EP2678844B1 - Alarm triggering device for a security system and method for installing an alarm triggering device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an alarm triggering device for a security system (fire detection, intrusion detection, detection of malfunctions of technical installations, etc.); and a security system (fire detection, intrusion detection, malfunctions of technical installations, ...). It applies in particular to the detection of fire or intrusion in public or private buildings, residential, industrial, commercial or leisure or the detection of malfunctions of technical installations. Thereafter the technical alarms will be designated as the detection of malfunctions of technical installations and, by a predetermined event, a fire, an intrusion or a malfunction of technical installations or the like.

In the case of fire detection, a fire detection system includes an electronic monitoring unit and a detection network in communication with the electronic control unit including one or more alarm triggering devices or detection points. fire. These alarm-triggering devices or detection points may include automatic fire detectors capable of capturing a phenomenon representative of a fire and manual fire detectors (manual triggers) which are able to be actuated by a person discovering a fire situation. Alarm triggering devices are generally distributed in the area or areas to be monitored and connected to the monitoring center. The electronic control unit monitors the area (s) to be monitored using the alarm triggers and emits an alarm when a fire is detected.

The alarm triggering devices are connected to the central monitoring station so as to allow an exchange of information between the central unit and the said alarm triggering devices so that the central unit is informed of the state of each element of the network of alarms. detection, and if necessary to order them.

Fire detection systems are known in which the alarm release devices are connected to the control unit by means of a wireless link. In order to allow reliable and safe monitoring, it is important that the link between each alarm triggering device and the control panel is of good quality to allow the exchange of information. However the quality of the link may be degraded for example because of the presence of obstacles on the radio communication path between said alarm triggering device and the central.

A radio communication fault can be very dangerous when a fire occurs because the alarm triggering device would not be able to communicate with the monitoring station to alert it of the alarm and the presence of a fire .

The positioning of the tripping devices in relation to the central monitoring station is a very important factor in ensuring a good quality wireless link between the two elements. Such positioning, carried out during the installation of the fire detection system, is complicated to do because it requires quality checks of wireless communications with the plant. This is a waste of time, significant additional costs and risks of poorly made installations.

The same disadvantages as those just described are found when considering an intrusion detection system or a malfunction detection system of technical installations.

the document WO 2005/013228 discloses a wireless link alarm system, wherein link quality control means is implemented at the management device level.

The present invention aims to remedy all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks.

For this purpose, according to a first aspect, the present invention is directed to an alarm triggering device for a security system, the alarm triggering device comprising an interface arranged to connect the alarm triggering device to an alarm device. management (often called central or central monitoring) of the security system by means of a wireless link; triggering means for triggering an alarm in the event of a predetermined event; means for controlling the quality of the wireless link for verifying, during an alarm triggering device installation step, the quality of the wireless link between said alarm triggering device and the signaling device; management; and signaling means for signaling an indication of the quality of the wireless link between said alarm triggering device and the management device during the step of installing said alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the control means are arranged to measure a parameter representative of the quality of reception of a predetermined radio control signal coming from said management device.

According to one embodiment, the control means are arranged to measure the signal-to-noise ratio or the intensity of the predetermined radio control signal. Intensity will be designated later any parameter representative of the quality of transmission of information by the radio link such as the amplitude of the signal or its modulation in phase or frequency, for example.

Subsequently, the quality expression of the link to the alarm triggering device will refer to the relative value of the signal-to-noise ratio or the intensity of the predetermined radio control signal received from the management device relative to a value. reference.

Also later the quality expression of the link to the management device will refer to the relative value of the signal-to-noise ratio or the intensity of a predetermined radio control signal received from the alarm trigger device by compared to a reference value.

Finally, the expression quality of the radio link will refer indifferently to the relative value of the signal-to-noise ratio or the intensity of a predetermined radio control signal received from the alarm triggering device or the management device. compared to a reference value.

According to one embodiment, the signaling means are arranged to generate different signaling signals. according to the reception quality of the predetermined control signal.

According to one embodiment, the signaling means are arranged to emit a sound signal whose frequency or volume varies as a function of the quality of the link to the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the signaling means are arranged to emit a light signal whose color or intensity varies as a function of the quality of the link towards the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the signaling means are arranged to emit a flashing light signal whose frequency of flashing varies according to the quality of the link to the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the signaling means are arranged to emit a sound signal in the form of pulses whose pulse repetition frequency varies as a function of the quality of the link towards the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the repetition frequency of the pulses increases as a function of the increase in the quality of the link towards the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the control means are arranged to transmit a test radio signal to the management device; waiting for a predetermined period of time a radio response signal from the management device; and measure the signal intensity or ratio on noise of the radio response signal in the event that a response signal is received.

According to one embodiment, the device may further comprise transmission means for transmitting a predetermined radio control signal to the management device to enable the management device to check the quality of the wireless link between the management device and the device. the triggering device during the step of installing the triggering device.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a security system comprising a management device capable of communicating with at least one alarm triggering device as described above.

• positionnement du dispositif de déclenchement d'alarme à une première position;
• vérification de la qualité de la liaison sans fil entre le dispositif de déclenchement à la première position et le dispositif de gestion;
• signalisation au niveau du dispositif de déclenchement d'une indication de la qualité de la liaison sans fil entre ledit dispositif de déclenchement et le dispositif de gestion; et
• déplacement du dispositif de déclenchement d'alarme à une deuxième position dans la zone à surveiller pour vérifier si la qualité de la liaison sans fil peut être amélioré.

A third aspect of the invention provides a method for installing at least one alarm triggering device of a security system in a zone to be monitored, the security system comprising a management device able to communicate with the security system. triggering device by means of a wireless link, the method comprising steps of:

• positioning the alarm trigger device at a first position;
• checking the quality of the wireless link between the trigger device at the first position and the management device;
• signaling at the triggering device an indication of the quality of the wireless link between said trigger device and the management device; and
• moving the alarm triggering device to a second position in the area to be monitored to check whether the quality of the wireless link can be improved.

According to one embodiment, the verification step comprises a step of measuring a parameter representative of a predetermined radio control signal originating from said management device.

According to one embodiment, the verification step comprises a step of measuring the signal-to-noise ratio or the intensity of the predetermined radio control signal.

According to one embodiment, the signaling step comprises the generation of different signaling as a function of the quality of reception of the predetermined control signal.

According to one embodiment, the signaling step comprises transmitting a sound signal whose frequency or volume varies according to the quality of the link to the management device.

According to one embodiment, the signaling step comprises transmitting a light signal whose color or intensity varies as a function of the quality of the link towards the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the signaling step comprises the transmission of a flashing light signal whose frequency of flashing varies according to the quality of the link towards the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the signaling step comprises transmitting a sound signal in the form of pulses whose pulse repetition rate varies depending on the quality of the link to the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the repetition frequency of the pulses increases as a function of the increase in the quality of the link towards the alarm triggering device.

According to one embodiment, the verification step comprises
transmitting a test signal to the management device;
waiting for a predetermined duration of a response signal from the management device; and
measuring the intensity or the signal-to-noise ratio of the response signal in the case where a response signal is received.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an alarm triggering device for a security system, the alarm triggering device comprising an interface arranged to connect the alarm trigger device to a management device (often called central or central monitoring station) of the security system by means of a wireless link; a trigger for triggering an alarm in the event of a predetermined event; a controller configured to control the quality of the wireless link to verify, during a step of installing the alarm triggering device, the quality of the wireless link between said alarm triggering device and the communication device; management; and a signaling module for signaling an indication of the quality of the wireless link between said alarm triggering device and the management device during the installation step of said alarm triggering device.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer program for implementing at least a portion of the corresponding method described above. Such a program may be downloadable via a telecommunication network and / or stored in a memory of a processing device and / or stored on a storage medium intended to cooperate with a processing device.

In the following, we will describe some preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying figures in a manner of course not limiting.

The figure 1 schematically represents elements of a security system according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The Figure 2A schematically represents a central monitoring according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The Figure 2B schematically represents the front face of a control panel box according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The figure 3 schematically represents a manual release according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The figure 4 schematically represents the installation of a trigger device according to one or more embodiments of the invention.

A security system 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention is schematically represented on the figure 1 . This system comprises a monitoring station 100 able to be connected by means of the wireless links 50-1 ... 50-n to several alarm triggering devices 200-1 ... 200-n intended to be distributed in a area to watch.

In the embodiment illustrated on the Figure 2A the monitoring station 100 is made in a single box 110 comprising a set of computerized management means 101, control 102, signaling 103, communication 104 and control 105. The monitoring station 100 further comprises a processor 106 for manage these means and a memory 107 for storing data.

The monitoring unit 100 is configured in a manner known per se to be able to detect the occurrence of an alarm of any of the alarm triggering devices 200-1..200-n, signaling the alarm condition by visual and / or sound means and controlling said alarm trigger devices 200-1..200-n. The communication means 104 comprise a wireless interface including a device for receiving and transmitting radio signals, provided with an antenna, to enable the central station to communicate with the alarm triggering devices 200-1. .200-n using wireless links 50-1 ... 50-n.

We observe Figure 2B the front face 112 of the cabinet 110 of the monitoring station 100 having alarm lights 113 which each represent the alarm state of the alarm triggering devices of the predetermined event monitoring system, for example a fire, in a manner known per se. The front face 112 further comprises link indicators 114 which each indicate the quality of the connection without wire between the monitoring unit 100 and a corresponding alarm triggering device, a sound transmitter 115, and a display screen 116. The sound transmitter 115 is of a known type in fire alarms for example and is adapted to emit an audible alarm signal. Each link indicator 114 may correspond to a different trigger device 200-i.

The box 110 may be equipped, in a manner known per se, of means making it possible to connect via telephone wire, the Internet or the like to central means of monitoring and control.

The display screen 116 allows the processor to display visual messages to a user of the monitoring station 100 and / or a member of the maintenance service of this device. In particular, the display screen 116 is adapted to display an alarm indication and / or a wireless link state indication 50 between the monitoring station 100 and one or more trigger devices 200.

In some embodiments information concerning the quality of reception of the control signal can be displayed on the signaling board 116 of the central monitoring station 100.

Alarm triggering devices 200-1 ... 200n include automatic triggers having predetermined event detectors and manual triggers. The predetermined automatic event detectors are capable of capturing a representative phenomenon of a predetermined event, for example in the case of a fire of smoke or flames. These detectors can be configured to detect a variation of a physical or chemical quantity, for example and without limitation, a temperature, a presence of smoke particles or a composition of the air and, when this variation meets predetermined criteria, for example criteria of amplitude, derivative or second derivative, said detector transmits a signal representative of a predetermined event detection to the central monitoring unit 100 via wireless links 50-i. The automatic triggers trigger an alarm in response to the detection of the predetermined event representative phenomenon. Manual triggers for their part are able to be operated manually by a person discovering a predetermined event situation, for example a fire. In response to the trip, an alarm signal is transmitted to the monitoring station 100. In some embodiments of the invention an alarm signal may be signaled at the alarm triggering device.

An alarm trigger device 200 for the security system, according to a first embodiment of the invention, is shown schematically on the figure 3 . The alarm triggering device in this embodiment is a manual trigger 200. This manual trigger includes a wireless interface 210 for connecting the manual trigger 200 to the security system central station 100 by means of the wireless link. 50; a mechanical release 220 such as a push button having one or two stable equilibrium positions to allow a user to manually trigger an alarm in the event of a predetermined event, for example a fire; a power supply 230 to power the manual release 200; control means 240 for checking the wireless link 50 between the manual release 200 and the control unit. 100, and signaling means 250. The signaling means 250 may be arranged to signal at the manual trigger 200 an alarm signal when the trigger 220 is triggered mechanical. In another embodiment an alarm device may be provided in the manual trigger 200 to generate an alarm signal in the event of a malfunction when a test button is actuated.

The control means 240 are connected to the wireless interface 210. They are configured to check the quality of a wireless link 50-i between the monitoring station 100 and the manual trigger 200-i during the installation of the latter in the area to be monitored 500. For this purpose, the control means 240 may be configured to measure the intensity of the radio control signal received from the monitoring station 100 via the interface wireless 50-i and compare the measured intensity with a predetermined intensity threshold. The control means 240 may be configured to alternately or additionally measure the signal-to-noise ratio of the radio signal received from the monitoring station 100 via the wireless interface 210 and to compare the signal-to-noise ratio. measured with a predetermined signal-to-noise threshold.

In a particular embodiment, the control means 240 may be configured to send a test signal to the monitoring station 100 during the installation of the manual release and wait for a response signal from the monitoring station 100 in order to verify the wireless link 50. The intensity and / or signal-to-noise ratio of the response signal from the monitoring station 100 can then be measured to determine the quality of the wireless link 50-i between the monitoring station 100 and the trigger device 200-i. When a low intensity and / or a low signal-to-noise ratio is detected the trigger device 200-i can be moved to another position in the area to be monitored in order to improve the quality of the wireless link 50-i. The absence of a response signal from the central monitoring station 100 may indicate the absence of wireless communication. In this case, the trigger device 200-i can be moved into the area to be monitored to find a location that allows improved wireless communication between the two devices.

In this embodiment the signaling means 250 are configured to generate different signaling depending on the reception quality of the control or response radio signal from the monitoring station 100. For example, the signaling means 250 may be configured to handle the light emission of a link light 214 so that the color of the power indicator varies according to the intensity or the signal-to-noise ratio of the control or response signal received from the central monitoring.

In variants, the brightness of the light of the indicator 214 may vary depending on the intensity or signal-to-noise ratio of the received control or response signal. In other variants, the signaling means 250 may be configured to manage the frequency of the blinking of the indicator as a function of the intensity or the signal-to-noise ratio of the control or response signal received. In one embodiment, the indicator may comprise a plurality of emission elements and the number of illuminated emission elements may be vary depending on the intensity or signal-to-noise ratio of the received control or response signal.

In other variants, the signaling means 250 may generate a sound signal whose volume or frequency varies as a function of the intensity or the signal-to-noise ratio of the control or response signal received.

Different sounds may be emitted depending on the quality of the wireless link 50 or the frequency of transmission of these sounds may vary depending on the quality of the wireless link 50 or these sounds may be issued in the form of pulses at repetition rates dependent on the quality of the wireless link 50. In a particular embodiment the repetition rate increases as a function of the improvement of the quality of the wireless link. In another embodiment, the repetition frequency decreases as a result of the improvement in the quality of the wireless link.

It should be noted that the device described above makes it easier to install the triggering devices. Indeed once the plant installed, it is possible to set the trigger devices at such positions that the signaling means are not malfunction alarm. For example, if they are arranged to emit a sound signal in the form of pulses at repetition frequencies which are all the lower as the quality of the radio link deteriorates, the person who inserts the triggering device has information directly noticeable. Of course, it would be possible to transmit the pulses at repetition frequencies which are all the greater as the quality of the radio link deteriorates.

Referring to the figure 4 when installing a 200-i manual trip unit in the area to be monitored 500, the quality of the link 50-i between the manual trip unit 200-i and the monitoring unit 100 is first checked when the manual trip unit 200-i is placed at the position A. To do this the manual release 200 transmits a test signal to the central monitoring station 100 and waits, for a predetermined period of time, a response signal from the central monitoring station 100 The intensity and / or the signal-to-noise ratio of the response signal of the monitoring station 100 is measured and compared with a predetermined threshold to determine the quality of the wireless link 50-i between the monitoring station 100 and the control station 100. manual release 200-i. A display 214, representative of the quality of the link on the trigger, illuminates a number of light elements according to the intensity of the received response signal. When a low intensity and / or a low signal-to-noise ratio, or an absence of a response signal is detected, the manual release 200-i is moved from the position A to another position B in the area to be monitored 500 and the 50-i wireless link is checked in the same way to determine whether the quality of the link at position B has been improved compared to the quality of the wireless link 50-i obtained at position A. Display 214, representative of the quality of the link, illuminates more or fewer light elements according to the intensity of the response signal received from the monitoring unit 100 when the manual release is in position B. Thus the manual release 200-i can be placed at several positions in order to find a position among several positions in the area to be monitored 500 that allows optimal wireless communication with the central monitoring station 100. This process can be repeated when the installation of each alarm triggering device. Thanks to the ability to test the wireless link when installation, positioning of each trigger device in the area to be monitored can be optimized. Thus the installer of the triggering device will be informed of the quality of the wireless link during installation.

It goes without saying, and as it follows already from the above, the invention is not limited to those modes of applications and achievements that have been more specifically considered; it encompasses all variants without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

For example, in variants, the central monitoring unit may comprise wireless link control means for verifying, during the installation step, the quality of the wireless link between said triggering device and the central monitoring station; and signaling means for signaling an indication of the quality of the wireless link to the management device, namely between said alarm triggering device and the monitoring station 100. Thus the quality of the link in both directions can be verified. The central monitoring unit can thus send, to the alarm triggering device, a specific message relating to the quality of the wireless link to the management device. Upon receipt of this message by the alarm triggering device, the signaling means 103 may be activated to emit a visual or audible signal.

Moreover, although the embodiments have been described with respect to the positioning of a manual release it will be understood that in other embodiments the positioning of the automatic fire detectors or other types of alarm tripping device may be verified.

Claims (15)

1. Alarm triggering device (200) for a security system (10), the alarm triggering device (200) comprising:

   an interface (210) arranged so as to connect the alarm triggering device (200) to a management device of the security system (100) by means of a wireless connection (50);

   triggering means (220) to trigger an alarm in case a predefined event occurs;

   means of verification of the quality of the wireless connection (240) to verify, during a step of installing the alarm triggering device, the quality of the wireless connection between said alarm triggering device and the management device; and

   signaling means (250) to signal, at the location of the alarm triggering device, an indication of the quality of the wireless connection between said alarm triggering device and the management device during the installation step of said alarm triggering device.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the verification means (240) are arranged so as to measure a parameter representative of the reception quality of a predefined radio verification signal coming from said management device.
3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the verification means (240) are arranged to measure the signal-to-noise ratio or the intensity of the predefined radio verification signal.
4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the signaling means (250) are arranged so as to generate different signals depending on the quality of the wireless connection.
5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the signaling means (250) are arranged so as to emit a sound signal whose frequency or volume varies depending on the quality of the link to the alarm triggering device.
6. Device according to either one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the signaling means (250) are arranged so as to emit a light signal whose color, intensity or blink frequency varies depending on the quality of the link to the alarm triggering device.
7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the verification means (240) are arranged so as to
   emit a test radio signal towards the management device;
   wait for a predefined period of time for a response radio signal from the management device; and
   measure the intensity or the signal-to-noise ratio of the response radio signal, if the response signal is received.
8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising in addition emission means to emit a predefined verification radio signal to the management device to allow the management device to check the quality of the wireless connection between the management device and the triggering device during the installation step of the triggering device.
9. Fire detection system (10) comprising a management device (100) able to communicate with at least one alarm triggering device (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and at least one alarm triggering device (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. Installation method for at least one alarm triggering device (200) of a security system (10) in an area to be monitored, with the security system comprising a management device able to communicate with the triggering device by means of a wireless link, with the method comprising the following steps:

    positioning of the alarm triggering device at a first location;

    checking the quality of the wireless connection between the triggering device at the first location and the management device, by verification means included in the alarm triggering device;

    signaling at the location of the triggering device an indication of the quality of the wireless connection between said triggering device and the management device; and

    moving the alarm trigger device to a second location within the area to be monitored to check if the quality of the wireless connection can be improved.
11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the verification step comprises a step of measuring a parameter representative of a predefined radio verification signal coming from said management device.
12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the verification step comprises a step of measuring the signal-to-noise ratio or the intensity of the predefined radio verification signal.
13. Method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the signaling step comprises generating different signals depending on the quality of the wireless connection.
14. Method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the verification step comprises
    transmitting a test signal towards the management device;
    waiting for a predefined period of time for a response signal from the management device; and
    measuring either the intensity or the signal-to-noise ratio of the response, if a response signal is received.
15. Computer program product comprising program code instructions stored in a memory of a processing device and/or stored on a memory medium designed to cooperate with a processing device, usable on computers comprising computer-readable means of programming for executing the steps of checking and signaling of the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14.

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