Adaptive Fire Detection Sensitivity Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire detection systems often experience false alarms due to human occupancy, which can lead to reduced sensitivity and potentially missed real fire detections, as they rely on fixed smoke sensitivity settings that do not account for varying occupancy levels.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that adjust smoke sensitivity based on occupancy levels within a smoke detection volume using sensors such as ambient light, motion, infrared, and camera sensors to dynamically set thresholds for triggering alarms or fire suppression systems, increasing sensitivity when unoccupied and decreasing it when occupied.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed smoke sensitivity settings are used, then the system is simple to operate, but false alarms occur in occupied areas and real fires may be missed in unoccupied areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic smoke sensitivity adjustment by transitioning from fixed sensitivity settings to variable sensitivity levels that automatically adapt based on real-time occupancy detection. The system uses occupancy sensors (motion sensors, infrared sensors, or camera-based systems) to detect whether a smoke detection volume is occupied, then dynamically adjusts the smoke detection threshold accordingly - using lower sensitivity thresholds in unoccupied areas to detect even minor smoke particles, and higher sensitivity thresholds in occupied areas to tolerate normal human activity particles without triggering false alarms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the detection parameter (smoke sensitivity threshold) based on occupancy conditions. When occupancy is detected, the threshold is increased to prevent false alarms from human-generated particles. When no occupancy is detected, the threshold is lowered to maximize fire detection sensitivity. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to maintain high reliability across different conditions without requiring complex manual configuration.
2Reliability
If smoke sensitivity is reduced to avoid false alarms in occupied areas, then false alarms decrease, but sensitivity to real fires also decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts smoke detection sensitivity based on real-time occupancy status rather than using a fixed reduced sensitivity level. When the occupancy sensor detects that an area is unoccupied, the smoke detection threshold is lowered to maximum sensitivity, ensuring that even small amounts of smoke from a developing fire are detected. When occupancy is detected, the threshold is temporarily raised to tolerate particles from human activity. This dynamic adjustment ensures that measurement precision is maximized when needed (in unoccupied areas) while maintaining alarm accuracy (in occupied areas).
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from occupancy sensors to continuously adjust smoke detection thresholds. The occupancy detection creates a feedback loop that informs the smoke detection system about environmental conditions, allowing automatic adaptation of sensitivity levels. This feedback mechanism ensures that the system maintains optimal detection precision without manual intervention, resolving the contradiction between alarm accuracy and detection sensitivity.
3Measurement precision
If high smoke sensitivity is used in unoccupied areas, then fire detection accuracy improves, but false alarms increase when occupancy occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic threshold adjustment that automatically adapts sensitivity levels based on occupancy detection. In unoccupied areas, the system uses high sensitivity thresholds to maximize fire detection precision. When occupancy is detected through motion sensors, infrared sensors, or camera systems, the threshold is dynamically adjusted to a lower sensitivity level that tolerates particles generated by human activity. This dynamic adaptation prevents false alarms in occupied areas while maintaining high detection precision in unoccupied areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the detection parameter (smoke threshold) based on occupancy conditions. High sensitivity parameters are applied when areas are unoccupied to maximize fire detection capability. When occupancy is detected, the parameter is adjusted to accommodate human-generated particles without triggering false alarms. This parameter adaptation based on environmental conditions resolves the contradiction between detection precision and alarm reliability.
4Reliability
If occupancy-based sensitivity adjustment is implemented, then false alarms and missed detections are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic smoke sensitivity adjustment by transitioning from fixed sensitivity settings to variable sensitivity levels that automatically adapt based on real-time occupancy detection. The system uses occupancy sensors (motion sensors, infrared sensors, or camera-based systems) to detect whether a smoke detection volume is occupied, then dynamically adjusts the smoke detection threshold accordingly - using lower sensitivity thresholds in unoccupied areas to detect even minor smoke particles, and higher sensitivity thresholds in occupied areas to tolerate normal human activity particles without triggering false alarms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple sensor types (smoke detectors, motion sensors, infrared sensors, or camera systems) into a unified fire detection platform that performs both occupancy detection and smoke detection functions. This multi-functionality allows the system to automatically adapt sensitivity levels without requiring separate dedicated systems, thereby managing complexity through integration rather than proliferation of independent components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces false alarms in occupied areas while maintaining high sensitivity in unoccupied spaces, ensuring timely detection of fires and minimizing unnecessary alerts, thus enhancing fire detection reliability and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor may comprise an infrared light sensor, and preferably a passive infrared light sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A fire detection system (10) includes a plurality of smoke detectors (14) positioned for detection of smoke within one or more smoke detection volumes (12a, 12b). The fire detection system (10) is configured to monitor occupancy of the smoke detection volumes (12a, 12b) or to receive data indicative of occupancy of the smoke detection volumes (12a, 12b), for example from an intrusion detection system (20). The fire detection system (10) is configured to adjust a smoke sensitivity associated with each of the smoke detectors (14) based on the occupancy of the respective smoke detection volume (12a, 12b), with the smoke sensitivity being decreased when the respective smoke detection volume (12a, 12b) is occupied.