Fire Alarm Control Panel Group Notification Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fire alarm control systems are inefficient in activating multiple groups of remote notification devices simultaneously, failing to meet the Underwriters Laboratory of Canada's 5-second timing requirement due to the need for spaced individual commands, which results in prolonged messaging times and delayed activation of all groups.
Innovation Solution
A fire alarm control panel configured with processors and memories that receive a single input command to contemporaneously control the power condition of multiple groups of remote notification devices using a bitmap or formatted message, allowing for simultaneous activation or deactivation without intentional delays, thereby bypassing the constraints of the current protocol's spacing requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual VNAC activation commands are sent spaced apart by protocol requirements (50ms in standby mode, 250ms in alarm mode), then each command can be processed individually, but the total messaging time increases significantly (up to 5 seconds for 20 groups in alarm mode), failing to meet the ULC 5-second timing requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual VNAC activation commands into a single consolidated command that can control multiple groups of remote notification devices simultaneously. This merging approach allows the fire alarm control panel to send one message that activates multiple VNACs at once, rather than sending separate spaced-apart messages for each group, thereby reducing total messaging time and meeting the ULC 5-second timing requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the fire alarm control panel with the ability to prepare and execute consolidated activation commands. The system can identify and prepare multiple groups for simultaneous activation before the actual command execution, allowing the control panel to manage multiple VNACs efficiently without being constrained by protocol spacing requirements for each individual device.
2Ease of operation
If multiple groups of remote notification devices are activated using separate spaced-apart commands, then each group can be controlled independently, but the activation of all groups is delayed until the last command is received
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple group control operations into a single command structure that can simultaneously control multiple groups. This allows the fire alarm control panel to maintain the ability to control different groups independently through the unified command, while eliminating the sequential delay where groups are activated one after another until the last command is received.
3Reliability
If the current protocol spacing requirements (50ms or 250ms between commands) are enforced, then message processing reliability is maintained, but the system cannot meet the ULC requirement for activating all groups within 5 seconds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by merging multiple command operations into a single consolidated message. This approach maintains message processing reliability by sending one well-formed command rather than multiple spaced-apart commands, while simultaneously achieving faster activation speed by controlling multiple groups in parallel within the single message, thereby meeting the ULC 5-second requirement.
Data Source
AI summary
A fire alarm control panel (FACP), method, and computer program product for interfacing a FACP with remote notification devices. The aspects include receiving, by the FACP, a single input command configured to contemporaneously control a power condition of multiple groups of the remote notification devices by specifically identifying each of the multiple groups of the remote notification devices. The aspects further include contemporaneously controlling, by the FACP, the power condition of the multiple groups of the remote notification devices responsive to an execution of the single input command.