Alarms, settings, and programs

Abstract

To provide an alarm unit, setting method, and program for easily setting detection sensibility.SOLUTION: A fire alarm 600 is communicable with other fire alarms 600 and includes at least a communication section 620, a control section 624, and a fire detection sensor 630. The fire detection sensor 630 detects a fire. The communication section 620 receives information from the other fire alarms 600 by communication with the other fire alarms 600. The control section 624 sets detection sensibility in the fire detection sensor 630 based on the information received in the communication 620.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to alarm technology, and in particular to an alarm device, a setting method, and a program that are connected to a network. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an alarm system that uses wireless signals to link multiple fire alarms. In this alarm system, multiple fire alarms are installed in multiple locations, each with the function of detecting fires and sounding an alarm. When one of the fire alarms detects a fire, it sounds an alarm and transmits information notifying the fire detection to the other fire alarms via wireless signals. This allows not only the fire alarm at the source of the fire but also multiple fire alarms to link together and sound an alarm simultaneously, making it possible to quickly and reliably notify the occurrence of a fire (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-71561 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When an alarm system includes multiple fire alarms, the detection sensitivity must be set for each fire alarm. The more fire alarms included in the alarm system, the more time and effort is required for setting up.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technique for easily setting detection sensitivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an alarm device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an alarm device capable of communicating with other alarm devices, and comprises a detection unit that detects fires, a receiving unit that receives information from the other alarm devices, and a control unit that sets the detection sensitivity of the detection unit based on the information received by the receiving unit.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a setting method for an alarm device that is capable of communicating with other alarm devices, and comprises the steps of receiving information from the other alarm devices and setting the detection sensitivity of a detection section that detects fires based on the received information.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the detection sensitivity can be easily set. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an alarm system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the fire alarm device of FIG. [Figure 3] 3(a)-(d) are diagrams showing the structure of a superframe used in the alarm system of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a relay device in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of time slot allocation in the alarm system of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of downstream communication in the alarm system of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of upstream communication in the alarm system of FIG. [Figure 8] 3 is a diagram illustrating the operating principle of the fire detection sensor of FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a setting procedure for the sixth fire alarm device of FIG. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the data structure of the database held in the control unit of FIG. [Figure 11] 11(a) and 11(b) are diagrams showing an outline of the learning process in the fire detection sensor of FIG. [Figure 12] 12(a) and 12(b) are diagrams showing another outline of the learning process in the fire detection sensor of FIG. [Figure 13] 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of a database held in the control unit of FIG. 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Before describing the present disclosure in detail, an overview will be provided. This embodiment relates to an alarm system installed in facilities such as apartment buildings, detached houses, offices, and hospitals. In the alarm system, a relay device is connected to a management device, and multiple fire alarms are connected to the relay device via a wireless multi-hop network. In such a network, the management device corresponds to the upper side, and the fire alarms that are the furthest hops from the relay device correspond to the lower side. When a fire alarm detects a fire, it forwards the detection result to the relay device, and the relay device forwards the detection result to the management device. When the management device receives the detection result, it selects one or more fire alarms to sound and sends a sounding instruction to the selected one or more fire alarms as the final destination. The relay device and the fire alarm forward the sounding instruction to the fire alarm at the final destination, and the fire alarm at the final destination sounds the alarm upon receiving the sounding instruction.

[0012] Here, the line for a signal from the relay device to the fire alarm device with the greatest number of hops from the relay device is called the "downlink," while the line for a signal from the fire alarm device with the greatest number of hops to the relay device is called the "uplink." In this embodiment, one frame is formed by arranging multiple time slots, and one superframe is formed by arranging multiple frames. Furthermore, one fire alarm device is assigned to one time slot for the downlink (hereinafter referred to as the "downlink communication time slot") and one time slot for the uplink (hereinafter referred to as the "uplink communication time slot"). The downlink communication time slot is used for transfer of the downlink, and the uplink communication time slot is used for transfer of the uplink.

[0013] In addition to ringing instructions, signals for establishing synchronization in the multi-hop network (hereinafter referred to as "synchronization signals") are periodically transferred on the downlink. On the other hand, detection results are mainly transferred on the uplink. In the following description, the synchronization signals, detection results, and ringing instructions may be collectively referred to as "communication signals."

[0014] The detection sensitivity of fire alarms is set to a uniform value when shipped from the factory. Increasing the detection sensitivity to quickly detect and notify fires increases current consumption, shortening the battery life of battery-powered fire alarms. Also, in installation environments where smoke and fires are likely to occur, such as kitchens and garages, false fire notifications (false alarms) may occur. For this reason, it is preferable for the installer to adjust the detection sensitivity according to the installation environment. However, the more fire alarms installed, the longer the installation time.

[0015] The present embodiment will be described below in the order of (1) basic configuration, (2) detection sensitivity setting (first example), and (3) detection sensitivity setting (second example). (1) Basic configuration 1 shows the configuration of an alarm system 1000. The alarm system 1000 includes a first fire alarm 600a through a ninth fire alarm 600i collectively referred to as fire alarms 600, a first relay device 700a through a third relay device 700c collectively referred to as relay devices 700, and a management device 800. The number of fire alarms 600 is not limited to "9", and the number of relay devices 700 is not limited to "3".

[0016] The alarm system 1000 is applied to facilities such as homes, offices, and commercial facilities, and is a system that detects fires and notifies the occurrence of a fire. The multiple fire alarms 600 are, for example, residential fire alarms and are equipped with fire detection sensors. The multiple fire alarms 600 are installed, for example, on the ceiling of the facility, but may also be installed on the wall, etc.

[0017] Here, the first fire alarm device 600a to the sixth fire alarm device 600f form a wireless multi-hop network extending from the first relay device 700a. For example, a relay route is formed connecting the first relay device 700a, the first fire alarm device 600a, and the second fire alarm device 600b, and a relay route is formed connecting the first relay device 700a, the fourth fire alarm device 600d, the fifth fire alarm device 600e, and the third fire alarm device 600c. A relay route is also formed connecting the first relay device 700a, the fourth fire alarm device 600d, the fifth fire alarm device 600e, and the sixth fire alarm 600f, and a relay route is also formed connecting the first relay device 700a and the seventh fire alarm device 600g. These relay routes are determined by each fire alarm device 600 and are shared by the first relay device 700a and the management device 800.

[0018] In these relay routes, the first fire alarm 600a, the fourth fire alarm 600d, and the seventh fire alarm 600g can communicate with the first relay 700a via one hop. The second fire alarm 600b and the fifth fire alarm 600e can communicate with the first relay 700a via two hops. The third fire alarm 600c and the sixth fire alarm 600f can communicate with the first relay 700a via three hops.

[0019] The second relay 700b, the third relay 700c, the eighth fire alarm 600h, and the ninth fire alarm 600i are configured similarly to the first relay 700a and the first fire alarm 600a. For example, a multi-hop network originating from the first relay 700a is installed on the first floor of a facility, a multi-hop network originating from the second relay 700b is installed on the second floor of the facility, and a multi-hop network originating from the third relay 700c is installed on the third floor of the facility. The multi-hop network originating from the first relay 700a, the multi-hop network originating from the second relay 700b, and the multi-hop network originating from the third relay 700c use the same or different frequencies. Furthermore, the first relay 700a, the second relay 700b, and the third relay 700c communicate with each other wirelessly or via wires.

[0020] In this way, the relay device 700 performs wireless communication with the multiple fire alarm devices 600 that make up the multi-hop network, and also performs wireless or wired communication with other relay devices 700. It can also be said that the relay device 700 relays communication between the multiple fire alarm devices 600 included in the multi-hop network. Furthermore, the first relay device 700a is connected to the management device 800 by a cable, and performs wired communication with the management device 800.

[0021] The management device 800 is a controller installed in, for example, a central control room or a security room installed within the facility. The management device 800 is capable of communicating with multiple devices or multiple systems installed in the facility. The multiple devices include, for example, air conditioners, lighting equipment, water heaters, etc. that have communication functions. The management device 800 is also capable of communicating with a first relay 700a installed in the facility. Furthermore, the management device 800 is also capable of communicating with a second relay 700b, a third relay 700c, and each fire alarm 600 via the first relay 700a.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a fire alarm 600. The fire alarm 600 includes a communication unit 620, a processing unit 622, a control unit 624, a fire detection sensor 630, and a buzzer 632. The fire detection sensor 630 may use known technology. For example, the fire detection sensor 630 may be an optical smoke detection sensor that may detect a fire by detecting smoke during a fire using diffuse reflection of light. For example, the fire detection sensor 630 may be a heat detection sensor that may detect a fire by detecting heat during a fire. For example, the fire detection sensor 630 may be a carbon monoxide detection sensor that may detect a fire by detecting the concentration of carbon monoxide generated by combustion during a fire. For example, the fire detection sensor 630 may be an infrared detection sensor that may detect a fire by detecting infrared rays emitted by combustion during a fire.

[0023] The communication unit 620 performs wireless communication with other fire alarm devices 600 or relay devices 700. The processing unit 622 processes signals received by the communication unit 620 and generates signals to be transmitted from the communication unit 620. The control unit 624 controls the operation of the communication unit 620 and the processing unit 622. Details of the processing by the control unit 624 will be described later. The buzzer 632 is capable of sounding a buzzer sound. The fire alarm 600 may not include the buzzer 632 but may include the fire detection sensor 630, that is, may have both a detection function and a communication function. Such a fire alarm 600 can also be said to be a fire alarm that is capable of issuing an alert when a fire is detected.

[0024] Figures 3(a)-(d) show the structure of a superframe used in the alarm system 1000. As shown in Figure 3(a), a certain period of time is defined as a superframe 1010. The superframe 1010 is arranged repeatedly. The superframe 1010 is divided into a plurality of frames 1020. As shown in Figure 3(b), one frame 1020 is divided into a plurality of time slots 1030. Figure 3(c) shows one time slot 1030. A communication signal is transmitted within the time slot 1030. The duration of the communication signal is shorter than the duration of one time slot 1030.

[0025] Figure 3(d) shows how the multiple time slots 1030 included in the frame 1020 shown in Figure 3(b) are used. Of the multiple time slots 1030, one or more time slots 1030 at the beginning are used as "downstream communication time slots." One time slot 1030 following the downstream communication time slot is used as an "upstream communication time slot." One or more time slots 1030 following the upstream communication time slot are used as "spare" slots. The number of downstream communication time slots and the number of upstream communication time slots are the same and are equal to or greater than the number of fire alarm devices 600 included in the multi-hop network. Spare slots are not required.

[0026] 4 shows the configuration of a relay device 700. The relay device 700 can also be said to be a control device for a plurality of fire alarm devices 600 that make up a multi-hop network. The relay device 700 includes a communication unit 710 and a control unit 720, the communication unit 710 including an output unit 712, and the control unit 720 including an allocation unit 722. The communication unit 710 has a communication function for communicating with the plurality of relay devices 700, and also has a communication function for communicating with a management device 800. The control unit 720 controls the operation of the relay device 700.

[0027] The communication unit 710 communicates with the multiple fire alarm devices 600 that make up the multi-hop network, and receives the results of routing performed by each fire alarm device 600. Since well-known technology can be used for the routing performed by each fire alarm device 600, a detailed description will be omitted here, but the routing results will indicate each relay route as shown in Figure 1.

[0028] Based on the routing result, the allocation unit 722 allocates a combination of one downstream communication time slot and one upstream communication time slot shown in Fig. 3(d) to one fire alarm device 600. The allocation by the allocation unit 722 will also be described later, but the combination of downstream communication time slots and upstream communication time slots is changed for each fire alarm 600. The output unit 712 outputs the allocation result by the allocation unit 722 to multiple fire alarm devices 600. The allocation result indicates the correspondence between the combination of downstream communication time slots and upstream communication time slots and the fire alarm devices 600.

[0029] Fig. 5 shows an example of time slot allocation in the alarm system 1000, and is shown in the same manner as Fig. 3(d). This shows the allocation of multiple time slots 1030 to the first relay 700a and the first fire alarm 600a to the seventh fire alarm 600g in Fig. 1. "M" in Fig. 5 indicates the first relay 700a, and "S1" to "S7" indicate the first fire alarm 600a to the seventh fire alarm 600g, respectively. The downstream communication time slots are allocated to the first relay 700a, the first fire alarm 600a, the fourth fire alarm 600d, the seventh fire alarm 600g, the second fire alarm 600b, the fifth fire alarm 600e, the third fire alarm 600c, and the sixth fire alarm 600f, in order from the front. As described above, the number of hops from the first fire alarm 600a, the fourth fire alarm 600d, and the seventh fire alarm 600g to the first relay 700a is "1." The number of hops from the second fire alarm 600b and the fifth fire alarm 600e to the first relay 700a is "2," and the number of hops from the third fire alarm 600c and the sixth fire alarm 600f to the first relay 700a is "3." In other words, the fire alarm 600 with the fewer hops to the first relay 700a is assigned closer to the front of the downstream communication time slot.

[0030] The upstream communication time slots are allocated to the sixth fire alarm device 600f, the third fire alarm device 600c, the fifth fire alarm device 600e, the second fire alarm device 600b, the seventh fire alarm device 600g, the fourth fire alarm device 600d, the first fire alarm device 600a, and the first relay 700a in order from the front. In other words, the fire alarm 600 with the greater number of hops to the first relay 700a is allocated closer to the front of the upstream communication time slots.

[0031] When focusing on the fifth fire alarm 600e with the number of hops "2," the fifth fire alarm 600e is assigned a downstream communication time slot that is earlier than the sixth fire alarm 600f with the number of hops "3." The downstream communication time slot is used when a signal (communication signal) is transferred in a direction away from the first relay 700a in the multi-hop network. Also, the fifth fire alarm 600e is assigned an upstream communication time slot that is later than the sixth fire alarm 600f. The upstream communication time slot is used when a signal (communication signal) is transferred in a direction approaching the first relay 700a in the multi-hop network. In other words, the relay 700 determines which of the multiple time slots 1030 to assign to each fire alarm 600, depending on the number of hops between each fire alarm 600 and the relay 700.

[0032] The fifth fire alarm device 600e is assigned a downstream communication time slot "S5" and an upstream communication time slot "S5", and the fifth fire alarm device 600e transmits a signal (communication signal) in the downstream communication time slot "S5" or the upstream communication time slot "S5". The sixth fire alarm device 600f is assigned a downstream communication time slot "S6" and an upstream communication time slot "S6", and the sixth fire alarm device 600f transmits a signal (communication signal) in the downstream communication time slot "S6" or the upstream communication time slot "S6".

[0033] The allocation of these time slots 1030 is determined by the allocation unit 722 of the first relay 700a, but may also be determined by the management device 800. For example, the first relay 700a or the management device 800 determines the allocation of the time slots 1030 based on information about the relay route. The first relay 700a or the management device 800 notifies each fire alarm device 600 of the determined allocation of the time slots 1030. Therefore, each fire alarm device 600 also knows the allocation of these time slots 1030. As a result, the fire alarm device 600 knows the time slot 1030 in which it should transmit a communication signal and which has been allocated to itself. The fire alarm device 600 also knows the time slot 1030 in which it can receive a communication signal from an adjacent fire alarm device 600 or relay device 700 on the relay route.

[0034] In such a situation, the communication unit 620 of the fire alarm 600 may perform an intermittent reception operation to reduce power consumption. In the intermittent reception operation in the communication unit 620, the reception operation is performed during a portion of the beginning of the time slot 1030, and if a signal (communication signal) is not received during that portion of the period, the reception operation is stopped for the remainder of the time slot 1030. On the other hand, if a signal is received during that portion of the beginning of the time slot 1030, the reception operation continues for the remainder of the time slot 1030.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows an overview of downstream communication in the alarm system 1000. This shows the downstream communication time slots in FIG. 5. The first relay 700a periodically transmits a synchronization signal to the multiple fire alarm devices 600 that make up the multi-hop network. The synchronization signal is, for example, a beacon signal. The synchronization signal is transmitted, for example, in the first frame 1020 of the superframe 1010 shown in FIG. 3(a), and is not transmitted in the remaining frames 1020. The first relay 700a transmits the synchronization signal in time slot 1030 “M” of the first frame 1020 of the superframe 1010. When the fourth fire alarm device 600d receives the synchronization signal in time slot 1030 “M”, it forwards the synchronization signal in time slot 1030 “S4”. The fourth fire alarm device 600d also transmits a response signal to the first relay 700a in time slot 1030 “S4”. The response signal is, for example, an Ack (ACKnowledgement). The response signal may be included as part of the synchronization signal.

[0036] The first relay 700a receives the response signal in the time slot 1030 "S4". When the fifth fire alarm device 600e receives the synchronization signal in the time slot 1030 "S4", it transfers the synchronization signal in the time slot 1030 "S5" and also transmits a response signal to the fourth fire alarm device 600d. The fourth fire alarm device 600d receives the response signal in the time slot 1030 "S5". Although omitted in FIG. 11 , the fourth fire alarm device 600d transfers the response signal from the fifth fire alarm device 600e to the first relay 700a in the time slot 1030 "S4" of the next frame.

[0037] When the third fire alarm device 600c receives a synchronization signal in time slot 1030 "S5", it transfers the synchronization signal in time slot 1030 "S3" and transmits a response signal to the fifth fire alarm device 600e. When the sixth fire alarm device 600f receives a synchronization signal in time slot 1030 "S5", it transfers the synchronization signal in time slot 1030 "S6" and transmits a response signal to the fifth fire alarm 600e.

[0038] The fifth fire alarm device 600e receives the response signals in time slots 1030 "S3" and "S6". Although omitted in Fig. 6, the fifth fire alarm device 600e transfers the response signals from the third fire alarm device 600c and the sixth fire alarm device 600f to the fourth fire alarm device 600d in time slot 1030 "S5" of the next frame. The fourth fire alarm 600d further transfers the response signal from the fifth fire alarm device 600e to the first relay 700a in time slot 1030 "S4" of the next frame.

[0039] In this way, the synchronization signal is transferred in frame 1020 in which the first relay 700a transmitted the synchronization signal. Furthermore, each fire alarm 600 that receives the synchronization signal from the first relay 700a establishes timing synchronization with the first relay 700a based on the synchronization signal. Known techniques can be used for timing synchronization, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows an overview of upstream communication in the alarm system 1000. This shows the upstream communication time slot in FIG. 5. Here, it is assumed that the fire detection sensor 630 of the sixth fire alarm device 600f detects the occurrence of a fire. The processing unit 622 of the sixth fire alarm device 600f causes the communication unit 620 to transmit the detection result. The detection result includes identification information of the sixth fire alarm device 600f that detected the fire. The communication unit 620 of the sixth fire alarm device 600f transmits the detection result in time slot 1030 "S6".

[0041] The fifth fire alarm device 600e receives the detection result in time slot 1030 "S6". Following this, the fifth fire alarm device 600e transfers the detection result in time slot 1030 "S5". The fifth fire alarm device 600e also transmits a response signal to the sixth fire alarm device 600f in time slot 1030 "S5". The response signal may be included as part of the detection result.

[0042] The sixth fire alarm device 600f receives the response signal in the time slot 1030 "S5". The fourth fire alarm device 600d receives the detection result in the time slot 1030 "S5". The fourth fire alarm device 600d transfers the detection result in the time slot 1030 "S4", and also transmits a response signal to the fifth fire alarm device 600e.

[0043] The fifth fire alarm device 600e receives the response signal in time slot "S4" 1030. Although omitted in Fig. 7, the fifth fire alarm device 600e transfers the response signal from the fourth fire alarm device 600d to the sixth fire alarm device 600f in time slot 1030 "S5" of the next frame 1020.

[0044] The first relay 700a receives the detection result in time slot 1030 "S4." As before, the first relay 700a transmits a response signal in time slot 1030 "M." The response signal is transferred by the fourth fire alarm device 600d and the fifth fire alarm device 600e, and is received by the sixth fire alarm device 600f.

[0045] When the first relay 700a receives the detection result from the fourth fire alarm 600d, it transmits the detection result to the management device 800. When the management device 800 receives the detection result, it identifies the fire alarm 600 to be activated based on the identification information included in the detection result. The correspondence between the identification information and the information of the fire alarm 600 to be activated is stored in advance in the management device 800. The management device 800 transmits an instruction to activate the fire alarm to the first relay 700a, with the identified fire alarm 600 as the final destination.

[0046] When the fire alarm devices 600 identified by the management device 800 are the third fire alarm device 600c and the sixth fire alarm device 600f, a similar transfer to that shown in FIG. 6 is performed, and the sounding instruction is received by the third fire alarm device 600c and the sixth fire alarm device 600f. Here, the sounding instruction is transmitted instead of the synchronization signal shown in FIG. 6. When the second relay device 700b and the third relay device 700c receive a sounding instruction from the management device 800 via the first relay device 700a, they transfer the sounding instruction to the fire alarms 600. When the communication units 620 of the third fire alarm device 600c and the sixth fire alarm device 600f receive the sounding instruction, the control unit 624 causes the buzzer 632 to sound. The control unit 624 may also cause the light-emitting device to flash.

[0047] (2) Detection sensitivity setting (first example) Here, as an example, a case where the sixth fire alarm 600f in FIG. 1 is newly installed will be described. Therefore, the second fire alarm 600b, the third fire alarm 600c, and the fifth fire alarm 600e installed around the sixth fire alarm 600f each have a detection sensitivity already set. The detection sensitivity for the fire alarms 600 other than the sixth fire alarm 600f may be set manually by an installer or in the same manner as for the sixth fire alarm 600f. Furthermore, the fire alarms 600 installed around the sixth fire alarm 600f are not limited to the second fire alarm 600b, the third fire alarm 600c, and the fifth fire alarm 600e.

[0048] The fire detection sensor 630 in FIG. 2 detects the occurrence of a fire, and therefore can be considered a detection unit. To explain the detection sensitivity set in the fire detection sensor 630, the operating principle of the fire detection sensor 630 will be explained here. FIG. 8 shows the operating principle of the fire detection sensor 630. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the smoke density detected by the fire detection sensor 630. The fire detection sensor 630 detects the smoke density at regular intervals. When the smoke density exceeds a threshold value α0, a judgment timer is started. The start timing is indicated by T0 in FIG. 2. If, after T0, the state in which the smoke density exceeds the threshold value α0 continues for a judgment time T1, the fire detection sensor 630 detects the occurrence of a fire. Therefore, setting the detection sensitivity is equivalent to setting the threshold value α0 and the judgment time T1.

[0049] In addition, detection sensitivity may be set for smoke generation sensitivity, smoke recovery sensitivity, fire determination temperature, and fire recovery temperature. The threshold for smoke generation sensitivity may be set, for example, at 3.0% / m for the kitchen, 1.5% / m for the bedroom, and 5.0% / m for the garage. The threshold for fire determination temperature may be set, for example, at 55°C for the kitchen, 45°C for the bedroom, and 70°C for the garage.

[0050] After installing the sixth fire alarm device 600f, the installer operates the management device 800 to instruct the management device 800 to transition to a mode for setting the detection sensitivity (hereinafter referred to as the "detection sensitivity setting mode") in order to set the detection sensitivity for the sixth fire alarm device 600f. Upon receiving the instruction, the management device 800 transmits a signal to the first relay 700a to instruct the first relay 700a to transition to the detection sensitivity setting mode (hereinafter referred to as the "transition instruction signal"). The transition instruction signal is transferred to each fire alarm device 600.

[0051] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing the setting procedure by the sixth fire alarm device 600f. The second fire alarm 600b that has received the transition instruction signal transmits information about the detection sensitivity set in the second fire alarm device 600b as first information (S10). The first information may include identification information of the second fire alarm 600b. The third fire alarm 600c that has received the transition instruction signal transmits information about the detection sensitivity set in the third fire alarm 600c as second information (S12). The second information may include identification information of the third fire alarm 600c. The fifth fire alarm 600e that has received the transition instruction signal transmits information about the detection sensitivity set in the fifth fire alarm 600e as third information (S14). The third information may include identification information of the fifth fire alarm 600e.

[0052] The communication unit 620 of the sixth fire alarm device 600f receives the first information from the second fire alarm device 600b, the second information from the third fire alarm device 600c, and the third information from the fifth fire alarm device 600e. The communication unit 620 measures the reception strength value when the first information is received (hereinafter referred to as the "first reception strength value"), measures the reception strength value when the second information is received (hereinafter referred to as the "second reception strength value"), and measures the reception strength value when the third information is received (hereinafter referred to as the "third reception strength value"). The reception strength values ​​are, for example, RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator).

[0053] The control unit 624 selects the largest value from the first reception intensity value, the second reception intensity value, and the third reception intensity value. The control unit 624 also selects information corresponding to the selected largest value. For example, if the first reception intensity value is selected as the largest value, the first information is selected; if the second reception intensity value is selected as the largest value, the second information is selected; and if the third reception intensity value is selected as the largest value, the third information is selected. The control unit 624 sets the detection sensitivity included in the selected information in the fire detection sensor 630. That is, the control unit 624 sets the detection sensitivity in the fire detection sensor 630 based on information such as the first information received by the communication unit 620 (S16).

[0054] 10(a)-(b) show the data structure of the database held in the control unit 624. As shown in FIG. 10(a), the first reception intensity value for the first information from the second fire alarm device 600b is "-80 dBm," and the second reception intensity value for the second information from the third fire alarm device 600c is "-60 dBm." Furthermore, the first reception intensity value for the third information from the fifth fire alarm device 600e is "-50 dBm." The first information includes a detection sensitivity of "A" for the second fire alarm device 600b, the second information includes a detection sensitivity of "B" for the third fire alarm device 600c, and the third information includes a detection sensitivity of "C" for the fifth fire alarm device 600e. Since the first reception intensity value is the largest among these reception intensity values, the third information is selected. Furthermore, the detection sensitivity "C" included in the third information, that is, the detection sensitivity "C" of the fifth fire alarm 600e, is also set in the fire detection sensor 630 of the sixth fire alarm 600f. Figure 10(b) will be described later.

[0055] Multiple detection sensitivities may be set for one fire alarm 600. For example, information received by the communication unit 620 of the fire alarm 600 includes a combination of a first detection sensitivity and a first time at which the first detection sensitivity should be set, and a combination of a second detection sensitivity different from the first detection sensitivity and a second time at which the second detection sensitivity should be set. The control unit 624 has a timing function, and sets the first detection sensitivity to the fire detection sensor 630 at the first time, and sets the second detection sensitivity to the fire detection sensor 630 at the second time. For example, the first time is from 8:00 to 20:00, and the second time is from 20:00 to 8:00 the next day. Three or more detection sensitivities and times may be set.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 10(b), the first reception intensity value for the first information from the second fire alarm 600b is "-80 dBm", and the second reception intensity value for the second information from the third fire alarm 600c is "-60 dBm". Also, the first reception intensity value for the third information from the fifth fire alarm 600e is "-50 dBm". The first information includes the first detection sensitivity "A1" and the second detection sensitivity "A2" of the second fire alarm 600b, and the second information includes the first detection sensitivity "B1" and the second detection sensitivity "B2" of the third fire alarm 600c. The third information includes the first detection sensitivity "C1" and the second detection sensitivity "C2" of the fifth fire alarm 600e. Among these reception intensity values, since the first reception intensity value is the maximum value, the third information is selected. Also, the first detection sensitivity "C1" and the second detection sensitivity "C2" included in the third information, that is, the first detection sensitivity "C1" and the second detection sensitivity "C2" of the fifth fire alarm 600e, are also set in the fire detection sensor 630 of the sixth fire alarm 600f. Here, the information received by the communication unit 620 of the fire alarm 600 may include either a combination of the first detection sensitivity and the first time at which the first detection sensitivity should be set, or a combination of a second detection sensitivity different from the first detection sensitivity and the second time at which the second detection sensitivity should be set.

[0057] (3) Detection Sensitivity Setting (Second Example) Here, it is assumed that the detection sensitivity in the fire detection sensor 630 is learned. Figs. 11(a)-(b) show an overview of the learning process in the fire detection sensor 630. Fig. 11(a) is shown in the same way as Fig. 8, and the threshold α0 and the determination time T1 are set. When the state where the smoke density exceeds the threshold α0 and the determination time T1 elapses occurs a specified number of times within a certain period, the control unit 624 changes the determination time from T1 to T2 (T1 < T2) as shown in Fig. 11(b). The certain period and the specified number of times are determined, for example, as three times a month or three times a week. This is to reduce false alarms when non-fire due to steam or tobacco is detected.

[0058] 12(a)-(b) show another overview of the learning process in the fire detection sensor 630. FIG. 12(a) is similar to FIG. 8, and a threshold value α0 and a judgment time T1 are set. If a situation in which the smoke density does not exceed the threshold value α0 does not occur even once within a certain period of time, the control unit 624 changes the threshold value from α0 to α1 (α0>α1), as shown in FIG. 12(b). The certain period is, for example, one month. This assumes that the fire alarm 600 is installed in a clean room, a warehouse, or the like. When such learning processes are performed in the fire detection sensor 630, the threshold value and judgment time of the fire detection sensor 630, i.e., the detection sensitivity, can be said to be more optimized the longer the operation time of the fire alarm 600 after installation.

[0059] In FIG. 9, the second fire alarm 600b that has received the transition instruction signal transmits information about the detection sensitivity set in the second fire alarm 600b as first information (S10). The first information includes identification information for the second fire alarm 600b and information about the activation time of the second fire alarm 600b (hereinafter referred to as the "first activation time"). The third fire alarm 600c that has received the transition instruction signal transmits information about the detection sensitivity set in the third fire alarm 600c as second information (S12). The second information includes identification information for the third fire alarm 600c and information about the activation time of the third fire alarm 600c (hereinafter referred to as the "second activation time"). The fifth fire alarm 600e that has received the transition instruction signal transmits information about the detection sensitivity set in the fifth fire alarm 600e as third information (S14). The third information includes identification information of the fifth fire alarm 600e and information relating to the activation time of the fifth fire alarm 600e (hereinafter referred to as the "third activation time").

[0060] The communication unit 620 of the sixth fire alarm device 600f receives the first information from the second fire alarm device 600b, the second information from the third fire alarm device 600c, and the third information from the fifth fire alarm device 600e. The control unit 624 selects the longest value from the first activation time, the second activation time, and the third activation time. The control unit 624 also selects the information corresponding to the selected longest value. For example, if the first activation time is selected as the longest value, the first information is selected; if the second activation time is selected as the longest value, the second information is selected; and if the third activation time is selected as the longest value, the third information is selected. The control unit 624 sets the detection sensitivity included in the selected information in the fire detection sensor 630. That is, the control unit 624 sets the detection sensitivity of the fire detection sensor 630 based on the first information and other information received by the communication unit 620 (S16).

[0061] FIG. 13 shows the data structure of the database held in the control unit 624. The first operation time of the second fire alarm 600b is "365 days," the second operation time of the third fire alarm 600c is "20 days," and the third operation time of the fifth fire alarm 600e is "1 day." The first information includes a detection sensitivity of "A" for the second fire alarm 600b, the second information includes a detection sensitivity of "B" for the third fire alarm 600c, and the third information includes a detection sensitivity of "C" for the fifth fire alarm 600e. Of these reception strength values, the first information is selected because the first operation time has the longest value. Furthermore, the detection sensitivity "A" included in the first information, i.e., the detection sensitivity "A" for the second fire alarm 600b, is also set for the fire detection sensor 630 of the sixth fire alarm 600f.

[0062] The subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure includes a computer. The computer executes a program to realize the functions of the subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure. The computer includes, as its main hardware component, a processor that operates according to the program. The processor may be of any type, as long as it can realize the functions by executing the program. The processor may be composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integration (LSI). The electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or may be provided on multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into a single device or may be provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium, such as a computer-readable ROM, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the detection sensitivity can be easily set in the fire detection sensor 630 based on information received from the other fire alarm devices 600. Furthermore, the detection sensitivity in the fire detection sensor 630 is set based on information received from the other fire alarm devices 600, so installation time can be shortened. Furthermore, the information includes the detection sensitivity set in the other fire alarm devices 600, so processing in the fire alarm devices 600 can be simplified.

[0064] Furthermore, since the detection sensitivity of the fire detection sensor 630 is set based on information received from each of the multiple other fire alarm devices 600, the accuracy of the detection sensitivity can be improved. Furthermore, since the detection sensitivity of the fire detection sensor 630 is set based on information with the highest reception intensity value, the detection sensitivity of other fire alarm devices 600 installed near the fire alarm 600 can be used. Furthermore, since the detection sensitivity of other fire alarm devices 600 installed near the fire alarm 600 is used, the detection sensitivity of other fire alarm devices 600 installed in a close environment to the fire alarm 600 can be used. Furthermore, since the detection sensitivity of other fire alarms 600 installed in a close environment to the fire alarm 600 is used, the accuracy of the detection sensitivity can be improved. Furthermore, since the accuracy of the detection sensitivity is improved, the occurrence of false alarms can be reduced. Furthermore, since different detection sensitivity is set depending on time, the detection sensitivity can be set in accordance with changes in the environment. Furthermore, since the detection sensitivity of other fire alarms 600 with a long operating time is set for the fire alarm 600, a highly reliable detection sensitivity can be used.

[0065] An overview of one aspect of the present disclosure may be presented in the following items: An alarm device (600) of one aspect of the present disclosure is an alarm device (600) that is capable of communicating with other alarm devices (600), and comprises a detection unit (630) that detects fires, a receiving unit (620) that receives information from the other alarm devices (600), and a control unit (624) that sets the detection sensitivity of the detection unit (630) based on the information received by the receiving unit (620).

[0066] The information may be information about the detection sensitivity set in the other alarm devices (600).

[0067] The information received by the receiving unit 620 may include at least one of a combination of a first detection sensitivity and a first time at which the first detection sensitivity should be set, and a combination of a second detection sensitivity different from the first detection sensitivity and a second time at which the second detection sensitivity should be set. The control unit 624 may at least set the first detection sensitivity at the first time and the second detection sensitivity at the second time.

[0068] The other alarm devices (600) may include a first alarm device (600) and a second alarm device (600). The receiver (620) receives first information from the first alarm device (600) and second information from the second alarm device (600), and the controller (624) may set the detection sensitivity of the detector (630) based on either the first information or the second information received by the receiver (620).

[0069] The receiving section (620) measures a first reception intensity value when first information is received from the first alarm device (600), and a second reception intensity value when second information is received from the second alarm device (600), and the control section (624) may select either the first information or the second information based on the first reception intensity value and the second reception intensity value.

[0070] The first information received by the receiving unit (620) may include a first activation time of the first alarm device (600). The second information received by the receiving unit (620) may include a second activation time of the first alarm device (600). The control unit (624) may select either the first information or the second information based on the first activation time and the second activation time.

[0071] The receiving unit (620) receives an instruction from a control device with which it can communicate, and when the receiving unit (620) receives the instruction, the control unit (624) may update the detection sensitivity that has already been set to the detection sensitivity included in the instruction.

[0072] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a setting method for an alarm device (600) that is capable of communicating with other alarm devices (600), and comprises the steps of receiving information from the other alarm devices (600) and setting the detection sensitivity of a detection section (630) that detects fires based on the received information.

[0073] The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. These examples are merely illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0074] In this embodiment, one fire alarm 600 acquires the detection sensitivity of the other fire alarms 600 and sets the detection sensitivity. However, this is not limited to this; for example, an installer may input the detection sensitivity by operating the management device 800, and the management device 800 may send an instruction including the detection sensitivity to the fire alarm 600. Such a management device 800 can also be considered a control device. The communication unit 620 of the fire alarm 600 receives the instruction from the management device 800. When the communication unit 620 receives the instruction, the control unit 624 updates the already set detection sensitivity to the detection sensitivity included in the instruction. According to this modification, a detection sensitivity suitable for the fire alarm 600 can be set.

[0075] The alarm system 1000 in this embodiment forms a multi-hop network. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the alarm system 1000 may form a star-shaped network in which a plurality of fire alarm devices 600 are directly connected to the relay device 700. This modification improves the degree of freedom in the configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 600 Fire alarm, 620 Communication unit (receiving unit), 622 Processing unit, 624 Control unit, 630 Fire detection sensor (detection unit), 632 Buzzer, 700 Relay device, 710 Communication unit, 712 Output unit, 720 Control unit, 722 Allocation unit, 800 Management device, 1000 Alarm system.

Claims

1. An alarm device that can communicate with other alarm devices, a detection unit that detects a fire; a receiving section that receives information from the other alarm devices; a control unit that sets a detection sensitivity of the detection unit based on the information received by the receiving unit; An alarm equipped with:

2. An alarm device according to claim 1 , wherein the information is information regarding the detection sensitivity set in the other alarm device.

3. the information received by the receiving unit includes at least one of a combination of a first detection sensitivity and a first time at which the first detection sensitivity should be set, and a combination of a second detection sensitivity different from the first detection sensitivity and a second time at which the second detection sensitivity should be set, The alarm device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets at least the first detection sensitivity during the first time period and the second detection sensitivity during the second time period.

4. the other alarm devices include a first alarm device and a second alarm device, the receiving section receives first information from the first alarm device and second information from the second alarm device, An alarm device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit sets the detection sensitivity of the detection unit based on either the first information or the second information received by the receiving unit.

5. the receiver measures a first reception strength value when first information is received from the first alarm device, and a second reception strength value when second information is received from the second alarm device, The alarm device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit selects either the first information or the second information based on the first reception intensity value and the second reception intensity value.

6. the first information received by the receiving section includes a first operation time of the first alarm device, the second information received by the receiving section includes a second operation time of the first alarm device, The alarm device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit selects either the first information or the second information based on the first operation time and the second operation time.

7. The receiving unit receives an instruction from a control device with which communication is possible, An alarm device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the receiving section receives the instruction, the control section updates the detection sensitivity that has already been set to the detection sensitivity included in the instruction.

8. A setting method for an alarm device capable of communicating with other alarm devices, comprising: receiving information from the other alarm devices; setting a detection sensitivity of a detection unit that detects a fire based on the received information; A setting method comprising:

9. A program to be executed by an alarm device capable of communicating with other alarm devices, receiving information from the other alarm devices; and setting the detection sensitivity of a detection unit that detects a fire based on the received information.

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