Fire Detection System

Abstract

To improve an accuracy of determining a cause of fire by utilizing a recorded image, as compared with the conventional art.SOLUTION: A fire detection system (1) comprises a fire detector and a monitoring camera (30) installed in the same monitoring area. The fire detector is a flame detector (20) that detects a flame in an event of a fire. The monitoring camera is mounted to the flame detector and integrated therewith. A monitoring field monitored by the monitoring camera is installed so as to include an entire monitoring area monitored by the flame detector.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire detection system having a flame detector as a means for detecting a fire. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, detectors for detecting fires include heat detectors and smoke detectors. In places where it is difficult to detect fires, such as large spaces and tunnels, flame detectors are provided as a means for detecting fires.

[0003] Flame detectors detect fires by detecting infrared or ultraviolet light, but flame detectors based on this detection principle can be activated by factors other than fire, such as sunlight, sparks, a lighter flame, or the rotating lights of an emergency vehicle, resulting in false alarms.

[0004] When a flame detector is activated due to a factor other than a fire, a manager (operator) may rush to the site where the activated flame detector is installed to confirm the cause. In this case, if the cause has disappeared by the time the manager arrives at the site, it will not be clear what caused the flame detector to activate. Particularly in large factories, it takes time and effort for the manager to rush to the site, and it is easy for the situation to not be clear at the site.

[0005] To solve such problems, a surveillance camera is installed within the monitoring area of ​​the fire detector, and the images captured by the camera are constantly recorded as video, so that when the fire detector is activated, the recorded images can be reviewed later (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0006] According to the fire monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the accuracy of fire detection is improved by utilizing recorded images. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-72881 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the conventional technology has the following problems. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that combines a smoke detector and a surveillance camera. Here, in Patent Document 1, as is clear from the configuration in Fig. 1, the smoke detector and the surveillance camera are installed at positions separated from each other. In other words, the line of sight to the surveillance area and the field of view of the surveillance area are different between the surveillance area by the smoke detector and the surveillance area by the surveillance camera.

[0009] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, even if the recorded image is checked later, depending on the area captured by the surveillance camera, it may not be possible to accurately determine what the cause of the non-fire that was erroneously detected by the smoke detector was.

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a fire detection system that can improve the accuracy of determining the cause of a fire by utilizing recorded images compared to conventional technology. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The fire detection system according to the present invention is a fire detection system including a fire detector and a surveillance camera installed in the same monitoring area, the fire detector is a flame detector that detects flames in the event of a fire, the surveillance camera is attached to the flame detector and is integrated with the surveillance camera, and the surveillance camera is installed so that the field of view monitored by the surveillance camera includes the entire monitoring area monitored by the flame detector. The flame detector and the surveillance camera are installed so that their respective lines of sight toward the surveillance area are in the same direction. When the flame detector is activated due to a non-fire factor, the image captured by the surveillance camera with the line of sight in the same direction is analyzed, making it possible to determine the cause of the activation due to a non-fire factor. It is something. In addition, the fire detection system of the present invention is a fire detection system comprising a fire detector and a surveillance camera installed in the same monitoring area, wherein the fire detector is a flame detector that detects flames that occur as a result of a fire, the surveillance camera is attached to the flame detector and thereby integrated with the surveillance camera, the monitoring field of view of the surveillance camera is installed so as to include the entire monitoring area monitored by the flame detector, and the system further comprises a recorder that saves video images captured by the surveillance camera as video data, and a control unit that provides overall control over the flame detector, the surveillance camera, and the recorder, wherein the flame detector outputs a fire signal when it detects a flame, and each time the control unit receives a fire signal from the flame detector, it causes the recorder to sequentially save video data of a predetermined range before and after receiving the fire signal as an event record, and when the flame detector is activated due to a non-fire factor, it is possible to determine the cause of the activation due to a non-fire factor based on the event record. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the flame detector and the surveillance camera are integrated, so that the lines of sight of the flame detector and the surveillance camera to their respective monitoring areas are in the same direction, and the entire monitoring area by the flame detector is included in the monitoring area of ​​the surveillance camera. As a result, a fire detection system can be obtained that can improve the accuracy of determining the cause of a fire by utilizing recorded images compared to the conventional technology. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a fire detection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a flame detector 20 and a monitoring camera 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention are integrated together. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing respective monitoring areas of a flame detector 20 and a monitoring camera 30 in the first embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the fire detection system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The fire detection system of the present invention has the technical features that the two are integrated by assembling a surveillance camera next to a flame detector, so that the lines of sight of the flame detector and the surveillance camera for their respective monitoring areas are the same and the entire monitoring area by the flame detector is set to be contained within the monitoring area of ​​the surveillance camera.

[0015] Embodiment 1 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a fire detection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The fire detection system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a control unit 10, a flame detector 20, a surveillance camera 30, and a recorder 40.

[0016] The flame detector 20 is a type of fire detector that is installed in a desired monitoring area where fire detection is desired and detects flames occurring within the monitoring area. One example of the flame detector 20 is an infrared three-wavelength type flame detector that uses three infrared sensors to detect the energy intensity of three wavelength bands in the CO2 resonance radiation band and detects with high sensitivity whether a flame has occurred based on the detection results.

[0017] The flame detector 20 outputs a fire signal when it detects the occurrence of a flame. As this fire signal, a contact signal that is turned on when the occurrence of a flame is detected can be used. The fire signal output from the flame detector 20 is taken in as an input signal by the control unit 10 and the recorder 40.

[0018] Such flame detectors 20 are used, for example, in large factories for spot monitoring of objects such as precision equipment that may overheat and ignite, and are installed on the factory's production lines to detect the outbreak of a fire or other accident at an early stage so that a manager can take action such as stopping the line.

[0019] The surveillance camera 30 corresponds to an image capturing unit that captures, as a moving image, the situation within a desired monitoring area where a fire is to be detected. The image captured by the surveillance camera 30 is transmitted to the recorder 40 as a moving image signal.

[0020] The recorder 40 receives as input signals the fire signal output from the flame detector 20 and the video signal output from the surveillance camera 30. The recorder 40 then sequentially records the video signals received from the surveillance camera 30, thereby updating the recorded images of a predetermined length to the latest video.

[0021] Furthermore, when the recorder 40 receives a fire signal from the flame detector 20, it extracts video data before and after the fire signal, which is defined as a predetermined range, from the video signal output from the surveillance camera 30, and saves it as an event record associated with the fire signal.

[0022] Recorder 40 can, for example, sequentially accumulate one hour's worth of data as the latest updated video images, and store 1 minute and 30 seconds of data as an event record, consisting of the most recent minute of data before a fire signal is received and 30 seconds of data after a fire signal is received.

[0023] The recorder 40 can store a corresponding event record every time a fire signal is received, thereby keeping multiple event records. In this way, the recorder 40 can update the latest video images sequentially regardless of whether a fire signal has been received, and can store event records in a manner that prevents them from being deleted unless an operator operates them.

[0024] As the device consisting of the surveillance camera 30 and the recorder 40, a commercially available drive recorder can also be used.

[0025] The control unit 10 is a controller that comprehensively controls the flame detector 20, the monitoring camera 30, and the recorder 40. Every time the control unit 10 receives a fire signal from the flame detector 20, it records it sequentially as a fire signal occurrence history.

[0026] Furthermore, in response to an operation by an operator, the control unit 10 can obtain from the recorder 40 an event record corresponding to a specified fire signal from the fire signal occurrence history, and provide the operator with video data before and after the occurrence of the fire signal.

[0027] The event records may be stored in an SD card (recording medium) (not shown) in the recorder 40. In this case, the event records are stored so that they will not be deleted unless a special operation is performed. When the administrator wishes to check the detection status of the flame detector 20, he or she can check the status when the flame detector 20 was activated by removing the SD card from the recorder 40 and referring to it.

[0028] In addition, although the control unit 10 has been described here as controlling the fire detection system 1 in an integrated manner, the control method is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 10 in Fig. 1 may be omitted, and when the flame detector 20 detects a fire, the flame detector 20 may output a notification signal to the recorder 40, and the recorder 40 may receive the notification signal and store the event record.

[0029] Here, the flame detector 20 according to the first embodiment has a structure that allows the flame detector 20 and the monitoring camera 30 to be integrated by mounting the monitoring camera 30. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the flame detector 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the monitoring camera 30 are integrated. Fig. 2(a) shows a front view, and Fig. 2(b) shows a right side view.

[0030] 2(a) and 2(b), the surveillance camera 30 can be screwed to a U-shaped fixture 50 having flat surfaces on the top and bottom, which is attached to the upper flat surface of the flame detector 20 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As a result, the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 can be installed in a desired surveillance area while being configured as an integrated unit.

[0031] By adopting such an integrated configuration, the detection unit 22 located at the center of the front surface of the flame detector 20 and the lens unit 32 located in front of the surveillance camera 30 can be easily aligned on the same axis. In other words, the lines of sight of the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 with respect to their respective surveillance areas can be aligned in the same direction.

[0032] A little more explanation will be given about the detection unit 22 of the flame detector 20. When the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 are integrated with the fixture 50, they are attached so that the monitoring direction of the flame detector 20 and the field of view of the surveillance camera 30 face in the same direction. In addition, the surveillance camera 30 and the monitoring side tips of the flame detector 20 are attached to the fixture 50 so that they are almost flush with each other, as shown in the side view of Fig. 2(b). Furthermore, the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 each have a detection unit 22 and a lens unit 32 provided at the center of the device body, and the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 are attached so that the central axes of the respective device bodies are aligned.

[0033] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the monitoring areas of the flame detector 20 are set so that the entire monitoring area by the flame detector 20 is included within the monitoring area by the monitoring camera 30. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the monitoring areas of the flame detector 20 and the monitoring camera 30 in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] 3, the monitored area 21 by the flame detector 20 is defined as an area covered by a circle centered on the optical axis of the detector, while the monitored area 31 by the surveillance camera 30 is defined as an area covered by a rectangle centered on the optical axis of the lens.

[0035] Therefore, for example, consider a case where a flame breaks out as a result of an arsonist throwing an ignition source from outside the monitoring area 21 of the flame detector 20. Even in such a case, it is possible to capture an image of the monitoring area 31, which is wider than the monitoring area 21, and keep the image as an event record, so that the actions of the arsonist can be accurately captured as video image data.

[0036] Here, a case where the fire detection system 1 of the present invention is applied to a factory will be described. In addition to being equipped with general automatic fire alarm equipment, if a manufacturing machine that is prone to ignition is installed in the factory, a dedicated flame detector 20 can be installed to separately monitor only the ignition of that manufacturing machine.

[0037] In the event that this manufacturing machine catches fire, by installing the flame detector 20 so that it can be monitored on a spot basis, the flame detector 20 will detect a fire and emit a fire signal earlier than the smoke detectors and heat detectors of general automatic fire alarm systems, making it possible to respond to fires in the factory urgently.

[0038] As in Patent Document 1, when the line of sight to the monitored area and the field of view of the monitored area differ between the range monitored by the smoke detector and the range monitored by the surveillance camera, there is a risk that the situation detected by the smoke detector may not be captured in the field of view of the surveillance camera due to the influence of obstacles, etc.

[0039] In contrast to this, in the present embodiment 1, the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 are configured as an integrated unit, so that the lines of sight of the flame detector 20 to the surveillance area 21 and the surveillance camera 30 to the surveillance area 31 can be aligned in the same direction. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the influence of obstacles and the like due to different fields of view of the surveillance areas.

[0040] Furthermore, the monitoring ranges of the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 are in the same line of sight direction. Therefore, when the flame detector 20 is activated by a non-fire factor such as sunlight or a lighter flame, the cause of the activation can be reliably identified by performing an analysis based on the event record by the surveillance camera 30 and the recorder 40. Although not explained in detail, the flame detector 20 is powered by a fire receiver (not shown), and the surveillance camera 30 may be similarly powered by being connected to the power line from the fire receiver, or the flame detector 20 and the surveillance camera 30 may be connected together and powered from the wiring of the flame detector 20.

[0041] The effects obtained by the fire detection system according to the first embodiment described above can be summarized as follows. (1) Effects of structural features The flame detector and the surveillance camera are integrated so that the detection section of the flame detector and the lens section of the surveillance camera are on the same axis, which makes it easy to align the monitoring area monitored by the flame detector with the monitoring field of view monitored by the surveillance camera.

[0042] (2) Effects of characteristics related to the viewing range of the surveillance camera and the viewing range of the flame detector The monitoring field of the surveillance camera is set to cover the entire monitoring range of the flame detector. As a result, even if the cause of a flame detected by the flame detector is due to a cause that occurs outside the monitoring area of ​​the flame detector, the cause can be recorded as an event record, making it easier to identify the cause.

[0043] (3) Effects of recorder features When a flame detector is activated, images taken before and after the fire signal output from the flame detector are stored as an event record. Image data stored as an event record is set so that it cannot be deleted unless the operator operates it, so that when a flame detector is activated, the operator can check images taken before and after the detector is activated and can investigate what caused the detector to activate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 fire detection system, 10 control unit, 20 flame detector, 21 monitoring area, 22 detection unit, 30 surveillance camera, 31 monitoring area, 32 lens unit, 40 recorder, 50 fixture.

Claims

1. A fire detection system including a fire detector and a surveillance camera installed in the same surveillance area, The fire detector is a flame detector that detects a flame generated due to a fire, The surveillance camera is attached to the flame detector, thereby being integrated with the surveillance camera, The monitoring field of view of the monitoring camera is installed so as to include the entire monitoring area monitored by the flame detector, The flame detector and the surveillance camera are mounted so that their respective lines of sight toward the surveillance area are in the same direction, and when the flame detector is activated due to a non-fire factor, the image captured by the surveillance camera with the line of sight in the same direction is analyzed, thereby making it possible to determine the cause of the activation due to the non-fire factor. Fire detection system.

2. A fire detection system comprising a fire detector and a surveillance camera installed in the same surveillance area, The fire detector is a flame detector that detects a flame generated due to a fire, The surveillance camera is attached to the flame detector, thereby being integrated with the surveillance camera, The monitoring field of view of the monitoring camera is installed so as to include the entire monitoring area monitored by the flame detector, a recorder that stores moving images captured by the surveillance camera as moving image data; a control unit that controls the flame detector, the surveillance camera, and the recorder; Further equipped with The flame detector outputs a fire signal when the flame is detected, The control unit sequentially stores, in the recorder, video data within a predetermined range before and after receiving the fire signal as an event record each time the control unit receives the fire signal from the flame detector, and when the flame detector is activated due to a non-fire factor, the cause of the activation due to the non-fire factor can be identified based on the event record. Fire detection system.

3. The control unit: Each time the fire signal is received from the flame detector, the fire signal is recorded as a fire signal occurrence history. In response to an operation by an operator, an event record corresponding to a specified fire signal is obtained from the fire signal occurrence history from the recorder, and the moving image data obtained as the event record is provided to the operator.

3. The fire detection system of claim 2.

4. The event records are not deleted unless a special operation is performed.

4. A fire detection system according to claim 2 or 3.

Images