Fire System

Abstract

To obtain a fire system which can monitor a state of a disaster prevention device by using acoustic data by a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A fire system comprises: a home alarm which is installed in a monitoring area and uses a battery as a power source; a sound collection device which collects sound to be generated in the monitoring area as acoustic data; and a controller which monitors a state of the home alarm on the basis of the acoustic data collected by the sound collection device, wherein the home alarm outputs specific sound representing a specific state of the home alarm on the basis of voltage of the battery, and the controller monitors the state of the home alarm on the basis of the specific sound.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fire system that monitors the state of a disaster prevention device such as a home alarm based on the sound pressure level of a specific sound output from the disaster prevention device. [Background technology]

[0002] Various fire prevention devices are installed to detect the occurrence of fire in the monitored area. It is important that the fire prevention devices function properly in the event of a fire, and it is mandatory to conduct operation tests at predetermined intervals.

[0003] A conventional technology for conducting operational tests of disaster prevention equipment is an apartment building alarm information system that can remotely test the fire detectors in each dwelling unit from a fire receiver installed in a management office, etc. (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, fire detectors can be tested at any time from a remote location such as a management office without contacting the dwelling units, improving the reliability of the fire alarm function. Also, it is possible to provide an alarm information system for apartment buildings that can automatically perform periodic tests, further improving the reliability of the fire alarm function. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4062678 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the conventional techniques have the following problems. In Patent Document 1, the disaster prevention equipment to be tested must be connected to a fire alarm receiver and must have a configuration that enables mutual communication. However, the system according to Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to disaster prevention equipment that is not connected to a fire alarm receiver and is installed independently, such as a residential alarm.

[0007] Therefore, a system that can automatically perform operational tests on independently installed disaster prevention equipment is desired. Also, independently installed home alarms and the like use batteries as their power source, and if the batteries run out, they will no longer be able to operate normally.

[0008] Therefore, it is important to predict when the batteries of disaster prevention equipment will run out before they become inoperable due to battery exhaustion. In particular, in a monitoring area where various disaster prevention equipment is installed, it is desirable to monitor the status of the disaster prevention equipment, including the risk of battery exhaustion, with a simple configuration before the batteries run out.

[0009] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a fire system that can monitor the status of disaster prevention equipment using acoustic data with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The fire system according to the present disclosure is installed in a monitored area and is battery-powered. Disaster prevention equipment a sound collection device that collects sounds generated within the monitoring area as acoustic data; and Disaster prevention equipment and a controller that monitors the status of the fire system, Disaster prevention equipment is based on the battery voltage, Disaster prevention equipment Represents a specific state of As acoustic data, a specific sound that reflects the remaining battery level is generated. The controller outputs Sound was picked up by a sound pickup device specific sound Current sound pressure level or time series data of specific sounds over time Based on By estimating the remaining battery life It monitors the status of the home alarm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, a fire system capable of monitoring the status of disaster prevention equipment using acoustic data can be obtained with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of a fire system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a series of processes relating to a battery life estimation method executed in the fire system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the fire prevention system of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure has a technical feature of enabling automatic monitoring of disaster prevention equipment based on the current sound pressure level calculated from acoustic data output using a battery equipped in the disaster prevention equipment as a power source, and as a result, it is possible to estimate the remaining time until the battery runs out and the equipment becomes inoperable.

[0014] Embodiment 1 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of a fire system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The fire system according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of disaster prevention devices 10, a microphone 20, and a controller 30.

[0015] The plurality of disaster prevention devices 10 may include, for example, a home alarm, a fire detector, a heat detector, a smoke detector, etc., and perform a monitoring function of notifying the occurrence of a fire within a monitoring area. The disaster prevention devices 10 in the present embodiment 1 operate using a battery as a power source.

[0016] Each of the multiple disaster prevention devices 10 has a test function, separate from the monitoring function, that outputs a specific sound representing a specific state of the device powered by a battery at a pre-set timing as acoustic data reflecting the remaining battery charge.

[0017] Here, the "pre-set timing" can be, for example, a regular timing every month, but can also be set to be shorter as the battery life approaches its end.

[0018] The number of disaster prevention devices 10 installed in a monitoring area may be one or more. When multiple disaster prevention devices 10 are installed, they are not limited to the same type of device, and for example, in a monitoring area where a home alarm and a smoke detector are installed together, the home alarm and the smoke detector can be the target devices for status monitoring, including estimating the remaining time until the batteries run out.

[0019] In the following explanation, a specific example will be given in which two disaster prevention devices 10, namely, disaster prevention device 10(1) and disaster prevention device 10(2), are installed within a monitoring area as shown in FIG.

[0020] The microphone 20 is installed in the monitoring area of ​​the flame and corresponds to a sound collection device for collecting specific sounds output from the disaster prevention equipment 10(1) and the disaster prevention equipment 10(2) within the monitoring area.

[0021] The controller 30 calculates the current sound pressure level of the acoustic data for each device by acquiring the specific sound output from each of the disaster prevention devices 10(1) and 10(2) as acoustic data via the microphone 20. In order to identify the specific sound output from each of the multiple disaster prevention devices 10 in the controller 30, for example, the following method can be considered.

[0022] Method 1: A different frequency is assigned in advance to each of the plurality of disaster prevention devices 10, so that each of the plurality of disaster prevention devices 10 outputs a specific sound of a different frequency.

[0023] Method 2: A specific sound with a different output timing and a different sound pattern is assigned in advance to each of the multiple disaster prevention devices 10, so that each of the multiple disaster prevention devices 10 outputs a specific sound with a different sound at a different timing.

[0024] Method 3: Using "acoustic watermarking technology," each of the multiple disaster prevention devices 10 outputs a specific sound onto which digital information including an identification code uniquely assigned to each home alarm device is superimposed.

[0025] The controller 30 monitors the status of each of the plurality of disaster prevention devices 10 based on the sound collection results. In particular, the controller 30 estimates the remaining time until the battery runs out for each disaster prevention device 10 from the deterioration state of each sound pressure level calculated based on the sound collection results of each disaster prevention device 10, and outputs an alarm according to the remaining time.

[0026] To estimate the remaining life, the controller 30 stores, as table data, for example, remaining life-sound pressure level data in advance, which indicates the relationship between the remaining life according to the battery voltage and the sound pressure level when a specific sound output according to the battery voltage is picked up by the microphone 20.

[0027] The controller 30 can estimate the remaining life corresponding to the current sound pressure level calculated based on the sound collection result by referring to table data relating to remaining life vs. sound pressure level data. Furthermore, the controller 30 outputs an alarm that can identify each of the multiple disaster prevention devices 10 according to the remaining time estimated individually for each disaster prevention device 10.

[0028] Instead of creating remaining life vs. sound pressure level data in advance, a function for determining remaining life from the current sound pressure level can be defined in advance. Also, instead of estimating remaining life based on the current sound pressure level, the controller 30 can generate time-series data indicating the transition state of sound pressure levels calculated sequentially over time and estimate remaining life from the time-series data.

[0029] In other words, the controller 30 may estimate the deterioration state of the battery from the current sound pressure level, or may estimate the deterioration state of the battery from the transition state of the sound pressure level calculated over time.

[0030] Next, a series of processes executed in the fire system according to the embodiment 1 will be described using a flowchart. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing a series of processes related to the battery life estimation method executed in the fire system according to the embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

[0031] First, in step S201, the controller 30 executes a sound collection process for a specific sound output from the disaster prevention devices 10 in the monitoring area via the sound collection device 20 installed in the monitoring area. Each of the multiple disaster prevention devices 10 individually outputs a specific sound at a preset timing, and this sound collection process is executed each time.

[0032] Next, in step S202, the controller 30 calculates the current sound pressure level for the corresponding disaster prevention device 10 each time the sound collection process in step S201 is performed.

[0033] Next, in step S203, the controller 30 performs a battery life estimation process for the corresponding disaster prevention device 10 based on the calculated deterioration state of the current sound pressure level, and estimates the remaining time until the battery runs out.

[0034] Next, in step S204, the controller 30 determines whether or not an alarm is necessary based on the remaining time estimated in step S203. If the controller 30 determines that an alarm is necessary, the process proceeds to step S205. On the other hand, if the controller 30 determines that an alarm is not necessary, the process ends.

[0035] For example, the controller 30 can determine that a warning is necessary when the remaining time is estimated to be one month or less.

[0036] When the process proceeds to step S205, the controller 30 outputs an alarm so as to identify the disaster prevention device that issues the alarm among the plurality of disaster prevention devices 10. For example, the controller 30 outputs an alarm by displaying characters or outputting a sound pattern so as to identify the disaster prevention device 10 that should issue an alarm regarding the remaining time.

[0037] 2 illustrates a series of processes related to the battery life estimation method. However, each of the disaster prevention devices 10 can output a different specific sound depending on its current state. Therefore, the controller 30 can monitor the current state of each of the disaster prevention devices 10 based on the acoustic data from the type of specific sound.

[0038] Furthermore, by providing the controller 30 with a communication function that notifies an external device of the status of the home alarm as the monitoring result, the monitoring results of each disaster prevention device based on acoustic data can be effectively utilized in other devices as well.

[0039] As described above, according to embodiment 1, it is possible to easily realize a fire system having a configuration that monitors the status of each disaster prevention device based on the results of collecting specific sounds output from the disaster prevention devices within a monitoring area.

[0040] In particular, the fire system according to the first embodiment has a technical feature in that it can individually estimate the battery life of each disaster prevention device by performing calculations based on acoustic data collected within the monitored area, and it has the following advantages:

[0041] Effect 1: When estimating the remaining battery level based on sound data collected using a sound collection device, the focus is on pressure fluctuations in the low frequencies of the sound data, making it less likely to attenuate. Therefore, for example, if the monitoring area is a closed room, sound data can be collected regardless of the location of the disaster prevention equipment, which has the advantage of not having to choose the installation location of the sound collection device. Furthermore, the sound collection device does not need to be installed on the ceiling like disaster prevention equipment, allowing for greater freedom in deciding where to install it.

[0042] Effect 2: Because there is flexibility in the placement of microphones, the fire system according to the present disclosure can be easily constructed even when a battery deterioration diagnosis function is added later or temporarily. In other words, with a relatively simple configuration, battery life estimation processing for disaster prevention equipment can be realized in various monitoring areas.

[0043] Effect 3: The timing for outputting a specific sound from each disaster prevention device can be appropriately selected, and the battery life estimation process can be automatically executed at the desired timing according to the monitored area. For example, by executing the battery life estimation process during a time when there are no users in the monitored area, the impact of noise generated in the monitored area can be minimized while the battery life estimation process for the disaster prevention device is executed. As a result, the normal operation of the fire prevention system can be guaranteed and reliability can be further improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10, 10(1), 10(2) Disaster prevention equipment, 20 Sound collection device (microphone), 30 Controller.

Claims

1. Disaster prevention equipment installed in the monitoring area and powered by batteries; a sound collection device that collects sounds generated within the monitoring area as acoustic data; a controller that monitors the state of the disaster prevention equipment based on the acoustic data collected by the sound collection device; A fire system comprising: The disaster prevention device outputs a specific sound that reflects the remaining battery level as sound data that represents a specific state of the disaster prevention device based on the voltage of the battery, The controller monitors the state of the disaster prevention equipment by estimating the remaining life of the battery based on the current sound pressure level of the specific sound picked up by the sound pickup device or time-series data of the specific sound over time. Fire system.

2. The sound collection device generates the time-series data by collecting the specific sound output from the disaster prevention equipment, estimates the remaining time from a transition state of the specific sound in the time-series data until the battery runs out as the remaining life, and monitors the state of the disaster prevention equipment, and outputs an alarm according to the remaining time.

10. The fire system of claim 1.

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