Fire detector

Abstract

To provide a fire sensor that can easily confirm connection between a fire receiver and a receiver in maintenance of the fire sensor.SOLUTION: A fire sensor includes a transmission circuit connected to a receiver via a sensor line, a sensing circuit for obtaining environmental data at an installation position, a display lamp control circuit for controlling lighting of the display lamp, and a calculation unit connected to the transmission circuit, the sensing circuit, and the display lamp control circuit. The calculation unit controls the display lamp control circuit to light the display lamp in a periodic first pattern when there is no notification that communication addressed to itself is received by the transmission circuit from the receiver within a predetermined time starting from a time when the transmission circuit provides notification that the transmission circuit is connected to the sensor line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a disaster prevention system including a fire detector and a receiver, each of which is assigned a unique address. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an R-type (Record type) disaster prevention system has been known as a disaster prevention system that monitors for fires by connecting a fire detector to a signal line (detector line) drawn from a receiver.

[0003] In an R-type disaster prevention system, analog fire detectors with unique addresses and transmission capabilities are connected to a signal line (detector line) pulled out from the receiver, and the fire detectors periodically acquire analog data such as smoke density or temperature, and transmit the acquired analog data to the receiver when a polling signal is received from the receiver. When the receiver receives continuous analog data indicating the occurrence of a fire, it determines that a fire has occurred, and displays information about the occurrence and location of the fire on the receiver's display, as well as issuing an alarm and other processing. In addition, when the receiver determines that a fire has occurred, it issues an instruction to the fire detectors via the signal line (detector line) to at least turn on the indicator light of the fire detector that detected the occurrence of a fire.

[0004] In this way, the location of the fire detector from which analog data indicating a fire was obtained can be identified from the unique address and the fire detector's location information, making it possible to provide evacuation guidance and support firefighting activities based on the identified location. This is an essential function, especially for fire monitoring in large facilities.

[0005] In addition, the signal line (sensor line) drawn from the receiver of the R-type fire alarm system is connected to equipment such as fire doors and smoke control devices via a repeater equipped with a transmission function, and in the event of a fire, the fire doors are released from their hold and closed using a control signal from the receiver.

[0006] The R-type disaster prevention system is used in this way, and fires are monitored for multiple systems (for example, one system covers the area of ​​one floor of a building) for the receiver. However, due to differences in the installation environments of the fire detectors, the occurrence of abnormalities (abnormalities caused by dust, etc.) varies from fire detector to fire detector.

[0007] For example, even within one system, the environments are different, such as office work spaces, wet areas, work spaces, areas near entrances with a lot of people coming and going, etc. Due to these differences in the installation environment, environmental conditions are not constant, and abnormalities such as dust and dirt getting into the fire detector or abnormalities caused by humidity may be detected early depending on the installation location, and maintenance such as replacement may be required sooner.

[0008] Once an abnormality is detected in a fire detector, the primary method of response is to replace the installed fire detector. When replacing a fire detector, one method is to turn off the power to one system of the fire receiver and replace the fire detector, but turning off the power to the entire system creates an unmonitored state over a vast area. From the perspective of disaster prevention, it is necessary to avoid creating a vast unmonitored area. Therefore, it is desirable to replace the fire detector that is the target of maintenance without turning off the power and continuing the monitoring state.

[0009] The procedure for replacing a fire detector involves climbing up a ladder to remove and install the fire detector installed on the ceiling, and then issuing an instruction from the receiver to check the operation by specifying the address of the replaced detector, for example by turning on an indicator light, and then confirming that the indicator light is on at the installation location of the fire detector to confirm that the detector has been replaced properly (Patent Document 1).

[0010] Alternatively, in order to make it possible to easily and reliably check the correspondence between disaster prevention terminals such as fire detectors shown on a floor plan or the like and disaster prevention terminals installed at the site, the address of the detector to be checked can be transmitted from the mobile terminal to a receiver via the Internet or a server, and the receiver can turn on the indicator light of the specified detector, allowing the mobile terminal holder to check which detector has its indicator light turned on (Patent Document 2).

[0011] As described above, the replacement of the fire detector connected to the disaster prevention system and the operation check of the replaced fire detector are carried out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-10367 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-181353 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] However, in conventional disaster prevention systems, when a fire detector is replaced, an operation is required from the receiver to confirm that the fire detector is properly installed (for example, an instruction to turn on the indicator light of the replaced fire detector) in order to check whether the replaced fire detector is properly installed. The receiver is generally installed in a disaster prevention center, and is separated from the monitored area in which the fire detector is installed. In addition, the installation positions of the fire detectors are set for each fixed area in commercial facilities and office floors, and in partitioned areas such as conference rooms, one is installed for each fixed area or area. Therefore, the task of operating the replaced fire detector from the receiver after replacing the fire detector and checking the replaced fire detector is a difficult task if performed by one person because it requires travel back and forth between the operation location (the location where the receiver is installed) and the checking location (the location where the fire detector is installed).

[0014] As disclosed in Patent Document 2, a method has also been proposed in which an operator operates the receiver from a mobile terminal via a network when replacing a fire detector. However, this requires that the operator operate the replaced fire detector from the mobile terminal, and the problem of the time-consuming task of checking the replaced fire detector remains.

[0015] In addition, when operational tests of a large number of fire detectors installed over a wide area are conducted manually, operational tests are conducted on each individual fire detector, which means that there is a possibility that some fire detectors may not be tested for some reason, and measures must be taken to address this issue.

[0016] The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a fire detector that allows easy confirmation of the connection between the fire detector and a receiver when performing maintenance on the fire detector. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fire detector that can easily identify a fire detector that has been missed during a periodic operation test of the fire detector, even if the fire detector has been missed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] One aspect of the present invention is a fire detector comprising a transmission circuit connected to a receiver via a sensor line, a sensing circuit that acquires environmental data at the installation location, an indicator light control circuit that controls the lighting of an indicator light, and a calculation unit connected to the transmission circuit, the sensing circuit, and the indicator light control circuit, wherein the calculation unit controls the indicator light control circuit to light the indicator light in a periodic first pattern when there is no notification from the receiver that the transmission circuit has received communication addressed to it within a predetermined time period starting from the time when the transmission circuit notifies the receiver that the transmission circuit is connected to the sensor line.

[0018] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the calculation unit is a fire detector that further controls the indicator light control circuit to light the indicator light in a second pattern when notified by the transmission circuit that the transmission circuit is connected to the sensor line.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the calculation unit of the fire detector further instructs the detection circuit to perform a self-check when notified by the transmission circuit that the transmission circuit has been connected to the sensor line, and when notified by the detection circuit that the result of the self-check is normal, controls the indicator light control circuit to light the indicator light in a second pattern.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the calculation unit further starts measuring the operating time when the receiver notifies the transmission circuit that it has received an alarm signal or an automatic test signal via the sensor line, resets the measured value of the operating time when the receiver notifies the transmission circuit that it has received an alarm signal or an automatic test signal via the sensor line after the start of measuring the operating time, and controls the indicator light control circuit to turn on the indicator light in a periodic third pattern when the measured value of the operating time exceeds a predetermined inspection period. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, the fire detector can autonomously check its operation by utilizing the normal monitoring operation of the receiver, and when maintenance of the fire detector is completed, confirmation by operation from the receiver can be omitted (without waiting), thereby significantly improving the workability of fire detector maintenance.

[0022] In addition, even if a fire detector connected to one of the disaster prevention systems is missed during regular inspections, the indicator light of the missed fire detector can be autonomously lit, making it possible to notify users or administrators in the monitored area of ​​the missed test. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an R-type disaster prevention system as an example. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a fire detector. [Diagram 3] This is the first processing flow within the fire detector (calculation unit) that starts when the fire detector is installed (connected). [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the replacement of a fire detector and the timing of turning on the indicator light of the fire detector. [Diagram 5] This is the second processing flow within the fire detector (calculation unit) that is initiated when the fire detector is installed (connected). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] An example of an R-type disaster prevention system to which the present invention is applied will be briefly described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an R-type disaster prevention system as an example. 1, the R-type receiver 1 includes a control unit 11 and a transmission circuit 12 provided for each monitoring system, and a sensor line 21 is connected to the transmission circuit 12 provided for each monitoring system for the control unit 11. A plurality of fire sensors 3-1, 3-2, 3-n are assigned unique identification codes and connected to the sensor line 21 of the R-type receiver 1, and environmental data at the installation positions of the fire sensors is periodically acquired.

[0025] The R-type receiver 1 also has other functions such as a display function, an operation function, an alarm function, and a report transmission function, but these are omitted in FIG. In addition, the "system" used for monitoring refers to, for example, one floor of a building being one system, with fire detectors 3-1 installed at each specified area on the floor or in each partitioned area such as a conference room being connected by a detector line 21. In addition, R-type disaster prevention systems may also manage multiple systems together. In such an R-type disaster prevention system, the R-type receiver 1 takes the lead in collecting environmental data acquired by each of the fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n.

[0026] For example, the transmission circuit 12 provided for each system of the R-type receiver 1 performs polling using a unique identification code for each of the fire detectors 3-1, 3-2, 3-n, . . . connected to the detector line 21.

[0027] Polling is performed periodically (e.g., every 3 seconds) on each of the fire detectors 3-1, 3-2, 3-n so that polling of all the fire detectors 3-1, 3-2, 3-n is completed within a certain time (e.g., within 3 seconds). For example, if 100 fire detectors are installed in one system, and the allocated time for polling and response from the R-type receiver 1 to each of the fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n is 10 ms, then polling will be completed with plenty of time within 3 seconds. For the sake of convenience, the following description will be given on the assumption that the fire detectors 3-1, 3-2, and 3-n receive a polling signal specifying their own unique identification code at least once every three seconds.

[0028] When the fire detector 3-1 receives a polling request specifying its own identification code from the transmission circuit 12 of the R-type receiver 1, it transmits the environmental data acquired in the installation environment of the fire detector 3-1 to the R-type receiver 1 via the detector line 21. In the R-type receiver 1, the control unit 11 acquires environmental data acquired in the installation environment of each fire detector 3-1 to 3-n via the transmission circuit 12, and determines that a fire has occurred if the acquired environmental data meets the criteria for a fire occurrence multiple times (for example, twice) in a row.

[0029] When the control unit 11 determines that a fire has occurred, it performs alarm processing in the R-type receiver 1 (displaying an alarm, transferring information, etc.). The control unit 11 also notifies at least the fire detector (e.g., 3-1) that transmitted the environmental data that determined that a fire has occurred via the transmission circuit 12 that it has detected a fire, and notifies people in the vicinity of the installation location of the fire detector 1 that a fire has been detected by turning on the indicator light 35.

[0030] The indicator lamp 35 of the fire detector 3-1 may be turned on not only for the fire detector 3-1 that detected the fire, but also for the entire system or for the fire detectors 3-2 to 3-n whose monitoring areas are adjacent to each other.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the fire detector 3-1. The fire detector 3-1 includes a transmission circuit 31 on the fire detector 3-1 side connected to the detector line 21, a detection circuit 33 that acquires environmental data on the installation environment of the fire detector 3-1, an indicator light control circuit 34 that controls the lighting of the indicator light 35, and a calculation unit 32 that is connected to the transmission circuit 31, the detection circuit 33, and the indicator light control circuit 34 and controls each circuit of the fire detector 3-1.

[0032] The basic operation of the fire detector 3-1 is that the detection circuit 33 periodically acquires environmental data in the installation environment of the fire detector 3-1. When a polling signal for the fire detector 3-1 from the R-type receiver 1 is received by the transmission circuit 31 on the fire detector side 3-1 via the detector line 21, the calculation unit 32 is notified of the receipt of a polling signal addressed to itself, and the calculation unit 32 controls the transmission circuit 31 to transmit the environmental data acquired by the detection circuit 33 to the R-type receiver 1.

[0033] In addition, when a communication instructing the turning on of the indicator light 35 of the fire detector 3-1 is received from the R-type receiver 1 via the detector line 21 (the same applies to the case of a notification of fire detection), the calculation unit 32 controls the indicator light control circuit 34 to control the turning on of the indicator light 35.

[0034] The basic operation of the R-type disaster prevention system is as described above. Based on the above-described basic operation of the R-type disaster prevention system, the following describes an example of how to handle maintenance involving replacement of the fire detector 3-1 according to the present invention.

[0035] One fire monitoring system of the R-type disaster prevention system covers a wide area such as one floor of a building. Since many fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n are installed as one system over that wide area, the installation environment of the fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n differs depending on the installation location. For example, the environments differ depending on the office work space, the water area, the work space, near the entrance where many people come and go, etc.

[0036] Due to differences in the installation environment, environmental conditions are not constant, and abnormalities may occur due to the intrusion of dust and dirt into the fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n, or abnormalities due to moisture. Depending on the installation location, maintenance such as replacing the equipment may be required sooner.

[0037] Abnormalities in the fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n are usually detected by abnormalities in the environmental data for each fire detector 3-1 to 3-n or by non-reception of data, etc., acquired by the R-type receiver 1, so that the abnormal fire detector 3-1 to 3-n can be identified by an identification code unique to the fire detector 3-1 to 3-n. Therefore, maintenance such as replacement of the specified fire detector (e.g., 3-1) identified by the unique identification code can be arranged.

[0038] In such a case, if the replacement work can be completed within a short period of time, the R-type receiver 1 can continue to issue an alarm indicating an abnormality in the environmental data of the fire detector 3-1 or that data has not been received. However, if the work cannot be completed within a short period of time, there is also a function to "mask" the alarm from the identified fire detector 3-1, and set the R-type receiver 1 so that no alarm is output.

[0039] Here, when performing maintenance such as replacing the identified fire detector 3-1, the fire monitoring range of one system is wide, so if the power to the entire system is turned off to replace the fire detector 3-1, a wide area will be left unmonitored, which is undesirable from the perspective of disaster prevention management.

[0040] Therefore, while continuing to monitor the system, maintenance such as replacement of the fire detector 3-1 in which an abnormality is detected is performed. Fire detectors connected to an R-type fire prevention system are assigned a unique identification code and are powered by the detector line. In the replacement of the fire detector 3-1 in this embodiment, a feature is that the fire detector 3-1 to be replaced is given the function of being able to simply display the status of the fire detector 3-1 on the fire detector side as a process independent of commands from the R-type receiver 1.

[0041] Hereinafter, it will be described how the replacement work of the fire detector 3-1 can be made more efficient by providing the fire detector with a function capable of simply displaying the state of the fire detector 3-1. First, the processing within the fire detector 3-1 when the fire detector 3-1 is replaced during fire monitoring by the R-type receiver 1 will be explained with reference to the first processing flow in Figure 3, as well as the processing after the fire detector 3-1 is replaced.

[0042] Since the system to which the replaced fire detector 3-1 is connected is currently under monitoring, the power to the new replaced fire detector 3-1 will be turned on at the same time as the work to install a new fire detector with the same address is carried out. A unique address is set in the replacement fire detector 3-1 in advance or before installation so that the replacement fire detector 3-1 inherits the unique address of the original fire detector 3-1.

[0043] "Step 01" (S01) lights up the indicator light 35 of the fire detector 3-1 in the second pattern when the fire detector 3-1, to which a unique address has been set, is powered on due to its installation. The second pattern may be, for example, a pattern in which the light turns on once for a short period of time (eg, one second) when the power source is connected.

[0044] In addition, when the fire detector 3-1 is installed and powered on, a self-check "Step 00" (S00) is performed as an initial operation check of the fire detector 3-1, and if it is confirmed that it is operating without any problems (for example, as a check of initial operation, in the case of a scattered light type smoke detector, when light is projected onto the smoke detection area and offset light is received by the photodiode PD), it is determined that the fire detector 3-1 can be connected to a power source and can operate normally, and the indicator light 35 of the fire detector 3-1 can be lit in the second pattern "Step 01" (S01).

[0045] By providing the functions of "Step 00" (S00) and "Step 01" (S01) as autonomous functions of the fire detector 3-1, it is possible to visually check, at the time of replacing the fire detector 3-1, that there are no problems with the power supply to the newly installed fire detector 3-1 or with the self-check of the fire detector 3-1 by checking the illumination of the indicator light 35. In other words, it is possible to check that there are no problems with the power supply and / or the self-check at the replacement position of the fire detector 3-1 without the need for any operation on the R-type receiver 1.

[0046] After the fire detector 3-1 is activated, the power is always on, so the processing of "Step 00" (S00), "Step 01" (S01) does not occur, and the scene where the light turns on in the second pattern does not occur.

[0047] Following the confirmation in the above "Step 00" (S00) and / or "Step 01" (S01), a process of confirming whether the replaced fire detector 3-1 has been recognized by the R-type receiver 1 is started.

[0048] Following the process of "Step 01" (S01), the calculation unit 32 starts counting the counter in units of seconds. "Step 02" (S02) The count is increased (+1) in second units at "Step 03" (S03), and each time it is counted up, it is determined whether the count value (a) has reached the reference value of 9 seconds (here, the polling interval from the R-type receiver 1 to the fire detector 3-1 is set to 3 seconds, and in this example, it is set to 9 seconds to confirm that the polling signal to the fire detector 3-1 can be received at least twice in a row) and proceeds to "Step 04" (S04); if it has not reached 9 seconds, it answers "No" and returns to "Step 03" (S03).

[0049] On the other hand, if the count value (a) reaches the reference value of 9 seconds in "STEP 04", the answer is "Yes" and the indicator lamp 35 is turned on in the first pattern (STEP 05) (S05). That is, when 9 seconds or more have elapsed since the power was connected to the replaced fire detector 3-1, the indicator lamp 35 will light up in the first pattern.

[0050] Here, the lighting of the indicator lamp 35 in the first pattern can be, for example, a cyclic lighting pattern in which the indicator lamp 35 is turned on twice per second and then turned off for one second. (The first and second patterns only need to be patterns that are at least distinguishable from each other, so they may be distinguished from each other by the presence or absence of periodicity.)

[0051] After replacing the fire detector 3-1 with a new one, the calculation unit 32 receives a polling signal addressed to its own fire detector 3-1 from the R-type receiver 1 via the transmission circuit 31 in "step 10" (S10). Then, in "step 11" (S11), it is confirmed whether or not a polling signal has been received consecutively at three second intervals after the reception of the polling signal addressed to its own fire detector 3-1.

[0052] Then, in "Step 11" (S11), if a polling signal is received at an interval of three seconds from the first reception of the polling signal addressed to its own fire detector 3-1 (received twice in a row) (Yes), a "reset" signal is output to reset the count value counted in "Step 03" (S03).

[0053] This [reset] signal resets the count value in "STEP 03" (S03), so the determination in "STEP 04" (S04) becomes "No" and the indicator lamp 35 does not light up. In this state, during normal operation, the [reset] signal is always supplied to STEP 03 (S03), and the indicator lamp 35 never lights up in the first pattern.

[0054] Furthermore, in "Step 11" (S11), if a polling signal addressed to its own fire detector 3-1 has not been received within 3 second intervals since the first polling signal was received (No), the process ends. With this process, the count value is not reset in "Step 03" (S03), the counting continues, and when the standard 9 seconds is reached (Yes) in "Step 04" (S04), the indicator light 35 is lit in the periodic first pattern in "Step 05" (S05).

[0055] If the indicator light 35 of the fire detector 3-1 lights up in the periodic first pattern in "Step 05" (S05), it can be determined that the polling signal transmitted to the fire detector 3-1 from the R-type receiver 1 connected via the detector line 21 is not being received (periodically).

[0056] Such a state occurs when the R-type receiver 1 cannot recognize the fire detector 3-1 connected to the R-type receiver 1. On the other hand, if in "Step 11" (S11) a polling signal is received at 3 second intervals from the reception of the first polling signal addressed to its own fire detector 3-1 (if the signal is received twice in a row) (Yes), the count value in "Step 03" (S03) is reset. This state indicates that the operating R-type receiver 1 has recognized the replaced fire detector 3-1 and is receiving the polling signal sent from the R-type receiver 1 properly (regularly).

[0057] Therefore, when replacing the fire detector 3-1 used in the R-type disaster prevention system, by immediately checking that the indicator light 35 is lit in the second pattern after replacing the fire detector 3-1, it is possible to confirm at the location where the fire detector 3-1 was replaced that it is connected to a power source and / or that there are no problems with the self-check.

[0058] In addition, after replacing the fire detector 3-1, wait about 10 seconds on the spot to make sure that the indicator light 35 is not lit in the periodic first pattern (a periodic pattern that can be distinguished from the second pattern), thereby confirming that the replaced fire detector 3-1 has been recognized by the R-type receiver 1 and that the polling signal is being received.

[0059] Next, after the indicator lamp 35 is lit in the first periodic pattern in "Step 05" (S05), reception of the polling signal from step 11 (when a polling signal is received at three-second intervals) is confirmed in "Step 06" (S06). If reception of a polling signal (reception of a polling signal at three-second intervals) cannot be confirmed (No), the process of confirming reception of the polling signal in "Step 06" (S06) is repeated.

[0060] If reception of a polling signal (when received at 3 second intervals) is confirmed (Yes), the indicator lamp 35 that was turned on in "Step 05" (S05) is turned off in "Step 07" (S7). By turning off the indicator light 35 in "Step 07" (S07), it is confirmed that the fire detector connection has been properly confirmed, and the process then ends "End."

[0061] By carrying out the above process, when replacing the fire detector 3-1, by checking the on / off state of the indicator light 35 of the fire detector 3-1, the connection of the fire detector 3-1 (power connection or fire detector self-check result, and that the R-type receiver 1 recognizes the replaced fire detector 3-1) can be confirmed, and the connection can be confirmed at the installation location of the replaced fire detector 3-1 without waiting for the confirmation operation from the R-type receiver 1 to the fire detector 3-1. Therefore, the efficiency of the replacement work of the fire detector 3-1 can be improved, or the replacement work can be performed efficiently with a small number of people.

[0062] In the R-type disaster prevention system, the time lapse when the fire detector 3-1 is replaced in a normal monitoring state and the timing of lighting the indicator light 35 of the fire detector 3-1 will be described with reference to FIG. (1) is the timing at which a polling signal is received from the R-type receiver 1 of the fire detector 3-1, and the polling signal is received once every three seconds.

[0063] (2) transmits the results of environmental data acquired at the location where the fire detector 3-1 is installed in response to receiving a polling signal (once every three seconds) addressed to its own fire detector 3-1.

[0064] (3) indicates the time (seconds). In a normal monitoring state, following the reception of the polling signal (1), the acquired environmental data is transmitted to the R-type receiver 1 at (2).

[0065] In the example of Figure 4, the response transmission is shown to occur at timing (2) (a timing that does not overlap) following the polling reception at (1), but the response may also be transmitted from fire detector 3-1 during the polling reception period from R-type receiver 1 (the timing at which the response transmission begins immediately after its own unique address is confirmed by polling).

[0066] (4) indicates the timing of replacement of the fire detector 3-1, and indicates the timing when the replacement was carried out after the transmission of the first polling response in (2).

[0067] (5) represents the lighting pattern and timing of the indicator light 35 at “Step 01” (S01) of the first processing flow in FIG. 3, and indicates that the indicator light 35 lights up once for one second (lights up in the second pattern) immediately after replacing the fire detector 3-1.

[0068] (6) shows the lighting pattern and timing of the indicator light 35 at "Step 00" (S00) + "Step 01" + (S01) in the first process flow in Fig. 3, and indicates that the indicator light 35 lights up once for one second (lights up in the second pattern) after the self-check confirms that there are no problems after replacing the fire detector 3-1. Therefore, compared to (5), the lighting timing of the indicator light 35 is slightly delayed.

[0069] (7) shows the replacement timing (dotted line) of the fire detector 3-1 and the reception timing (dotted line) of the polling signal when a polling signal can be received from the R-type receiver 1 after the fire detector 3-1 is replaced.

[0070] (8) represents the timing of the reset signal when a polling signal is received from the R-type receiver 1 at three-second intervals in “Step 11” (S11) of the first processing flow in Figure 3, and the count value of “Step 03” (S03) is reset when the polling signal of (7) is received twice in a row (shown by the dotted line in the figure). In this case, the fire detector can be replaced normally, and communication between the replaced fire detector and the R-type receiver is normal, so the indicator light 35 does not light up in the first periodic pattern as shown in (8)', but remains off. (In (8)', the dotted line shows the timing when it lights up for reference.)

[0071] Here, we have stated that the polling signal is received twice in a row, but by counting two times, it can be determined that the signal is being received continuously. However, even if the signal is received only once, it can be determined that the R-type receiver 1 has recognized the replaced fire detector 3-1, so it may be counted as one time.

[0072] (9) indicates a state in which a polling signal is not received from the R-type receiver 1 after the fire detector 3-1 is replaced, i.e., the R-type receiver 1 does not recognize the replaced fire detector 3-1 and polling is not performed. In this case, since the polling signal cannot be received at (9), a reset signal is not generated at (9)' as in (8).

[0073] In (10), if the replaced fire detector 3-1 itself cannot receive polling, a reset signal is not output in "Step 11" (S11), so the count value in "Step 03" (S03) is counted up, and when the threshold value of nine seconds has elapsed since the replacement of the fire detector 3-1, the indicator light 35 is turned on in "Step 05" (S05). In order to distinguish the lighting pattern of the indicator light 35 from the second pattern, this example shows an example in which the first pattern is a pattern in which the indicator light 35 is turned on twice a second and then turned off for the next second.

[0074] (11) indicates the number of seconds since the replacement of fire detector 3-1. As described above, it is possible to visually determine in a short time at the replacement site whether the replacement of the fire detector 3-1 was performed correctly, which improves the ease of replacing the fire detector 3-1, and also reduces the workload by eliminating the need to operate a mobile terminal for confirmation.

[0075] In the first pattern, after the indicator light 35 turns on, when a polling signal is received from the R-type receiver 1 (it is confirmed that the R-type receiver 1 has recognized the signal and polling has begun), the indicator light 35 turns off and the normal monitoring state is restored. If the indicator light remains lit in the cyclical first pattern, the fire detector may be replaced with a new one and the initial check may be repeated by turning the indicator light on and off in the aforementioned second and first patterns. (Other Examples)

[0076] FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which the fire detector 3-1 is further equipped with a function that is autonomous from the R-type receiver 1 and that checks whether periodic detection tests as required by law are being performed. 5. In FIG. 5, the difference from FIG. 3 is that the process up to "Step 02" (S02) after the replacement of the fire detector 3-1 is unchanged, but the process from "Step 02" (S02) onwards is different. Hereinafter, the differences will be mainly described.

[0077] In "Step 31" (S31) following "Step 02" (S02), the target of the check is a periodic sensing test, so the countable value is set to a large value. In "Step 32" (S32), the threshold for comparing the value counted from the start of the count is set to a value corresponding to the deadline for conducting periodic tests as stipulated by law. For example, if periodic detection tests are required to be conducted once every six months, and the count is increased once per hour (h), then the threshold would be 24 (h) x 365 (days) ÷ 2 = 4,380 counts. The threshold can be set low to allow for some leeway, so that the action taken after detection due to an exceeded threshold (conducting a test) does not exceed the period stipulated by law (prescribed inspection period).

[0078] In "Step 32" (S32), if the count result is less than the threshold value (No), the process returns to "Step 31" (S31), and if the count result reaches the threshold value (Yes), the process proceeds to "Step 33" (S33).

[0079] In "step 33" (S33), the calculation unit 32 controls the indicator light control circuit 34 to control the indicator light 35 to be lit periodically in a third pattern. This periodic third pattern is a lighting indication by the indicator light 35 to indicate that a periodic detection test (or detector alarm) has not been performed for a specified period, and may be the same as the first pattern. The reason is that the situation in which the indicator light 35 is lit is different from that in the first pattern. Unlike the time of replacing the fire detector shown in Fig. 3, it occurs after the fire detector has been in operation for a certain period after installation, so it is fully recognizable that the same lighting pattern has a different meaning.

[0080] After turning on the indicator light 35 in the third pattern in "Step 33" (S33), it is checked in "Step 34" (S34) whether an alarm signal or, if an automatic test function is present, an automatic test signal (command) is received from the transmission circuit 31; if not, the answer is "No" and "Step 34" (S34) is repeated.

[0081] When reception of an alarm signal or an automatic test signal (command) from the transmission circuit 31 is confirmed in "Step 34" (S34), "Yes" is selected to proceed to "Step 35" (S35), the indicator light 35 is turned off, and the process is completed with "End." In addition, regardless of whether the indicator lamp is turned off, the process returns to "Step 02" (S02) and a new count is started.

[0082] Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, the calculation unit 32 may have a function of determining whether a fire has occurred based on the environmental data acquired by the sensing circuit 33. If the calculation unit 32 has the function of determining whether a fire has occurred, then instead of receiving a notification of the receipt of an alarm signal from the transmission circuit 31, the calculation unit 32 may determine that a fire has occurred, set "Step 34" (S34) to "Yes", proceed to "Step 35" (S35), and turn off the indicator light 35.

[0083] On the other hand, the count value in "Step 31" (S31) is reset in "Step 20" (S20) when an alarm signal (a signal indicating the occurrence of a fire) or an automatic test signal (command) is received from the transmission circuit 31. In an R-type disaster prevention system, the R-type receiver 1 detects a fire based on the value of the environmental data acquired from the fire detector 3-1, and notifies the fire detector 3-1 (alarm signal). This fire detection and notification (alarm signal) to the fire detector 3-1 is the same in periodic detection tests (including automatic tests) of the fire detector 3-1, and the detection result is transmitted from the R-type receiver 1 to the fire detector 3-1 in the form of a notification (alarm signal).

[0084] A notification of fire detection (alarm signal) associated with the test of the fire detector 3-1 is sent from the R-type receiver 1 to the fire detector 3-1. Therefore, when the fire detector 3-1 receives a notification of fire detection (alarm signal) from the R-type receiver 1, it may be determined that environmental data corresponding to the fire detection has been obtained from the fire detector 3-1 within a specified period of time (a detection test of the fire detector 3-1 has been conducted).

[0085] Then, by resetting the count value, the period during which the fire detector 3-1 was not tested will start from zero, and the fire detector 3-1 will continue to function to autonomously check whether periodic detection tests are being conducted.

[0086] The operation test of the fire detector 3-1 is performed manually for each fire detector, but the fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n that are the subject of periodic operation tests are, for example, many fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n installed on each floor of a building, and there is a possibility that some of the fire detectors may be missed. By using this embodiment, even if a test is missed, the autonomous counting function of the fire detectors 3-1 to 3-n can notify the user or administrator of the missed fire detector test.

[0087] Regarding automatic testing of fire detectors based on automatic test signals from the R-type receiver 1, if the automatic testing is carried out over a short period of time (e.g., one week) under control from the R-type receiver, the count value should not be reset, and only the alarm signal notified from the R-type receiver that is not based on the automatic testing may be reset.

[0088] Ultimately, when notifying users or administrators of missed detection inspections at regular intervals, it is entirely meaningful to only target the alarm signals from R-type receivers. In addition, in the above embodiment, a counter count process is used to measure the passage of time, but it can also be realized in a countdown format using a timer with a set time, which returns to the initial value when reset.

[0089] The above explanation has been given using an example of an R-type disaster prevention system, but in the case of a P-type disaster prevention system, if the connected fire detectors are assigned unique addresses, it is possible to apply the above explanation as an autonomous function in the fire detectors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 R-type receiver 11 Control section 12 Transmission Circuit 21 Sensor Line 3-1,3-2,3-3,3-n fire detector 31 Transmission Circuit 32 Arithmetic section 33 Sensing circuit 34 Indicator light control circuit 35 Indicator light

Claims

1. The device includes a transmission circuit connected to the receiver via a sensor line, a sensing circuit for acquiring environmental data at the installation position, an indicator light control circuit for controlling the lighting of an indicator light, and a calculation unit connected to the transmission circuit, the sensing circuit, and the indicator light control circuit; A fire detector characterized in that the calculation unit controls the indicator light control circuit to turn on the indicator light in a periodic first pattern when there is no notification from the receiver that communication addressed to it has been received by the transmission circuit within a predetermined time starting from the time when the transmission circuit notifies the receiver that the transmission circuit is connected to the sensor line.

2. The fire detector according to claim 1, characterized in that the calculation unit further controls the indicator light control circuit to light the indicator light in a second pattern when notified by the transmission circuit that the transmission circuit is connected to the sensor line.

3. The fire detector as described in claim 1, characterized in that the calculation unit further instructs the detection circuit to perform a self-check when notified by the transmission circuit that the transmission circuit is connected to the sensor line, and controls the indicator light control circuit to light the indicator light in a second pattern when notified by the detection circuit that the result of the self-check is normal.

4. The calculation unit further starts measuring the operating time when the calculation unit is notified that the transmission circuit has received an alarm signal or an automatic test signal from the receiver via the sensor line, resetting the measurement value of the operating time when it is notified that the transmission circuit has received an alarm signal or an automatic test signal via the sensor line after starting the measurement of the operating time; 4. A fire detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the measured operating time exceeds a predetermined inspection period, the indicator light control circuit is controlled to periodically light the indicator light in a third pattern.

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