JP7747469B2 - Alarm systems and alarm transmission devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology for externally notifying an abnormality in a detector that detects an abnormality occurring in a monitored area.

Technology is known for transferring a fire signal output from a fire detector to an external device (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2). Also known is technology for linking groups by transferring an equipment failure interlocking signal sent from fire detectors within a group between groups (e.g., Patent Document 3).

Patent No. 5478316 Patent No. 6430771 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-8679

When a device malfunction occurs in a detector that detects abnormalities in the monitored area, users of external devices often want to know about the malfunction. However, with conventional technology, external devices are unable to recognize the malfunction of the detector.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable an external device to recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in a detector that detects an abnormality that occurs in a monitored area.

One aspect of the present invention provides an alarm system that includes a detector that detects abnormalities that occur in a monitored area and a reporting device. When an equipment abnormality occurs in the detector, the detector transmits an equipment abnormality signal. When the reporting device receives the equipment abnormality signal, it outputs a reporting signal to an external device that is not included in the alarm system.

According to the present invention, an external device can recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in a detector that detects an abnormality occurring in a monitored area.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an alarm system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an alarm device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a report transfer device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a notification output unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fire alarm operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation when a device abnormality occurs in a slave unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation when a device abnormality occurs in the parent device. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a report output unit according to a modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a report output unit according to another modified example.

1. Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an alarm system 1 according to the present embodiment. The alarm system 1 is a system that issues a fire alarm in cooperation within a group. The alarm system 1 comprises a plurality of alarm devices 10 that function as slave devices (hereinafter referred to as "slave devices 10a"), an alarm device 10 that functions as a master device (hereinafter referred to as "master device 10b"), and a report transmission device 20. In the following explanation, the slave devices 10a and master devices 10b will also be collectively referred to as the alarm devices 10. The slave devices 10a, master device 10b, and report transmission device 20 belong to the same group, and are connected wirelessly. The report transmission device 20 is connected via a signal line 40 to an external device 30 that is not included in the alarm system 1. Note that the number of slave devices 10a shown in FIG. 1 is an example and is not limited to this. The number of slave devices 10a may be any number up to 14, for example.

The alarm device 10 is installed on the ceiling or wall of a building under management, such as a home, commercial building, or office building, and detects fires and issues an alarm. A building under management is an example of a monitored area according to the present invention. The alarm device 10 may be any device that detects fires and issues an alarm, such as a residential fire alarm or fire sensor. A fire is an example of an abnormality according to the present invention. The alarm device 10 is an example of a detector according to the present invention. The master unit 10b is installed in a position where it can wirelessly communicate with multiple slave units 10a and the reporting device 20, and forwards signals received from the slave units 10a to the reporting device 20.

When the report transfer device 20 receives a signal indicating the detection of a fire in the alarm device 10, it outputs a report to the external device 30. The report transfer device 20 also outputs a report to the external device 30 when it receives a signal indicating the detection of an abnormality other than a fire, such as a malfunction of the alarm device 10 itself. This report transfer output refers to the transmission of an alarm. Note that in this embodiment, the report transfer device 20 itself does not detect fires.

External device 30 is a control device that is managed and operated, for example, in a caretaker's office, and monitors the building under management. When a report is output from report transfer device 20, external device 30 performs processing in response to this report output. This processing involves, for example, transmitting a signal to the control center of the management company that manages the building in response to the report output from report transfer device 20. Note that external device 30 may also be operated in connection with alarm devices such as additional buzzers and flashlights, smoke control devices such as shutters and fire doors, and the home information panel of an intercom system. The processing in response to the report output is not limited to transmitting a signal, and may be any processing.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an alarm device 10. The alarm device 10 comprises a control unit 101, a memory unit 102, a communication unit 103, an operation unit 104, a display unit 105, a sound output unit 106, a fire detection unit 107, and a power supply unit 108. The various units of the alarm device 10 are connected via a bus or power line.

The control unit 101 controls each part of the device and performs various processes. The control unit 101 includes one or more processors, such as a CPU, and main memory such as RAM, and the processor loads programs stored in the storage unit 102 into the main memory and executes them. The storage unit 102 stores various data such as programs for implementing the functions of the device, the address set for the device, and the group ID of the group to which the device belongs. This address is a number that uniquely identifies the alarm device 10. Consecutive addresses are set in advance for multiple alarm devices 10 that belong to the same group. The storage unit 102 includes, for example, at least one of ROM, EEPROM, and flash memory. The communication unit 103 is a communication interface for wireless communication with other devices in accordance with a wireless communication standard. The communication unit 103 includes, for example, an antenna and a transmission/reception circuit. The operation unit 104 is used for operation by the operator. The operation unit 104 includes, for example, operation buttons. The display unit 105 displays various information. The display unit 105 includes multiple LEDs with different light colors, and the lighting patterns of each LED indicate various types of information. The sound output unit 106 outputs various alarm sounds and voice messages. The sound output unit 106 includes, for example, a speaker. The fire detection unit 107 detects a fire by measuring physical quantities that change with a fire. The fire detection method may be, for example, a photoelectric or constant temperature method. In the case of a photoelectric method, the fire detection unit 107 measures and outputs the ambient smoke density. In the case of a constant temperature method, the fire detection unit 107 measures and outputs the ambient temperature. Note that the fire detection method is not limited to a photoelectric or constant temperature method, and may be any method that can detect a fire, such as an infrared method or a combined method. The power supply unit 108 supplies power to each component of the device. The power supply unit 108 includes, for example, a battery and a power supply circuit.

The control unit 101 functions as an abnormality detection unit 111, a transmission unit 112, a reception unit 113, an alarm control unit 114, and a transfer unit 115. These functions are realized by the processor of the control unit 101 executing a program stored in the memory unit 102 to perform calculations or control each unit of the device.

The abnormality detection unit 111 checks the status of the device at predetermined intervals and detects any abnormalities in the device. Types of device abnormalities include, for example, dead battery, sensor abnormality, and radio wave abnormality. Dead battery indicates a state in which the battery is low. Sensor abnormality indicates a state in which there is an abnormality in the output of the fire detection unit 107. Radio wave abnormality indicates a state in which there is an abnormality in the wireless communication between the device and other devices.

When a fire is detected by the fire detection unit 107, the transmission unit 112 transmits a fire interlocking signal. This fire interlocking signal is an example of a fire signal according to the present invention. Furthermore, when an equipment abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 111, the transmission unit 112 transmits an equipment abnormality signal. This equipment abnormality signal indicates the type of equipment abnormality.

When a fire is detected by another alarm device 10, the receiving unit 113 receives a fire linkage signal from the other alarm device 10.

When a fire is detected by the fire detection unit 107 or a fire linkage signal is received from another alarm device 10, the alarm control unit 114 causes the display unit 105 and sound output unit 106 to output an alarm notifying the occurrence of a fire. Furthermore, when an equipment abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 111, the alarm control unit 114 causes the display unit 105 and sound output unit 106 to output an alarm notifying the occurrence of an equipment abnormality. For example, the alarm control unit 114 causes the sound output unit 106 to output a voice message, and lights up the LEDs of the display unit 105 according to a predetermined lighting pattern.

The forwarding unit 115 forwards various signals received from other alarm devices 10 to the report transfer device 20 and further alarm devices 10. This is to ensure that even if a report transfer device 20 or further alarm devices 10 belonging to the same group are installed outside the wireless communication range of the other alarm devices 10, these devices can receive signals transmitted from the other alarm devices 10.

Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the report transfer device 20. The report transfer device 20 comprises a control unit 201, a memory unit 202, a communication unit 203, an operation unit 204, a display unit 205, a sound output unit 206, a report transfer output unit 207, and a power supply unit 208. The various units of the report transfer device 20 are connected via a bus or power line. The control unit 201, memory unit 202, communication unit 203, operation unit 204, display unit 205, sound output unit 206, and power supply unit 208 are essentially the same as the control unit 101, memory unit 102, communication unit 103, operation unit 104, display unit 105, sound output unit 106, and power supply unit 108 of the alarm device 10, respectively. However, the memory unit 202 stores information such as the group ID required to receive abnormality information about fires and other events that have occurred within a group.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the alarm output unit 207. In this example, the external device 30 comprises a first receiving unit 301 that receives an alarm signal notifying the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10, and a second receiving unit 302 that receives an alarm signal notifying the occurrence of a fire. The alarm output unit 207 includes terminals 271a to 271d and contacts 272a and 272b. Terminals 271a and 271b are each connected to the first receiving unit 301 via a signal line 40. Contact 272a is connected in series between terminals 271a and 271b. Contact 272a is used to output an alarm of an equipment abnormality. Contact 272a is an example of a first contact according to the present invention. Contact 272a is a break contact and is normally closed. Terminals 271c and 271d are each connected to the second receiving unit 302 via a signal line 40. Contact 272b is connected in series between terminals 271c and 271d. Contact 272b is used for fire alarm output. Contact 272b is an example of a second contact according to the present invention. Contact 272b is a make contact and is normally open.

Returning to Figure 3, the control unit 201 functions as a receiving unit 211, an alarm control unit 212, and a contact control unit 213. These functions are realized by the processor of the control unit 201 executing a program stored in the memory unit 202 to perform calculations or control each unit of the device itself.

The receiving unit 211 receives the fire interlock signal and the equipment abnormality signal. The receiving unit 211 may receive these signals directly from the slave unit 10a or master unit 10b that detected the fire or equipment abnormality, or may receive signals forwarded by the master unit 10b.

When the receiving unit 211 receives a fire linkage signal, the alarm control unit 212 causes the display unit 205 to display an alarm related to a fire. Furthermore, when the receiving unit 211 receives an equipment abnormality signal, the alarm control unit 212 causes the display unit 205 to display an alarm related to an equipment abnormality. At this time, the alarm control unit 212 may display different alarms depending on the type of equipment abnormality indicated by the equipment abnormality signal. For example, the alarm control unit 212 lights up the LEDs of the display unit 205 according to different lighting patterns predetermined for each type of equipment abnormality.

The contact control unit 213 controls the contacts 272a and 272b of the alarm output unit 207. The contact control unit 213 changes the connection state of contacts 272a and 272b depending on whether a fire interlocking signal is received or an equipment abnormality signal is received. This causes different alarm signals to be output from the alarm output unit 207 depending on whether a fire interlocking signal or an equipment abnormality signal is received. For example, the contact control unit 213 switches the connection state of contacts 272a and 272b by using the electromagnetic force of coils (not shown) paired with each of contacts 272a and 272b. Note that in the example shown in Figure 4, the alarm output unit 207 has a contact relay, but it may also have a contactless relay.

2. Operation Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of fire alarm operation. Fire alarm operation is initiated when the alarm device 10 detects a fire. Here, an example will be explained in which the slave unit 10a detects a fire.

In step S11, the fire detection unit 107 of the handset 10a detects a fire. In step S12, the alarm control unit 114 of the handset 10a causes the display unit 105 and sound output unit 106 to output an alarm notifying the occurrence of a fire. For example, the alarm control unit 114 causes the sound output unit 106 to output a voice message saying, "Fire! Fire!" and causes the LED of the display unit 105 to flash at a predetermined first flashing cycle. In step S13, the transmission unit 112 of the handset 10a wirelessly transmits a fire interlocking signal. Note that the processing of step S12 and the processing of step S13 may be performed either first or in parallel. The address and group ID of the handset 10a are added to this fire interlocking signal so that other devices in the same group can determine which device performed the fire detection. The receiving unit 113 of the master unit 10b receives the fire interlocking signal transmitted from the slave unit 10a because the group ID included in the fire interlocking signal matches the group ID stored in the memory unit 102 of the master unit 10b. In addition, other devices within the wireless communication range of the slave unit 10a may also receive the fire interlocking signal in the same way as the master unit 10b.

In step S14, the alarm control unit 114 of the parent unit 10b causes the display unit 105 and sound output unit 106 to output an alarm notifying the occurrence of a fire. For example, if the address of the alarm device 10 included in the fire interlocking signal is number 5, the alarm control unit 114 causes the sound output unit 106 to output a voice message saying, "There is a fire at number 5," and causes the LED of the display unit 105 to flash at a predetermined first flashing cycle. The LED display color may be different for the alarm device 10 that detected the fire and the alarm device 10 that received the fire interlocking signal. In steps S15 and S16, the transfer unit 115 of the parent unit 10b confirms that the transmission of the fire interlocking signal from the child device 10a that detected the fire has stopped, and then wirelessly transfers this fire interlocking signal to the other child devices 10a and the reporting device 20. The receiving unit 113 of the other slave unit 10a receives the fire interlocking signal transferred from the master unit 10b because the group ID included in the fire interlocking signal matches the group ID stored in the memory unit 102 of this slave unit 10a. Similarly, the receiving unit 211 of the report transfer device 20 also receives the fire interlocking signal transferred from the master unit 10b because the group ID included in the fire interlocking signal matches the group ID stored in the memory unit 202.

In step S17, the alarm control unit 114 of the other handset 10a causes the display unit 105 and sound output unit 106 to issue an alarm informing the user of the occurrence of a fire. For example, the alarm control unit 114 causes the sound output unit 106 to output a voice message saying, "There is a fire at number 5," and causes the LED of the display unit 105 to blink at a predetermined first blinking cycle. In step S18, the alarm control unit 212 of the report transfer device 20 causes the display unit 205 to display an alarm informing the user of the occurrence of a fire. For example, the alarm control unit 212 causes the LED of the display unit 205 to blink at a predetermined first blinking cycle.

In step S19, the contact control unit 213 of the alarm transmission device 20 controls contacts 272a and 272b to cause the alarm output unit 207 to output an alarm signal informing the external device 30 of a fire. This alarm signal is an example of a second alarm signal according to the present invention. Note that the processing of steps S18 and S19 may be performed either first or in parallel. As shown in FIG. 4, under normal circumstances, contact 272a is closed and contact 272b is open, so that current flows through the first receiving unit 301 of the external device 30 but not through the second receiving unit 302. However, upon receiving a fire interlocking signal, the contact control unit 213 maintains contact 272a (shown in FIG. 4) in its normal closed state and switches contact 272b to a closed state. When contact 272b switches to the closed state, both ends of contact 272b are conductive, allowing current to flow through the second receiving unit 302 of the external device 30. This allows the external device 30 to recognize that a fire has occurred. The external device 30 then transmits a signal indicating the occurrence of a fire to, for example, the management company's control center. As a result, the management company recognizes that a fire has occurred in a building under its management and can take appropriate action. Note that this notification signal output continues until a fire recovery signal is received from the fire detection source.

Figure 6 shows an example of the operation that occurs when a device abnormality occurs in the slave unit 10a. This operation is initiated when the slave unit 10a detects a device abnormality.

In step S21, if an equipment abnormality occurs in the handset 10a, the abnormality detection unit 111 detects this equipment abnormality. One type of equipment abnormality is a dead battery. At predetermined time intervals, the abnormality detection unit 111 determines whether the battery voltage value is equal to or greater than a predetermined operating voltage value for the handset 10a. If the battery voltage value is determined to be less than the operating voltage value a predetermined number of times in succession, the abnormality detection unit 111 detects a dead battery. Equipment abnormalities also include sensor abnormalities. At predetermined time intervals, the abnormality detection unit 111 determines whether the output of the fire detection unit 107 is within a predetermined normal range. Here, for example, in the case of a photoelectric fire detection unit 107, if a component fails or the fire detection unit 107 is soiled, the output of the fire detection unit 107 will fall outside the normal range. If the output of the fire detection unit 107 falls outside the normal range and this state is determined a predetermined number of times in succession, the abnormality detection unit 111 detects a sensor abnormality.

In step S22, the alarm control unit 114 of the handset 10a causes the display unit 105 and sound output unit 106 to output an alarm indicating the occurrence of an equipment abnormality. At this time, the alarm control unit 114 outputs a different alarm depending on the type of equipment abnormality. For example, if a dead battery is detected, the alarm control unit 114 causes the sound output unit 106 to output a voice message saying "Battery is dead," and causes the LED of the display unit 105 to flash once at a predetermined second flashing cycle. On the other hand, if a sensor abnormality is detected, the alarm control unit 114 causes the sound output unit 106 to output a voice message saying "Sensor abnormality," and causes the LED of the display unit 105 to flash three times at a predetermined second flashing cycle. Note that although the difference is indicated here by the number of flashes, the LED display color and flashing cycle may also be different.

In step S23, the transmitter 112 of the slave device 10a wirelessly transmits a device abnormality signal. Note that the processing of step S22 and the processing of step S23 may be performed either first or in parallel. This device abnormality signal is accompanied by the address and group ID of the slave device 10a so that it is possible to determine which device has detected the device abnormality among other devices belonging to the same group. The device abnormality signal also includes information indicating the type of device abnormality. The receiver 113 of the master device 10b receives the device abnormality signal transmitted from the slave device 10a because the group ID included in the device abnormality signal matches the group ID stored in the memory unit 102 of the master device 10b.

In step S24, the forwarding unit 115 of the parent device 10b confirms that the transmission of the device abnormality signal from the child device 10a that detected the device abnormality has stopped, and then wirelessly forwards this device abnormality signal to the transmission device 20. The receiving unit 211 of the transmission device 20 receives the device abnormality signal forwarded from the parent device 10b because the group ID included in the device abnormality signal matches the group ID stored in the memory unit 202. Note that other child devices 10a may also receive the device abnormality signal, but in this embodiment, the other child devices 10a do not perform any processing in response to the device abnormality signal.

In step S25, the alarm control unit 212 of the report transmission device 20 causes the display unit 205 to display an alarm indicating that an equipment abnormality has occurred in the alarm device 10. At this time, the alarm control unit 212 displays a different alarm depending on the type of equipment abnormality indicated by the equipment abnormality signal. For example, if the type of equipment abnormality is a dead battery, the alarm control unit 212 causes the LED on the display unit 205 to flash once in a predetermined second flashing cycle. On the other hand, if the type of equipment abnormality is a sensor abnormality, the alarm control unit 114 causes the LED on the display unit 205 to flash three times in a predetermined second flashing cycle. Note that although the difference is indicated here by the number of flashes, the LED display color and flashing cycle may also be different.

In step S26, the contact control unit 213 of the alarm transmission device 20 controls contacts 272a and 272b to cause the report output unit 207 to output a report signal to the external device 30, informing the external device 30 that an equipment abnormality has occurred in the alarm device 10. This report signal is an example of a first report signal according to the present invention. Note that the processing of steps S25 and S26 may be performed either first or in parallel. As shown in FIG. 4, under normal circumstances, contact 272a is closed and contact 272b is open, so that current flows through the first receiving unit 301 of the external device 30 and no current flows through the second receiving unit 302. However, upon receiving an equipment abnormality signal, the contact control unit 213 switches contact 272a shown in FIG. 4 to an open state and maintains contact 272b in its normal open state. When contact 272a switches to the open state, continuity is lost across both ends of contact 272a, and current stops flowing to the first receiving section 301 of the external device 30. As a result, the external device 30 recognizes that an equipment abnormality has occurred in the alarm device 10. The external device 30 then transmits a signal indicating the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 to, for example, the management company's control center. As a result, the management company recognizes that an equipment abnormality has occurred in an alarm device 10 installed in a building it manages, and is able to take appropriate action. Note that the output of this notification signal continues until the equipment abnormality that detected the abnormality is resolved.

Here, if a fire and an equipment abnormality in an alarm device 10 occur simultaneously, the receiving unit 211 of the report transfer device 20 will receive a fire interlocking signal and an equipment abnormality signal from at least one alarm device 10 at related times. Note that the fire interlocking signal and the equipment abnormality signal do not necessarily have to be received simultaneously, as long as they are received at related times. For example, if an equipment abnormality signal is received and a report transfer signal indicating the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in an alarm device 10 is output while a fire interlocking signal is received, this will also mean that the fire interlocking signal and the equipment abnormality signal have been received at related times.

In this embodiment, when a fire interlocking signal and an equipment abnormality signal are received at related times, the contact control unit 213 of the alarm transfer device 20 controls the connection state of contacts 272a and 272b to cause the alarm transfer output unit 207 to output an alarm transfer signal notifying the external device 30 of a fire. When the fire interlocking signal and the equipment abnormality signal are received at related times, the contact control unit 213 switches contact 272a shown in FIG. 4 to its normal closed state and contact 272b to its closed state, just as when the fire interlocking signal is received. Note that, for example, if contact 272a is closed, the contact control unit 213 maintains contact 272a in the closed state. On the other hand, if a fire interlocking output signal notifying the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 has already been output, contact 272a is switched to the open state. In this case, the contact control unit 213 switches contact 272a to the closed state. When contact 272b is closed, current flows to the second receiving unit 302 of the external device 30. This allows the external device 30 to recognize that a fire has occurred. The external device 30 then transmits a signal indicating the occurrence of a fire to, for example, the management company's control center. As a result, the management company recognizes that a fire has occurred in a building under its management and can take appropriate action.

Figure 7 shows an example of the operation that occurs when a device abnormality occurs in the parent device 10b. This operation is initiated when the parent device 10b detects a device abnormality.

In step S31, the abnormality detection unit 111 of the base unit 10b detects an equipment abnormality when it occurs in the base unit, similar to step S21 described above. In step S32, the alarm control unit 114 of the base unit 10b causes the display unit 105 and sound output unit 106 to output an alarm notifying the user of the occurrence of the equipment abnormality, similar to step S22 described above. In step S33, the transmission unit 112 of the base unit 10b wirelessly transmits an equipment abnormality signal, similar to step S23 described above. Note that the processing of step S32 and the processing of step S33 may be performed either first or in parallel. The receiving unit 211 of the report transfer device 20 receives this equipment abnormality signal. The processing of steps S34 and S35 is similar to the processing of steps S25 and S26 described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

According to the above-described embodiment, when an equipment abnormality occurs in the alarm device 10, a report signal notifying the occurrence of this equipment abnormality is output to the external device 30, allowing the external device 30 to recognize the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10. Furthermore, because different report signals are output when a fire occurs and when an equipment abnormality occurs in the alarm device 10, the external device 30 can distinguish between the occurrence of a fire and the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10. Furthermore, when a fire and an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 occur simultaneously, a report signal notifying the occurrence of a fire is output to the external device 30, allowing the external device 30 to recognize the occurrence of a fire, which has a higher priority. Furthermore, because the report transfer device 20 displays different alarms depending on the type of equipment abnormality, the type of equipment abnormality can be recognized by looking at the display on the report transfer device 20.

3. Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The above-described embodiment may be modified as in the following modifications. The embodiment and the modifications may be used in combination, or may be switched depending on the implementation. Similarly, the following modifications may be used in combination, or may be switched depending on the implementation.

Variation 1
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration of the report output unit 207 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4 . FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a report output unit 217 according to a modified example. The report output unit 217 includes terminals 271a to 271d and contacts 272a and 272b. A terminator 273 is provided between the report output unit 217 and the external device 30. The terminator 273 includes resistors 275a, 275b, and 275c. The terminal 271a is connected to one end of the terminator 273 via the signal line 40. One end of the terminator 273 is connected to the external device 30 via the signal line 40. A contact 272a is connected in series between the terminals 271a and 271b. The resistor 275a is connected in parallel with the terminal 271a. The resistors 275a and 275b are connected in series between the terminal 271b and one end of the terminator 273. That is, terminal 271b and one end of terminator 273 are connected via resistors 275a and 275b. Furthermore, resistors 275b and 275c are connected in series between terminal 271b and the other end of terminator 273. That is, terminal 271b and the other end of terminator 273 are connected via resistors 275b and 275c. Resistor 275b is connected in series between terminal 271b and terminal 271c. Contact 272b is connected in series between terminal 271c and terminal 271d. Resistor 275c is connected in parallel with contact 272b. Terminal 271d is connected to the other end of terminator 273 via signal line 40. Furthermore, resistors 275a and 275c are connected in series between one end and the other end of terminator 273. That is, one end and the other end of terminator 273 are connected via resistors 275a and 275c. The other end of the terminator 273 is connected to the external device 30 via a signal line 40 .

In the example shown in FIG. 8, contact 272a is normally closed, so both ends of contact 272a are conductive, and a current corresponding to the resistance values of resistors 275b and 275c of terminator 273 flows to external device 30. However, when a fire interlocking signal is received, contact control unit 213 maintains contact 272a in its normally closed state and switches contact 272b to its closed state. When contact 272b switches to its closed state, both ends of contact 272b are conductive, and a current corresponding to the resistance value of resistor 275b of terminator 273 flows to external device 30. This allows external device 30 to recognize that a fire has occurred. On the other hand, when an equipment abnormality signal is received, contact control unit 213 switches contact 272a to its open state and maintains contact 272b in its normally open state. When the contact 272a switches to the open state, continuity across the contact 272a is lost, and a current according to the resistance values of the resistors 275a and 275c of the terminator 273 flows to the external device 30. This allows the external device 30 to recognize that a device abnormality has occurred in the alarm device 10.

Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of the signal transfer output unit 227 according to another modified example. In this example, the signal transfer output unit 227 includes terminals 271e and 271f, contacts 272a and 272b, and a bypass resistor 274. Contacts 272a and 272b are connected in series between terminals 271e and 271f. Bypass resistor 274 is connected in parallel with contact 272b.

In the example shown in FIG. 9 , contact 272a is normally closed, so both ends of contact 272a are conductive and a current corresponding to the resistance value of bypass resistor 274 flows to the external device 30. However, when a fire interlocking signal is received, contact control unit 213 maintains contact 272a in the normally closed state and switches contact 272b to the closed state. When contact 272b switches to the closed state, both ends of contact 272b are conductive and a larger current than normal flows to the external device 30. This allows the external device 30 to recognize that a fire has occurred. On the other hand, when an equipment abnormality signal is received, contact control unit 213 switches contact 272a to the open state and maintains contact 272b in the normally open state. When contact 272a switches to the open state, conductivity is lost between both ends of contact 272a and no current flows to the external device 30. This allows the external device 30 to recognize that an equipment abnormality has occurred in the alarm device 10.

In the examples shown in Figures 4, 8, and 9, diodes may be connected in series between terminal 271a or 271e and contact 272a, and between contact 272b and terminal 271d or 271f, in order to limit the direction of current flow. Furthermore, contacts 272a and 272b may both be break contacts or make contacts. Even with this modified configuration, the external device 30 can distinguish between the occurrence of a device malfunction in the alarm device 10 and the occurrence of a fire.

Variation 2
In the above-described embodiment, when an equipment abnormality and a fire occur simultaneously in an alarm device 10, if the priority of the report transfer regarding the equipment abnormality is high, a report transfer signal may be output to inform the alarm device 10 of the occurrence of the equipment abnormality. For example, when a fire interlocking signal and a fire recovery signal are repeatedly received at predetermined short time intervals in addition to an equipment abnormality signal from the same alarm device 10, it is possible that a serious equipment abnormality is occurring in this alarm device 10, and the priority of the report transfer regarding the equipment abnormality may be high. Also, when a fire interlocking signal is received from at least one alarm device 10, and equipment abnormality signals are received from more than a predetermined number of alarm devices 10, there is a possibility that the fire was not detected correctly, and so the priority of the report transfer regarding the equipment abnormality may be high. Furthermore, when a fire interlocking signal and an equipment abnormality signal are received from the same alarm device 10, the reliability of the fire interlocking signal is low, and so the priority of the report transfer regarding the equipment abnormality may be high. Furthermore, when a sensor abnormality is detected in an alarm device 10, if the output of the fire detection unit 107 is higher than the normal range, fires are more likely to be falsely detected, and so the priority of the report transfer regarding the equipment abnormality may be high. Furthermore, when the priority of reporting an equipment abnormality is to be increased when the output of the fire detection unit 107 is above the normal range, the abnormality detection unit 111 of the alarm device 10 distinguishes between a first sensor abnormality, in which the output of the fire detection unit 107 is below the normal range, and a second sensor abnormality, in which the output is above the normal range. If a second sensor abnormality is detected, the equipment abnormality signal will contain information indicating a second sensor abnormality. This information allows the report transmission device 20 to recognize that the output of the fire detection unit 107 is above the normal range. When both an equipment abnormality and a fire have occurred in the alarm device 10, and the priority of reporting an equipment abnormality is high, the contact control unit 213 will switch the connection state of at least one of the contacts 272a and 272b to the same state as when an equipment abnormality signal is received. As a result, a report transmission signal reporting the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 will be output from the report output unit 207. According to this modified example, even if an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 and a fire occur at the same time, if the priority of the report regarding the equipment abnormality is high, a report signal notifying the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 will be output to the external device 30, so that the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 can be recognized on the external device 30 side.

Variation 3
In the above-described embodiment, the slave 10a may transmit a periodic signal indicating its own status to the master 10b at predetermined time intervals. If the abnormality detection unit 111 of the slave 10a detects an abnormality and the abnormality has not been resolved, the periodic signal includes status information indicating the device abnormality. This status information includes information indicating the type of device abnormality. When the receiving unit 113 of the master 10b receives this periodic signal, it stores the status information included in the periodic signal in the memory unit 102 of the master 10b. The memory unit 102 also stores status information indicating the status of the master 10b. In this modified example, the master 10b transmits a periodic signal indicating the status of the slave 10a and the master 10b in the group to the report transfer device 20 at predetermined time intervals. This periodic signal includes status information of the slave 10a and the master 10b stored in the memory unit 102 of the master 10b. The receiving unit 211 of the report transfer device 20 receives this periodic signal. If this periodic signal indicates that there is an abnormality in the slave unit 10a or master unit 10b, the report transfer device 20 performs processing similar to steps S25 and S26 described above. Even with the method related to this modified example, if an equipment abnormality occurs in the alarm device 10, a report transfer signal reporting the occurrence of this equipment abnormality is output to the external device 30, and therefore the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 can be recognized on the external device 30 side.

Variation 4
In the above-described embodiment, device abnormalities in the alarm device 10 are not limited to dead batteries and sensor abnormalities. Device abnormalities may be any abnormality related to the alarm device 10. For example, device abnormalities may include radio wave abnormalities. As in Modification 3, when the slave unit 10a transmits a periodic signal indicating its own status to the master unit 10b at predetermined time intervals, the master unit 10b detects a radio wave abnormality in the slave unit 10a if a state in which a periodic signal is not received from the slave unit 10a continues for more than a predetermined time. This predetermined time is longer than the length of the predetermined time interval. Upon detecting a radio wave abnormality in the slave unit 10a, the alarm control unit 114 of the master unit 10b causes the sound output unit 106 to output a voice message stating "Radio wave abnormality detected," and causes the LED of the display unit 105 to flash twice, for example, at a predetermined second flashing cycle. The transmission unit 112 of the master unit 10b transmits a device abnormality signal, as in step S33 described above. This device abnormality signal includes information indicating a radio wave abnormality. The subsequent processing is basically the same as steps S34 and S35 described above, except that in step S34, the alarm control unit 212 of the report transfer device 20 causes the LED of the display unit 205 to blink twice in a predetermined second blinking cycle, for example.

In this variant, the handset 10a may detect a radio wave abnormality in its own device. For example, the abnormality detection unit 111 of the handset 10a transmits a test signal to the base unit 10b at predetermined time intervals to check for a radio wave abnormality. When the base unit 10b receives the test signal from the handset 10a, it transmits a response signal to the handset 10a. If the abnormality detection unit 111 of the handset 10a does not receive a response signal from the base unit 10b within a predetermined time after transmitting the test signal, it detects a radio wave abnormality. In this case, the alarm control unit 114 of the handset 10a outputs a voice message from the sound output unit 106 stating, "Radio wave abnormality detected." and blinks the LED of the display unit 105, for example, twice at a predetermined second blinking cycle. The transmission unit 112 of the handset 10a transmits an equipment abnormality signal, similar to step S23 described above. This equipment abnormality signal includes information indicating the radio wave abnormality. Subsequent processing is essentially the same as steps S24 to S26 described above. However, in step S25, the alarm control unit 212 of the alarm transmission device 20 causes the LED of the display unit 205 to flash twice in a predetermined second flashing cycle, for example. According to this modified example, even if a radio wave abnormality occurs in the slave unit 10a, a report transmission signal reporting the occurrence of an equipment abnormality is output to the external device 30, and the occurrence of an equipment abnormality in the alarm device 10 can be recognized on the external device 30 side.

Variation 5
In the above-described embodiment, when forwarding a signal received from a slave unit 10a, the forwarding unit 115 of the master unit 10b does not necessarily have to confirm that the transmission of the fire interlock signal from the alarm device 10 that detected the fire has stopped before forwarding the signal. For example, the forwarding unit 115 may forward the signal after a predetermined time has elapsed since receiving the signal from the slave unit 10a. Alternatively, the forwarding unit 115 may forward the signal immediately upon receiving the signal from the slave unit 10a. Furthermore, when the forwarding unit 115 receives a fire interlock signal and an equipment abnormality signal from one or more slave units 10a, the forwarding unit 115 may forward these signals at different times. For example, when the forwarding unit 115 receives a fire interlock signal and an equipment abnormality signal from one or more slave units 10a, the forwarding unit 115 may first forward the fire interlock signal and then forward the equipment abnormality signal after a predetermined time has elapsed since forwarding the fire interlock signal. This makes it possible to avoid signal collisions when forwarding a fire interlock signal and an equipment abnormality signal when received from one or more slave units 10a.

Variation 6
In the above-described embodiment, a slave 10a other than the slave 10a in which the equipment abnormality occurred (hereinafter referred to as the "other slave 10a") may receive the equipment abnormality signal and perform processing in accordance with the equipment abnormality signal. In this case, the forwarding unit 115 of the master 10b also forwards the equipment abnormality signal to the other slave 10a. When a slave 10a installed near the slave 10a in which the equipment abnormality occurred receives the equipment abnormality signal, the slave 10a may, for example, shorten the sampling period used for fire detection or increase the sensitivity of the fire detection unit 107. The slave 10a installed near the slave 10a in which the equipment abnormality occurred may be identified based on information indicating the installation locations of the alarm devices 10, which is stored in the memory unit 102, for example. According to this modification, even if an equipment abnormality occurs in a slave 10a and the slave 10a does not detect a fire, the slave 10a installed near the slave 10a will be more likely to detect the fire.

Variation 7
In the above-described embodiment, when the report transfer device 20 is installed within the wireless communication range of the slave device 10a, the signal transmitted from the slave device 10a reaches the report transfer device 20 as is. In this case, the report transfer device 20 may receive the signal directly from the slave device 10a and perform processing according to the received signal.

Variation 8
In the above-described embodiment, the contents of the alarms of the handset 10a, the base unit 10b, and the report transfer device 20 are merely examples, and are not limited thereto. For example, the report transfer device 20 may also output a voice message from the sound output unit 206, similar to the handset 10a and the base unit 10b.

Variation 9
The detector according to the present invention is not limited to the alarm device 10 and does not necessarily have to issue an alarm. For example, the detector may be a sensor without an alarm function or a fire sensor.

Modification 10
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration of the alarm system 1 is not limited to the above-described example. The alarm system 1 may be configured to include one or more of the above-described devices, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices. For example, the alarm system 1 does not necessarily have to include a slave unit 10a and a master unit 10b, and may include multiple alarm devices 10 without any distinction between them. Furthermore, the circuit configurations shown in FIGS. 4, 8, and 9 are merely examples, and other circuit configurations may be used. For example, the number of circuit components may be increased or decreased, such as by increasing the number of contacts depending on the number of alarm transmission signals to be output. Furthermore, components other than those shown in FIGS. 4, 8, and 9 may be included, or the system may be configured without some of the components shown in FIGS. 4, 8, and 9. In short, any circuit configuration is acceptable as long as it realizes a mechanism that can change the current depending on the combination of contact connection states and transmit an abnormality.

In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 101 of the alarm device 10 includes circuits such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and at least some of the functions of the alarm device 10 may be realized by this circuitry. Similarly, the control unit 201 of the alarm transmission device 20 also includes this circuitry, and at least some of the functions of the alarm transmission device 20 may be realized by this circuitry.

Modification 11
In the above-described embodiment, the operation of the alarm system 1 is not limited to the above-described example. The order of the processing steps of the alarm system 1 may be changed as long as there is no contradiction. Furthermore, some of the processing steps of the alarm system 1 may be omitted.

Modification 12
Another aspect of the present invention may provide a method having processing steps performed in at least one of the alarm system 1, the slave unit 10a, the master unit 10b, and the report transfer device 20. Furthermore, yet another aspect of the present invention may provide a program executed in the slave unit 10a, the master unit 10b, and the report transfer device 20. This program may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium, or may be provided by downloading via the Internet or the like.

Modification 13
In the embodiment described above, after a fire and an equipment abnormality in an alarm device 10 occur simultaneously, when the alarm device 10 that detected the fire recovers and transmits a fire recovery signal, the receiving unit 211 of the report transfer device 20 receives a fire interlocking signal and an equipment abnormality signal from at least one alarm device 10 at related timing, and then receives the fire recovery signal. In this case, the contact control unit 213 of the report transfer device 20 first sets contact 272a to the normal closed state and contact 272b to the normal open state, and after a predetermined time has passed, switches contact 272a to the open state, just as if an equipment abnormality had occurred, and maintains contact 272b in the normal open state. In this way, the external device 30 can recognize that the fire has been recovered from after a fire and an equipment abnormality in an alarm device 10 occurred simultaneously.

Variation 14
In the above-described embodiment, the alarm output unit 207 may include only one contact. In this modification, the contact is normally in a closed state. When a fire interlocking signal is received, the contact control unit 213 switches this contact between an open state and a closed state at predetermined time intervals. When an equipment abnormality signal is received, the contact control unit 213 switches this contact to an open state. This configuration also allows the external device 30 to distinguish between the occurrence of a fire and the occurrence of an equipment abnormality.

Modification 15
The present invention may also be applied to systems that issue alarms for the occurrence of phenomena other than fires. In this modification, the alarm device 10 may be a gas alarm, a motion sensor, or another device that detects and issues an alarm for a phenomenon other than fire. Gas alarms, motion sensors, and other devices that detect and issue an alarm for a phenomenon other than fire are also examples of detectors according to the present invention. In short, the detector according to the present invention may be any device that detects an abnormality that occurs in a monitored area. This abnormality is not limited to fire, and may be any abnormality, such as a gas leak or the intrusion of a suspicious person.

Variation 16
In the above-described embodiment, the alarm output unit 207 may include three or more contacts. In this modified example, the alarm output unit 207 switches the connection state of three or more contacts in accordance with the type of equipment abnormality, the alarm device 10 in which the equipment abnormality has occurred, or the number of alarm devices 10 in which the equipment abnormality has occurred, and varies this combination, thereby outputting a different alarm signal depending on the type of equipment abnormality, the alarm device 10 in which the equipment abnormality has occurred, or the number of alarm devices 10 in which the equipment abnormality has occurred. According to this modified example, different alarm signals are output depending on the type of equipment abnormality, the alarm device 10 in which the equipment abnormality has occurred, and the number of alarm devices 10 in which the equipment abnormality has occurred, making it possible to recognize more detailed abnormality occurrence information.

1: Alarm system, 10: Alarm device, 20: Alarm transmission device, 30: External device, 111: Abnormality detection unit, 112: Transmitter, 113: Receiver, 114: Alarm control unit, 115: Transfer unit, 207: Alarm transmission output unit, 211: Receiver, 212: Alarm control unit, 213: Contact control unit

Claims (6)

An alarm system comprising a detector that detects an abnormality occurring in a monitoring area and a reporting device,
The detector transmits an equipment abnormality signal when an equipment abnormality occurs in the detector, and transmits a fire signal in response to the detection of a fire,
When the alarm device receives the equipment abnormality signal, the alarm device outputs a first alarm signal to an external device not included in the alarm system to notify the occurrence of the equipment abnormality ;
When the report transfer device receives the equipment abnormality signal and the fire signal, if the priority of the report transfer regarding the equipment abnormality is higher than the priority of the report transfer regarding the fire, the report transfer device outputs the first report transfer signal with priority over the second report transfer signal notifying the occurrence of the fire.
Alarm system. The alarm system according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm transmission device outputs different alarm transmission signals when the device receives the equipment abnormality signal and when the fire signal is received. When the equipment abnormality signal is received while the second signal transmission is being output in response to the reception of the fire signal, if the priority of the signal transmission regarding the equipment abnormality is higher than the priority of the signal transmission regarding the fire, the signal transmission device outputs the first signal transmission instead of the second signal transmission.
3. An alarm system according to claim 1 or 2. When the equipment abnormality signal and the fire signal are received from the same detector, or when the fire signal is received from at least one of the plurality of detectors and the equipment abnormality signal is received from more than a predetermined number of detectors, the priority of the report regarding the equipment abnormality is increased.
An alarm system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the detectors include a plurality of detectors that detect a fire occurring in the monitored area;
When the equipment abnormality signal is transmitted from a first detector among the plurality of detectors, a second detector installed around the first detector, upon receiving the equipment abnormality signal, shortens a sampling period used for detecting the fire or increases the detection sensitivity of the fire.
An alarm system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A reporting device included in an alarm system,
a receiving unit that receives an equipment abnormality signal transmitted from a detector that detects an abnormality occurring in a monitored area when an equipment abnormality occurs in the detector, which is included in the alarm system , and receives a fire signal from the detector in response to the detection of a fire by the detector ;
a report output unit that, upon receiving the equipment abnormality signal, outputs a first report signal to notify an external device that is not included in the alarm system of the occurrence of the equipment abnormality ;
When the equipment abnormality signal and the fire signal are received, if the priority of the equipment abnormality signal is higher than the priority of the fire signal, the report output unit outputs the first report signal in priority to the second report signal notifying the occurrence of the fire.
Transfer device.