METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ALARM INDICATOR UNIT

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a computer-implemented method for controlling an alarm display unit having a display surface, wherein a first display area displays a list of alarm events generated by alarm sensors, a second display area displays a dialog box for processing the alarm events, and a third display area displays alarm data from the alarm units.

[0002] An alarm display unit has a limited area.

[0003] In state-of-the-art methods, alarm events occurring in an area are displayed on the alarm display unit immediately after they occur and are detected by an alarm sensor. If multiple alarm events occur in immediate succession, they can be displayed via pop-up windows or in the form of lists. The user quickly loses track of which alarm event to handle first.

[0004] US6529137 only discloses the weighting of an alarm event specified by a user.

[0005] Furthermore, the user generally receives no information about the probability that the respective alarm event actually occurred. This is particularly important due to the possibility of false alarms. According to current theory, false alarms are a particular problem in video surveillance systems.

[0006] In the context of the disclosure of the method according to the invention, an area refers to a spatially defined area. The area can be defined by boundaries. An area can be, for example, a property or a part of a property. The method described below can be applied to parts of the area. Typically, a security concept is created for an area.

[0007] Furthermore, it is known in the art to arrange multiple display areas, with one display area being linked to a specific group of alarm sensors. Here, too, the problem arises that the user quickly loses any overview. This is especially the case when multiple alarm events occur at the same time.

[0008] With state-of-the-art alarm displays, the user can process alarm events at their discretion. The user decides, based on their own conscience or whim, which alarm event is processed and when. The user also decides, based on their own conscience, whether to classify an alarm event as an actual alarm event or as a false alarm.

[0009] The invention disclosed here aims to make the processing of individual alarm events more effective and independent of the user's subjective influences. More effective processing of alarm events within the meaning of the objective is understood, among other things, to mean that the user is able to process multiple alarm events within a time period. More effective processing of alarm events is also understood to mean that the user establishes or maintains the security of the area by processing the alarms identified by the method according to the invention.

[0010] The fundamental solution of the invention disclosed here is that the individual alarm events can be ordered according to their probability of actually occurring. Another approach is to specify to the user the order in which the alarm events must be processed, with the current alarm event being processed and the subsequent alarm events being displayed.

[0011] According to the invention, this is achieved by an alarm event depending on the frequency of a repeated occurrence of the alarm event and / or - the occurrence of a further alarm event associated with the alarm event, by which further alarm event a further event in a further area similar to the area or adjacent to the area is indicated, in each case a predetermined priority factor is assigned and the list of alarm events is sorted according to a priority value, which priority value is calculated by summing up the individual priority factors or by multiplying the individual priority factors.

[0012] The solution of the method according to the invention provides for the incoming alarm events to be sorted according to their priority value, so that the alarm events are presented in a clear manner for the user. The priority value can be a percentage indication of the relevance of the alarm event, where 100 percent, for example, can represent very relevant and zero percent can represent not relevant. The method according to the invention thus offers the effect of objectively processing the alarm events, which prevents the user from processing the alarm events according to their subjective discretion.

[0013] When applying the method according to the invention, the user can preferably only process the alarm event that is evaluated as having the highest priority. This also includes the possibility that the method according to the invention can sort multiple alarm events for processing according to their priority values.

[0014] Alarm sensors typically require maintenance to prevent false alarms. During maintenance, the condition of the alarm sensor is documented. An alarm event indicated by a poorly maintained alarm sensor or an alarm sensor in poor condition may have a lower priority than an alarm event indicated by a regularly maintained alarm sensor or an alarm sensor in good condition. The security concept may include provisions regarding the priority factor with which the maintenance of an alarm sensor is evaluated.

[0015] Experts understand the state of an alarm sensor to also include the ability of the alarm sensor to detect an alarm signal. This ability is influenced by the measurement quality achievable with the respective alarm sensor and / or by the environment of the alarm sensor.

[0016] Particularly when using image sensors and / or acoustic sensors as alarm sensors, the person skilled in the art knows from the relevant documentation which image signals or audio signals to be measured can be measured with a quality specified in the relevant documentation. For example, the object to be measured with the respective image sensor must have a minimum size and / or a minimum contrast with its surroundings in order to achieve a certain measurement quality. Likewise, an audio signal must have a minimum volume for the acoustic sensor. Likewise, the person skilled in the art knows from current teachings which environmental influences, such as lighting and weather influences, can distort these image signals and / or audio signals.

[0017] According to the state of the art, saturation can be determined. This can be simplified, for example, by determining the number of pixels near saturation as a proportion of the total pixels. The saturation value thus determined scales between 0 and 1, with the highest priority factor being assigned to saturation values ​​between 0 and 0.1. Saturation values ​​between 0.1 and 1 can be assigned a linearly variable priority factor, which has a maximum at a saturation value of 0.1 and a minimum at a saturation value of 1.

[0018] Another example is the use of a weather station with an additional sensor, which is not an alarm sensor and can provide, for example, wind speed or other weather data. According to current theory, depending on the properties of the image sensor, wind can reduce the quality of the measurement using the image sensor, as the camera sensor, for example, is moved in an oscillating manner due to wind pressure.

[0019] A permissible wind speed is selected or specified in the safety concept, up to which wind speed has the highest priority, thus ensuring that the image sensor delivers measurements with a minimum level of quality. It is assumed that at higher wind speeds, the quality of the measurement using the image sensor decreases linearly to a minimum value (approximately 0). Furthermore, a maximum wind speed is selected for minimum measurement quality using an image sensor.

[0020] With reference to the safety concept of a property, the expert selects a mathematical function for determining the priority factor, which function has its maximum at the permissible wind speed and its minimum at the maximum wind speed.

[0021] In the context of the disclosure of the method according to the invention, it should be noted that the problem described above exists, in principle, with any type of alarm sensor. This problem will be explained here using the image sensor and the acoustic sensor as examples, since this problem occurs most frequently in the aforementioned examples.

[0022] The relevant documentation may, for example, indicate a susceptibility to errors or an inaccuracy of a measurement using a specific sensor or a deviation from a measuring range selected by the properties of the sensor, from which susceptibility to errors or inaccuracy a priority factor concerning the status of the alarm sensor can be determined, taking into account weighting factors if necessary, or is specified by the safety concept.

[0023] The specialist can also determine the priority factor regarding the status of the alarm sensor based on his experience and / or on the basis of the security concept developed for a property.

[0024] The security concept may include an indication of which priority factor is assigned to the respective alarm event.

[0025] The security concept may include an indication of the frequency of an alarm event at which a priority factor is assigned. The method according to the invention may include a determination that the number of alarm event frequencies is weighted by a factor or a function.

[0026] The security concept may include further information on the priority factor assigned to an alarm event in conjunction with another alarm event.

[0027] According to the state of the art, a room can be monitored using multiple alarm sensors, with one alarm sensor detecting an alarm event and another alarm sensor detecting another alarm event. An alarm event detected by the alarm sensor can be verified by the detection of another alarm event by another alarm sensor, provided that the alarm event and the other alarm event are directly related.

[0028] If the alarm event is verified, the priority factor of the alarm event may be higher than if the alarm event is not verified. In the latter case, the priority factor may be zero or close to zero.

[0029] Assigning a priority factor to an alarm event depending on the occurrence of a linked alarm event may include assigning a similar sum of priority factors or a similar product of priority factors to the alarm event and the further alarm event. The alarm event and the further alarm event are displayed in the list at adjacent, preferably contiguous, positions. This allows both alarm events to be processed simultaneously, if necessary, thereby making the processing of the alarm events more effective using the method according to the invention.

[0030] The priority factor and / or the priority value can be a numerical value by means of which the importance of an alarm event or an alarm event in connection with another alarm event is assessed with reference to the security concept created for an area.

[0031] In addition to or as an alternative to representing the priority factor and / or priority value using a numerical value, the priority factor and / or priority value can be represented using colors depending on the numerical value. In a test system, the priority factors and / or priority values ​​of an alarm event were represented using traffic light colors (red: high priority, yellow: medium priority, green: low priority).

[0032] Likewise, in addition to or as an alternative to the above-mentioned forms of representation, the priority factor and / or the priority value can be represented graphically by means of a surface element filled in depending on the numerical value.

[0033] In addition to or as an alternative to the assessment of the importance of one or more alarm events, the priority factor and / or the priority value may include a numerical value which indicates the probability of the actual occurrence of the alarm event(s).

[0034] By ordering alarm events, the user is guided to pay attention to the alarm event with the highest priority. This encourages the user to process the alarm events in a specific order.

[0035] A distinction must be made between a user and a programmer. A programmer is authorized to create specifications such as the predefined priority factors or the specification of priority factors. The programmer can create a list in which priorities are assigned to alarm events based on a security concept for a property.

[0036] The method according to the invention can include summing the individual priority factors to calculate a priority value, whereby the term summing can be understood as a subtraction of individual priority factors. Likewise, the priority factors can be multiplied to form a priority value. The disclosure of the invention includes the possibility for the person skilled in the art to combine various mathematical methods to calculate the priority value.

[0037] Priority values ​​can also be specified. Priority values ​​can be specified for the occurrence of one priority factor or for the occurrence of multiple priority factors. The method according to the invention includes evaluating the occurrence of an alarm event and the occurrence of another alarm event, which is linked to the alarm event, with a priority value defined by the programmer.

[0038] The method according to the invention can be characterized in that the dialog box for processing an alarm event displayed in the list is displayed in the second display area.

[0039] In particular, only the dialog box for handling the alarm event with the highest priority can be displayed in the second display pane.

[0040] The user can therefore only process the alarm event with the highest priority. This makes the system resistant to changes in the importance of alarm events by the user. In a broader sense, this deprives the user of the ability to negate an alarm event or to process alarm events according to their subjective perception, mood, or discretion. This is particularly the case when a signal is sent to a person superior to the user if a high-priority alarm event is not processed within a defined period of time.

[0041] The method according to the invention can be characterized in that the alarm data measured by the alarm sensors of an alarm event displayed in the list are displayed in the third display area.

[0042] In particular, the alarm data of the highest-priority alarm event can be displayed in the third display area. The alarm data can, for example, include image data captured by a camera directed at the area.

[0043] The display areas can be arranged from left to right or from top to bottom.

[0044] The arrangement of the display sections corresponds to the usual reading direction from left to right and the direction in which individual alarm events are processed. Likewise, the display sections can be arranged in a top-to-bottom direction, thus aligning one below the other.

[0045] For a better understanding of the invention, it is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. Figure 1 illustrates a possible application of the method according to the invention. Figure 2illustrates a further possible application of the method according to the invention. Figure 3 shows one way of displaying the priority of an alarm event.

[0046] By way of introduction, it should be noted that in the variously described embodiments, identical parts are provided with identical reference symbols or component designations, whereby the disclosures contained in the entire description can be applied mutatis mutandis to identical parts with identical reference symbols or component designations. Furthermore, the positional information chosen in the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc., refers to the directly described and illustrated figure, and in the event of a change in position, these positional information must be applied mutatis mutandis to the new position. FIGURE DESCRIPTION

[0047] Figure 1illustrates the method according to the invention for controlling an alarm display unit with a display surface 1. An alarm event is used in the alarm display unit to display an event occurring and / or having occurred in an area. The event is detected by a sensor monitoring the area. Figure 1 The sensors SENSOR1 to SENSOR5 are shown as examples. These sensors monitor some of their own areas and some of their shared areas, as shown below. The sensors SENSOR1, SENSOR2, ​​and SENSOR3 form subsystem 11.

[0048] The display area 1 is essentially divided into three sub-areas, which are referred to as the first display sub-area 2, the second display sub-area 3, and the third display sub-area 4. The display sub-areas 2, 3, and 4 are arranged next to one another in accordance with the processing of the individual alarm events described below and a resulting processing direction 10. The first display sub-area 2 is arranged to the left of the second display sub-area 3, and the second display sub-area 3 is arranged to the left of the third display sub-area 4. This arrangement of the display sub-areas 2, 3, and 4 from left to right follows the idea of ​​the reading direction common in Europe.

[0049] The alarm sensors SENSOR1 to SENSOR5 send messages to an alarm center 12.

[0050] A list 5 of alarm events generated by the alarm sensors SENSOR1 to SENSOR5 is displayed on a first display area 2. These messages include information about the state of the alarm sensors and / or a weighting of the alarm events specified by the user and / or the frequency of a repeated occurrence of the alarm event and / or the occurrence of a further alarm event associated with the alarm event, by which further alarm event a further event is indicated in a further area similar to the area or adjacent to the area.

[0051] The programmer assigns a priority factor to each alarm event and each condition. Using the method according to the invention, priority values ​​are calculated from the priority factors or, if priority values ​​are specified, retrieved.

[0052] The Figure 1The registered subsystem 11 comprises the three sensors SENSOR1, SENSOR2, ​​and SENSOR3. For example, subsystem 11 can monitor an entrance, with a door lock comprising SENSOR1, a motion detector for detecting people or animals moving through the entrance comprising SENSOR2, ​​and a surveillance camera comprising SENSOR3. SENSOR4 and SENSOR5 are standalone sensors.

[0053] Individual cases are discussed below to illustrate the method according to the invention.

[0054] A person passes through the entrance without activating SENSOR1 and thus the door lock. Sensors SENSOR2 and SENSOR3 issue a message, which is considered an alarm due to the inactivity of sensor SENSOR1.

[0055] The message from sensor SENSOR1 has a priority factor of 1.0. The messages from sensors SENSOR2 and SENSOR3 have a priority factor of 2.0. The alarm event generated by a person passing through the entrance therefore has a first priority value of 5.0 when summed and a second priority value of 4.0 when multiplied. Additionally, the programmer can assign a third priority value of 10.0 if sensor SENSOR1 does not send a message but sensors SENSOR2 and SENSOR3 send a message, since in this case, there is a high probability that the person has not passed through the entrance.

[0056] For example, sensor SENSOR4 can monitor an area of ​​lesser importance. Sensor SENSOR4 can indicate that there is no water in a water tank. A message from sensor SENSOR4, for example, can have a priority factor of 0.1. Since no other sensors are paired with sensor SENSOR4, the priority value is equal to the priority factor, 0.5.

[0057] For example, the SENSOR5 sensor can be a smoke detector in a kitchen, but a SENSOR5 message does not have a priority factor of 1.0. Repeated and intermittent detection of smoke in the kitchen cannot indicate an emergency, so the priority value is calculated by reducing the priority factor by half. The priority value of the SENSOR5 message is therefore 0.5.

[0058] In Figure 1The highest priority alarm event 8 is ranked at the top of list 5. This instructs the user to process the alarm event in the entrance area.

[0059] A dialog box 6 for processing the alarm events is displayed on the second display area 3. Figure 1 illustrates the case where dialog box 6 for processing the alarm event with the highest priority is displayed in the second display pane 3. No other dialog boxes are displayed in the second display pane 3, so the user can only process the alarm event with the highest priority.

[0060] By displaying only the highest priority dialog box 6 for handling the highest priority alarm event, the user is prevented from selecting the alarm event to be handled at their own discretion, thus preventing a threatening situation from arising. The user cannot therefore handle the alarm event concerning smoke in the kitchen.

[0061] The sensor data 7 of the alarm units are displayed in the third display area 4. The Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment of the method according to the invention relates to the case where the sensor data 7 of the alarm event with the highest priority is displayed larger than the alarm data of the other sensors. This draws the user's attention to the sensor data 7 with the highest priority.

[0062] In Figure 1 the sensor data 7 with the highest priority image data 9 are displayed in a priority position.

[0063] Figure 2 illustrates a further possible application of the method according to the invention. Figure 2 shows the floor plan of a room 13 as an area, which room 13 is defined by walls 14 as boundaries. One of the walls 14 includes a door 15, through which door 15 the room 13 can only be entered and exited.

[0064] The door 15 is monitored by an alarm sensor 16. The alarm sensor 16 can be a state-of-the-art sensor that detects an alarm event when the door 15 is opened.

[0065] Furthermore, movements in room 13 are monitored by means of another alarm sensor 17. The other alarm sensor 17 can be a state-of-the-art sensor.

[0066] Entering room 13 requires opening of door 15, which is detectable as an alarm event by alarm sensor 16. Opening of door 15 requires movement in room 13, namely at least the movement of door 15 or the movement of a Figure 2 not shown person in room 13. A movement in room 13 is detected by the further alarm sensor 17 as a further alarm event.

[0067] Due to the relationships described above, the alarm event can be verified by the further alarm event.

[0068] If the alarm event is verified using the additional alarm event, the priority of the alarm event can be assigned a value of one. It can therefore be assumed with a high degree of probability that the alarm event actually occurred.

[0069] If the alarm event is not verified using the additional alarm event, the priority of the alarm event can be assigned a value less than one. It is therefore uncertain whether the alarm event actually occurred.

[0070] Figure 3 illustrates one possible representation of an alarm event. The representation includes a video image 18 recorded with a state-of-the-art video sensor. Applying the current theory of video analysis and, if necessary, object detection, the video sensor can function as an alarm sensor, so that an alarm event is generated via the video analysis if, for example, a car 19 is detected in the video image 18. However, current experience shows that the current theory of video analysis is prone to errors.

[0071] The display of the alarm event in Figure 3includes a list of parameters 20 such as trajectory, brightness, contrast, etc., which parameters 20 affect the state of the video sensor directly or indirectly via the video image output by the video sensor. The representation includes a parameter priority 22 for each of these parameters, with the priority 21 of the alarm event being calculated as an average of the parameter priorities. The average is calculated according to common theory.

[0072] In Figure 3 Priority 21 is represented by a number, a color, and a solid area. In addition to the area representation, the word "false alarm" is placed at one end of the area and the word "true alarm" at the other end.

[0073] In the Figure 3 In the application example shown, a priority 21 of 20% is calculated from the parameter priorities 22, which is more likely to be considered a false alarm.

[0074] The embodiments show possible embodiments, whereby it should be noted at this point that the invention is not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiments thereof, but rather various combinations of the individual embodiments with one another are also possible and this possibility of variation lies within the skill of the person skilled in the art in this technical field due to the teaching of technical action by means of the objective invention.

[0075] The scope of protection is determined by the claims. However, the description and drawings must be used to interpret the claims. Individual features or combinations of features from the various embodiments shown and described may represent independent inventive solutions. The problem underlying the independent inventive solutions can be derived from the description.

[0076] For the sake of clarity, it should finally be pointed out that, in order to better understand the structure, some elements have been shown out of scale and / or enlarged and / or reduced in size. Reference symbol list

[0077] 1Display area 2First display area 3Second display area 4Third display area 5List 6Dialog box 7Sensor data 8Highest priority alarm event 9Highest priority alarm event data 10Processing direction 11Subsystem 12Alarm control panel 13Room 14Wall 15Door 16Alarm sensor 17Additional alarm sensor 18Video image 19Auto 20Parameter 21Priority 22Parameter priority

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling an alert display unit having a display surface (1), wherein a list (5) of alert events generated by alert sensors is displayed on a first display subsurface (2), a dialog box (6) for processing the alert events is displayed on a second display subsurface (3) and sensor data (7) of the alarm units determinable by alert sensors is displayed on a third display surface (4), wherein an event is displayed by an alert event in an area, characterised in that a respective predefined priority factor is assigned to an alert event depending on - the frequency of the alert event repeatedly occurring and - the occurrence of further alert event associated with the alert event, by which further alert event a further event is displayed in further area similar to the area or in a further area adjacent to the area, and the list of alert events is sorted according to a priority value, which priority value is calculated by adding up the individual priority factors or by multiplying the individual priority factors.

2. The method of claim 1, further characterised in that a further predefined priority factor is assigned to the alert event depending on a user-defined weighting of the alert event.

3. The method of any one of claims 1 and 2, further characterised in that another predefined priority factor is assigned to the alert event depending on the condition of the alert sensors, which condition describes the maintenance condition of the alert sensors, wherein a lower priority factor is assigned to a poorly maintained alert sensor than to another alert sensor in a regularly maintained condition or in a good condition, and / or which condition describes the property of the quality of measurement achievable with the alert sensors.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the dialog box (6) for processing an alert event displayed on the list (5) is displayed on a second display subsurface (3).

5. The method of claim 4, characterised in that the dialog box (6) for processing the alert event with the highest priority is displayed on the second display subsurface (3).

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the sensor data (7) of an alert event shown on the list as measured by the alert sensors is displayed on a third display subsurface (4).

7. The method of claim 6, characterised in that the alert data of the alert event with the highest priority is displayed on the third display subsurface (4).

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the first display subsurface (2) and the second display subsurface (3) are adjacent, and the third display subsurface (4) and the second display subsurface (3) are also adjacent.