Fire prevention system, fire prevention control method, and program

Abstract

To allow appropriate fire extinguishing depending on structural characteristics of respective portions of a fire protection target object.SOLUTION: A fire prevention system includes sensors provided corresponding to respective predetermined detection target ranges in a fire protection target object and capable of detecting predetermined events in the corresponding detection target ranges, fire extinguishing devices provided corresponding to respective predetermined discharge target ranges in the fire protection target object and having specifications for extinguishing agent discharge according to structural features of the corresponding discharge target ranges, a fire-related status determination unit that determines presence or absence of fire occurrence as a fire occurrence status for each detection target range in the fire protection target object based on detection results of the sensors and, when determining that a fire has occurred, further identifies a fire occurrence location, and a fire prevention control unit that determines, for each fire extinguishing device for operation provided in a discharge target range corresponding to an extinguishing target range set based on the fire occurrence status, operation setting contents according to the fire occurrence status and controls the fire extinguishing device so that discharge of the extinguishing agent is performed in accordance with the operation setting contents.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire protection system, a fire protection control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a technique in which the location of a fire occurrence is identified by using backscattered light from a temperature-sensing optical fiber cable, and a fire extinguishing agent is discharged from an injection head at the identified fire occurrence location (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As an example, when a building as a cultural property is targeted for fire protection, unlike ordinary houses, it is required to effectively extinguish the fire while considering minimizing damage to the value of the cultural property. That is, in fire protection, it may be required to appropriately extinguish the fire according to the structural characteristics of each part of the fire protection target.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to appropriately extinguish the fire according to the structural characteristics of each part of the fire protection target.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a fire prevention system comprising: sensors provided in correspondence with each predetermined detection range in a fire-protected object and capable of detecting predetermined events in the corresponding detection range; fire extinguishing devices provided in correspondence with each predetermined discharge range in the fire-protected object and having specifications for fire extinguishing agent discharge according to the structural characteristics of the corresponding discharge range; a fire-related situation determination unit that determines whether or not a fire has occurred as a fire occurrence situation for each detection range in the fire-protected object based on the detection results of the sensors, and if it is determined that a fire has occurred, further identifies the location of the fire; and a fire prevention control unit that determines the operation settings according to the fire occurrence situation for each fire extinguishing device provided in the discharge range corresponding to the fire extinguishing range set based on the fire occurrence situation for each detection range determined by the fire-related situation determination unit, and controls the discharge of fire extinguishing agent according to the operation settings.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a fire prevention control method for a fire prevention system comprising: sensors provided corresponding to each predetermined detection range in a fire-protected object and capable of detecting a predetermined event in the corresponding detection range; and fire extinguishing devices provided corresponding to each predetermined discharge range in the fire-protected object and having specifications for fire extinguishing agent discharge according to the structural characteristics of the corresponding discharge range, the method comprising: determining whether or not a fire has occurred as a fire occurrence status for each detection range in the fire-protected object based on the detection results of the sensors, and if it is determined that a fire has occurred, further identifying the location of the fire; and determining the operation settings for each fire extinguishing device provided in the discharge range corresponding to the fire extinguishing range set based on the fire occurrence status for each detection range determined in the identification step, according to the fire occurrence status, and controlling the discharge of fire extinguishing agent according to the operation settings.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer in a fire prevention system, which comprises sensors provided corresponding to each predetermined detection range in a fire-protected building and capable of detecting predetermined events within the corresponding detection range, and fire extinguishing devices provided corresponding to each predetermined discharge range in the fire-protected building and having specifications for fire extinguishing agent discharge according to the structural characteristics of the corresponding discharge range, to function as a fire-related situation determination unit that determines whether or not a fire has occurred as a fire occurrence status for each detection range in the fire-protected building based on the detection results of the sensors, and if it is determined that a fire has occurred, further identifies the location of the fire, and a fire prevention control unit that determines the operating settings according to the fire occurrence status for each fire extinguishing device provided in the discharge range corresponding to the fire extinguishing range set based on the fire occurrence status for each detection range determined by the fire-related situation determination unit, and controls the discharge of fire extinguishing agent according to the operating settings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, the present invention provides the effect that fire extinguishing can be carried out appropriately according to the structural characteristics of each part of the fire-protected object. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of the fire protection system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a fire prevention control device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of sensor installation information according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of fire extinguishing system installation information according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of a processing procedure performed by the fire protection control device according to this embodiment in relation to fire extinguishing control. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for determining the operating pattern according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <Embodiment> Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the fire prevention system in this embodiment. This embodiment uses the case where the fire-protected object CA is a building designated as a cultural property as an example. In the following description, "fire extinguishing" refers to the attempt to put out a fire that has occurred, while "fire prevention" includes both preventing fires from occurring and "fire extinguishing." Determining the occurrence of a fire or the intrusion of suspicious persons using sensors is included in "fire prevention."

[0012] The fire protection system of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of sensors 100 (100A, 100B, 100C). Each sensor 100 detects a predetermined event used to determine the fire situation (an example of a fire-related situation) in a predetermined detection area (an example of a detection range) defined for the fire-protected object CA. The fire situation determined based on the events detected by the sensors 100 may be, for example, whether or not a fire has occurred, where the fire occurred, the scale of the fire, etc.

[0013] The figure shows an example in which three types of sensors 100A, 100B, and 100C, each with a different detection method, are installed as sensor 100. In the figure, five sensors 100A and one each of sensors 100B and 100C are shown, but there are no particular limitations on the number of sensors 100A, 100B, and 100C installed in a fire prevention system.

[0014] Sensor 100A is, for example, a camera (imaging device). Sensor 100A obtains an image of the target area by capturing an image of the corresponding target area. In other words, sensor 100A can be seen as detecting visually recognizable events within the target area. Sensor 100B is, for example, an infrared sensor. In other words, sensor 100B detects heat in the area to be detected. Sensor 100C is, for example, a gas sensor. That is, sensor 100C detects gases generated in conjunction with a fire in the detection area. Specifically, the gas that sensor 100C detects may be, for example, smoke or carbon monoxide. Sensor 100C may also be capable of detecting odors generated in response to a fire.

[0015] In the fire protection system of this embodiment, one or more sensors selected from among sensors 100A, 100B, and 100C are provided for each location designated as a detection target area in the fire-protected object CA, in accordance with the characteristics of each detection target area. As a specific example, the sensor 100A, which is basically a camera, can be selected as the sensor 100 to be installed in the detection target area. For example, the gas sensor Sensor 100C can achieve a certain level of detection accuracy in environments where smoke tends to accumulate, such as indoors, but it is difficult to detect smoke with sufficient accuracy outdoors, for instance, because the smoke generated from a fire source disperses. Sensor 100B, being an infrared sensor, can detect heat generated in response to a fire, even outdoors. However, with infrared sensors, the detection of a fire is based solely on whether or not heat is detected, making it difficult to accurately detect the details of the fire (location of the fire, seasonal words related to the fire, etc.). Taking these points into consideration, the fire prevention system of this embodiment primarily uses a camera sensor 100A as the sensor 100. With a camera sensor 100A, it becomes possible to detect the generation of smoke based on the captured image, as well as to detect the status of the fire that has occurred. Furthermore, depending on the characteristics of the detection target area, there may be cases where the accuracy of detecting the occurrence of a fire is insufficient with only the sensor 100A as a camera. For example, in a place where the detection target area is such that the light quantity is constantly poor, such as under the edge, and it is difficult to obtain the brightness of the captured image, it may be difficult to detect smoke based on the captured image. In such a detection target area, instead of the sensor 100A which is a camera, or in combination with the sensor 100A, a sensor 100C which is a gas sensor may be provided. Also, depending on conditions such as building materials and shapes in the detection target area, for example, even when a fire occurs, it may be difficult to detect the occurrence of a fire from the captured image because it is difficult for smoke, ignition sources, flames, etc. to occur initially. In such a detection target area, instead of the sensor 100A which is a camera, or in combination with the sensor 100A, a sensor 100B which is an infrared sensor may be provided.

[0016] The fire extinguishing system of this embodiment includes a fire extinguishing device 200 (200A, 200B, 200C). The fire extinguishing device 200 is a device that releases a fire extinguishing agent in response to a fire. Examples of the fire extinguishing agent include water and chemicals. Regarding the fire extinguishing device 200 in this embodiment, the case where water is used as the fire extinguishing agent is taken as an example. Considering that the fire protection target object CA is a structure as a cultural property, it is preferable to avoid deterioration of the members of the structure when using a chemical fire extinguishing agent. If water is used as the fire extinguishing agent, problems such as deterioration of the members of such a structure can be avoided.

[0017] In the figure, an example is given where three different types of fire extinguishing devices 200A, 200B, and 200C are installed as the fire extinguishing device 200. The number of each of 200A, 200B, and 200C provided in the fire extinguishing system is not particularly limited.

[0018] The fire extinguishing device 200A is a water cannon. Since a water cannon can reach a large amount of water to a long distance with a high water discharge pressure, it is used to discharge water for fire extinguishing over a wide range. In the fire prevention system of the present embodiment, a predetermined number of fire extinguishing devices 200A as water cannons are provided so that fire extinguishing can be performed on the entire roof from above the fire prevention object CA.

[0019] The fire extinguishing device 200B is a water discharge nozzle. The water discharge nozzle can discharge water in a fan shape so that the water is diffused from the water discharge port. The water discharge pressure of the water discharge nozzle is suppressed compared with that of the water cannon, and it is suitable for performing fire extinguishing on a limited range. In the fire extinguishing system of the present embodiment, for the fire prevention object CA, a limited water discharge target area that is the target range of water discharge by the fire extinguishing device 200B which is a water discharge nozzle is defined. Such a water discharge target area (an example of the discharge target range) corresponding to the fire extinguishing device 200B may be defined for each certain area or certain volume, for example. However, it may be defined so as to be divided according to the structure, members, etc. of the fire prevention object CA while considering the physical range where the water discharge nozzle can extinguish fire. In the fire extinguishing system of the present embodiment, one or more necessary numbers of fire extinguishing devices 200B are provided corresponding to each of the water discharge target areas defined in this limited manner. For example, the fire prevention object CA of the present embodiment includes a wooden outer wall that has been exposed to rain and wind for many years and damaged like cultural property. That is, in the structure of the building as the fire prevention object CA, there are parts that are easily damaged by water discharge.

[0020] Considering that the fire-protected object CA in this embodiment is a cultural property, care must be taken to minimize damage from water discharge to the parts of the wooden exterior wall that are susceptible to damage from water discharge. For this reason, it is appropriate not to use a water cannon on such susceptible parts, even if it is highly effective in extinguishing the fire. In this embodiment, a fire extinguishing device 200B, which acts as a water discharge nozzle, can be installed in the water discharge area, including such susceptible parts. This makes it possible for the fire extinguishing system of this embodiment to extinguish the fire while minimizing damage to the fire-protected object CA caused by water discharge. The water discharge pressure of the fire extinguishing device 200B, which acts as a water discharge nozzle, may be set individually according to the structure of the fire-protected object CA in the corresponding water discharge area.

[0021] The fire extinguishing device 200C is a drencher. A drencher is a fire extinguishing device that prevents the spread of fire to the target object by forming a water film by spraying water from multiple nozzles arranged in predetermined locations. The fire extinguishing device 200, which is a drencher, may be installed, for example, in cases where the target object CA is divided into a main building and an annex, to prevent the spread of fire from the annex to the main building, or from the main building to the annex.

[0022] As can be understood from the above explanation, fire extinguishing systems 200A, 200B, and 200C each have different specifications, such as the water discharge range and water pressure. Furthermore, the fire extinguishing systems 200A, 200B, and 200C used are selected according to the structural characteristics of the building CA that is subject to fire protection.

[0023] Furthermore, in the same figure, a first water discharge direction variable unit 210 is provided for a portion of fire extinguishing devices 200A and 200B. The first water discharge direction variable unit 210 operates to change the water discharge direction of the corresponding fire extinguishing device 200 in accordance with the control of the fire prevention control device 600. Such a first water discharge direction variable unit 210 includes, for example, a motor and a movable mechanism, and the movable mechanism is driven to change the water discharge direction of the fire extinguishing device 200 in accordance with the rotation of the motor in accordance with the control of the fire prevention control device 600. The water discharge direction changed by the first water discharge direction variable unit 210 may be at least one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

[0024] Furthermore, in the same figure, a second water discharge direction variable section 220 is provided for a part of the fire extinguishing device 200B. The second water discharge direction variable section 220 changes the water discharge direction by rotating it 360° based on the water pressure obtained during water discharge. Such a second water discharge direction variable section 220 is configured to include a mechanism that rotates in a specific direction at a speed corresponding to the water pressure obtained during water discharge. For example, in a building CA subject to fire protection, there may be a courtyard-like area surrounded by buildings. If a fire extinguishing device 200B equipped with a second water discharge direction variable unit 220 is installed in such a courtyard, it becomes possible to evenly distribute water to the surrounding buildings without having to specifically control the water discharge direction during firefighting. The second water discharge direction variable section 220 can also be applied to the fire extinguishing device 200A as a water cannon, but the figure shows an example where it is applied to a part of the fire extinguishing device 200B as a water discharge nozzle.

[0025] Each of the fire extinguishing devices 200 is connected to a water pipe 410 via a valve 300. The water pipe 410 is connected to a pump 400. The pump 400 draws water from the water tank 500 and supplies the drawn water to the water pipe 410. As described above, when water is supplied to the water pipe 410 by the pump 400, pressure is applied to the water in the water pipe 410. The fire prevention control device 600 is capable of individually opening and closing each of the valves 300. When the corresponding valve 300 is opened by the control of the fire prevention control device 600 while water is being supplied to the water pipe 410 from the pump 400, the fire extinguishing device 200 discharges water. The amount of water discharged per unit time may be adjustable according to the opening degree of the valve 300. In addition, the water discharge pressure of the fire extinguishing device 200 may be adjustable by the corresponding valve 300. Furthermore, the valve 300 may be provided in common for multiple fire extinguishing devices 200 in each certain compartment.

[0026] When no fire is occurring, the fire extinguishing system 200 is preferably installed in a manner that does not impair the aesthetic appearance or landscape of the fire-protected building CA, which is a cultural property. Since the fire extinguishing device 200A, which functions as a water cannon, is relatively large, it may be stored in a storage box, for example, during normal operation, and the storage box may be designed to open manually or automatically when water is to be discharged. Alternatively, the fire extinguishing device 200 may be stored underground during normal operation, and the lid of the storage location may be designed to open manually or automatically when water is to be discharged. Furthermore, the fire extinguishing devices 200 (200A, 200B, 200C) may be installed on poles erected within the premises, in addition to being installed on the ground.

[0027] The water storage tank 500 is a tank that stores water to be discharged by the fire extinguishing system 200. The water storage tank 500 may be installed, for example, by being buried within the site of the fire-protected building CA. Alternatively, the water storage tank 500 may be a structure that is combined with a water basin within the site of the fire-protected building CA. A water level sensor 510 is installed in the water storage tank 500. The water level sensor 510 detects the water level in the water storage tank 500. The water level information detected by the water level sensor 510 is output to the fire prevention control device 600.

[0028] The fire prevention control device 600 performs fire prevention control for the building CA. The fire prevention control device 600 acquires detection information from each of the sensors 100 and makes a determination about the fire-related situation based on the acquired detection information.

[0029] As part of the fire-related situation, the fire control device 600 determines whether a fire has occurred. In determining the fire situation, the fire control device 600 may determine (identify) whether a fire has occurred, the location where the fire occurred, etc. The fire prevention control device 600, upon determining that a fire has occurred, controls the fire extinguishing device 200 to discharge water at the location where the fire has occurred.

[0030] Furthermore, as part of the determination of fire-related situations, the fire control device 600 may make a determination regarding suspicious persons. That is, the fire control device 600 may make a determination regarding whether a suspicious person has approached or entered the fire-protected building CA. The fire control device 600 may output an alarm in response to the detection of a suspicious person. As a form of alarm output, the fire control device 600 may, for example, transmit alarm information via the network to the terminal of the security officer at the fire-protected building CA. Alternatively, as a form of alarm output, the fire control device 600 may control the system so that an alarm is issued by an alarm device (not shown) installed at the fire-protected building CA.

[0031] Figure 2 shows an example configuration of the fire protection control device 600. In this figure, the fire protection control device 600 is shown along with sensors 100 (100A, 100B, 100C) and fire extinguishing devices 200 (200A, 200B, 200C). Note that there are some discrepancies between the breakdown of sensors 100 (100A, 100B, 100C) and the breakdown of fire extinguishing devices 200 (200A, 200B, 200C) in Figure 2. This indicates that the sensors 100 and fire extinguishing devices 200 should be appropriately modified according to the structure of the building CA.

[0032] Referring to Figure 2, an example configuration of the fire protection control device 600 of this embodiment will be described. The functions of the fire protection control device 600 shown in the figure are realized by the execution of a program by the CPU (Central Processing Unit) provided in the hardware of the fire protection control device 600. The fire prevention control device 600 in the figure includes a sensor interface 601, a fire extinguishing device interface 602, a control unit 603, a storage unit 604, and a communication unit 605.

[0033] The sensor interface 601 is an interface that performs information input and output between the sensor 100 and the control unit 603. The sensor interface 601 outputs detection information output by the sensor 100 to the control unit 603. The sensor interface 601 can also transmit commands output by the control unit 603 for the control of the sensor 100 to the sensor 100 to be controlled. By enabling the transmission and reception of commands in this way, the control unit 603 can, for example, control the camera sensor 100A to change its zoom magnification, imaging direction, etc. The connection between the sensor interface 601 and the sensor 100 may be wireless or wired.

[0034] The fire extinguishing system interface 602 is an interface that performs information input and output between the control unit 603 and the fire extinguishing system 200. The control unit 603 specifies the destination valve 300 and sends an open / close command. The open / close command is, for example, a command that specifies the degree to which the valve 300 should be opened. The fire extinguishing system interface 602 forwards the received open / close command to the valve 300 specified as the destination. The valve 300 operates to the degree of opening indicated by the received open / close command. Furthermore, the control unit 603 specifies the first water discharge direction variable unit 210 as the transmission destination and transmits a water discharge direction command. The water discharge direction command is, for example, a command that indicates the water discharge direction (vertical angle, horizontal angle) of the valve 300. The fire extinguishing system interface 602 forwards the received water discharge direction command to the valve 300 designated as the transmission destination. The valve 300 operates in the direction indicated by the received water discharge direction command. The connection between the fire extinguishing system interface 602 and the fire extinguishing system 200 may be wireless or wired.

[0035] The control unit 603 performs various controls in the fire prevention control device 600. The control unit 603 includes a fire-related situation determination unit 631 and a fire prevention control unit 632. The fire-related situation determination unit 631 determines the fire-related situation. In other words, based on the detection information from the sensor 100, the fire-related situation determination unit 631 determines the fire situation at the fire-protected building CA. The fire-related situation determination unit 631 determines, for example, whether or not a fire has occurred, and if it determines that a fire has occurred, it may further identify the location where the fire occurred. The fire prevention control unit 632 performs fire prevention controls. These fire prevention controls include controls to extinguish a fire that has occurred and controls to output alarms, etc., in response to the intrusion of an intruder. If the fire-related situation determination unit 631 determines that a fire has occurred, the fire control unit 632 executes a control to cause the fire extinguishing device 200 to discharge water so that the fire at the location where the fire has occurred is extinguished. Furthermore, the fire-related situation determination unit 631 may also make a determination regarding the intrusion of a suspicious person as a fire-related situation. Specifically, the fire-related situation determination unit 631 may determine whether or not a suspicious person has entered the fire-protected building CA, and the location where the intruder is located, etc., as the intrusion of a suspicious person.

[0036] The storage unit 604 stores various types of information corresponding to the fire prevention control device 600. The storage unit 604 includes a sensor installation information storage unit 641, a fire extinguishing device installation information storage unit 642, a priority area information storage unit 643, and a drawing data storage unit 644.

[0037] The sensor installation information storage unit 641 stores sensor installation information. The sensor installation information includes predetermined information items related to the sensor 100 installed in accordance with the fire-protected object CA. Figure 3 shows an example of sensor installation information. The sensor installation information has a structure in which the sensor type and the detection target area ID are associated as information items for each sensor ID that indicates an installed sensor 100. The sensor ID is associated with the installation location of the corresponding sensor 100 in the drawing data of the fire-protected object CA stored in the drawing data storage unit 644. The sensor type indicates the type of sensor being used. In this embodiment, the sensor type is indicated as one of the following: camera, infrared sensor, or gas sensor. The detection target area ID is an identifier that indicates the area (detection target area) that the corresponding sensor 100 will detect in the fire-protected building CA. The detection target area corresponding to the detection target area ID is shown in the drawing data of the fire-protected building CA.

[0038] The fire extinguishing system installation information storage unit 642 stores fire extinguishing system installation information. The fire extinguishing system installation information includes predetermined information items related to the installed fire extinguishing system 200. Figure 4 shows an example of fire extinguishing system installation information. For each fire extinguishing system ID indicating an installed fire extinguishing system 200, the information items include the system type, the water discharge target area ID, and the corresponding detection target area ID. The fire extinguishing system ID is associated with the installation location of the corresponding fire extinguishing system 200 in the drawing data of the fire-protected building CA stored in the drawing data storage unit 644. The device type indicates the type of device of the corresponding fire extinguishing system 200. In this embodiment, the device type is indicated as one of the following: camera, infrared sensor, or gas sensor.

[0039] The water discharge area ID is an identifier that indicates the area (water discharge area) that will be subject to water discharge by the corresponding fire extinguishing device 200 in the fire-protected building CA. The water discharge area corresponding to the water discharge area ID is shown in the drawing data of the fire-protected building CA stored in the drawing data storage unit 644. Furthermore, multiple fire extinguishing devices 200 may be installed to discharge water to the same single target area. In this case, the single target area may be stored in the fire extinguishing installation information of the multiple fire extinguishing devices.

[0040] The corresponding detection target area ID is the detection target area ID of the detection target area designated as the corresponding detection target area. The corresponding detection target area is the detection target area that overlaps with the water discharge target area associated with the fire extinguishing system 200. In addition, there may be cases where multiple detection target areas overlap with the water discharge target area of ​​one fire extinguishing device 200. In such cases, as shown in the figure, the detection target area IDs of the multiple detection target areas may be stored in association with the water discharge target area 1.

[0041] The priority area information storage unit 643 contains information indicating priority areas in the fire-protected building CA where firefighting should be carried out with priority. The priority area information corresponding to one priority area may include a priority area ID. The location range of the priority area indicated by the priority area ID is shown in the drawing data of the fire-protected building CA stored in the drawing data storage unit 644.

[0042] The drawing data storage unit 644 stores drawing data. The drawing data is drawing data of the building as a fire-protected object CA. The drawing data may also include a map of the fire-protected object CA and its surrounding site. As mentioned above, the drawing data indicates the location where the sensor 100 is installed, the location range of the detection target area, the location where the fire extinguishing device 200 is installed, and the location range of the water discharge target area.

[0043] The communication unit 605 communicates with the outside world via a network or other means. By having the communication unit 605, the fire prevention control device 600 can communicate with terminals of fire prevention managers and security personnel. It can also access websites on the internet to obtain necessary information such as weather (meteorological) information.

[0044] Referring to the flowchart in Figure 5, an example of a processing procedure performed by the fire prevention control device 600 of this embodiment in relation to fire extinguishing control will be described. Step S100: In the fire control device 600, the fire-related situation determination unit 631 acquires detection information output from each of the sensors 100.

[0045] Steps S102-S106 below are processes to respond to an intruder's intrusion, and steps S108-S112 are processes to respond to a fire. Furthermore, the processes in steps S102-S106 (responding to an intruder's intrusion) and the processes in steps S108-S112 (responding to a fire) are executed in parallel.

[0046] First, we will explain the process for dealing with an intruder's intrusion, as described in steps S102 to S106. Step S102: The fire-related situation determination unit 631 determines the intruder situation as a fire-related situation based on the detection information from the sensor 100 acquired in step S100. The fire-related situation determination unit 631 first determines whether or not an intruder has entered the premises of the fire-protected building CA, and if it determines that an intruder has entered, it further tracks the intruder's location. The fire-related situation determination unit 631 may also determine the actions of the intruder being tracked (for example, arson). The fire-related situation determination unit 631 may perform the process in step S102 using a trained model. A trained model corresponding to the processing in step S102 may be constructed by inputting detection information from sensors 100 (100A, 100B, 100C) into a learning device and having the learning device output a result of determining the intruder situation.

[0047] Step S104: The fire-related situation determination unit 631 determines whether or not it has been determined that an intruder has entered the area, based on the results of the intruder intrusion determination in step S102. Step S106: If it is determined that an intruder has entered, the fire control unit 632 executes control to output an alarm indicating the presence of an intruder (alarm output control). As described above, the alarm output control may involve sending alarm information to the security officer's terminal in order to output an alarm at the terminal. Alternatively, the alarm output control may involve executing an alarm at an alarm device (not shown) installed in the fire-protected building CA. The alarm output in step S104 may be configured to be stopped in response to a command to stop the alarm, for example, from a terminal of a security officer.

[0048] Next, we will explain the process corresponding to fire response in steps S108 to S112. Step S108: The fire-related situation determination unit 631 determines the fire occurrence status as a fire-related situation. The fire-related situation determination unit 631 first determines whether or not a fire has occurred in the fire-protected building CA, and if it determines that a fire has occurred, it further determines the location where the fire occurred (fire location) and the scale of the fire at the fire location. The fire-related situation determination unit 631 may determine the location of the fire in units of the detection target area corresponding to the sensor 100 that detected the event corresponding to the fire. Alternatively, for example, based on the image captured by the sensor 100A acting as a camera, it is possible to determine the occurrence of a fire in units of a partial area within the detection target area corresponding to the sensor 100A. Therefore, the fire-related situation determination unit 631 may determine the location of the fire as a partial area within the detection target area corresponding to the sensor 100 that captured the image corresponding to the fire. The fire-related situation determination unit 631 may perform the process in step S108 using a trained model. A trained model corresponding to the processing in step S108 may be constructed by inputting detection information from sensors 100 (100A, 100B, 100C) into a learning device and having the learning device output a determination result of the fire occurrence status.

[0049] Step S110: The fire control unit 632 executes a process (operation pattern determination process) to determine a pattern for operating the fire extinguishing devices 200 (operation pattern (example of operation settings)) according to the result of the fire situation determination in step S108. Determining the operation pattern of the fire extinguishing devices 200 here means deciding whether to stop each fire extinguishing device 200 and whether to discharge water, and for the fire extinguishing devices 200 that discharge water, determining predetermined water discharge parameters. The water discharge parameters are, for example, water discharge pressure and water discharge direction.

[0050] Step S112: The fire control unit 632 performs operation control to operate each of the fire extinguishing devices 200 according to the operation pattern determined in step S108. This operation control includes control to discharge water to the fire extinguishing devices 200 designated for operation according to the determined water discharge parameters, and control to stop the fire extinguishing devices 200 designated for non-operation. After the processing in steps S106 and S112, the process returns to step S100.

[0051] Referring to the flowchart in Figure 6, an example of the procedure in the operation pattern determination process as step S110 in Figure 6 will be explained. Step S200: The fire control unit 632 determines whether the result of the fire occurrence determination in step S108 indicates that a fire has occurred.

[0052] Step S202: The fire control unit 632 first determines the areas to be extinguished (fire extinguishing target areas) in the building CA. Multiple fire extinguishing target areas may be determined depending on the fire situation. Specifically, the fire control unit 632 sets an area containing one or more fire locations determined in step S108 as a fire extinguishing area. Multiple fire extinguishing areas may be set in this manner depending on the distribution of fire locations. In other words, if the distance between two fire locations is less than a certain amount, the fire control unit 632 may set one fire extinguishing area containing both fire locations, and if the distance is greater than a certain amount, it may set one fire extinguishing area for each of the two fire locations.

[0053] Step S204: Next, the fire control unit 632 determines whether the amount of water in the water storage tank 500 is below a certain level based on the water level detected by the water level sensor 510. Step S206: If the water level in the water tank 500 is below a certain level, if water is discharged from all fire extinguishing devices 200 corresponding to the set fire extinguishing target area, there is a possibility that the water available for discharge will run out before the fire can be fully extinguished. Therefore, in this case, the fire prevention control unit 632 determines whether or not any of the priority areas indicated by the priority area information stored in the priority area information storage unit 643 are included in the fire extinguishing target area set in step S202. Step S208: If it is determined that a priority area is included in the area to be extinguished, the fire control unit 632 changes the setting of the area to be extinguished so that areas other than the priority area are excluded from the area to be extinguished set in step S202, leaving only the priority area.

[0054] Step S210: After processing in step S208, or if it is determined in step S204 that the water level in the water storage tank 500 is above a certain level, or if it is determined in step S206 that the fire extinguishing target area does not include a priority area, the fire prevention control unit 632 refers to the fire extinguishing device installation information and identifies the fire extinguishing device 200 that includes the water discharge target area corresponding to the fire extinguishing target area. The fire prevention control unit 632 sets the identified fire extinguishing device 200 as an operational target that should be activated (water discharged) according to the current fire situation. In this case, among the fire extinguishing devices 200 that were set as targets for operation in the previous step S210, the fire extinguishing devices 200 that were also set as targets for operation in the current step S210 will maintain their status as targets for operation. On the other hand, fire extinguishing devices 200 that were targeted for operation in the previous step S210 but are no longer determined to have a fire in their corresponding fire extinguishing area (i.e., fire extinguishing has been completed) are changed from being targeted for operation to being deactivated in step S108.

[0055] The detection target areas corresponding to each sensor 100 and the water discharge target areas corresponding to each fire extinguishing device 200 do not necessarily coincide and are different. Therefore, by setting the fire extinguishing target areas through the processing in steps S202 to S208, and then selecting the fire extinguishing devices 200 whose water discharge target areas overlap with the set fire extinguishing target areas as targets for operation, it is possible to appropriately set the fire extinguishing devices 200 to be targeted for operation at the location of the fire.

[0056] Step S212: The fire control unit 632 determines the water discharge parameters for each fire extinguishing device 200 that was set as the target of operation in step S210. Here, we will explain using the example where the water discharge parameters are the water discharge pressure and the water discharge direction. The fire control unit 632 may set the water discharge pressure for the fire extinguishing device 200 to be operated in the corresponding fire extinguishing area according to the fire scale determined in step S108. By setting the water discharge pressure in this way, when the fire scale is small, it becomes possible to effectively extinguish the fire while minimizing damage to structures in the corresponding fire extinguishing area. Furthermore, the fire control unit 632 derives a water discharge direction for the fire extinguishing device 200 that is the target of operation, according to the location of the fire determined in step S108 within the corresponding fire extinguishing area. When deriving the water discharge direction, if the corresponding location of the fire is widespread, the fire control unit 632 may derive a water discharge direction that covers as much of the entire area of ​​the fire as possible. If the area of ​​the corresponding location of the fire is narrow, the fire control unit 632 may derive a water discharge direction that allows water to be discharged as much as possible to be limited to the location of the fire. The fire prevention control unit 632 sets the derived water discharge direction in correspondence with the fire extinguishing device 200 to be operated.

[0057] For fire extinguishing systems 200 whose water discharge pressure is fixed, the setting of the water discharge pressure in step S212 may be omitted. Also, for fire extinguishing systems 200 whose first water discharge direction variable unit 210 is not provided, or whose water discharge direction is fixed even if the first water discharge direction variable unit 210 is provided, the setting of the water discharge pressure in step S212 may be omitted.

[0058] Step S214: Next, the fire control unit 632 obtains weather information for the area including the fire-protected building CA. The fire control unit 632 may obtain weather information for the area from, for example, a website that provides weather information on the internet. Furthermore, if wind information is sufficient as weather information, the fire prevention control unit 632 may acquire wind speed and wind direction information measured by, for example, an anemometer installed on the premises of the fire-protected building CA.

[0059] Step S216: The fire control unit 632 corrects the settings for the fire extinguishing device 200 that is the target of operation in steps S210 and S212. For example, as wind occurs, the water discharge range of the fire extinguishing device 200 shifts from its original position corresponding to a windless state, and this shift increases as the wind strengthens. If the shift in the water discharge range of the fire extinguishing device 200 becomes large, it may become difficult for the water to hit the area where the fire should be extinguished, potentially resulting in insufficient firefighting. Therefore, the fire control unit 632 corrects the settings of the fire extinguishing device 200 to be operated based on the wind information indicated by the weather information acquired in step S214, so that sufficient firefighting can be performed regardless of the wind.

[0060] Specifically, the fire control unit 632 may correct the settings of the fire extinguishing system 200 to be operated by correcting the water discharge pressure, which is one of the water discharge parameters of the fire extinguishing system 200 to be operated, according to the wind strength (wind speed) indicated by the wind information acquired in step S214. By doing so, the fire control unit 632 can correct the water discharge pressure to increase in accordance with the wind strength, thereby making it less susceptible to the effects of wind and suppressing deviations in the water discharge range.

[0061] Furthermore, as a correction to the settings of the fire extinguishing devices 200 to be activated, the fire control unit 632 derives, based on information such as wind speed and direction and water discharge pressure, the portion of the fire area where water will no longer reach due to a shift in the water discharge range of the fire extinguishing devices 200 that were set as activated in step S210. The fire control unit 632 then newly configures the fire extinguishing devices 200 to be activated so that water is discharged to the portion of the fire area where water will no longer reach. In addition, the fire control unit 632 may change the settings of any fire extinguishing devices 200 that were set as activated in step S210 but can no longer reach the fire area due to a shift in the water discharge range to non-activated.

[0062] Step S218: If the fire occurrence status determination result in step S200 is determined not to indicate a fire, the fire prevention control unit 632 sets all fire extinguishing devices 200 to be inactive as an operating pattern. At this time, the fire prevention control unit 632 continues to set the fire extinguishing devices 200 that were previously set to be inactive to inactive. In addition, the fire prevention control unit 632 changes the setting of fire extinguishing devices 200 that were previously active to inactive.

[0063] In this way, the fire control unit 632 can set the target fire extinguishing device 200 and the water discharge parameters of the target fire extinguishing device 200 as an operating pattern. In step S112 described above, the fire control unit 632 controls the water discharge operation of the target fire extinguishing device 200 according to the operating pattern set as described above. At this time, the fire control unit 632 controls the water discharge to stop for fire extinguishing devices 200 that were previously targeted for operation but have been designated as inactive by this operating pattern determination process. Furthermore, in step S112, the fire control unit 632 has set the fire extinguishing devices 200 as non-operational based on the previous operation pattern determination process, and these devices have also been set as non-operational by this operation pattern determination process. Therefore, no control is performed on their operation, and they remain in the same non-operational state as before. Consequently, in situations where no fires are occurring, the processing procedure from step S200 through step S218 to step S112 is repeated, and all fire extinguishing devices 200 remain in a non-operational state.

[0064] <Variation> The following describes variations of this embodiment. The variations described below may be combined as appropriate. [First variation] The fire control unit 632 may, for security purposes against intruders, cause the fire extinguishing device 200 installed in a designated location to discharge water at a certain pressure or lower, even when no fire is occurring. By causing the fire extinguishing device 200 to discharge water at such a low pressure, it is possible to inform the surroundings that the area is on alert for intruders, thereby deterring intruders from entering the area and committing criminal acts.

[0065] [Second variation] In the above embodiment, the fire control device 600 performs fire-related situation determination (determination of fire occurrence status, determination of intruder status). In this modified example, each sensor 100 may perform fire-related situation determination individually. In this case, the sensor 100 may perform fire-related situation determination using a trained model.

[0066] [Third variation] Priority levels may be set for priority areas. Then, the fire control unit 632 may change the setting of the fire extinguishing target area in step S208 by gradually excluding priority areas with lower priority levels as the water level in the water tank 500 decreases. The priority area may also be an area that coincides with a predetermined detection target area or a predetermined water discharge target area.

[0067] [Fourth variation] In the event of a fire, if, for example, it is raining or the humidity is high, the fire can be effectively extinguished even if the amount of water discharged is reduced to some extent. Therefore, the fire control unit 632 may change the water discharge pressure by changing the amount of water discharged from the fire extinguishing device 200 based on weather information such as rainfall.

[0068] [Fifth variation] The function of the fire prevention control device 600 may be realized, for example, by the coordinated operation of multiple devices that are connected in a communicative manner.

[0069] [Sixth variation] The fire protection system of this embodiment targets fire protection objects CA, which are not limited to cultural properties but may also include various other types of buildings.

[0070] Alternatively, the program for realizing the functions of the fire prevention control device 600 described above may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform the processing of the fire prevention control device 600 described above. Here, "loading the program recorded on the recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into the computer system. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer system" may also include multiple computer devices connected via a network including communication lines. The recording medium also includes internal or external recording media that are accessible from a distribution server for distributing the program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 100 Sensor, 200 Fire extinguishing device, 210 First water discharge direction variable unit, 220 Second water discharge direction variable unit, 300 Valve, 400 Pump, 410 Water distribution pipe, 500 Water storage tank, 510 Water level sensor, 600 Fire prevention control device, 601 Sensor interface, 602 Fire extinguishing device interface, 603 Control unit, 604 Storage unit, 605 Communication unit, 631 Fire-related situation determination unit, 632 Fire prevention control unit, 641 Sensor installation information storage unit, 642 Fire extinguishing device installation information storage unit, 643 Priority area information storage unit, 644 Drawing data storage unit

Claims

1. A sensor is provided in a fire-protected building, corresponding to each predetermined detection range, and capable of detecting a predetermined event within the corresponding detection range. A fire extinguishing device provided in accordance with each predetermined discharge area in the aforementioned fire-protected building, having specifications for fire extinguishing agent discharge according to the structural characteristics of the corresponding discharge area, Based on the detection results of the aforementioned sensor, a fire-related status determination unit determines whether or not a fire has occurred in each detection area of ​​the fire-protected building, and if it determines that a fire has occurred, it further identifies the location of the fire. A fire control unit determines the operating settings for each fire extinguishing device located in the discharge target range corresponding to the fire extinguishing target range set based on the fire occurrence status for each detection target range determined by the fire-related status determination unit, and controls the discharge of the fire extinguishing agent according to the operating settings. A fire prevention system equipped with the necessary features.

2. The fire control unit determines the water discharge parameters, including the direction of water discharge according to the location of the fire, as the operating settings for each fire extinguishing device to discharge water. The fire prevention system according to claim 1.

3. If the fire-related situation determination unit determines that a fire has occurred, it further determines the scale of the fire at the identified fire location. The fire control unit determines the water discharge parameters, which further include the water discharge pressure corresponding to the scale of the fire, as the operating settings for each fire extinguishing device to discharge water. The fire prevention system according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned sensor includes a camera, an infrared sensor, and a gas sensor. The camera is provided to capture an image of the detection target area in order to detect a visually recognizable event within the detection target area, and to acquire an image of the detection target area. The infrared sensor is installed in place of the camera in the detection target range where it is difficult to detect the events that occur in the initial stages of a fire based on the captured image, and detects the heat generated in response to the fire. The gas sensor is installed in place of the camera in the detection target range where it is difficult to detect the generation of smoke as the event based on the captured image, and detects gas or odor generated in connection with a fire. The fire-related situation determination unit determines the fire situation based on the captured image acquired by the camera, the heat detected by the infrared sensor, and the gas or odor detected by the gas sensor. The fire prevention system according to claim 1.

5. A fire control method for a fire protection system comprising: sensors provided corresponding to each predetermined detection range in a fire-protected building and capable of detecting predetermined events within the corresponding detection range; and fire extinguishing devices provided corresponding to each predetermined discharge range in the fire-protected building and having specifications for fire extinguishing agent discharge according to the structural characteristics of the corresponding discharge range, Based on the detection results of the aforementioned sensor, the presence or absence of a fire is determined for each detection area within the fire-protected building. If it is determined that a fire has occurred, the location of the fire is further identified. For each fire extinguishing device located in the discharge target range corresponding to the fire extinguishing target range set based on the fire occurrence status for each detection target range determined in the aforementioned identification step, the operation setting content is determined according to the fire occurrence status, and the device is controlled so that the fire extinguishing agent is discharged according to the operation setting content. A fire prevention control method including

6. A computer in a fire prevention system comprising sensors provided in accordance with each predetermined detection range in a fire-protected building and capable of detecting predetermined events within the corresponding detection range, and fire extinguishing devices provided in accordance with each predetermined discharge range in the fire-protected building and having specifications for fire extinguishing agent discharge according to the structural characteristics of the corresponding discharge range, Based on the detection results of the aforementioned sensor, a fire-related status determination unit determines whether or not a fire has occurred in each detection area of ​​the fire-protected building, and if it determines that a fire has occurred, it further identifies the location of the fire. A fire control unit determines the operating settings for each fire extinguishing device located in the discharge target range corresponding to the fire extinguishing target range set based on the fire occurrence status for each detection target range determined by the fire-related status determination unit, and controls the discharge of the fire extinguishing agent according to the operating settings. A program designed to function as such.

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