Microcontroller Temperature Diode for Fire Alarm Sensitivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire alarms, particularly simple optical smoke detectors, are insensitive to open fires with small smoke particles, leading to late alarms and increased false alarms when trying to meet various test fire standards, and combination hazard detectors with additional sensors are costly.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a temperature measuring device within the microcontroller of a fire alarm, using the housing temperature as an additional input to evaluate the measuring signal, thereby enhancing sensitivity and reducing false alarms without additional equipment costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensitivity of an optical fire detector is increased to detect all test fires, then the detection capability improves, but the probability and frequency of false alarms increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines optical detection and temperature detection into a single integrated system. The microcontroller includes both an optical measuring device for detecting smoke particles and a temperature measuring device for detecting temperature changes. The microcontroller evaluates both measurement signals together to determine hazardous situations, allowing the system to maintain high detection sensitivity while reducing false alarms through multi-parameter verification
Solution Approach 2:
The microcontroller serves multiple functions: it controls the light source, receives optical measurement signals from the light receiver, processes temperature measurement signals from the integrated temperature measuring device, and makes alarm decisions based on combined evaluation of both signal types. This multi-functional integration allows a single component to perform what previously required separate devices
2Measurement precision
If additional sensor inputs are added to create combination hazard detectors, then the detection capability improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the temperature measuring device directly into the microcontroller structure. The temperature measuring device shares the microcontroller's housing, power supply, and signal processing resources. This integration eliminates the need for separate temperature sensor modules, reducing structural complexity while maintaining the combination hazard detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The microcontroller is designed to handle multiple measurement tasks using a single integrated structure. It processes both optical signals from the light receiver and temperature signals from the integrated temperature measuring device, making a single component perform the work of what would traditionally require multiple separate sensors and processing units
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 improves the detection of hazardous situations with a low false alarm rate in a cost-effective manner, meeting fire detection standards while reducing the likelihood of false alarms and maintaining sensitivity.
Implementation Method 1
a light-emitting diode which emits light in the visible or in the infrared spectral range
Implementation Method 2
light scattered by smoke particles is received by a light receiving element
Implementation Method 3
a temperature measuring device for detecting a temperature and for outputting a temperature measuring signal which is indicative of the detected temperature
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The detector (100) has an optical measuring device for detecting a physical measuring variable and transmitting measurement signals indicative of a preset dangerous situation e.g. smoke. A microcontroller (120) is downstream of the device and evaluates the signals. A temperature measuring diode (125) detects absolute temperature and transmits a temperature measurement signal indicative of the detected temperature. The diode is integrated in the microcontroller that considers the temperature measuring signal during the evaluation of the measurement signals. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for detecting a dangerous situation (2) a computer-readable storage medium comprising a program that is executed by a microcontroller of a danger detector to perform a method for detecting a dangerous situation (3) a program-element for execution by a microcontroller of a danger detector to perform a method for detecting a dangerous situation.