Alarm device and control system

Abstract

To provide an alarm and a control system for supporting a corresponding action in a user when abnormality is detected.SOLUTION: A fire alarm 10 includes a fire detection part 13 for detecting a fire, and a voice output part 14 for outputting an instruction voice to a smart speaker 20 for receiving an instruction by voice and outputting a control signal when the fire is detected by the fire detection part 13. A control system 100 includes a fire alarm 10, a smart speaker 20 for acquiring an instruction voice output from the fire alarm 10 and outputting a control signal corresponding to the instruction voice, and an interlocking device 1 for performing an operation based on the control signal output from the smart speaker 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alarm device and a control system equipped with the alarm device. [Background technology]

[0002] A control system has been proposed in the past that includes an alarm device that outputs an alarm when it detects a fire, a control device such as a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) controller that is communicatively connected to the alarm device, and a smart speaker that is communicatively connected to the control device via an external server (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the control system described in Patent Document 1, when the alarm device detects a fire, the alarm device issues an alarm and sends a signal to the control device, which then sends the signal to an external server, causing the smart speaker to output a voice message indicating that a fire has been detected. When a resident then makes a voice input to the smart speaker to stop the alarm, the external server analyzes the voice and sends a command signal to the control device. In this way, the alarm device is stopped by the resident's voice input. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-39453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When an alarm detects an abnormality such as a fire, the user is required to not only stop the alarm but also take action such as quickly evacuating, assisting with evacuation, or dealing with the abnormality. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 only allows the alarm to be stopped by voice input into a smart speaker, and there has been a demand for technology that supports users in taking such response actions.

[0005] The present invention has been made against the background described above, and provides an alarm and a control system that support a user in taking appropriate action when an abnormality is detected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The alarm device of the present invention comprises a detection unit that detects an abnormality, and an audio output unit that, when the detection unit detects the abnormality, outputs an audio instruction to a control device that receives commands by voice and outputs a control signal.

[0007] The control system of the present invention comprises the alarm device, the control device that acquires the instruction sound output from the alarm device and outputs the control signal in accordance with the instruction sound, and an interlocking device that performs an operation based on the control signal output from the control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an alarm that detects an abnormality outputs an instruction sound to the control device, and by pre-setting in the control device the function to be executed when the instruction sound is received, i.e., when an abnormality is detected, it is possible to support the user in taking action to respond to the abnormality. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram of a control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a functional block diagram of a fire alarm according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a smart speaker according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a command according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the control system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, the alarm device of the present invention will be described as a fire alarm device, and the control device of the present invention will be described as a smart speaker. 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 combinations of possible configurations among 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 is common throughout the entire specification.

[0011] Embodiment (Configuration of control system 100) 1 is a system configuration diagram of a control system 100 according to an embodiment. The control system 100 includes a fire alarm 10, a smart speaker 20 that receives commands by voice, and one or more interlocked devices 1. In this embodiment, the smart speaker 20 and the interlocked devices 1 are communicatively connected via a home network 2. The home network 2 is communicatively connected to a server 4 via the Internet 3. The fire alarm 10, the smart speaker 20, and the interlocked devices 1 may be installed in a dwelling unit 200, but their installation location is not limited to the dwelling unit 200.

[0012] The interlocking devices 1 are electrical appliances such as lighting equipment, air conditioners, electric curtains, electronic locks, flashlights, refrigerators, washing machines, television sets, dishwashers, dish dryers, induction cookers, microwave ovens, etc. The interlocking devices 1 operate based on direct operations by the user as well as based on control signals from the smart speaker 20.

[0013] The home network 2 includes a router that connects the smart speaker 20 and the linked device 1 wirelessly or via a wired connection so that they can communicate with each other. The home network 2 is connected to the Internet 3 via a modem. The smart speaker 20 and the linked device 1 are connected to a server 4 via the home network 2 and the Internet 3.

[0014] Based on the transmission information from the smart speaker 20, the server 4 transmits information corresponding to the transmission information to the smart speaker 20. For example, when voice information based on a user's speech is transmitted from the smart speaker 20, the server 4 analyzes the voice information, converts it to text, and transmits the text information to the smart speaker 20. Alternatively, the server 4 may determine the information requested based on the text information, and transmit content (e.g., weather forecast, news, music, etc.) corresponding to the determination result to the smart speaker 20. Note that, although an example in which the server 4 is a cloud server is shown in the present embodiment, the server 4 may also be an on-premise server.

[0015] When the user speaks to the smart speaker 20, the interlocked device 1 is configured to operate based on the content of the speech. Furthermore, the control system 100 of this embodiment is configured to operate the interlocked device 1 based on instruction voice from the fire alarm 10. The specific configuration will be described below.

[0016] (Configuration of fire alarm 10) 2 is a functional block diagram of a fire alarm 10 according to an embodiment. The fire alarm 10 is installed in a room or the like of the dwelling unit 200 to monitor for fires and issue an alarm when a fire is detected. The fire alarm 10 has a control unit 11, a battery 12, a fire detection unit 13, an audio output unit 14, a display unit 15, an operation unit 16, a memory unit 17, and a selection unit 18.

[0017] The control unit 11 is composed of a dedicated hardware circuit or a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program stored in a memory. The control unit 11 controls the audio output unit 14 and the display unit 15 based on signals input from the fire detection unit 13 and the operation unit 16 and the selection result of the selection unit 18. The control unit 11 also reads information from the storage unit 17 and writes information to the storage unit 17.

[0018] Battery 12 is, for example, a lithium battery or an alkaline battery, and supplies power to control unit 11, fire detection unit 13, audio output unit 14, display unit 15, and memory unit 17. A voltage adjustment circuit or the like is provided on the output side of battery 12 to output a power supply voltage appropriate for each load.

[0019] The fire detection unit 13 is an example of a detection unit that detects abnormalities. The fire detection unit 13 of this embodiment detects a fire by detecting smoke, heat, gas, flames, etc. that are generated in association with a fire. When the fire detection unit 13 detects smoke, it has a photoelectric smoke sensor that emits light toward a smoke detection space formed in the housing and detects smoke by receiving scattered light generated by smoke present in the smoke detection space. When the fire detection unit 13 detects heat, it has a thermal sensor such as a differential or constant temperature sensor that detects heat generated by a fire. When the fire detection unit 13 detects gas, it has a gas sensor that detects gas that is generated in association with a fire. When the fire detection unit 13 detects flames, it has either an ultraviolet sensor or an infrared sensor, or both.

[0020] The audio output unit 14 is a device that outputs an alarm sound, such as a speaker. The audio output unit 14 of the present embodiment outputs a sound that is pre-stored in the storage unit 17 based on an instruction from the control unit 11.

[0021] The display unit 15 is a device that visually notifies the user, and is, for example, a light-emitting element such as a light-emitting diode. The display unit 15 is controlled by the control unit 11 to display in a variety of modes, such as continuous lighting or blinking. The display unit 15 may also be controlled by the control unit 11 to emit light in a variety of colors or lighting patterns.

[0022] The operation unit 16 is a button or switch operated by the user. The operation unit 16 may be a mechanical button or switch, or may be, for example, a touch switch. The operation unit 16 may also be operated by a drawstring. The number of operation units 16 may correspond to the number of operations to be input. The operation unit 16 may also accept different types of operations, such as a long press, a short press, or a continuous press, and input a signal corresponding to the operation to the control unit 11.

[0023] The storage unit 17 stores various data used for control by the control unit 11. The storage unit 17 also stores audio data output by the audio output unit 14. The storage unit 17 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile memory such as a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM.

[0024] The storage unit 17 stores one or more types of first sounds 171 and one or more types of second sounds 172. The first sounds 171 are so-called wake words for activating the smart speaker 20. In the present embodiment, multiple types of first sounds 171 are stored to support multiple types of smart speakers 20. The second sounds 172 are alarm sounds corresponding to an abnormality detected by the fire detection unit 13. The second sounds 172 are sounds that notify of the occurrence of a fire, such as "Fire, fire." If the fire alarm 10 is an interlocking type that interlocks with other fire alarms 10, the storage unit 17 may store the second sounds 172 corresponding to a fire source alarm when a fire is detected and the second sounds 172 corresponding to an interlocking alarm. If the fire detection unit 13 has a function for detecting multiple types of abnormalities, the storage unit 17 may store second sounds 172 corresponding to alarms corresponding to multiple types of abnormalities. The control unit 11 selects a combination of the first sound 171 and the second sound 172, and causes the sound output unit 14 to output the selected sound.

[0025] The selection unit 18 selects one of the plurality of first sounds 171. The selection unit 18 is, for example, a mechanical switch such as a DIP switch, and is installed on the housing of the fire alarm 10. Alternatively, the selection unit 18 has a communication interface that communicates with a dedicated terminal or a general-purpose terminal such as a smartphone via short-range wireless communication or the like, and selects one of the plurality of first sounds 171 based on input from these terminals. The user selects the first sound 171 according to the smart speaker 20 to be used by the selection unit 18. The control unit 11 causes the sound output unit 14 to output the first sound 171 based on the selection result by the selection unit 18.

[0026] The fire alarm 10 configured as described above is installed on the ceiling or wall of a room, etc., and monitors for fires in the location where it is installed. When the fire detection unit 13 detects a fire, the audio output unit 14 outputs the first audio 171 and the second audio 172 stored in the memory unit 17. Furthermore, when the fire detection unit 13 detects a fire, the display unit 15 outputs a fire alarm by lighting up or flashing in a predetermined luminous color. When a user notices the fire alarm and operates the operation unit 16, the audio output unit 14 and the display unit 15 stop the fire alarm.

[0027] (Configuration of Smart Speaker 20) FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a smart speaker 20 according to an embodiment. The smart speaker 20 is a device that receives commands by voice and outputs voice corresponding to the received commands. The smart speaker 20 has a standby state and an operating state, and when the smart speaker 20 receives and recognizes a wake word while in the standby state, it enters the operating state. Then, the smart speaker 20 in the operating state performs processing based on the voice received after the wake word. The smart speaker 20 has a control unit 21, a voice input unit 22, a voice output unit 23, a communication unit 24, and a storage unit 25.

[0028] The control unit 21 is configured with a dedicated hardware circuit or a processor such as a CPU that executes a program stored in memory. When the voice input unit 22 acquires voice, the control unit 21 transmits the acquired voice information to the server 4 via the communication unit 24. When text information that is the result of voice recognition is acquired from the server 4, the control unit 21 causes the voice output unit 23 to output voice based on the text information, and transmits a control signal to the linked device 1 via the communication unit 24.

[0029] The voice input unit 22 has a microphone, converts a voice waveform output from the user or the fire alarm 10 or the like into a signal, and inputs the signal to the control unit 21.

[0030] The audio output unit 23 has a speaker and is controlled by the control unit 21 to output audio stored in the storage unit 25 or audio acquired from the server 4.

[0031] The communication unit 24 has a communication interface for communicating with the linked device 1 via the home network 2.

[0032] The storage unit 25 stores various data used by the control unit 21 to control the interlocked device 1 and audio data output by the audio output unit 23. The storage unit 25 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM. The storage unit 25 stores one or more commands 251 for causing the interlocked device 1 to perform a predetermined operation based on audio input to the smart speaker 20.

[0033] The smart speaker 20 may include a display unit having a liquid crystal screen or the like, and may display the information acquired from the server 4 on the display unit as an image or video.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a command 251 according to an embodiment. The command 251 associates a command statement, target identification information that identifies the target interlocked device 1, and instruction information that indicates the execution content. For example, the command 251 includes, for the command statement "Good morning," target identification information that identifies a lighting device as the interlocked device 1 and instruction information that instructs the lighting device to switch to a lit state. In this case, when the user utters "Good morning" after the wake word, the smart speaker 20 controls the lighting device (interlocked device 1) to switch to a lit state. In the command 251, multiple sets of target identification information and instruction information may be associated with one command statement. In this case, for example, when the user utters the command statement "Good night" after the wake word, the smart speaker 20 controls each interlocked device 1 so that the air conditioner (interlocked device 1) starts cooling at a set temperature of 27 degrees and the electric curtains (interlocked device 1) close. The command 251 is set in advance by the user using an external terminal such as a smartphone or by inputting it into the smart speaker 20, and is stored in the storage unit 25.

[0035] (Operation of control system 100) FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the control system 100 according to the embodiment. An example of operation when the fire alarm 10 detects a fire will be described. When the fire alarm 10 detects a fire (step S1), the fire alarm 10 outputs an instruction sound (step S2). In this embodiment, the instruction sound is a combination of a first sound, which is a wake word, and a second sound, which is a fire alarm. For example, the fire alarm 10 outputs sounds such as "Alexa" (first sound) and "Fire, fire" (second sound), and this output sound becomes the instruction sound for the smart speaker 20.

[0036] When the smart speaker 20 acquires the instruction voice from the fire alarm 10, it transmits the acquired voice information to the server 4 (step S3).

[0037] When the server 4 acquires the voice information from the smart speaker 20, it performs a voice recognition process in which it analyzes the voice information using a voice recognition engine and converts it into text (step S4). In the example of the present embodiment, it recognizes the first voice, which is the wake word. It also recognizes the second voice output by the fire alarm 10, "There's a fire, there's a fire." The server 4 then transmits the voice text ("There's a fire, there's a fire" in the example of the present embodiment) to the smart speaker 20 along with an instruction to transition from the standby state to the operating state (step S5). Note that the smart speaker 20 may perform the recognition process for the first voice. In this case, when the smart speaker 20 recognizes the first voice in step S3, it transitions from the standby state to the operating state, and the smart speaker 20 sends voice information of the second voice to the server 4.

[0038] The smart speaker 20 acquires the voice text from the server 4 (step S6) and interprets the command based on the acquired voice text (step S7). In the example of the present embodiment, the voice text "There's a fire, there's a fire" is a command sentence, and the smart speaker 20 extracts the target identification information and instruction information corresponding to the command sentence from the command 251 in the storage unit 25. Then, the smart speaker 20 executes the command to the interlocked device 1 (step S8). Specifically, the smart speaker 20 transmits a control signal to the interlocked device 1 based on the extracted target identification information and instruction information.

[0039] The interlocked devices 1 execute a function according to the command (step S9). For example, in response to the command 251 illustrated in FIG. 4 , “Fire, Fire,” the lighting device (interlocked device 1) turns on, the electronic lock (interlocked device 1) unlocks, and the flashlight (interlocked device 1) flashes. Such operations of the interlocked devices 1 can support the user's response actions when a fire is detected by the fire alarm 10. For example, turning on the lighting device can make it easier for residents to notice an abnormality in the event of a nighttime fire. Furthermore, unlocking the electronic lock eliminates the need for residents to manually unlock the lock, which leads to faster evacuation. Furthermore, flashing the flashlight can make it easier for residents and neighboring residents to notice an abnormality.

[0040] The operations of the interlocking devices 1 described in the embodiment are merely examples, and can be set appropriately depending on the types and functions of the interlocking devices 1 that make up the control system 100, as well as the needs of the user.

[0041] As described above, the fire alarm 10 of this embodiment includes the fire detection unit 13 that detects abnormalities, and the audio output unit 14 that outputs audio instructions to the smart speaker 20 that receives audio commands and outputs control signals when a fire is detected by the fire detection unit 13. As a result, the fire alarm 10 outputs audio instructions to the smart speaker 20, and by setting in advance in the smart speaker 20 a function to be executed when a fire is detected, it is possible to support the user in taking action to deal with a fire.

[0042] Furthermore, the fire alarm 10 of this embodiment does not have a communication unit for communicating with an external device. Here, the external device is a device that controls the interlocked device 1, such as the smart speaker 20 of this embodiment or a home controller. According to the fire alarm 10 of this embodiment, even if the fire alarm 10 does not have a communication function with an external device, it is possible to cause the interlocked device 1 to execute an operation via the smart speaker 20. Because the fire alarm 10 does not need to have a communication function, an increase in the manufacturing cost of the fire alarm 10 can be suppressed.

[0043] Furthermore, the instruction sound output by the fire alarm 10 of this embodiment includes a first sound, which is a wake word for activating the smart speaker 20, and a second sound, which is an alarm corresponding to the detected abnormality. As a result, the inclusion of the first sound enables activation of the smart speaker 20, without impairing the original function of the fire alarm 10, which is to notify the user of the occurrence of a fire by the second sound. In this way, the fire alarm 10 can issue instructions to the smart speaker 20 while issuing a fire alarm.

[0044] The fire alarm 10 of this embodiment also includes a storage unit 17 that stores a plurality of first voices, and a selection unit 18 that selects one or more of the first voices. Therefore, by using the selection unit 18 to select a first voice that corresponds to the smart speaker 20 to be used, it becomes possible to use the same fire alarm 10 even if the smart speaker 20 to be used changes.

[0045] The fire alarm 10 may be configured to be able to store any first sound 171. For example, the fire alarm 10 may be equipped with a microphone, record the first sound (wake word) spoken by the user, and store it in the storage unit 17 as the first sound 171. Then, the selection unit 18 selects the first sound 171 recorded by the user. This also improves the degree of freedom in selecting the smart speaker 20 to be used.

[0046] (Variation) In the embodiments, an example has been described in which the alarm device of the present invention is a fire alarm device 10 that detects fires, but the present invention can also be applied to alarm devices that detect abnormalities other than fires, such as earthquakes and gas leaks, and output an abnormality alarm. The alarm device of the present invention may also be an interphone with a built-in emergency broadcast system or a GP type Class 3 receiver. For example, if the alarm device of the present invention is an interphone, when an abnormality is detected by a sensor acting as a detection unit that detects the abnormality, the interphone outputs an instruction voice to a smart speaker as described in the embodiments.

[0047] In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the control device of the present invention is the smart speaker 20, but the control device of the present invention may be any device that can receive commands by voice and transmit control signals to linked devices. In the embodiment, the server 4 has been described as performing speech recognition processing on speech acquired by the smart speaker 20 as the control device, but the smart speaker 20 may perform part or all of the speech recognition processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Interlocking device, 2 Home network, 3 Internet, 4 Server, 10 Fire alarm, 11 Control unit, 12 Battery, 13 Fire detection unit, 14 Audio output unit, 15 Display unit, 16 Operation unit, 17 Memory unit, 18 Selection unit, 20 Smart speaker, 21 Control unit, 22 Audio input unit, 23 Audio output unit, 24 Communication unit, 25 Memory unit, 100 Control system, 171 First audio, 172 Second audio, 200 Dwelling unit, 251 Command.

Claims

1. a detection unit that detects an abnormality; and a voice output unit that outputs an instruction voice to a control device that receives a command by voice and outputs a control signal when the abnormality is detected by the detection unit. alarm.

2. Does not have a communication unit for communicating with external devices The alarm of claim 1.

3. The instruction sound includes a first sound for activating the control device and a second sound that is an alarm corresponding to the detected abnormality.

3. An alarm according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a storage unit that stores a plurality of the first voices; a selection unit that selects one or more of the plurality of first voices, The audio output unit outputs the second audio and the first audio selected by the selection unit. The alarm according to claim 3.

5. An alarm device according to claim 1 or 2; the control device that acquires the instruction sound output from the alarm device and outputs the control signal in accordance with the instruction sound; an interlocking device that operates based on the control signal output from the control device; Control system.

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