Monitoring self-testing fire sensing device

Abstract

Devices, methods, and systems for monitoring self-test fire sensing devices are described herein. A device includes a memory and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to receive, from a self-test fire sensing device, a measurement of an output of a light emitting diode (LED) of the self-test fire sensing device during operation of the self-test fire sensing device, determining when a deviation in a measured output of an LED of the self-testing fire sensing device satisfies or exceeds a threshold deviation amount, determining an action to be taken on the self-testing fire sensing device upon determining that the deviation in the measured output of the LED satisfies or exceeds the threshold deviation amount, and sending, to an additional computing device, a notification of the determined action to be taken on the self-testing fire sensing device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to devices, methods, and systems for monitoring self-testing fire sensing devices. Background Art

[0002] Large facilities (e.g., buildings), such as commercial facilities, office buildings, hospitals, etc., may have fire alarm systems that can be triggered during an emergency (e.g., a fire) to warn occupants to evacuate. For example, a fire alarm system may include a fire control panel and multiple fire sensing devices (e.g., smoke detectors) throughout the facility (e.g., on different floors and / or in different rooms of the facility) that can sense a fire occurring in the facility and provide notification of the fire to occupants of the facility via an alarm. The fire sensing device may include one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may include, for example, an optical smoke sensor, a thermal sensor, a gas sensor, and / or a flame sensor.

[0003] Over time, components of fire sensing equipment may degrade and / or become contaminated and not within their initial operating specifications. For example, the output of light emitting diodes (LEDs) used in the optical scattering chamber of a smoke detector may degrade with age and / or use. These degraded components may prevent the fire sensing equipment from detecting a fire at an early enough stage. Therefore, industry guidelines may require that smoke detectors be regularly tested for sensitivity (e.g., alarm threshold verification testing) to ensure that they are functioning properly. However, due to access issues and the need to deploy specialized equipment to perform the tests, it may be impractical to perform accurate sensitivity tests in the field. Therefore, basic functional tests are often used instead of accurate sensitivity tests, which may be misleading by inaccurately describing the sensitivity of the smoke detector being verified.

[0004] Furthermore, in some countries, fire sensing equipment needs to be replaced after a certain period of time because accurate sensitivity measurements of smoke detectors may not be determined and / or testing may not be performed. For example, in Germany, even the most advanced smoke detectors must be replaced after 8 years, even if the device still works accurately. This can be costly and may result in unnecessary waste, which can have a negative impact on the environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 A block diagram of a self-testing fire sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0006] Figure 2 An example of a self-testing fire sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0007] Figure 3A circuit for a self-testing fire sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 4 An example of a fire alarm system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 5 A block diagram of a computing device for monitoring a self-testing fire sensing device is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] A device, method, and system for monitoring a self-testing fire sensing device are described herein. A device includes a memory and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to receive from the self-testing fire sensing device a measurement of an output of a light emitting diode (LED) of the self-testing fire sensing device during operation of the self-testing fire sensing device, determine when a deviation in the measured output of the LED of the self-testing fire sensing device meets or exceeds a threshold deviation amount, determine an action to be taken on the self-testing fire sensing device upon determining that the deviation in the measured output of the LED meets or exceeds the threshold deviation amount, and send a notification of the determined action to be taken on the self-testing fire sensing device to an attached computing device.

[0011] Unlike previous smoke detectors, where a maintenance engineer would have to manually test the sensitivity of the smoke detector and replace the smoke detector if the smoke sensitivity was incorrect, a fire sensing device (e.g., a smoke detector) according to the present disclosure can test, calibrate, and / or recalibrate itself. Such a fire sensing device is referred to herein as a self-testing fire sensing device, and its self-testing functionality will be further described herein.

[0012] In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure may monitor such self-testing fire sensing devices (e.g., components of the device) to determine when recalibration and / or replacement of the device may be required. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may monitor (e.g., remotely monitor) the output (e.g., sensitivity level) of an LED of a self-testing fire sensing device over time during operation of the device to determine when recalibration and / or replacement of the device may be required due to, for example, contamination and / or degradation (e.g., aging). For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may determine that recalibration and / or replacement of the device may be required when the output of the LED deviates by more than a tolerance.

[0013] Therefore, such self-testing fire sensing devices according to the present disclosure can spend significantly less maintenance time to test, and can be tested, calibrated and / or recalibrated continuously and / or on demand, and can detect actual fires more accurately. In addition, monitoring such self-testing fire sensing devices according to the present disclosure can extend the service life of the devices, making them less frequently need to be replaced, which can lead to positive environmental impacts and / or cost savings.

[0014] In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form part of the present Detailed Description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, the manner in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced.

[0015] These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and mechanical, electrical and / or process changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0016] It should be understood that the elements shown in the various embodiments herein may be added, exchanged, combined and / or eliminated to provide several additional embodiments of the present disclosure. The proportions and relative sizes of the elements provided in the drawings are intended to illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be limiting.

[0017] The figures herein follow the following numbering convention: one or more first digits correspond to the figure number, and the remaining digits identify the element or component in the figure. Similar elements or components between different figures can be identified by using similar numerals. For example, 104 can be referenced to Figure 1 Element "04" in , and Figure 2 Similar elements in may be referenced as 204 .

[0018] As used herein, "a" or "several" things may refer to one or more such things, and "plurality" things may refer to more than one such things. For example, "several components" may refer to one or more components, and "plurality components" may refer to more than one component.

[0019] Figure 1 A block diagram of a self-testing fire sensing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The fire sensing device 100 includes a controller 122 and an optical scattering chamber 104 having light emitting diodes (LEDs) 105-1 and 105-2 and photodiodes 106-1 and 106-2. The controller 122 may be, for example, a microcontroller.

[0020] The controller 122 may include a memory 124 and a processor 126. The memory 124 may be any type of storage medium that can be accessed by the processor 126 to perform various examples of the present disclosure. For example, the memory 124 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions (e.g., computer program instructions) stored thereon, which the processor 126 can execute to test, monitor, calibrate, and / or recalibrate the fire sensing device 100 according to the present disclosure. For example, the processor 126 may execute executable instructions stored in the memory 124 to measure the outputs of the LEDs 105-1 and 105-2, and send (e.g., transmit) the measured outputs to a computing device (e.g., in conjunction with the respective LEDs 105-1 and 105-2). Figure 4 and Figure 5 The measured output of LEDs 105-1 and 105-2 may be, for example, a sensitivity level of LEDs 105-1 and 105-2, such as an emission level and / or a scattering level of light emitted by LEDs 105-1 and 105-2.

[0021] For example, the optical scattering chamber 104 may include LEDs 105-1 and 105-2 and photodiodes 106-1 and 106-2 for measuring the aerosol density level in the optical scattering chamber 104 by detecting scattering. Scattering may be light emitted from LEDs 105-1 and / or 105-2 that reflects, refracts, and / or diffracts off particles in the chamber 104 and may be received by photodiodes 106-1 and / or 106-2. The amount of light received by photodiodes 106-1 and / or 106-2 may be used to determine the aerosol density level.

[0022] For example, LED 105-1 may emit a first light, and LED 105-2 may emit a second light. In some embodiments, LED 105-1 may be an IR LED that emits infrared (IR) light, and LED 105-2 may be a blue LED that emits visible light. Figure 1 As shown in FIG, photodiode 106-1 may be coaxial with LED 105-1 (e.g., directly across the LED) so that photodiode 106-1 directly receives the first light and receives a scattering of the second light. Photodiode 106-2 may be coaxial with LED 105-2 so that photodiode 106-2 directly receives the second light and receives a scattering of the first light. Photodiode 106-1 may detect the LED emission level of the first light and detect the scattering level of the second light. Photodiode 106-2 may detect the LED emission level of the second light and detect the scattering level of the first light.

[0023] Due to, for example, manufacturing variations, LEDs 105-1 and 105-2 (collectively referred to herein as LEDs 105) may have varying LED emission levels. Therefore, LEDs 105 may be calibrated prior to use. Fire sensing device 100 may calibrate LEDs 105 by injecting a known aerosol density level into optical scattering chamber 104. Photodiodes 106-1 and 106-2 (collectively referred to herein as photodiodes 106) may detect the scattering levels, and controller 122 may compare the detected scattering levels with the known aerosol density levels to calculate the sensitivity of each scattering path. For example, LED 105-1 may emit a first light, and photodiode 106-2 may detect the scattering level of particles from the first light scattered away from the known aerosol density level. Controller 122 may calculate the sensitivity of the scattering path from LED 105-1 to photodiode 106-2 based on the detected scattering levels and the known aerosol density level. Controller 122 may similarly calculate and store the sensitivity of the scattering path from LED 105 - 2 to photodiode 106 - 1 . The sensitivity of each scattering path may be stored in memory 124 .

[0024] In some examples, the sensitivity can be improved by adjusting (e.g., changing) a gain (e.g., a software gain function) associated with the photodiode 106. For example, the sensitivity can be improved by recalibrating the gain used to amplify the input signal of the photodiode 106. For example, as the first light from the LED 105-1 weakens over time, the gain can be increased to increase the voltage and / or current of the input signal of the photodiode 106-2 to detect the first light from the LED 105-1. The gain can be recalibrated in response to the detected scattering level and / or LED emission level. For example, the gain can be recalibrated in response to the calculated sensitivity of the scattering path being less than a threshold sensitivity. As another example, the gain can be adjusted in response to a deviation in the measured output of the LED 105 meeting or exceeding a threshold deviation amount, as will be further described herein.

[0025] In some embodiments, the controller 122 can adjust the gain of the variable gain amplifier (e.g., Figure 3The gain associated with the photodiode 106 may be adjusted using a gain of an operational amplifier 325-1 and / or 325-2 (e.g., selecting between several gains) as further described in the accompanying drawings. In some examples, detecting the LED emission level of the on-axis LED 105 may require less gain than detecting the scattering of the off-axis LED 105 because the light from the on-axis LED 105 is direct light (e.g., higher intensity) and the light from the off-axis LED 105 is indirect light (e.g., lower intensity). For example, the photodiode 106-1 may use a first gain to detect the LED emission level of the first light from the LED 105-1, or use a second gain to detect the scattering level of the second light from the LED 105-2. Similarly, the photodiode 106-2 may use a first gain to detect the LED emission level of the second light from the LED 105-2, or use a second gain to detect the scattering level of the first light from the LED 105-1.

[0026] In some embodiments, a fault (e.g., an error) may be triggered in response to a detected LED emission level or a detected scatter level. For example, the controller 122 may compare the detected LED emission level to a threshold LED emission level and trigger a fault in response to the detected LED emission level being below the threshold LED emission level. Another example may include the controller 122 comparing the detected LED emission level to a previously detected LED emission level and triggering a fault in response to the detected LED emission level being less than the previously detected LED emission level.

[0027] The gain used by the photodiode 106 may be stored in the memory 124. Over time, the LED emission level of the LED 105 may decrease, thereby reducing the light received by the photodiode 106, which may cause the fire sensing device 100 to malfunction.

[0028] The gain of the photodiode 106 for detecting the scatter level can be adjusted (e.g., recalibrated) as the LED 105 degrades over time. The controller 122 can recalibrate the gain in response to the detected LED emission level and / or the detected scatter level. For example, the controller 122 can initiate recalibration of the gain in response to comparing the detected LED emission level with a threshold LED emission level and determining that the detected LED emission level is below the threshold LED emission level. In some examples, the controller 122 can recalibrate the gain in response to determining that the difference between the detected LED emission level and the initial detected LED emission level is greater than a threshold and / or in response to determining that the detected LED emission level is less than a previously detected LED emission level. As another example, the controller 122 can adjust the gain in response to a deviation in the measured output of the LED meeting or exceeding a threshold deviation amount, as will be further described herein.

[0029] Figure 2 FIG. 2 shows an example of a self-testing fire sensing device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The fire sensing device 200 may be, but is not limited to, a fire detector and / or a smoke detector of a fire control system, and may be, for example, a previously described fire sensing device 200 in combination with a fire sensing device 200 of a fire control system. Figure 1 The self-testing fire sensing device 100 . Figure 2 The self-testing fire sensing device 200 shown in FIG. 2 may be a dual optical smoke chamber. In some examples, the fire sensing device 200 may use two scattering angles and / or two wavelengths.

[0030] The fire sensing device 200 can sense a fire occurring in a facility and trigger a fire response to provide notification of the fire to the occupants of the facility. The fire response can include, for example, a visual and / or audio alarm. The fire response can also notify emergency services (e.g., fire department, police department, etc.). In some examples, multiple fire sensing devices can be located throughout the facility (e.g., on different floors and / or in different rooms of the facility).

[0031] The fire sensing device 200 may automatically or upon command perform one or more tests contained within the fire sensing device 200. The one or more tests may determine whether the fire sensing device 200 is functioning properly, requires maintenance, and / or requires recalibration.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the fire sensing device 200 may include a plurality of Figure 1The optical scatter chamber 104, LEDs 105-1 and 105-2, and photodiodes 106-1 and 106-2 correspond to the optical scatter chamber 204 including LEDs 205-1 and 205-2 and photodiodes 206-1 and 206-2. As previously described, the detected LED emission level and / or scatter level can be used to determine whether the fire sensing device 200 requires maintenance and / or recalibration.

[0033] In some examples, the fire sensing device 200 may generate and send a message if the device requires maintenance and / or recalibration. As another example, the fire sensing device 200 may include a user interface that may display a message.

[0034] Figure 2 The fire sensing device 200 includes an LED 205-1, an LED 205-2, a photodiode 206-1, and a photodiode 206-2. The LED 205-1 may emit a first light, and the LED 205-2 may emit a second light. For example, the LED 205-1 may be an IR LED that emits infrared (IR) light, and the LED 205-2 may be a blue LED that emits visible light. Using two or more different types of light (e.g., light with different wavelengths) may help the fire sensing device 200 detect various types of smoke. For example, light with a first wavelength may better detect flames including backside aerosols, and light with a second wavelength may better detect water vapor including white non-ignition aerosols. In some examples, a ratio of the first wavelength to the second wavelength may be used to indicate the type of smoke.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown in , the photodiode 206-1 can be coaxial with the LED 205-1, so that the photodiode 206-1 directly receives the first light emitted from the LED 205-1 and receives the scattering of the second light emitted by the LED 205-2, and the photodiode 206-2 can be coaxial with the LED 205-2, so that the photodiode 206-2 directly receives the second light emitted by the LED 205-2 and receives the scattering of the first light emitted by the LED 205-1. The photodiode 206-1 can detect the emission level of the first light and detect the scattering level of the second light. The photodiode 206-2 can detect the LED emission level of the second light and detect the scattering level of the first light.

[0036] Due to, for example, manufacturing variations, LEDs 205-1 and 205-2 (collectively referred to herein as LEDs 205) may have varying emission levels. Therefore, LEDs 205 may need to be calibrated before use. As described above, fire sensing device 200 may calibrate LEDs 205 by using known aerosol density levels. Photodiodes 206-1 and 206-2 (collectively referred to herein as photodiodes 206) may detect scattering levels, which may be compared to known aerosol density levels to calculate the sensitivity of each scattering path.

[0037] In some examples, the sensitivity accuracy can be improved by adjusting the gain used to amplify the input signal of the photodiode 206. The gain can be recalibrated in response to the LED emission level, as previously described herein. As another example, the gain can be adjusted in response to a deviation in the measured output of the LED 205 meeting or exceeding a threshold deviation amount, as will be further described herein.

[0038] The gain can be adjusted by adjusting the variable gain amplifier (for example, in Figure 3 In some examples, detecting the LED emission level of the on-axis LED 205 may require less gain than detecting the scattering of the off-axis LED 205 because the light from the on-axis LED 205 is direct light (e.g., higher intensity) and the light from the off-axis LED 205 is indirect light (e.g., lower intensity), as described previously herein.

[0039] Figure 3 A self-testing fire sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure (eg, respectively in combination with Figure 1 and Figure 2 The circuit 328 of the fire sensing device 100 and / or 200). Figure 3 As shown, circuit 328 may include corresponding Figure 1 The photodiode 106 and Figure 2 Each photodiode in the self-test fire sensing device may have a corresponding circuit 328. The circuit 328 may also include a configurable impedance network 310 associated with one or more operational amplifiers (op-amps) 325-1, 325-2 that may function as a variable gain amplifier, a reference voltage 321, an input signal 323, and an output signal 327. The circuit 328 (e.g., the operation of the circuit 328) may be controlled by a controller 322, which may correspond to Figure 1 Controller 122 in.

[0040] As previously described, detecting the LED emission level of a coaxial LED may require less gain than detecting the diffuse level of an off-axis LED because the light from the coaxial LED is direct light (e.g., higher intensity) and the light from the off-axis LED is indirect (e.g., diffuse) light (e.g., lower intensity). The controller 322 may adjust the gain 329-1 and / or 329-2 of the operational amplifiers 325-1 and / or 325-2, respectively, in response to whether the fire sensing device (e.g., the photodiode 306) is detecting the LED emission level or the diffuse level. For example, the operational amplifier 325-1 may be configured as a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) with a variable gain 329-1, so that when the photodiode 306 detects an input signal 323, which may be a short pulse of light of about 100 microseconds, a proportional photocurrent will follow in the photodiode 306. The inverting input of the operational amplifier 325-1 may then become less than the reference voltage 321 at the non-inverting input. The operational amplifier 325-1 can increase its output voltage to supply the photocurrent through the configurable impedance network 310. The output voltage on the operational amplifier 325-1 is equal to the product of the photocurrent multiplied by the impedance of the configurable impedance network 310. The controller 322 can change the impedance of the configurable impedance network 310 to change the photocurrent and voltage gain of the operational amplifier 325-1.

[0041] The additional operational amplifier 325 - 2 may be configured as a non-inverting amplifier that further amplifies the output voltage from the operational amplifier 325 - 1 . The output signal 327 from the operational amplifier 325 - 2 may be measured by the controller 322 , and the gain 329 - 2 of the operational amplifier 325 - 2 may be determined by the controller 322 .

[0042] The emitted light from the LEDs may decrease over time. The controller 322 may select a very low gain, measure an output signal 327 corresponding to a direct output level from the LEDs, and then recalibrate its software gain function associated with a high hardware gain for the diffuse level. In this way, changes in the LED emission level may be compensated for by changes in the software gain function made by the controller 322, e.g., with 8-bit resolution or 256 possible gain settings. As another example, the controller 322 may change the software gain function in response to a deviation in the LED output meeting or exceeding a threshold deviation amount, as will be further described herein. The changed gain may be stored in a memory 324 of the controller 322, which may correspond to Figure 1 The memory 122 in.

[0043] Figure 4 An example of a fire alarm system 440 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4As shown, the fire alarm system 440 may include a plurality of fire sensing devices 400-1, 400-2, ... 400-N (which may be collectively referred to herein as fire sensing devices 400). The fire sensing devices 400 may be located (e.g., spread throughout) a facility (e.g., in different areas of the facility and / or on different floors). For example, the facility may be a large facility (e.g., a building) with a large number of floors, such as a commercial facility, an office building, a hospital, etc. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to a particular type of facility.

[0044] The fire sensing device can be used to detect (eg, sense) a fire in a facility. For example, the fire sensing device 400 can be a device previously separately combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 The self-testing fire sensing device 100 and / or 200 .

[0045] For example, the fire sensing device 400 may each include a first LED and a second LED and a first photodiode and a second photodiode, as previously described herein (e.g., in conjunction with Figure 1 and Figure 2 As previously described herein, each fire sensing device 400 (e.g., a controller of each respective fire sensing device 400) may measure the output (e.g., sensitivity level) of its LED. For example, each fire sensing device 400 may periodically (e.g., repeatedly) measure the output of its LED during operation of the fire sensing device 400 (e.g., at different points over a period of time during its operation).

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, the fire alarm system 440 may include a control panel (eg, a fire control panel) 444. The control panel 444 may be, for example, a physical control panel installed in a facility, such as a control box.

[0047] The control panel 444 may be used (e.g., by a user) to monitor and / or control the fire sensing devices 400. For example, the control panel 444 may receive (e.g., collect) data from the fire sensing devices 400, such as, for example, real-time operational data. Such data may include, for example, measured outputs of LEDs of the fire sensing devices 400. For example, each fire sensing device 400 may continuously send its measured LED output to the control panel 444.

[0048] like Figure 4As shown, the fire alarm system 440 may include a gateway device 445. The gateway device 445 may be connected to a control panel 444 and may communicate with the control panel 444 to receive data (e.g., measured output of LEDs) from the fire sensing device 400 collected by the control panel 444. In some embodiments, the gateway device 445 may be permanently installed and / or connected at the facility so that it can continuously send (e.g., push) the data (e.g., measured output of LEDs of the fire sensing device 400) collected by the control panel 444 to a centralized computing device (e.g., Figure 4 The computing device 448 shown in FIG. 4 is used to monitor the fire sensing device 400 .

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the fire alarm system 440 may include a computing device 448. The computing device 448 may be located remotely from the facility, and in some embodiments, may be part of a centralized management platform. For example, the computing device 448 may be part of a distributed (e.g., cloud) computing environment.

[0050] Gateway device 445 can communicate with computing device 448 via network 446, such as Figure 4 For example, the gateway device 445 may send (e.g., continuously transmit and / or upload) data (e.g., measured output of LEDs) from the fire sensing devices 400 collected by the control panel 444 to the computing device 448. That is, each fire sensing device 400 may send the measured output of its LED to the computing device 448 via the gateway device 445.

[0051] The network 446 may be a network relationship through which the gateway device 445 and the computing device 448 can communicate. Examples of such network relationships may include a distributed computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a personal area network (PAN), a campus area network (CAN), or a metropolitan area network (MAN), as well as other types of network relationships. For example, the network 446 may include several servers that receive information from and transmit information to the gateway device 445 and the computing device 448 via a wired or wireless network.

[0052] As used herein, a "network" may provide a communication system that directly or indirectly links two or more computers and / or peripheral devices and allows users to access resources on other computing devices and exchange messages with other users. A network may allow users to share resources on their own systems with other network users and access information on systems located in a central location or systems located in remote locations. For example, a network may connect several computing devices together to form a distributed control network (e.g., a cloud).

[0053] The network can provide connections to the Internet and / or to the networks of other entities (e.g., organizations, institutions, etc.). Users can interact with network-enabled software applications to make network requests to retrieve files or print on network printers. Applications can also communicate with network management software, which can interact with network hardware to transfer information between devices on the network.

[0054] The computing device 448 may monitor the fire sensing device 400 using the measured outputs of the LEDs received from the fire sensing device 400. For example, the computing device 448 may determine when a deviation (e.g., change) in the measured output of any LED of the fire sensing device 400 meets or exceeds a threshold (e.g., allowable) deviation amount. For example, the computing device 440 may generate a trend line associated with (e.g., corresponding to changes in) the measured outputs of the LEDs of the fire sensing device over time, and determine when the deviation in the trend line meets or exceeds the threshold deviation amount. For example, the trend line may be generated by performing noise averaging on the measured outputs of the LEDs and performing a rate of change analysis on the measured outputs of the LEDs (e.g., after the noise averaging has been performed).

[0055] The deviation in the measured output of the LED may include the percentage by which the output of the LED has changed (e.g., increased or decreased) relative to an initial (e.g., initially calibrated) output. For example, determining when the deviation in the measured output of the LED of the fire sensing device 400 meets or exceeds a threshold deviation amount may include determining when the percentage by which the output of the LED has changed relative to the initial output is outside a threshold percentage range. As another example, determining when the deviation in the measured output of the LED of the fire sensing device 400 meets or exceeds a threshold deviation amount may include determining when a difference between the percentages by which the output of the LED has changed relative to its initial output meets or exceeds a threshold percentage difference.

[0056] The threshold percentage range and the threshold percentage difference may correspond to whether the measured output of the LED of the fire sensing device is the emission level of the light emitted by the LED or the scattering level of the light emitted by the LED. As an example, the threshold percentage range may be +10% to -30% of the initial emission level of the LED, and the threshold percentage difference may be + / -15% of the initial emission level difference of the LED (e.g., the emission level deviation of the LED of the fire sensing device will be determined to meet or exceed the threshold deviation amount when its measured emission level is greater than 10% or less than 30% of its initial emission level or when the difference between its measured emission levels is at least 15%). As another example, the threshold percentage range may be +10% to -20% of the initial scattering level of the LED, and the threshold percentage difference may be + / -30% of the initial scattering level difference between the LEDs (e.g., the scattering level deviation of the LED of the fire sensing device will be determined to meet or exceed the threshold deviation amount when its measured scattering level is greater than 10% or less than 20% of its initial scattering level or when the difference between its measured scattering levels is at least 30%). However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these examples.

[0057] The computing device 448 may determine an action to be taken on the fire sensing device 400 upon determining that a deviation in the measured output of the LED of the fire sensing device (e.g., in a trend line associated with the measured output) meets or exceeds a threshold deviation amount. The determined action may be an adjustment (e.g., increase or decrease) of a gain (e.g., a software gain function) associated with a first photodiode and / or a second photodiode of the fire sensing device, or replacement of the fire sensing device. If the deviation in the measured output of the LED does not meet or exceed the threshold deviation, the computing device 448 may determine that no action needs to be taken on the fire sensing device.

[0058] As an example, when the percentage by which the output of an LED has changed relative to the initial output is outside of a threshold percentage range, but the difference in the percentage by which the output has changed relative to the initial output does not meet or exceed the threshold percentage difference, the determined action may be a gain adjustment. For example, if the percentage by which the scatter level of each LED has changed relative to the initial output is +20%, then both will be outside of the scatter level threshold percentage range of +10% to -20%, but their difference (0%) will not meet or exceed the scatter level threshold percentage difference of + / -30%, and thus the determined action will be a 10% increase in the gain associated with the first photodiode and the second photodiode.

[0059] The gain adjustment may be, for example, an adjustment of the gain associated with the first photodiode and / or the second photodiode of the fire sensing device, as previously described herein. For example, the fire sensing device may include a first variable gain amplifier and a second variable gain amplifier coupled to the first photodiode, and a third variable gain amplifier and a fourth variable gain amplifier coupled to the second photodiode, as previously described herein (e.g., in combination with Figure 3 ). The fire sensing device (e.g., a controller of the fire sensing device) may adjust the gain associated with the first photodiode by adjusting the gain of the first variable gain amplifier and / or the gain of the second variable gain amplifier, and may adjust the gain associated with the second photodiode by adjusting the gain of the third variable gain amplifier and / or the gain of the fourth variable gain amplifier, as previously described herein (e.g., in conjunction with Figure 3 ).

[0060] As another example, when the percentage by which the output of an LED has changed relative to the initial output is outside a threshold percentage range and the difference between the percentages by which the output has changed relative to the initial output meets or exceeds a threshold percentage difference, the determined action may be to replace the fire sensing device. For example, if the percentages by which the emission levels of two LEDs have changed relative to the initial output are -35% and -5%, respectively, the -35% change will be outside the emission level threshold percentage range of +10% to -30%, and their difference (30%) will meet or exceed the emission level threshold percentage difference of + / -15%, and thus the determined action will be to replace the fire sensing device.

[0061] The computing device 448 can provide additional computing devices such as Figure 4 The additional computing device 449 (shown in FIG. 4 ) may send (e.g., transmit) a notification of the determined action to be taken on the self-testing fire sensing device 400 (e.g., gain adjustment or replacement). The additional computing device 449 may be, for example, a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone) or other web-based computing device (e.g., a laptop or tablet computer) of a maintenance engineer or technician at the facility, who may initiate the determined action upon receiving the notification. The computing device 448 may send the notification to the additional computing device 449 via the network 446, such as Figure 4 as shown in .

[0062] In some embodiments, the computing device 448 may determine (e.g., predict and / or calculate) the remaining life (e.g., end of life) of the fire sensing device 400 based on the measured output of the LED of the fire sensing device. For example, the computing device 448 may determine the remaining life of the fire sensing device 400 based on a trend line (e.g., a projection of the trend line) associated with the measured output of the LED. The computing device 448 may send the determined remaining life of the fire sensing device 400 to the additional computing device 449 via the network 446. For example, the computing device 448 may send the determined remaining life to the additional computing device 449 along with a notification of the determined action.

[0063] In some embodiments, the computing device 448 may send the measured output of the LED of the fire sensing device 400 to the additional computing device 449 via the network 446. For example, the computing device 448 may send the measured LED output along with a notification of the determined action and / or the determined remaining life of the fire sensing device to the additional computing device 449.

[0064] Figure 5 FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a computing device 548 for monitoring a self-testing fire sensing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The computing device 548 may be, for example, a device previously described in conjunction with Figure 4 Computing device 448 is described.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown, computing device 548 may include memory 554 and processor 556. Memory 554 may be any type of storage medium that can be accessed by processor 556 to perform various examples of the present disclosure. For example, memory 554 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions (e.g., computer program instructions) stored thereon that can be executed by processor 556 for monitoring a self-testing hazard sensing device according to the present disclosure.

[0066] The memory 554 may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The memory 554 may also be a removable (e.g., portable) memory or a non-removable (e.g., internal) memory. For example, the memory 554 may be a random access memory (RAM) (e.g., a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or a phase change random access memory (PCRAM)), a read-only memory (ROM) (e.g., an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and / or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), a flash memory, a laser disc, a digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage device and / or a magnetic medium (such as a cassette, a tape, or a disk), and other types of memory.

[0067] In addition, although the memory 554 is shown as being located within the computing device 548, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the memory 554 may also be located within another computing resource (e.g., enabling computer readable instructions to be downloaded via the Internet or another wired or wireless connection).

[0068] Although specific implementations have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same technique may be substituted for the specific implementations shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all modifications or variations of various implementations of the present disclosure.

[0069] It should be understood that the above description is given in an illustrative rather than limiting manner.By reading the above description, combinations of the above embodiments, as well as other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0070] The scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure includes any other applications using the above-described structures and methods.The scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0071] In the above detailed description, various features are grouped together in the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure. This method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of the present disclosure require more features than are expressly recited in each claim.

[0072] Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

1. A computing device (448, 548) for monitoring a self-testing fire sensing device (100, 200, 400), comprising: Memory (554); and a processor (556) configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to: receiving from a self-test fire sensing device (100, 200, 400) a measurement of an output of a light emitting diode (LED) (105, 205) of the self-test fire sensing device (100, 200, 400) during operation of the self-test fire sensing device (100, 200, 400); determining when a deviation in a measured output of the LED (105, 205) of the self-testing fire sensing device (100, 200, 400) meets or exceeds a threshold deviation amount; determining an action to be taken with respect to the self-testing fire sensing device (100, 200, 400) upon determining that the deviation in the measured output of the LED (105, 205) meets or exceeds the threshold deviation amount; as well as A notification of the determined action to be taken on the self-testing fire sensing device (100, 200, 400) is sent to an additional computing device (449).

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to: generating a trend line associated with the measured output of the LED of the self-test fire sensing device; and A determination is made as to when the deviation in the measured output of the LED meets or exceeds the threshold deviation amount by determining when the deviation in the trend line associated with the measured output of the LED meets or exceeds the threshold deviation amount. 3 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the determined action to be taken with respect to the self-testing fire sensing device is to replace the self-testing fire sensing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the determined action to be taken on the self-test fire sensing device is an adjustment of a gain associated with a photodiode (106, 206, 306) of the self-test fire sensing device. 5 . The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the gain associated with the photodiode of the self-test fire sensing device is a software gain function.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to: determining a remaining life of the self-test fire sensing device based on the measured output of the LED of the self-test fire sensing device; and The determined remaining life of the self-testing fire sensing device is transmitted to the additional computing device.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the deviation in the measured output of the LED comprises a percentage by which the output of the LED has changed relative to an initial output of the LED.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein determining when the deviation in the measured output of the LED of the self-test fire sensing device meets or exceeds the threshold deviation amount comprises determining when a percentage by which the output of the LED has changed relative to the initial output of the LED is outside of a threshold percentage range.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein determining when the deviation in the measured output of the LED of the self-test fire sensing device meets or exceeds the threshold deviation amount comprises determining when a percentage difference by which the output of the LED has changed relative to the initial output of the LED meets or exceeds a threshold percentage difference.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the measured output of the LED of the self-test fire sensing device comprises: an emission level of light emitted by said LED; as well as The level of scattering of light emitted by the LED.

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