JP7774465B2 - Fire alarm equipment and systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fire alarm system that includes a fire alarm device with an operation unit that accepts operational inputs and a display unit, and a mobile terminal that communicates with the fire alarm device.

Fire alarm equipment that alerts users to a fire includes fire detectors, transmitters, fire receivers, broadcasting equipment, and displays. Some of these fire alarm equipment, such as transmitters, fire receivers, and displays, have a display unit that visually conveys information to the user and an operation unit that accepts operations from the user. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fire alarm receiver that has a display unit and an operation unit that uses a touch panel display consisting of a flat display and a touchpad.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-176114

During regular inspections of fire alarm systems, which have operating units such as fire receivers, displays, and transmitters, installation and maintenance personnel operate the systems to check their operation. However, inexperienced installation and maintenance personnel must operate the systems while referring to the procedure manuals they have on hand, which can take time to confirm how to operate them. Furthermore, for example, when someone who encounters a fire scene operates the transmitter, they tend to do so in a hurry and with unfamiliarity, making it difficult to operate it quickly and accurately. For this reason, there is a need for technology that can improve usability for fire alarm system operators.

The present invention was developed in response to the above-mentioned issues, and aims to improve the usability of fire alarm systems equipped with an operating unit that accepts operational inputs.

The fire alarm system of the present invention comprises an operation unit that accepts operation input, a display unit, a camera that photographs the area in front of the display unit, and a person recognition means that detects human movement within a first time period from the photographic data obtained from the camera and recognizes attributes of the person in front of the display unit based on the detected movement, regarding whether or not they have detected a fire, and the display unit changes the display regarding the operation input of the operation unit depending on the attributes of the person recognized by the person recognition means.

According to the present invention, the fire alarm system is equipped with a person recognition means that recognizes the attributes of a person standing in front of the display unit, and the display unit changes the display image related to operation inputs on the operation unit depending on the attributes of the person recognized by the recognition means. By displaying a display image that corresponds to the person using the fire alarm system, it becomes easier for the operator to perform operation inputs, improving usability for the operator.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fire alarm system according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation related to the display of the display unit of the fire receiver according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of a transmitter according to a second embodiment. 10 is another example of a schematic front view of the transmitter according to the second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of a display device according to a third embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the device shown in the drawings is an example of the device of the present invention, and the device of the present invention is not limited to the device shown in the drawings. Furthermore, in each drawing, parts with the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and this applies throughout the entire specification.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fire alarm system 100 according to an embodiment. The fire alarm system 100 includes a fire receiver 1, a fire detector 3 connected to the fire receiver 1 via a detector line 2, a transmitter 4, and a district sounding device 5, a display 7 connected to the fire receiver 1 via a display line 6, and an emergency broadcast system 8. The fire receiver 1, the transmitter 4, and the display 7 are examples of fire alarm systems equipped with an operation unit that accepts operational inputs and a display unit. The district sounding device 5 and the emergency broadcast system 8 are examples of voice alarm systems. Note that the number of detector lines 2 and display lines 6 shown in the figure is merely an example, and the numbers are not limited to those shown.

Fire detector 3 is, for example, a heat detector, smoke detector, or flame detector. When fire detector 3 detects a change in a physical phenomenon caused by a fire, it changes the open/close state of the contacts connected to detector line 2, thereby changing the voltage on detector line 2. Fire receiver 1 monitors the voltage on detector line 2 and acquires (receives) the voltage change caused by fire detector 3 changing the open/close state of the contacts as a fire alarm signal. Note that in this embodiment, an example is described in which fire receiver 1 is a P-type fire receiver that uses a voltage change, a signal common to each fire detector 3, as an alarm signal, but fire receiver 1 may also be an R-type fire receiver.

Transmitter 4 is a device that transmits a fire signal to fire receiver 1 when a person who discovers a fire presses the push button that serves as the operating unit. When the push button is pressed, the voltage on detector line 2, which is connected to fire receiver 1, changes. Fire receiver 1 monitors the voltage on detector line 2 and acquires (receives) the change in voltage that occurs when the push button is pressed as a fire signal. Transmitter 4 also has an indicator light that indicates the presence of the transmitter 4.

The district sounding device 5 is a device that sounds based on a signal from the fire receiver 1 when a fire is detected. The district sounding device 5 is also called a district bell. The district sounding device 5 is installed in each section of a building.

The display 7 is a device that displays information about the sensor line 2 on which the alarm signal was generated. The display 7 is connected to the fire receiver 1 via the display line 6, and acquires the alarm signal or information about the sensor line 2 on which the alarm signal was generated from the fire receiver 1, and displays information indicating that sensor line 2 on the display. For example, the display 7 has indicator lights corresponding to each sensor line 2, and lights up the indicator light corresponding to the sensor line 2 on which the alarm signal was generated. Alternatively, the display 7 has an LCD display or organic EL display, and displays the sensor line 2 on which the alarm signal was generated. The display 7 may also have a hardware button or touch panel as an operation unit for stopping the sound of the sound device that notifies of a fire.

In addition to the fire detector 3, transmitter 4, and display 7, the fire receiver 1 can also be connected to alarm devices such as buzzers or lights, smoke control devices such as fire doors or shutters, or fire extinguishing equipment.

The fire receiver 1 includes a control unit 10, a transmission circuit 11, a transmission circuit 12, an operation unit 13, a display unit 14, a camera 15, a person recognition means 16, a communication unit 17, and a memory unit 18.

When an alarm signal from the fire detector 3 is input, the control unit 10 activates the district sound device 5, alarm device, smoke control device, fire extinguishing equipment, etc. When a fire is reported by the district sound device 5 or another alarm device, the manager of the fire receiver 1 visually confirms whether or not a fire has occurred. Once the manager confirms that a fire has occurred, they press the push button on the transmitter 4, and upon receiving the fire signal from the transmitter 4, the fire receiver 1 determines that a fire has occurred. Additionally, a fire may be determined to have occurred if alarm signals are sent from multiple fire detectors 3 to one detector line 2.

The control unit 10 also switches the display on the display unit 14 based on the results of the person recognition means 16 recognizing the attributes of the person in front of the display unit 14. The display on the display unit 14 based on the results of the person attribute recognition will be described later.

The control unit 10 is composed of a dedicated control circuit, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes programs stored in memory, or a combination of these. When the control unit 10 is a CPU, the functions executed by the control unit 10 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

The transmission circuit 11 is provided for each of the detector lines 2 to which the fire detectors 3 and transmitters 4 are connected, and receives alarm signals from the detector lines 2 and fire signals from the transmitters 4, and sends the received signals to the control unit 10.

The transmission circuit 12 is provided in correspondence with the display line 6 to which the display 7 is connected. The transmission circuit 12 sends information output from the control unit 10 regarding the detector line 2 on which an alarm signal or fire signal has occurred to the display 7.

The operation unit 13 includes either or both of hardware buttons provided on the housing of the fire control device 1 and a touch panel provided over the display of the display unit 14. The operation unit 13 accepts operations from the user and sends signals corresponding to the operations to the control unit 10. The hardware buttons provided on the operation unit 13 are provided with nameplates indicating the functions of the buttons.

The display unit 14 includes an LCD display, organic EL display, electronic paper, or lamp mounted on the housing of the fire receiver 1. The display unit 14 displays the sensor line 2 or fire sensor 3 from which the alarm signal was generated. If the operation unit 13 includes a touch panel, the display unit 14 in this embodiment displays information indicating the operation location on the touch panel of the operation unit 13.

The camera 15 is a device that captures images using an image sensor, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor. The camera 15 is installed in a position where it can capture images in front of the operation unit 13. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the camera 15 is built into the housing of the fire receiver 1, but the installation location of the camera 15 is not limited to this. The camera 15 may be externally attached to the housing of the fire receiver 1, or may be installed in a location separate from the fire receiver 1. The image data captured by the camera 15 is input to the person recognition means 16. Here, the image data refers to a collection of images captured by the camera 15.

The person recognition means 16 recognizes whether or not a person is present in the captured data based on the captured data obtained from the camera 15. Because the camera 15 captures images in front of the operation unit 13, the person recognition means 16 recognizes the presence of a person in front of the operation unit 13, i.e., the person operating the operation unit 13. The person recognition means 16, for example, has a database of information about human faces and recognizes whether or not a human face is present in the image by comparing feature points contained in the image of the captured data with the database. The person recognition means 16 has a memory for storing the database and a dedicated circuit for recognizing people using, for example, artificial intelligence. The person recognition means 16 may be provided separately from the fire receiver 1 on a server such as a cloud server that is communicatively connected to the fire receiver 1. In this case, the recognition results of the person recognition means 16 are input to the control unit 10 of the fire receiver 1.

The communication unit 17 is a communication circuit that communicates with the emergency broadcast equipment 8. The communication unit 17 transmits signals output from the control unit 10 to the emergency broadcast equipment 8.

The storage unit 18 is an internal storage memory, an external storage medium such as a memory card, or a combination of these. The storage unit 18 pre-stores the display image to be displayed by the display unit 14, or data for generating this display image.

The emergency broadcast equipment 8 is a device that broadcasts information about a fire within a building in which the fire alarm system 100 is installed. The emergency broadcast equipment 8 has speakers installed in each section of the building, such as on each floor, and outputs pre-stored audio from the speakers. If a fire is detected in any section, the emergency broadcast equipment 8 broadcasts information over the speaker in the section where the fire was detected, based on instructions from the fire receiver 1, and then expands the number of sections to which the broadcast is made depending on the status of the fire.

The fire receiver 1, which is an example of a fire alarm system according to this embodiment, is equipped with a person recognition means 16 that recognizes the attributes of a person in front of the display unit 14, and the display unit 14 changes the display image related to the operation input of the operation unit 13 depending on the attributes of the person recognized by the person recognition means 16. The specific operation of the fire receiver 1 is described below.

Figure 2 is a flowchart explaining the operation related to the display on the display unit 14 of the fire control panel 1 in embodiment 1.

(Step S1)
The fire control device 1 recognizes whether or not there is a person in front of the display unit 14. The person recognition is performed by the person recognition means 16. If a person is recognized (S1: YES), the process proceeds to step S2, and if a person is not recognized (S1: NO), step S1 is repeated.

(Step S2)
The fire alarm receiver 1 recognizes attributes of a person based on their appearance and/or movement. Examples of attributes of a person include the person's role in relation to the fire alarm system, whether or not they have detected a fire, whether or not they use a wheelchair, the language they speak, whether or not they are elderly, etc.

(Step S3)
The fire control device 1 changes the display on the display unit 14 depending on the attributes of the person recognized in step S2. This display includes an indication related to the operation input to the operation unit 13.

(Step S4)
The fire control device 1 accepts operation input to the operation unit 13 .

[Example of human attribute recognition]
A specific example of the person attribute recognition method in step S2 of Fig. 2 will be described. The specific examples of the person attribute recognition method illustrated below can be used in combination with each other. Here, the description will be given assuming that the building in which the fire alarm system 100 is installed is a hotel with multiple floors.

When recognizing a person's attributes based on their role with respect to the fire alarm system, the person is recognized as a hotel guest, a hotel employee, a monitoring manager of the fire alarm system 100, or a construction and maintenance technician of the fire alarm system 100. The person recognition means 16, for example, detects what the person is wearing from the image data obtained from the camera 15, and recognizes the person's attributes based on the detected what they are wearing. The person recognition means 16 stores a database of what they are wearing in advance, and recognizes what the person is wearing by comparing the detected what they are wearing with the database. The database of what they are wearing stores data such as employee uniforms, employee badges or ID cards, the monitoring manager's uniforms, employee badges or ID cards, and the construction and maintenance technician's uniforms, employee badges or ID cards. If the person recognition means 16 recognizes any of the items stored in the database, it recognizes the person as having the attribute associated with that item. If it cannot recognize any of the items, it recognizes the person as a guest.

When recognizing a person's attributes related to whether or not a fire has been discovered, the person recognition means 16 detects the person's movements within a first time period from the image data obtained from the camera 15, and recognizes whether or not the person has discovered the fire based on the detected movements. People who discover a fire tend to move more rapidly because they are in a panic. For this reason, the magnitude and frequency of the person's movements within a predetermined first time period are compared with information previously stored in a database. For example, a person making frequent and large movements is recognized as the person who discovered the fire. At this time, the person's clothing may also be recognized, and a condition for recognizing the person as having discovered the fire may be that the person does not fall under any of the categories of employee, supervisor, or maintenance worker. The person recognition means 16 may also recognize the person's eye movements and use the recognized information to recognize whether or not a fire has been discovered. Furthermore, when smoke is released from a fire, people often cover their mouths with a handkerchief or towel. For this reason, when the person recognition means 16 recognizes a person covering their mouth with a handkerchief or similar, it recognizes that the person is sensing smoke.

When recognizing a person's attributes related to whether or not they use a wheelchair, the person recognition means 16 detects the height of the person's head and the characteristics of the wheelchair from the photographic data obtained from the camera 15, and recognizes whether or not they use a wheelchair by comparing the detected information with information previously stored in a database.

When recognizing a person's attributes related to language used, the person recognition means 16 detects the language written on the guest's belongings and the guest's physical characteristics, such as hair color, eye color, facial features, or height, from the photographic data obtained from the camera 15. The detected characteristics are then compared with information previously stored in a database to recognize the subject's language used. Alternatively, the person recognition means 16 may recognize the subject's language from photographic data of a passport obtained from the camera 15. In this case, when a person is recognized in front of the camera 15, the display unit 14 may display a message requesting the subject to present their passport. The person recognition means 16 pre-stores a database that associates nationalities with languages, and when the subject presents their passport, the person recognition means 16 recognizes the subject's language used by comparing the nationality recognized from the photographic data of the passport obtained from the camera 15 with the database. If multiple languages are associated with one nationality, the display unit 14 may alternately display the multiple languages used. Alternatively, the person recognition means 16 may recognize the national costume and accessories associated with the national costume worn by the subject from the photographic data obtained from the camera 15. For example, the combination of white clothing such as a thobe or kandura with headwear such as a gotra or agar can narrow down the countries in which these items are commonly worn. The person recognition means 16 pre-stores a database associating national costumes or accessories with languages, and recognizes the language spoken by the subject by comparing the recognized national costume or accessory with the stored database. If multiple languages are associated with a single national costume or accessory in the database, the display unit 14 may alternately display the multiple languages spoken. Alternatively, the person recognition means 16 may recognize the subject's country of origin using the subject's behavior and a database of behaviors indicative of national character. Because a person's behavior can reflect their national character, the person recognition means 16 recognizes the subject's country of origin by comparing the subject's behavior recognized from the photographic data obtained by the camera 15 with a database of behaviors indicative of that national character. Specifically, the person recognition means 16 pre-stores a database that associates people's actions with languages, and recognizes the language used by the subject by comparing the recognized action with the stored database. If multiple languages are associated with one action in the database, the display unit 14 may alternately display the multiple languages used. Note that the people's actions stored in the database can be obtained from big data that accumulates actions by country.

The person recognition means 16 can also recognize the language used by the subject from the language spoken by the subject. In this case, the fire control device 1 is equipped with a microphone as a voice input means. The person recognition means 16 recognizes the language spoken by the subject through voice recognition using voice data input from the microphone.

When recognizing a person's attributes related to whether they are elderly or not, the person recognition means 16 detects the guest's hair color, facial wrinkles, belongings, etc. from the photographic data obtained from the camera 15. Then, by comparing the detected characteristics with information stored in advance in a database, it is possible to recognize whether the subject is elderly or not.

The person recognition means 16 can also recognize individual subjects. The subject carries an ID card or other identification that identifies the subject in advance, and the person recognition means 16 detects the ID card from the photographic data obtained from the camera 15 and recognizes the subject by comparing the detected ID card with information previously stored in a database. The ID card may be equipped with a short-range communication device such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and the fire receiver 1 may read the information from the RFID tag and recognize the subject based on the read results. The subject may also be recognized by facial recognition using the photographic data obtained from the camera 15.

[Example of display switching]
A specific example of switching the display on the display unit 14 of the fire control panel 1 in step S3 of Fig. 2 will be described. Here, too, the description will be given assuming that the building in which the fire alarm system 100 is installed is a hotel having multiple floors.

When a guest is recognized by the person recognition means 16, the display unit 14 of the fire control device 1 displays, for example, an image indicating that operation of the operation unit 13 is prohibited to anyone other than authorized personnel. In this way, unnecessary operation of the fire control device 1 by the guest can be prevented.

When the person recognition means 16 recognizes an employee or a monitoring manager of the fire alarm system 100, the display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 displays an image informing the employee of the replacement or maintenance period for each device connected to the fire receiver 1. The display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 also displays a screen explaining how to operate the operation unit 13 to order replacement or maintenance for each device connected to the fire receiver 1. If the operation unit 13 is a touch panel, the display unit 14 may also display a screen for ordering replacement or maintenance. This improves the operability of the fire receiver 1 for the work of employees or monitoring managers.

When the person recognition means 16 recognizes the construction and maintenance technician of the fire alarm system 100, the display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 displays a screen for periodic inspection, such as a screen explaining how to operate the operation unit 13 for performing a smoke test on the fire detector 3. If the operation unit 13 is a touch panel, an operation menu used for periodic inspection is displayed on the display unit 14, and instructions are accepted via the touch panel of the operation unit 13 corresponding to the operation menu. The display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 also displays an image of an operation memo for maintenance that was saved during construction. This operation memo image may have been saved in the memory unit 18 by the construction and maintenance technician himself when the fire receiver 1 was installed. This arrangement improves the operability of the fire receiver 1 for construction and maintenance technicians.

When the person who discovered the fire is recognized by the person recognition means 16, the display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 displays a screen explaining how to operate the operation unit 13 to report the fire. The display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 may also display a screen explaining evacuation methods. In this way, the person who discovered the fire can be encouraged to report the fire and evacuate quickly.

If the operation unit 13 is a touch panel, when the person recognition means 16 recognizes a wheelchair user, the display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 displays images of operation buttons at the bottom of the screen of the display unit 14 so that the wheelchair user can reach them. This improves the operability of the fire receiver 1 for wheelchair users.

When the person recognition means 16 recognizes the language used by the target person, the display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 displays a screen in the recognized language. The display unit 14 also displays a screen that explains how to operate the operation unit 13 in that language. When the operation unit 13 is a hardware button, the nameplate generally displays an explanation in only one language, but the display unit 14 may also display the information on the nameplate of each operation unit 13 in the language used. This can improve the operation accuracy of the fire receiver 1.

When the person recognition means 16 recognizes an elderly person, the display unit 14 of the fire control device 1 displays information related to operation in larger text size or with increased color contrast. This improves the operability of the fire control device 1 for elderly people.

When a specific individual is recognized by the person recognition means 16, the display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 displays a screen linked to that individual. A database that pairs individuals with display images is pre-stored in the memory unit 18, and the image to be displayed on the display unit 14 is determined by referencing this database. For example, a specific screen can be displayed on the display unit 14 only to people with specific management authority over the fire receiver 1.

When the person recognition means 16 recognizes an employee or a monitoring manager of the fire alarm system 100 and switches the display on the display unit 14, the display unit 14 displays a screen asking whether or not to switch the display. This prevents unnecessary display switching when there is an error in the recognition result by the person recognition means 16, or when the recognition result is valid and there is no need to switch the display image.

As described above, the fire receiver 1 of this embodiment comprises an operation unit 13 that accepts operation inputs, a display unit 14, a camera 15 that captures images in front of the display unit 14, and a person recognition means 16 that recognizes the attributes of people in front of the display unit 14 based on the image data obtained from the camera 15. The display unit 14 then changes the display related to operation inputs from the operation unit 13 according to the attributes of the people recognized by the person recognition means 16. Because the display unit 14 displays information related to operation inputs from the operation unit 13 according to the people's attributes, it becomes easier for the operator to perform operation inputs, improving usability for the operator.

The person recognition means 16 detects human movement within a first time period from the image data obtained from the camera 15, and recognizes the attributes of the person based on the detected movement. For example, it can recognize whether a fire has been detected from human movement, and the display unit 14 can display a message according to the recognition result, encouraging people to quickly report a fire or take evacuation action.

The person recognition means 16 detects the person's clothing from the image data obtained from the camera 15 and recognizes the person's attributes based on the detected clothing. If a predetermined attribute is recognized as a person's attribute, the display unit 14 displays a screen asking whether or not to switch the display. By displaying a screen asking whether or not to switch the display, the display unit 14 can improve security related to the display of dedicated screens for, for example, employees or management and maintenance personnel. Instead of, or in addition to, the screen asking whether or not to switch the display, the display unit 14 may display a screen requesting the entry of a password. In this way, security related to the display of dedicated screens can be further improved.

Embodiment 2.
In the first embodiment, it was described that the display unit 14 of the fire receiver 1 performs display based on the recognition result of a person's attributes by the person recognition means 16. In the present embodiment, an aspect will be described in which a transmitter 4, which is another example of a fire alarm system, performs display based on the recognition result of a person's attributes. In the present embodiment, the same components as in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals, and the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

Figure 3 is a schematic front view of the transmitter 4 according to embodiment 2. The transmitter 4 includes an operation unit 41, which is a push button for reporting a fire to the fire control device 1, a display unit 42, a control unit 43, a camera 44, and a person recognition means 45. In the example shown in Figure 3, the display unit 42 is a rectangular liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or electronic paper.

Figure 4 is another example of a schematic front view of a transmitter 4 according to embodiment 2. The transmitter 4 in Figure 4 has the same operation unit 41, camera 44, and person recognition means 45 as those shown in Figure 3. The display unit 42 shown in Figure 4 is provided on almost the entire front surface of the housing of the transmitter 4, excluding the operation unit 41. The display unit 42 normally emits red light, which indicates that it is a transmitter 4, but when it is necessary to notify a person of information, text or images are displayed on all or part of the display unit 42.

The camera 44 is a device that captures images using an imaging element, such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. The camera 44 is installed in a position where it can capture images in front of the operation unit 41. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the camera 44 is built into the housing of the transmitter 4, but the installation location of the camera 44 is not limited to this. The camera 44 may be externally attached to the housing of the transmitter 4, or may be installed in a location separate from the transmitter 4. The image data captured by the camera 44 is input to the person recognition means 45. Here, the image data refers to a collection of images captured by the camera 44.

The display on the display unit 42 is controlled by the control unit 43 of the transmitter 4. The control unit 43 has a memory (not shown) that stores the image to be displayed on the display unit 42 or the data for generating this image. The control unit 43 switches the display on the display unit 42 based on the signal from the fire receiver 1 and the attributes of the person in front of the display unit 42 recognized by the person recognition means 45. The control unit 43 is configured as a dedicated control circuit, a CPU that executes programs stored in memory, or a combination of these. When the control unit 43 is a CPU, the functions executed by the control unit 43 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. Note that the display on the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 may be controlled by the control unit 10 of the fire receiver 1. The transmitter 4 and fire receiver 1 are connected to each other so that they can communicate (see Figure 1), and the control unit 10 of the fire receiver 1 controls the display on the display unit 42. The display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 switches the display based on the signal from the control unit 10.

The configuration for recognizing human attributes by the person recognition means 45 is the same as that of the person recognition means 16 in embodiment 1. The person recognition means 45 recognizes the attributes of people in front of the display unit 42 by comparing the image data captured by the camera 44 with a database stored in the memory of the transmitter 4 or fire receiver 1.

The operation related to the display on the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 in this embodiment is the same as that described in embodiment 1 with reference to FIG. 2. Furthermore, specific examples of how the attributes of a person in front of the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 are recognized are the same as those described in embodiment 1.

[Example of display switching]
The display on the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 is switched in the same manner as in the specific example described in embodiment 1. That is, when a hotel guest, a monitoring manager, a construction and maintenance person, a person who discovered the fire, a wheelchair user, the language spoken by the target person, or a specific individual is recognized, the transmitter 4 switches the display in the same manner as the fire receiving device 1 of embodiment 1. Furthermore, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 can switch the display as follows.

When a guest is recognized by the person recognition means 45, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 displays an instruction regarding operation of the operation unit 41, such as "If there is a fire, please press the button." This encourages guests who discover a fire to report it promptly. Alternatively, or in addition to this display, the display unit 42 may display a warning regarding tampering, such as "No tampering." This prevents confusion caused by tampering with the operation unit 41. The display described here may be displayed when the person recognition means 45 recognizes, from the image data obtained from the camera 44, that a guest continues to be present for a second period of time, such as 15 seconds. In other words, the display unit 42 displays the above information only if the guest remains in front of the transmitter 4 for the second period of time. This eliminates the need to display unnecessary information to guests who are simply passing by the transmitter 4, thereby avoiding increased power consumption related to the display.

When a wheelchair user is recognized by the person recognition means 45, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 displays a screen inquiring about whether or not there is a fire, such as "Is there a fire?", or an explanation of how to operate the operation unit 41, such as "If there is a fire, press this button." Since wheelchair users may find it difficult to approach a wall-mounted transmitter 4 and may have difficulty seeing the display on the nameplate of the operation unit 41, displaying the above-mentioned information on the display unit 42 can encourage a smooth response when a fire is discovered.

When the person recognition means 45 recognizes an elderly person, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 changes the size and color of the characters displayed on the display unit 42 to comply with so-called universal design. This improves visibility for the elderly, thereby reducing operational errors.

Embodiment 3.
In this embodiment, a display device 7, which is another example of a fire alarm system, will be described, which displays information based on the results of recognizing a person's attributes. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

Figure 5 is a schematic front view of a display device 7 according to embodiment 3. The display device 7 includes an operation unit 71, a display unit 72, a control unit 73, a camera 74, a person recognition means 75, and a line display 76.

The operation unit 71 includes a switch for stopping the sound from the district sounding device 5 when a fire alert is issued on one of the detector lines and the device is sounding.

The display unit 72 displays information about the detector line from which the fire alert was issued, as well as information transmitted from the fire control device 1. The display unit 72 is an LCD display or an organic EL display.

The control unit 73 includes a memory (not shown) that stores images to be displayed on the display unit 72 or data for generating these images. The control unit 73 switches the display on the display unit 72 based on signals from the fire receiver 1 and the attributes of the person in front of the display unit 72 recognized by the person recognition means 75. The control unit 73 is configured as a dedicated control circuit, a CPU that executes programs stored in memory, or a combination of these. When the control unit 73 is a CPU, the functions executed by the control unit 73 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. Note that the display on the display unit 72 of the display device 7 may be controlled by the control unit 10 of the fire receiver 1. The display device 7 and fire receiver 1 are connected to each other so that they can communicate (see Figure 1), and the control unit 10 of the fire receiver 1 controls the display on the display unit 72. The display unit 72 of the display device 7 switches the display based on signals from the control unit 10.

The camera 74 is a device that captures images using an imaging element, such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. The camera 74 is installed in a position where it can capture images in front of the operation unit 41. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the camera 74 is built into the housing of the display unit 7, but the installation location of the camera 74 is not limited to this. The camera 74 may be externally attached to the housing of the display unit 7, or may be installed in a location separate from the display unit 7. The image data captured by the camera 74 is input to the person recognition means 75. Here, the image data refers to a collection of images captured by the camera 74.

The configuration for recognizing human attributes by the person recognition means 75 is the same as that of the person recognition means 16 in embodiment 1. The person recognition means 75 recognizes the attributes of people in front of the display unit 72 by comparing the image data captured by the camera 74 with a database stored in the memory of the transmitter 4 or fire receiver 1.

The operation related to the display on the display unit 72 of the display device 7 in this embodiment is the same as that described in embodiment 1 with reference to FIG. 2. Also, specific examples of recognition of the attributes of a person in front of the display unit 72 of the display device 7 are the same as those described in embodiment 1.

The line display 76 has multiple indicator lights such as LEDs, each of which corresponds to a sensor line 2 to which a fire detector 3 is connected. The fire receiver 1 transmits a signal indicating the sensor line 2 on which a fire alert has occurred to the display 7, and the line display 76 lights up the indicator light corresponding to the sensor line 2 to which the signal was transmitted, thereby notifying the sensor line 2 on which the fire alert has occurred.

[Example of display switching]
The display switching on the display unit 72 of the display device 7 is realized in the same manner as the specific example described in embodiment 1. That is, when a hotel guest, a monitoring manager, a construction and maintenance person, a person who discovered the fire, a wheelchair user, the language used by the target person, or a specific individual is recognized, the display device 7 switches the display in the same manner as the fire receiving device 1 of embodiment 1. Furthermore, the display unit 72 of the display device 7 can switch the display as follows.

When a hotel guest is recognized by the person recognition means 75, the display unit 72 of the display unit 7 displays the evacuation route for the floor on which the display unit 7 is installed in the building. The display unit 72 of the display unit 7 also displays information about the locations of fire extinguishers on the floor on which the display unit 7 is installed in the building. The display unit 72 of the display unit 7 may also display advertisements. This allows the display function of the display unit 7 to be effectively utilized when no fire has occurred.

When the person who discovered the fire is recognized by the person recognition means 75, the display unit 72 of the display device 7 may display an evacuation route. In this way, the person who discovered the fire can be encouraged to evacuate quickly. Furthermore, when the person who discovered the fire is recognized by the person recognition means 75, the display unit 72 of the display device 7 may display the location of a fire extinguisher. In this way, the person who discovered the fire can be encouraged to take prompt action to extinguish the fire.

Embodiment 4.
In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the fire receiver 1, the transmitter 4, and/or the display 7 work together to provide a display according to a person's attributes. The system configuration of this embodiment is the same as that described in FIG. 1 of embodiment 1. The specific configurations of the fire receiver 1, the transmitter 4, and the display 7 are the same as those described in each of embodiments 1 to 3.

[Display number of connected lines]
When the person recognition means 45 recognizes the construction/maintenance technician, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 displays sensor line information, such as the number of connected sensor lines or the line number of the sensor lines connected to the transmitter. Here, the transmitter 4 is assumed to have previously acquired and stored the sensor line information from the fire control device 1. Alternatively, when the construction/maintenance technician is recognized, the control unit 43 of the transmitter 4 may transmit a signal to the fire control device 1 requesting the sensor line information, and the fire control device 1 may respond by transmitting the sensor line information to the transmitter 4. In this way, by the transmitter 4 displaying the number of connected sensor lines, the construction/maintenance technician can perform construction or maintenance work without having to carry around a separate document containing the sensor line information, thereby improving the work efficiency of the construction/maintenance technician. While the transmitter 4 has been described as displaying the sensor line information, the display unit 72 of the display 7 may also display the sensor line information in response to the recognition result of the person recognition means 75.

[Show Address]
When the person recognition means 45 recognizes the construction/maintenance technician, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 displays the address of the transmitter itself on the detector line. Here, it is assumed that the transmitter 4 has previously acquired and stored the address from the fire control device 1. Alternatively, when the construction/maintenance technician is recognized, the control unit 43 of the transmitter 4 may transmit a signal to the fire control device 1 requesting the address, and the fire control device 1 may respond by transmitting the address to the transmitter 4. By displaying the address on the transmitter 4 in this way, the construction/maintenance technician can perform construction or maintenance work without having to carry around a separate document containing the address, thereby improving the work efficiency of the construction/maintenance technician. While the transmitter 4 has been described as displaying the address here, the display unit 72 of the display device 7 may also display the address in response to the recognition result of the person recognition means 75.

The control unit 43 of the transmitter 4 preferably has a monitoring mode, which is the mode used during normal fire monitoring, and an inspection mode. Switching between monitoring mode and inspection mode is performed by a switch on the transmitter 4 or a signal from the fire control device 1. The display unit 42 may display the number of connected lines or the address only when the transmitter 4 is operating in inspection mode. This increases the security of the information on the number of connected lines or addresses.

[Show waiting time until all alarms start]
In a fire alarm system 100 installed in a building with five or more floors (excluding the basement), when a fire detector 3 detects a fire, the system first performs a sectional alarm, in which the audible alarm devices sound only in certain areas. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the sectional alarm began, the fire alarm system 100 expands the area in which the audible alarm devices sound to cover the entire building. Expanding the area in which the audible alarm devices sound to cover the entire building is referred to as a general alarm. When the fire alarm system 100 performs a sectional alarm and the person recognition means 45 recognizes a person, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 displays the time required for the general alarm to begin, i.e., the waiting time. The time required for the general alarm to begin is transmitted from the fire control device 1 to the transmitter 4. By displaying the waiting time until the general alarm begins, the transmitter 4 can prompt people viewing the transmitter 4 to take action, such as evacuating quickly. Additionally, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 may display information encouraging a response in the event of a false alarm, such as "If the fire is a false alarm, please notify the management office." In this way, simultaneous alarming in the event of a false alarm can be easily avoided, thereby avoiding unnecessary confusion for people using the building. Note that the display unit 72 of the display device 7 may display the time required until simultaneous alarming starts in accordance with the recognition result of the person recognition means 75.

[Cooperative operation of the fire control signal receiver 1 based on the person recognition result of the transmitter 4 or the display 7]
When the person recognition means 45 of the transmitter 4 or the person recognition means 75 of the display unit 7 recognizes a person sensing smoke, the recognized transmitter 4 or display unit 7 transmits a signal to that effect to the fire control receiver 1. When the fire control receiver 1 receives this signal, it activates the smoke control and evacuation device connected to the fire control receiver 1. In this way, the smoke control and evacuation device can be activated more quickly.

[Display on the transmitter 4 and the display 7 based on the display history]
The transmitter 4 and the display 7 store in their respective storage units a history of screens displayed based on the recognition results of the person recognition means 45 or the person recognition means 75. When a screen that is displayed frequently is identified, the display of that screen is set as the initial display screen of the transmitter 4 or the display 7. The screen that is displayed most frequently may be set as the screen that is displayed frequently, or a screen that has been displayed a number of times that exceeds a threshold may be set as the screen that is displayed frequently. In this way, a screen that is adapted to the environment in which the transmitter 4 or the display 7 is installed can be set as the initial display screen. The history of screens displayed by the transmitter 4 and the display 7 may be stored in the fire control device 1, which has a relatively large memory capacity.

Embodiment 5.
In this embodiment, an example will be described in which an image captured by the camera 44 when the operation unit 41 of the transmitter 4 is operated is transmitted to the fire control panel 1 and utilized. The following will mainly describe the differences from the first to fourth embodiments.

The camera 44 of the transmitter 4 takes an image when the operation unit 41, which is a button for reporting a fire to the fire control receiver 1, is pressed. In other words, the camera 44 takes an image of the person operating the operation unit 41 and their surroundings. The camera 44 may also take an image after the operation unit 41 is operated. The transmitter 4 then transmits the captured image to the fire control receiver 1.

The fire receiver 1 stores images transmitted from the transmitter 4 in its memory. If multiple transmitters 4 are connected to the fire receiver 1, an image is stored in its memory for each transmitter 4. The images saved in the fire receiver 1 can be used to analyze the situation when and after the operation unit 41 is operated. If a fire breaks out and the transmitter 4 is operated, the situation at the time of the fire can be understood from the images. If the transmitter 4 is operated due to a misunderstanding or prank, the cause of the false alarm can be identified from the images.

In the second embodiment, the display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 is described as being a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or electronic paper. If the person recognition means 45 cannot recognize the presence of a person in the image from the camera 44, the display unit 42 may reduce the brightness of the backlight to darken the screen. This reduces the power consumption of the transmitter 4.

The operation unit 41 of the transmitter 4 may be a touch panel superimposed on the display of the display unit 42. The display unit 42 may normally not display the operation unit 41, but may display the operation unit 41 when the person recognition means 45 recognizes the presence of a person. The display unit 42 of the transmitter 4 may also display information about the detector line 2 that detected the fire or information about the fire detector 3.

Embodiment 6.
In this embodiment, an example will be described in which gesture operations are accepted by the fire control panel 1, the transmitter 4, or the display 7 described in embodiments 1 to 5. This embodiment can be combined with each of embodiments 1 to 5. Below, the difference from embodiments 1 to 5 will be mainly described using an example in which gesture operations are accepted by the transmitter 4.

Transmitters 4 generally have a limited number of operating units that accept user input, and often only have a push button for reporting a fire as the operating unit 41. Given the transmitter 4's primary role of reporting a fire, a push button for reporting a fire is sufficient. However, when installing or conducting regular inspections of a fire alarm system 100 that includes the transmitter 4, it is desirable to be able to send the inputs required for installation and regular inspections to the fire receiver 1 at the location where the transmitter 4 is installed.

In this embodiment, therefore, if the person recognition means 45 recognizes a person with a specific attribute, the transmitter 4 accepts a gesture operation. Specifically, the memory of the person recognition means 45 stores person attributes as conditions for determining whether or not a gesture operation is possible. For example, the person recognition means 45 stores the attributes of a construction and maintenance technician as a condition for enabling gesture operation. Then, if the person recognition means 45 recognizes a construction and maintenance technician from an image from the camera 44, the control unit 43 transitions to gesture mode, which is a mode that accepts gesture operation. At this time, the display unit 42 may display an indication that gesture operation is possible.

After switching to gesture mode, the person recognition means 45 detects a person's gesture operation from the image captured by the camera 44 of the transmitter 4. The person recognition means 45 stores images of gesture operations in advance, and recognizes the currently performed gesture operation by comparing the gesture operation recognized from the image captured by the camera 44 with the pre-stored gesture operations. For example, if a construction and maintenance technician wishes to restore the fire control device 1 while performing a roasting test, the technician will perform a gesture operation in front of the camera 44 of the transmitter 4. When the transmitter 4 recognizes a gesture operation in inspection mode, it transmits an input signal corresponding to that gesture operation to the fire control device 1. A condition for accepting a gesture operation may also be that a specific attribute of the person is recognized by the person recognition means 45.

The control unit 43 of the transmitter 4 preferably has a monitoring mode, which is the mode used during normal fire monitoring, and an inspection mode. Switching between monitoring mode and inspection mode is performed by a switch provided on the transmitter 4 or a signal from the fire receiver 1. The control unit 43 preferably accepts gesture operations only when the transmitter 4 is operating in inspection mode. This can prevent gesture operations from being input to the transmitter 4 due to an unintentional gesture by a construction or maintenance worker passing by while the transmitter 4 is operating in monitoring mode, for example.

1 Fire receiver, 2 Detector line, 3 Fire detector, 4 Transmitter, 5 District sound device, 6 Display line, 7 Display, 8 Emergency broadcast equipment, 10 Control unit, 11 Transmission circuit, 12 Transmission circuit, 13 Operation unit, 14 Display unit, 15 Camera, 16 Person recognition means, 17 Communication unit, 18 Memory unit, 41 Operation unit, 42 Display unit, 43 Control unit, 44 Camera, 45 Person recognition means, 71 Operation unit, 72 Display unit, 73 Control unit, 74 Camera, 75 Person recognition means, 76 Line display, 100 Fire alarm system.

Claims (2)

an operation unit that accepts operation input;
A display unit;
a camera that captures an image in front of the display unit;
a person recognition means for detecting a person's movement within a first time period from the photographic data obtained from the camera, and recognizing an attribute of a person in front of the display unit regarding whether or not a fire has been detected based on the detected movement;
The display unit changes a display related to an operation input of the operation unit depending on an attribute of the person recognized by the person recognition means. Fire alarm system,
a fire detector, a voice alarm device, and a fire receiver connected to the fire alarm system;
The fire alarm system is a transmitter.
A display unit;
a camera that captures an image in front of the display unit;
a person recognition means for recognizing that a person is in front of the display unit based on the photographed data obtained from the camera,
When the fire detector activates, the fire receiver transmits to the transmitter information regarding a waiting time until the voice alarm devices start to sound simultaneously,
When the transmitter receives information regarding the waiting time, if the person recognition means recognizes that there is a person in front of the display unit, the display unit displays the time until the simultaneous alarm starts.