Single Two-Wire Circuit for Fire and Mass Notification Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire and mass notification devices require separate two-wire circuits for deployment, leading to increased installation costs and complexity, particularly when retrofitting systems to include both fire and mass notification capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Encoding instructions for activating fire or mass notification devices using specifically timed voltage dropout pulses within a synchronization protocol sent over a single two-wire circuit, allowing both types of devices to be synchronized and controlled simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate two-wire circuits are used for fire notification devices and mass notification devices, then each device type can be deployed independently with reliable control, but installation costs increase and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines fire notification devices and mass notification devices onto a single two-wire circuit, eliminating the need for separate circuits. The control panel uses encoded voltage dropout pulses to distinguish between different device types and activate appropriate devices, thereby reducing installation complexity while maintaining reliable control through precise signal encoding.
Solution Approach 2:
The single two-wire circuit is designed to serve multiple functions by carrying differentiated control signals. The synchronization protocol with encoded voltage dropout pulses enables the same physical circuit to selectively activate either fire notification devices or mass notification devices based on the emergency type, making the circuit universal rather than dedicated to a single function.
2Ease of operation
If separate two-wire circuits are used for fire notification devices and mass notification devices, then each device type can be controlled independently, but installation costs and retrofitting complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges fire and mass notification systems onto a single circuit infrastructure, reducing material costs and installation labor. The control panel encodes activation instructions using voltage dropout pulse timing and patterns, allowing independent control of different device types while sharing the same physical circuit, thereby lowering installation costs without sacrificing operational independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter changes in the control signals—specifically, variations in voltage dropout pulse timing, duration, and patterns—to differentiate between fire and mass notification activations. This allows the same circuit to control different device types by changing signal parameters rather than requiring separate circuits, reducing installation costs while maintaining independent control capability.
3Loss of information
If separate two-wire circuits are used for fire notification devices and mass notification devices, then device-specific control signals can be transmitted without interference, but synchronization between devices becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a periodic synchronization protocol with regular pulse sequences that coordinate activation across all notification devices. By using periodic voltage dropout pulses at specific intervals and patterns, the system ensures synchronized operation of fire and mass notification devices while maintaining clear signal differentiation, thereby managing synchronization complexity through rhythmic, predictable signal structures.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of a method for activating a stimulus on a notification device includes encoding an instruction to activate the stimulus in a voltage dropout pulse of a synchronization protocol and sending the synchronization protocol, including the voltage dropout pulse, over a single two wire circuit to which a fire notification device and a mass notification device are coupled, where the notification device is the fire notification device or the mass notification device.