Remote Fire Alarm Component Inspection for Installation Readiness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fire alarm systems require frequent manual on-site inspections to ensure operational readiness, which is time-consuming, costly, and disruptive, and may not detect issues outside of the inspection time.

Innovation Solution

A method for remote inspection of system components in a fire alarm system using a monitoring center that collects and evaluates inspection data, allowing for continuous monitoring and reducing the need for manual on-site inspections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual on-site inspections are performed frequently to ensure operational readiness, then reliability is improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate due to time-consuming inspections and disruptions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational readinessVSAvoidinspection time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The fire alarm system performs self-diagnosis through integrated sensors that continuously monitor system components (detectors, notification devices, control panels) and automatically generate inspection data, eliminating the need for manual technician inspections while maintaining reliable operation monitoring

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables continuous monitoring of system components through networked sensors that constantly collect operational data and transmit it to the control panel, replacing periodic manual inspections with uninterrupted automated surveillance to detect issues in real-time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Measurement precision

If manual on-site inspections are performed to detect issues, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity worsens due to the need for manual test devices and process gas systems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveissue detection accuracyVSAvoidinspection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection functionality is extracted from external manual test devices and integrated directly into the fire alarm system components themselves, with sensors built into detectors, notification devices, and control panels to perform self-monitoring without requiring separate inspection equipment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

System components serve multiple functions: fire detectors simultaneously perform fire detection and self-diagnosis of their own operational status, notification devices monitor their own functionality, and control panels coordinate both fire alarm control and inspection data collection, eliminating the need for specialized manual test devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If manual inspections are performed less frequently to reduce costs and disruptions, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates as issues may go undetected outside inspection timeframes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational continuityVSAvoidissue detection capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables continuous monitoring of system components through networked sensors that constantly collect operational data and transmit it to the control panel, replacing periodic manual inspections with uninterrupted automated surveillance to detect issues in real-time without disrupting operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The control panel receives continuous feedback from sensors monitoring system components, automatically processes inspection data to determine component status, and can trigger alerts or notifications when issues are detected, enabling proactive maintenance while maintaining operational continuity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4567537A1Method for inspecting the installation state of at least one system component in a fire alarm arrangement, fire alarm arrangement, monitor centre, computer program and storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.06.11 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP4567537A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4567537A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4567537A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for inspecting the installation status of at least one system component (4) in a fire alarm system (1), wherein the fire alarm system (1) comprises a fire alarm system (2), wherein the fire alarm system (2) has a plurality of system components (4), and a monitoring center (3), wherein the monitoring center (3) carries out a remote inspection of the installation status of the system component (4) on the basis of inspection data, wherein the monitoring center (3) has a status database (8), wherein a period overall assessment for a monitoring period (100) is entered in the status database (8) for the inspected system component (4), wherein the period overall assessment is set as OK - period overall assessment status if the inspected system component (4) is in a predeterminable installation status and as not OK- The periodic overall evaluation state is set if the inspected system component (4) is not in the predeterminable installation state. The invention also relates to a fire alarm system, a monitoring control center, a computer program, and a storage medium.