines that any internal event has occurred, the first output unit 11 outputs a sound to notify the occurrence of the internal event. Hereinafter, this sound may be referred to as an "alert sound" to distinguish it from an alarm sound when a fire occurs.

An example of an alarm sound related to replacement time includes a voice message such as "Beep, it's time to replace the alarm." An example of an alarm sound related to a malfunction includes a voice message such as "Beep, a malfunction has occurred in XX." An example of an alarm sound related to a dead battery includes a voice message such as "Beep, please replace the battery."

The notification sound is output at a volume of about 60-70% of the volume of the alarm sound. The notification sound is output periodically, for example at one-hour intervals, until the corresponding internal event is resolved. The first output unit 11 outputs a message such as "Beep, please replace the battery" two to three times in succession every hour, and then outputs a sound such as "beep" every 40 seconds until one hour has passed.

The first output unit 11 also outputs a test alarm sound and a notification sound during an operational check. An operational check can be performed by pushing the operation unit 3 or by pulling a pull cord (not shown) extending from the housing 4.

In this embodiment, when the operation unit 3 receives an external operation input during an alarm (when an alarm sound is being issued), the first output unit 11 stops outputting the alarm sound.

The operation light 15 has the function of notifying the occurrence of an internal event and the function of notifying the occurrence of a fire. The operation light 15 has a red LED (Light Emitting Diode) 15A mounted on the circuit board as a light source. The operation light 15 is normally off (during fire monitoring), and starts flashing (or lighting) when the control unit 10 determines that a fire has occurred. Hereinafter, the flashing that notifies the occurrence of a fire may be referred to as "operation flashing". The operation flashing stops under the control of the control unit 10 when the alarm sound stops being issued.

The circuit board is mounted with circuit components that constitute a first lighting circuit for blinking the LED 15A of the operation light 15. The first lighting circuit, under the control of the control unit 10, blinks the LED 15A using DC power discharged from the battery 13. When the alarm 1 is electrically connected to a commercial power system, the first lighting circuit converts the AC power supplied from the power system into DC current to blink the LED 15A.

The light emitted from the operation light 15 is guided to the outside of the housing 4 via the translucent operation unit 3. The resident 100 can see that the operation light 3 is flashing red to let them know that the alarm 1 is in operation (detecting a fire).

When the control unit 10 determines that any internal event has occurred, the operation light 15 flashes to notify the occurrence of the internal event. Hereinafter, this flashing may be referred to as "alert flashing." The operation light 15 flashes to notify the occurrence of any of the following: time for replacement, a malfunction, or a dead battery. However, if the operation unit 3 is operated during the alert flashing, the first output unit 11 outputs an alert sound corresponding to the internal event that is actually occurring.

The operation light 15 also flashes during an operational check. As with the first output unit 11, an operational check of the operation light 15 can be performed by pushing the operation unit 3 or pulling the pull cord.

(2.4) Second Output Unit The second output unit 12 outputs illumination light to illuminate the surrounding area R1 in response to information about the fire under the control of the control unit 10. The second output unit 12 has one or more white LEDs 12A for illumination mounted on the circuit board as a light source (see FIG. 2). The second output unit 12 is normally turned off, and starts to turn on (output illumination light) when the control unit 10 determines that a fire has occurred. Therefore, even if a fire occurs in the middle of the night when the resident 100 is asleep, the resident 100 can immediately use the illumination light from the second output unit 12 to visually identify an evacuation route and evacuate without having to turn on a wall switch to turn on a lighting fixture.

The LED 12A is configured as a packaged LED with at least one LED chip mounted in the center of the mounting surface of a flat mounting substrate. The LED chip is preferably, for example, a blue light-emitting diode that emits blue light from its light-emitting surface. The mounting surface of the substrate including the LED chip is covered with a sealing resin mixed with a fluorescent material that converts the wavelength of the blue light emitted from the LED chip. The LED 12A is configured to emit white illumination light from its light-emitting surface when a DC voltage is applied between its anode electrode and cathode electrode. The color of the illumination light is not limited to white and may be other light colors. However, it is preferable that the color does not overlap with the light color of the operation lamp 15.

The circuit board is mounted with circuit components constituting a second lighting circuit for lighting the LED 12A of the second output unit 12. The second lighting circuit lights the LED 12A using DC power discharged from the battery 13 under the control of the control unit 10. When the alarm 1 is electrically connected to a commercial power system, the second lighting circuit converts the AC power supplied from the power system into DC current to light the LED 12A.

The light (illumination light) emitted from the second output unit 12 is guided to the outside of the housing 4 via the light-transmitting unit 5, illuminating the surrounding area R1 (here, the bedroom floor and bed, etc.). The second output unit 12 also lights up experimentally during an operational check. An operational check of the second output unit 12 can be performed by pushing the operating unit 3 or pulling the drawstring, similar to the first output unit 11.

(2.5) Equipment detection unit The equipment detection unit 6 detects first information corresponding to internal events related to the alarm device 1 itself. As described above, internal events include at least the time to replace the alarm device 1, and also include other events such as a malfunction within the alarm device 1 and a dead battery, in addition to the time for replacement. Therefore, the first information includes the usage time corresponding to the time for replacement, information on electrical or thermal physical quantities corresponding to a malfunction, and the remaining capacity of the battery 13 corresponding to a dead battery, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, the equipment detection unit 6 comprises a first detection unit 61, a second detection unit 62, and a third detection unit 63. The first to third detection units 61 to 63 are electrically connected to the control unit 10.

The first detection unit 61 has a timer that measures the usage time corresponding to the replacement time. Here, the usage time is, for example, 10 years. The first detection unit 61 measures the usage time and outputs information on the usage time to the control unit 10 as first information. The control unit 10 determines whether or not it is time to replace the device based on the usage time information.

The second detection unit 62 detects, for example, an electrical physical quantity corresponding to a fault. The second detection unit 62 may detect a thermal physical quantity in addition to an electrical physical quantity. The "fault" referred to here corresponds to, for example, a fault in the fire detection unit 2, a fault in the acoustic circuit, a fault in the first and second lighting circuits, and a broken wire in the device. A broken wire is, for example, a broken wire from the acoustic circuit to the first output unit 11. The second detection unit 62 detects an electrical physical quantity (current or voltage) in a specified electrical path, and outputs an electrical signal including that physical quantity to the control unit 10 as first information. The control unit 10 determines whether or not a fault has occurred based on the information on the physical quantity.

The third detection unit 63 detects the remaining capacity of the battery 13. The third detection unit 63 detects, for example, the battery voltage of the battery 13 corresponding to the remaining capacity, and outputs an electrical signal including the battery voltage as the first information to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 determines whether the battery has run out based on the battery voltage information.

(2.6) Fire Detection Unit The fire detection unit 2 detects second information related to a fire (external event) that is the target of an alarm sound. Here, the fire detection unit 2 is, as an example, a photoelectric sensor that detects smoke. Therefore, the second information includes, for example, information related to smoke. As shown in FIG. 2, the fire detection unit 2 includes, for example, a light-emitting unit 21 such as an LED and a light-receiving unit 22 such as a photodiode. The light-emitting unit 21 and the light-receiving unit 22 are arranged in the labyrinth of the housing 4 such that the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving unit 22 is off the optical axis of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 21. When a fire occurs, smoke can be introduced into the labyrinth through a hole 401 in the peripheral wall 400 of the housing 4.

When there is no smoke in the labyrinth of the housing 4, very little of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 21 reaches the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving unit 22. On the other hand, when smoke is present in the labyrinth of the housing 4, the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 21 is scattered by the smoke, and some of the scattered light reaches the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving unit 22. In other words, the fire detection unit 2 receives the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 21 that has been scattered by the smoke at the light-receiving unit 22.

The fire detection unit 2 is electrically connected to the control unit 10. The fire detection unit 2 transmits to the control unit 10 an electrical signal (detection signal) indicating a voltage level corresponding to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 22. The control unit 10 converts the amount of light of the detection signal received from the fire detection unit 2 into a smoke concentration (event level) to determine whether a fire has occurred. The fire detection unit 2 may convert the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 22 into a smoke concentration and then transmit a detection signal indicating a voltage level corresponding to the smoke concentration to the control unit 10. Alternatively, the fire detection unit 2 may determine the occurrence of a fire (smoke) from the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 22, and transmit a detection signal including information that a fire has occurred to the control unit 10.

(2.7) Control Unit and Storage Unit The control unit 10 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer mainly composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. In other words, the control unit 10 is realized by a computer having a CPU and a memory, and the computer functions as the control unit 10 by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory. Here, the program is pre-recorded in the memory, but it may be provided through an electric communication line such as the Internet, or recorded on a recording medium such as a memory card.

The control unit 10 controls the first output unit 11, the audio circuit, the second output unit 12, the operating light 15, the first lighting circuit, the second lighting circuit, the fire detection unit 2, the equipment detection unit 6, and the memory unit 7. The control unit 10 also controls a power supply circuit that generates operating power for various circuits from DC power of the battery 13. The memory unit 7 is a memory in which data can be rewritten, and is preferably a non-volatile memory. The memory unit 7 may be a memory that the control unit 10 itself has.

The control unit 10 is configured to receive information (second information) about a fire from the fire detection unit 2 and determine whether or not a fire has occurred. The determination of whether or not a fire has occurred is described in detail below.

The control unit 10 monitors the detection signal (information) received from the fire detection unit 2, and determines whether the event level contained in the detection signal exceeds a threshold. As described above, the event level is, for example, the smoke concentration after conversion. However, the event level may also be the amount of light.

The control unit 10 stores the threshold value in the memory unit 7 or in its own memory. The control unit 10 may, for example, periodically determine at a predetermined time interval whether the smoke density exceeds the threshold value, and determine that a fire has occurred if the smoke density exceeds the threshold value even once. The predetermined time interval is, for example, a 5-second interval. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may count the number of times that the smoke density has consecutively exceeded the threshold value, and determine that a fire has occurred when that number reaches a specified number. Of course, the control unit 10 may directly determine that a fire has occurred if it receives a detection signal including information that a fire has occurred from the fire detection unit 2.

When the control unit 10 determines that a fire has occurred based on the smoke density, it starts outputting an alarm sound from the first output unit 11. Specifically, the control unit 10 generates a PWM signal corresponding to a sweep sound whose frequency changes linearly over time, and outputs it to the audio circuit. The PWM signal is converted into an audio signal by the audio circuit, and the sweep sound (alarm sound) is output from the first output unit 11. The control unit 10 also generates a PWM signal corresponding to an audio message based on message data stored in the storage unit 7 or its own memory, and outputs it to the audio circuit. The PWM signal is converted into an audio signal by the audio circuit, and the audio message (alarm sound) is output from the first output unit 11.

When the control unit 10 determines that a fire has occurred, it transmits a control signal to the first lighting circuit to cause the operating light 15 to flash, and a control signal to the second lighting circuit to cause the second output unit 12 to light. When the first lighting circuit receives a control signal from the control unit 10, it causes the operating light 15 to start flashing. When the second lighting circuit receives a control signal from the control unit 10, it causes the second output unit 12 to light at a constant brightness.

The control unit 10 continues to determine the smoke density during an alarm (when an alarm sound is being issued). If the smoke density falls below a reference value during an alarm, the control unit 10 stops generating the PWM signal and stops the output of the alarm sound by the first output unit 11, and also sends a stop signal to the first lighting circuit and the second lighting circuit, respectively, to stop the light output from the second output unit 12 and the operation light 15. In other words, when the control unit 10 determines that the fire (smoke) has disappeared, it automatically stops the output of the alarm sound, the output of the illumination light, and the flashing of the operation light 15.

The control unit 10 also stops the output of the alarm sound when the push button switch inside the housing 4 is turned on by pressing the operation unit 3 during an alarm. If the resident 100 determines that the alarm from the alarm device 1 is a false alarm, they can press the operation unit 3 to stop the alarm sound. The alarm sound can also be stopped by pulling the drawstring.

Meanwhile, when the push button switch in the housing 4 is turned on by pushing the operation unit 3 during non-alarm, the control unit 10 executes a predetermined operation test for operational inspection. The operation tests include a sound output test of the first output unit 11, a light output test of the second output unit 12, a blinking test of the operation light 15, etc. An operation test can also be performed by pulling the drawstring.

Here, the control unit 10 is configured to receive information (first information) about the internal event from the device detection unit 6 and determine whether or not an internal event has occurred. The determination of whether or not an internal event has occurred is described in detail below.

The control unit 10 monitors the usage time received from the first detection unit 61. The usage time is, for example, the time that the alarm 1 is in operation after the power is turned on. The control unit 10 accumulates and stores the usage time received from the first detection unit 61 in the storage unit 7 or its own memory. When the accumulated usage time reaches 10 years, the control unit 10 determines that it is time to replace the alarm, and causes the operation light 15, which is the notification unit 8, to notify the user. In other words, the operation light 15 starts flashing to notify the user. The time to replace the alarm is less urgent than a dead battery or a malfunction, and the replacement of the alarm 1 is also at the convenience of the resident 100. For this reason, the control unit 10 does not output a voice message notifying the user of the time to replace the alarm from the first output unit 11 immediately after the determination, but only outputs the message when the operation unit 3 is pressed by the resident 100 while the notification is flashing.

The control unit 10 monitors information on electrical physical quantities received from the second detection unit 62. For example, if the current value of the current flowing from the acoustic circuit to the first output unit 11 is an abnormal value (zero or a value close to zero, etc.), the control unit 10 determines that a break has occurred. In addition, if the voltage value of a specific electric path in each circuit is an abnormal value, the control unit 10 determines that a fault has occurred in that circuit. The control unit 10 may monitor information such as temperature received from the second detection unit 62, and determine that a fault has occurred if there is abnormal heat generation in each circuit. When the control unit 10 determines that a fault has occurred, it causes the first output unit 11 and the operation light 15, which are the notification unit 8, to notify the fault. That is, a voice message notifying the fault is output from the first output unit 11, and the operation light 15 starts to flash. Note that, if a break has occurred between the acoustic circuit and the first output unit 11, notification by the first output unit 11 is not possible, so only notification by the operation light 15 is possible.

The control unit 10 monitors the information on the battery voltage of the battery 13 received from the third detection unit 63. The control unit 10 pre-stores, in the storage unit 7 or its own memory, characteristic data that associates the battery voltage and capacity of the battery 13, and determines that the battery has run out if the remaining capacity corresponding to the received battery voltage is less than 10% of the capacity. When the control unit 10 determines that the battery has run out, it causes the first output unit 11 and the operating light 15, which are the notification unit 8, to notify the user. That is, a voice message notifying the user that the battery is dead is output from the first output unit 11, and the operating light 15 begins to flash to notify the user.

The control unit 10 determines whether an internal event has occurred at a predetermined cycle. As an example, the determination of an internal event is performed once a day at midnight.

Regarding the voice message notifying the occurrence of an internal event, the control unit 10 generates a PWM signal based on the message data stored in the storage unit 7 or its own memory, and outputs the corresponding voice message from the first output unit 11 via the audio circuit.

Here, for example, if a fire breaks out in a house late at night, a resident 100 who is sleeping in a bedroom of the house may get up from his/her bed in near darkness after hearing the alarm sound, and may find it difficult to instantly grasp the route and direction from the bed to the door leading to the hallway. In addition, the resident 100 may, for example, grope his/her way to the wall switch in the dark and try to turn on the bedroom light, and the actions taken to turn on the wall switch may lead to a delay in evacuation. In addition, if the resident 100 is, for example, hearing impaired, he/she may not notice the occurrence of a fire from the alarm sound (sound) alone. In contrast, the alarm device 1 outputs not only the alarm sound but also the illumination light of the second output unit 12, so that the resident 100 can instantly grasp the route (evacuation route) from the bed to the door leading to the hallway, and the time spent trying to turn on the bedroom light is likely to be saved. In addition, even if the resident 100 is hearing impaired, the illumination light of the second output unit 12 is likely to make him/her notice the occurrence of a fire. In short, alarm device 1 not only outputs an alarm sound but also outputs illumination light, which can shorten evacuation time.

(2.8) Priority of Events Incidentally, two or more of a fire, replacement time, failure, and dead battery may occur at approximately the same time. For example, the replacement time may occur while an alarm for a fire is being issued. Or, a fire may occur while a dead battery is being notified. Also, another internal event may occur while one of the internal events is being notified.

Therefore, the control unit 10 sets priorities for the order in which these events are reported, and has the notification unit 8 report events with higher priority first. The control unit 10 has the notification unit 8 report a fire before reporting a replacement time. The control unit 10 also has the notification unit 8 report a fire as a top priority, before reporting any internal event. The control unit 10 also has the notification unit 8 report any internal events, such as failures and dead batteries other than replacement time, before reporting a replacement time.

In other words, when the control unit 10 determines that multiple events have occurred among fire, time to replace, malfunction, and dead battery, it responds by reporting in order of decreasing priority. As an example, the priorities (priority ranks) are, from highest to lowest, fire, malfunction, dead battery, and time to replace. The memory unit 7 pre-stores priority information such as fire being rank A, malfunction being rank B, dead battery being rank C, and time to replace being rank D. Rank A indicates the highest priority and rank D the lowest.

When a later event occurs that has a higher priority than the event that is currently being reported or is about to be reported, the control unit 10 interrupts the reporting of the lower priority event and interrupts and executes the reporting of the higher priority event. Also, when a later event occurs that has a lower priority than the event that is currently being reported or is about to be reported, the control unit 10 continues or starts the reporting of the higher priority event and puts the reporting of the lower priority event in a waiting state rather than immediately executing it.

In particular, when the control unit 10 determines that an internal event has occurred, it stores an occurrence flag in the memory unit 7. The memory unit 7 has, for example, storage areas for three occurrence flags corresponding to replacement time, malfunction, and dead battery. When the control unit 10 determines that replacement time has occurred, it writes the occurrence flag "1" to the "0" in the storage area corresponding to the replacement time.

When the fire alarm response is completed, if the occurrence flag "1" exists in the memory unit 7, the control unit 10 starts the alarm response for that internal event. If there are two or more occurrence flags "1" in the memory unit 7, the alarm of the event with the higher priority rank is started first. Examples of situations in which the "fire alarm response is completed" include when the alarm is a false alarm and the resident 100 presses the operation unit 3 to stop the alarm sound, and when the smoke concentration falls below the reference value and the alarm sound is automatically stopped. The occurrence flag in the memory unit 7 is erased (rewritten from "1" to "0") when the corresponding internal event alarm response is completed. Examples of situations in which the "internal event alarm response is completed" include when the battery 13 is replaced and when the disconnection is resolved.

(2.9) Operation Description Below, as an example, the operation of the alarm device 1 when a "fire", "dead battery" and "time to replace" occur at approximately the same time is described. Note that because a "dead battery" is likely to occur once a day at midnight, it is desirable to delay the notification by approximately six hours after it is determined that an event has occurred and the occurrence flag is stored, but for the sake of convenience, this delay will not be taken into account in the description here.

First, we will explain the case where "fire", "dead battery", and "time to replace" occur in this order, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4.

When the control unit 10 determines that a "fire" has occurred (step S1), it starts issuing a "fire" alarm (step S2). Assume that the control unit 10 also determines that a "battery dead" has occurred while the alarm sound is being issued (step S3). When the remaining capacity of the battery 13 is relatively low to begin with, it is quite possible that the power consumption will increase rapidly due to the issuance of the alarm sound, and the remaining capacity will fall to less than 10% while the alarm sound is being issued. However, since the control unit 10 is issuing an alarm for a "fire," which is the highest rank A, it does not issue a notification of the "battery dead" occurrence, but instead stores only the "battery dead" occurrence flag in the memory unit 7 (step S4) and puts the notification in a waiting state.

Next, suppose that the control unit 10 determines that a "time to replace" has also occurred while the alarm sound is being issued (step S5). However, since the control unit 10 is currently issuing an alarm for a "fire," which is the highest rank A, it does not notify the user of the occurrence of the "time to replace" event, but instead stores only the occurrence flag for the "time to replace" event in the storage unit 7 (step S6), and puts the notification into a waiting state.

If the resident 100 realizes that the alarm is a false alarm and presses the operation unit 3 (step S7), the control unit 10 stops the alarm sound (step S8). At this point, since there are two occurrence flags in the memory unit 7 at the time the fire alarm response is completed, the control unit 10 starts an alarm for these. However, since "battery dead" of rank C has a higher priority than "time to replace" of rank D, the control unit 10 starts an alarm for "battery dead" (step S9).

When the resident 100 notices that the battery is dead and replaces the battery 13 (step S10), the control unit 10 ends the "battery dead" notification response and clears the "battery dead" occurrence flag (step S11). At the time the battery dead notification response is finished, the "replacement time" occurrence flag is present in the memory unit 7, so the control unit 10 starts this notification (step S12). However, since the "replacement time" is of low urgency, only the notification flashing of the operation light 15 starts, and a voice message is only output when the operation unit 3, which is flashing red, is operated. Note that with regard to the "battery dead" notification, only the notification flashing of the operation light 15 starts, and a voice message may be output only when the operation unit 3 is operated.

Next, we will explain what happens if "battery dead," "time to replace," and "fire" occur in that order, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5.

When the control unit 10 determines that a "battery out" has occurred (step S21), it starts notifying the "battery out" (step S22) and also stores a "battery out" occurrence flag in the memory unit 7 (step S23). Assume that the control unit 10 determines that a "replacement time" has also occurred while notifying the "battery out" (step S24). However, because the control unit 10 is notifying the occurrence of a rank C "battery out", it does not notify the occurrence of a rank D "replacement time" and only stores the "replacement time" occurrence flag in the memory unit 7 (step S25) and puts the notification in a waiting state.

Then, suppose that the control unit 10 determines that a "fire" has also occurred while the "battery dead" notification is being issued (step S26). The control unit 10 temporarily halts the "battery dead" notification of rank C, interrupts and starts a "fire" alarm of rank A (step S27), and puts the "battery dead" notification in a waiting state.

If the resident 100 realizes that the alarm is a false alarm and presses the operation unit 3 (step S28), the control unit 10 stops the alarm sound (step S29). At this point, when the fire alarm response is finished, there are two occurrence flags in the memory unit 7, so the control unit 10 starts announcing these. However, because rank C "battery dead" has a higher priority than rank D "time to replace," the control unit 10 resumes the "battery dead" alarm (step S30).

When the resident 100 notices that the battery is dead and replaces the battery 13 (step S31), the control unit 10 ends the notification of the dead battery and erases the occurrence flag of the dead battery (step S32). At the time the notification of the dead battery is finished, the occurrence flag of the time to replace the battery is present in the memory unit 7, so the control unit 10 starts this notification (step S33).

In this manner, in this embodiment, a fire alarm is issued before a replacement notification. This prevents a situation in which, even though a fire that is the subject of an alarm sound has occurred, the replacement notification is in progress and the resident 100 is unable to be notified of the occurrence of a fire. This improves the reliability of the notifications. In particular, since a fire alarm is given top priority and is issued before any internal event notification, the reliability of the fire alarm can be improved by giving the highest priority rank to the fire alarm, including internal events.

In addition, notifications of malfunctions and dead batteries other than replacement notifications are made before notifications of replacement. Even for internal events, by giving the lowest priority to notifications of replacement, which are relatively less urgent, it is possible to improve the reliability of notifications of other events.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when it is determined that an internal event has occurred, an occurrence flag is stored. Therefore, even if a fire occurs immediately before or during an internal event notification, causing the notification of the fire to be interrupted, the notification of the internal event can be resumed after the fire notification response is completed. Alternatively, even if an internal event occurs while a fire is already being notified, the internal event can be notified after the fire notification response is completed.

(3) Modifications Several modifications are listed below. Hereinafter, the above-described embodiment will be referred to as a "basic example." Each of the modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combination with the above-described basic example or other modifications.

(3.1) Modification 1
When the fire alarm response is completed, if an occurrence flag exists in the memory unit 7, the control unit 10 of the basic example starts the corresponding internal event alarm response. In other words, once the control unit 10 of the basic example determines that an internal event has occurred, it does not abandon the alarm but executes it sequentially. However, even if an occurrence flag exists, it is not essential to execute the internal event alarm sequentially.

The control unit 10 of this modified example is configured to forcibly erase the occurrence flag without starting the internal event notification response even if the occurrence flag exists in the memory unit 7 when the fire notification response is completed. The occurrence of a fire can be a greater mental burden for the resident 100 than the occurrence of any internal event. For example, if the resident 100 realizes that the alarm is a false alarm and stops the alarm sound with relief, and then the notification of internal events that are less urgent than a fire is executed in succession, the resident 100 may feel discomfort or anxiety. Therefore, by forcibly erasing the occurrence flag without starting the internal event notification response only when the fire notification response is completed, the discomfort or anxiety caused to the resident 100 can be suppressed. If the control unit 10 judges internal events at a cycle of, for example, every hour, the internal events will not be notified until the time of the next regular judgment process.

If the control unit 10 finishes responding to an internal event and a flag indicating the occurrence of another internal event exists, the control unit 10 will start notifying the occurrence of that other internal event without clearing the flag.

Incidentally, the configuration of storing the occurrence flag in the memory unit 7 is not an essential component of the alarm device 1. For example, the control unit 10 does not have to store the occurrence flag in the memory unit 7 even if it determines that a "replacement time" event, which has the lowest priority rank, has occurred.

(3.2) Modification 2
The alarm device 1 of the basic example was a stand-alone fire alarm device. In other words, the alarm device 1 of the basic example does not have a communication function for communicating with other fire alarm devices. However, the alarm device 1 may also be an interlocking fire alarm device that has a communication function for communicating with other fire alarm devices. The communication may be wireless or wired.

The alarm device 1 may also be configured to be able to communicate with devices other than fire alarm devices. Devices other than fire alarm devices include, for example, a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone) carried by the resident 100, and security monitoring equipment installed in the home. The alarm device 1 may notify the mobile terminal and security monitoring equipment of the occurrence of a fire, an internal event, etc. In this case, dedicated application software is pre-installed on the mobile terminal and security monitoring equipment.

(3.3) Modification 3
Incidentally, the alarm device 1 may have a structure as shown in Figures 6A and 6B (Modification 3). The alarm device of this modification has an annular slit 9 recessed upward on one surface 40 (the bottom surface in Figure 6A) of the housing 4, and the slit 9 is formed so as to follow the circular outer periphery of the housing 4 when the housing 4 is viewed from below. The center of the annular slit 9 approximately coincides with the center of the circular outer periphery of the housing 4. The slit 9 has, on its inner surface (for example, the inner bottom surface), an acoustic hole H1 that guides the alarm sound to the outside of the housing 4, and a window hole H2 that guides the illumination light to the outside of the housing 4. The first output unit 11 (speaker) is housed in the housing 4 so as to face the acoustic hole H1. The second output unit 12 is housed in the housing 4 so as to face the window hole H2.

In this modified example, the acoustic hole H1 and the window hole H2 are provided on the inner surface of the slit 9, making these holes less noticeable. This makes it possible to reduce evacuation time while preventing damage to the exterior appearance.

(3.4) Other Modifications Functions similar to those of the alarm device 1 (mainly the control unit 10) in the basic example may be embodied in a control method, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded. Here, the entity that executes the alarm device 1 or the control method includes a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The function of the alarm device 1 or the entity that executes the control method is realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, but may also be provided via an electric communication line, or may be provided by being recorded on a recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is made up of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large scale integrated circuit (LSI). The multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed across multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into one device, or may be distributed across multiple devices.

In particular, in the basic example, the control unit 10 not only judges whether there is a fire, but also judges whether there is an internal event, generates a PWM signal to be output to the audio circuit, and generates a control signal to be output to the lighting circuit, but these functions may be executed in a distributed manner, for example, by two or more processors. Also, the first lighting circuit and the second lighting circuit may be configured as, for example, a single lighting circuit.

In addition, the basic example alarm device 1 is realized by one device, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, at least one of the functions of the control unit 10, first output unit 11, second output unit 12, fire detection unit 2, operation unit 3, operation light 15, equipment detection unit 6, memory unit 7, various circuits, etc. of the alarm device 1 may be distributed across two or more devices. In addition, at least some of the functions of the alarm device 1 may be realized by, for example, the cloud (cloud computing).

(4) Advantages As explained above, the alarm device (1) pertaining to the first aspect is installed in a structure (C1). The alarm device (1) comprises an equipment detection unit (6), a control unit (10), and a notification unit (8). The equipment detection unit (6) detects first information corresponding to an internal event related to the alarm device (1) itself. The control unit (10) receives the first information and determines whether or not an internal event has occurred. The control unit (10) also receives second information related to an external event that is the subject of an alarm sound and determines whether or not an external event has occurred. The notification unit (8) notifies of the occurrence of an internal event and the occurrence of an external event. The internal events include at least the time to replace the alarm device (1). The control unit (10) causes the notification unit (8) to give priority to notifying of an external event over notifying of the time to replace the alarm. According to the first aspect, it is possible to prevent a situation in which, even though an external event that is the subject of an alarm has occurred, the notification of the time to replace the device is being executed and the user is not notified of the occurrence of the external event, thereby improving the reliability of the notification.

Regarding the alarm device (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, it is preferable that the internal event further includes one or more other events in addition to the replacement time. It is preferable that the control unit (10) causes the notification unit (8) to notify any of the one or more other events before notifying the replacement time. According to the second aspect, by giving the lowest priority to the notification of the replacement time, which is a relatively low urgency even among internal events, it is possible to improve the reliability of the notification of other events.

Regarding the alarm device (1) according to the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the external event is preferably a fire. The control unit (10) preferably causes the alarm unit (8) to give top priority to a fire alarm, before any internal event alarm. According to the third aspect, by giving the highest priority to a fire alarm, including internal events, it is possible to improve the reliability of the fire alarm.

The alarm device (1) according to the fourth aspect is preferably any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a memory unit (7). When the control unit (10) determines that an internal event has occurred, it is preferable for the control unit (10) to store an occurrence flag in the memory unit (7). If the occurrence flag exists in the memory unit (7) when the response to the notification of the external event is completed, it is preferable for the control unit (10) to start the response to the notification of the internal event. According to the fourth aspect, even if the notification of the occurrence of an external event is interrupted immediately before or during the notification of the occurrence of an internal event, the internal event can be notified after the response to the notification of the external event is completed. Alternatively, even if an internal event occurs while the occurrence of an external event is already being notified, the internal event can be notified after the response to the notification of the external event is completed.

The alarm device (1) according to the fifth aspect is preferably any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a memory unit (7). When the control unit (10) determines that an internal event has occurred, it is preferable that the control unit (10) stores an occurrence flag in the memory unit (7). Even if the occurrence flag exists in the memory unit (7) when the response to the notification of the external event is completed, the control unit (10) preferably forcibly erases the occurrence flag without starting the response to the notification of the internal event. According to the fifth aspect, for example, it is possible to suppress discomfort, anxiety, etc., given to the user, compared to a case where notifications of internal events, which are less urgent than the external events, are executed in rapid succession after the notification of the external event is completed.

With regard to the alarm device (1) according to the sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, when the control unit (10) determines that multiple events have occurred among external events and internal events, it is preferable that it takes sequential notification actions in descending order of priority. It is preferable that the internal events further include, as events other than the time for replacement, a malfunction within the alarm device (1) and a dead battery in the battery (battery 13) built into the alarm device (1). It is preferable that the priorities are, from highest to lowest, external event, malfunction, dead battery, and time for replacement. According to the sixth aspect, actions are taken in sequence for all events that have occurred, which can further improve the reliability of the notifications.

Regarding the alarm device (1) according to the seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, it is preferable that the external event is a fire. It is preferable that the alarm device (1) further comprises a fire detection unit (2) that detects a fire. It is preferable that the control unit (10) receives the detection result from the fire detection unit (2) as the above information and determines whether or not a fire has occurred. According to the seventh aspect, it is possible to provide an alarm device (1) with a fire detection unit (2) that can improve the reliability of notifications.

The control method according to the eighth aspect is a control method for an alarm device (1) installed in a structure (C1). The control method has a detection step, a first determination step, a second determination step, and a notification step. In the detection step, first information corresponding to an internal event related to the alarm device (1) itself is detected. In the first determination step, the first information is received and a determination is made as to whether or not an internal event has occurred. In the second determination step, second information related to an external event that is the subject of an alarm sound is received and a determination is made as to whether or not an external event has occurred. In the notification step, the occurrence of an internal event and the occurrence of an external event are notified. The internal events include at least the time to replace the alarm device (1). In the notification step, notification of an external event is given priority over notification of the time to replace the alarm device. According to the eighth aspect, a control method capable of improving the reliability of notifications can be provided.

The program according to the ninth aspect causes a computer system to execute the control method according to the eighth aspect. According to the ninth aspect, it is possible to provide a function that can improve the reliability of notifications.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Alarm 2 Fire detection unit 6 Equipment detection unit 7 Memory unit 8 Notification unit 10 Control unit 13 Battery
C1 Structure

Claims (7)

An alarm device installed in a structure,
a device detection unit that detects first information corresponding to an internal event related to the alarm device itself;
a control unit that receives the first information and determines whether the internal event has occurred, and receives second information related to an external event that is to be notified with an alarm sound and determines whether the external event has occurred;
a notification unit that notifies the occurrence of the internal event and the occurrence of the external event;
Equipped with
The control unit is
When the notification event that is currently being notified or is to be notified is the internal event, and when the internal event or the external event having a higher priority than the notification event occurs later, the notification of the notification event having the lower priority is interrupted and the notification of the internal event or the external event having the higher priority is interrupted and executed ;
When the event being notified or to be notified is the external event, and an internal event having a lower priority than the external event occurs later, the notification of the external event having a higher priority is continued or started, and the notification of the internal event having a lower priority is not immediately executed but is put into a waiting state.
Alarm. When the notification event that is currently being notified or is to be notified is the internal event and an internal event having a lower priority than the notification event occurs later, the control unit continues or starts the notification of the notification event having the higher priority and does not execute the notification of the internal event having the lower priority, and puts the internal event in a waiting state.
2. The alarm of claim 1. The control unit determines whether or not the internal event has occurred at an arbitrary period,
The waiting state includes a state in which the internal event is not notified until the next cycle.
3. An alarm as claimed in claim 2. The internal events include a time when the alarm needs to be replaced, a malfunction within the alarm, and a dead battery built into the alarm,
The priority order, from highest to lowest, is the external event, the malfunction, the dead battery, and the replacement time.
An alarm according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The external event is a fire;
A fire detection unit that detects the fire is further provided,
The control unit receives a detection result from the fire detection unit as the second information and determines whether or not the fire has occurred.
An alarm according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A method for controlling an alarm installed in a structure, comprising:
A detection step of detecting first information corresponding to an internal event related to the alarm device itself;
a first determination step of receiving the first information and determining whether or not the internal event has occurred;
a second determination step of receiving second information related to an external event that is to be notified with an alarm sound and determining whether or not the external event has occurred;
a notification step of notifying an occurrence of the internal event and an occurrence of the external event;
having
In the notification step,
When the notification event that is currently being notified or is to be notified is the internal event, and the internal event or the external event that has a higher priority than the notification event occurs later, the notification of the notification event with the lower priority is interrupted, and the notification of the internal event or the external event with the higher priority is performed ;
When the notification event currently being notified or to be notified is the external event, and the internal event having a lower priority than the notification event occurs later, the notification of the notification event having the higher priority is continued or started as is, and the notification of the internal event having the lower priority is not immediately executed but is put into a waiting state.
Control methods. A computer system is caused to execute the control method according to claim 6.
program.

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