FR2855298A1 - Wireless alarm system for domestic application, has device that is out of range of wireless coverage zone of central control system and within range of coverage zone of alarm or intrusion detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a central control system and a transmitting device (51), where the control system and the device communicate over a common frequency. The device is out of range of a wireless coverage zone of the control system and within the range of coverage zone of an alarm or intrusion detection device (21). The detection device has a reception unit for receiving messages from the former device. An independent claim is also included for a transmission process of a message in an alarm system.

Description

The present invention relates to a wireless alarm installation,

  radio links between the elements of

installation.

  In particular, the invention is concerned with the case where the control unit is out of radio range of an element of the installation and o, to overcome this drawback, a radio relay is used.

  Although more particularly intended for anti-extrusion alarm installations, it is quite possible to use such a device 10 as well as the method described below, for domestic applications.

  There are known examples of an alarm installation comprising a repeater relay whose sole function is to receive and retransmit a message. Thus, when a relay is required for the proper functioning of an alarm installation, the user is forced to acquire an additional device 15, bulky and expensive.

  In addition, it is common, in a radio installation, that the range of devices decreases over time. On the other hand, it sometimes happens that, without being able to explain it, a configuration in which the messages arrive at their destination are no longer picked up by the receiving apparatus. This can be the result of simply moving a piece of furniture. If this malfunction affects the relay, the entire installation is called into question.

  The object of the present invention is to provide an alarm installation, as well as a message transmission method that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks.

  In particular, an object of the invention is to propose an installation and a method which make it possible to relay the messages of a transmitting device to a receiver receiver device, by avoiding the use of a relay device specifically dedicated to this operation.

  Another object of the invention is to provide a less expensive installation and easy commissioning by the user, comprising a relay device.

  Yet another object of the invention is to provide an installation and a process sufficiently flexible to take into account the malfunction, passenger or not, of certain elements of the installation.

  Another object of the invention is to propose an installation in which certain detectors, in particular opening detectors, can be miniaturized without reducing the efficiency of the alarm system.

  Another object of the invention is to provide an installation 10 comprising devices having a small footprint.

  Other aims and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, which is given for information only and which is not intended to limit it.

  The invention relates to a radio link alarm installation comprising at least two elements able to communicate on a common frequency, namely: a central control unit of the installation, provided with at least reception means, and least a first device, provided with at least transmission means, and within radio range of said control unit, said installation being characterized in that it comprises at least a second device provided with at least transmission means outside the radio range of said control unit but within radio range of said at least first device, said at least first device, called relay device, is further provided with receiving means and means for relaying the messages transmitted by said at least one second device, called relayed device, - said at least first device is selected from intruder detection devices and / or warning devices.

  The invention also relates to a method for transmitting a message in an alarm installation as defined above, said message being sent by a relayed device to said control unit, in which: the relayed device includes in said message an information according to which the transmitted message must be relayed, - a relay device having recognized a message to be relayed, transmits again said message to said control unit.

  The invention also relates to the application of such a method in an alarm installation as defined above.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description, accompanied by the single appended figure, which is a diagram of an installation according to the invention, in which are represented the radio coverage areas of the control unit. and some relayed elements.

  The invention relates to an alarm installation whose elements communicate with each other by means of a radio link, on a common frequency. The installation comprises at least two elements, namely: a central control unit I of the installation and at least a first device 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 (also referenced 2) intruder detector and / or alert.

  The control unit 1 is provided with at least reception means 31. Advantageously, it is further provided with transmission means 41. The control unit 1 has a radio coverage area 11 represented by a dashed rectangle at the front. appended figure, which includes the at least first device 2. It can therefore transmit and / or receive messages to or from all the receiving devices and / or transmitters 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 located at the same time. In other words, these devices are within radio range of said control unit 1.

  In this regard, said at least first device 2 is provided with at least transmission means 42. It is advantageously further provided with reception means 32. Said at least first device is chosen from: - intrusion detection devices : opening detector, motion detector, passage detector or any other detector known to those skilled in the art, for identifying the presence of a person in a protected room, and / or - the warning devices, in particular , indoor siren, outdoor siren or telephone transmitter.

  Advantageously, the installation comprises at least a second device 51, 52, (also referenced 5) provided with at least transmission means 45 and out of radio range of the control unit 1. On the other hand, said at least second device is within radio range of said at least first device 2. Thus, the radio coverage area 12 of said at least second device 5, represented by a dashed rectangle in the appended figure, encompasses said at least first device 2 of the installation.

  According to the invention, said at least first device 2 is further provided with means for relaying the messages transmitted by said at least second device 5. The messages transmitted by said at least second device 5 can thus be relayed by said at least first device 2, to the central control unit 1 and vice versa. A device 5 whose messages are relayed to control unit 1 and "relay device" a device 2 capable of relaying messages 20 from a device relayed from or to control unit 1 will be called "relayed device".

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the relay devices 24, 22, 23 are thus located in a superposition zone of the radio coverage area 11 of the control unit 1 and of the radio coverage area 12 of a relayed device 51 , 52.

  The use of intrusion detection devices and / or warning devices as relays makes it possible to avoid having to obtain a specific device for relaying the messages, and thus to reduce the cost of installation or modifications. an alarm system.

  Said at least second device 5 or relayed device is advantageously chosen among intrusion detection devices, warning devices and / or remote controls.

  In particular, the fact of being able to relay the messages emitted by certain devices makes it possible to reduce the radio range necessary for these devices for the proper functioning of the installation. As a result, their operation requires less electrical power. In other words, when the relayed devices 5, 52 are provided with a given electric battery, the operating time of the relayed device is longer, due to a lower power consumption, than that of a non-powered device. relayed that would need a greater radio range.

  Thus, it has been possible to develop opening micro-detectors 10 consisting of two parts, one fixed to the opening of a door or a window for example and the other to the frame of said door or window. The two parts of the opening micro-detector are able to cooperate with each other, in particular thanks to a magnet detector. This miniaturized opening detector device has a reduced range, of the order of 5 m, and the messages it emits can be relayed, for example, by a movement detector installed in the same room and which has a much larger radio range, of the order of 100 to 150 m.

  This miniaturization has several advantages. First of all, the detector goes unnoticed or at least integrates much better in the room. It represents a small footprint and it can be easily hidden from the eyes of a potential intruder, for example by integrating it in the context of the opening to protect.

  The invention also relates to a method of transmitting a message in an alarm installation as described above. In this method, a message is sent by a relayed device 5 to the control unit I.

  In this case, the relayed device 5 includes in the message an information according to which the transmitted message must be relayed. Then, a relay device 2 having recognized a message which must be relayed, transmits again said message to said central control 1. In particular, the relay device can modify the message by including information according to which the message it has re-transmitted is a relayed message and indicating the origin of the message relayed.

  For this purpose, each device of the installation is assigned specific coordinates. This will be in particular: a system number, which makes it possible to identify the central control unit 1 of the installation, to prevent messages emitted by an element of this installation from interfering with the system; alarm of a neighbor, - an element number, to identify each element in the installation, other than the central 1de command.

  According to another characteristic of the method, when a receiver element of the installation (central control I, relay device 2 or relayed device 5) is addressed to a message from another element itself receiver, the element recipient sends an acknowledgment of receipt of said message at least to the relay device 2.

  In general, said relay device, globally marked 2, concerned transmits an acknowledgment of the message to be relayed to said relayed device, globally marked 5, concerned, and said central 1 transmits an acknowledgment of relayed message, to destination of said relay device 2 concerned.

  By way of example, with reference to the appended figure, if the relayed device 5 sends a message to the central control unit 1, said message will be relayed, for example, by one of the relay devices 21 or 22. By receiving said message to be relayed, the relay device concerned 21 or 22 transmits an acknowledgment of said message to be relayed to the relayed device 5,. Then he re-transmits said message indicating that it is now a relayed message, from the relayed device 51, to the central control 1.

  After receiving said relayed message, the control unit 1 sends at least one acknowledgment of said relayed message to the relay device concerned 21 or 22. It can also issue an acknowledgment to the relayed element 51, in indicating in the acknowledgment that it must be relayed by the relay device concerned 21 or 22, to the relayed device 5,.

  On the other hand, the relayed device 52 has no receiving means 34 but only transmission means 45. In this case, the control unit 1 will only issue an acknowledgment of receipt to the relay device 22 or 23 in the relay. example, depending on the device that has actually relayed a message sent by relayed device 52.

  The relayed device 51 may for example be an opening detector or a "conventional" motion detector but situated outside the range of the control unit 1. This will include a detector device placed near a garden door.

  On the other hand, the relayed device 52 may be an opening microdetector as described above, with a reduced range and protecting a door or a window.

  Of course, the method described for the transmission of a message sent by a relayed device 5 to the central control unit 1 can be applied in the other direction, that is to say for a message sent by the central control unit 1 to a relayed device 5, provided with receiving means 35.

  In order to improve the operation of the installation, it is possible to define the path to be followed by a message between a relayed device 5 and said central control unit 1. For this, the control unit I is provided with means 6 for recording the path to be followed by a message to a particular relayed device. In practice, said path 25 corresponds to the coordinates of the relay device 2 given, which are themselves recorded by each of the elements of the installation using recording means 62, 65.

  The relay device 2 to be used by the control panel can be manually set to transmit a message to a particular relayed device.

  According to another method, the path is defined automatically. Thus, when commissioning a device in the installation, the latter will start by sending a message directly to the central control 1. If he does not receive an acknowledgment, he will issue a message indicating that he must be relayed. A device located within radio range of the control unit 1, recognizing that the message it receives must be relayed, will issue an acknowledgment to the relayed device 5 and reissue the message to the central control 1 .

  The retransmitted message comprises information on the relay device 2 and on the relayed device 5. Thus, the control unit 1 can record the coordinates of the relay device 2 and the relayed device 5, which makes it possible to define the path followed by a message intended for a particular relayed device.

  Furthermore, it is possible that, transiently, a message sent by a relayed device 5 no longer passes. For example, a relayed device 5, simultaneously transmitter and receiver, can be aware of this malfunction due to the absence of acknowledgment of the message it has sent to the relay device 2 that it normally uses.

  In this case, the relayed device 5 resumes operation similar to that of its commissioning and searches again for a relay path of its message. He can then possibly register the new relay path as soon as he receives an acknowledgment of the message sent.

  The invention also relates to the application of the various methods previously described in an alarm installation according to the invention.

  Of course, other modes of implementation, within the reach of those skilled in the art, could still be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

  1. Alarm installation with radio links, comprising at least two elements (1, 2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) able to communicate on a common frequency, namely: a central control unit (1) for controlling 5, provided with at least one receiving means (31), and at least one first device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) provided with at least one transmission means (42) and with radio range (11) of said control unit (1), said installation being characterized in that: - it comprises at least a second device (5, 51, 52) provided with at least transmission means (45), radio frequency range of said control unit (1) but radio range (12) of said at least first device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25), - said at least first (2, 21, 22, 23 , 24, 25) device, called relay device, is further provided with receiving means (32) and means for relaying the messages transmitted by said at least second device (5, 5, 5). , 52), called relayed device, - said at least first device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) is selected from intruder detectors and / or warning devices.   2. Installation according to claim 1, wherein said central control unit (1) is further provided with transmission means (41).   3. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least second device (5, 51, 52) is selected from intrusion detectors, warning devices and / or remote controls.   4. A method of transmitting a message in an alarm installation according to claim 1, said message being transmitted by a relayed device (5, 51, 52) to said control unit (1), in which: the relayed device (5, 5 ", 52) includes in said message an information according to which the transmitted message must be relayed, - a relay device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) having recognized a message which must relayed, transmits again said message to said control unit (1).   5. The method according to claim 4, wherein each item (1, 2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 51, 52) of the set of specific coordinates is assigned and wherein said central unit (1 ) being further provided with transmission means (41), a device for receiving a message relayed or relayed, transmits an acknowledgment of receipt of said message at least to the relay device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24 , 25).   6. The method of claim 5, wherein said relayed device (5) being further provided with receiving means (35), said relay device (2) concerned an acknowledgment of the message to be relayed to said device relayed (5) concerned and said central (1) transmits an acknowledgment of relayed message to said relay device (2) concerned.   7. Method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein one manually or automatically defines the path to be followed by a message between said relayed device (5, 51, 52) and said central station (1), said path being recorded at least by said central (1).   8. A method according to claims 6 and 7, wherein a relayed device (5, 51, 52) has not received an acknowledgment of receipt following the transmission of a message to relay, said relayed device (5). , 51, 52) successively retransmits said message to the other devices (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) of the installation, and registers a new relay path as soon as it receives an acknowledgment of receipt of said message .   9. Method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein a relay device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) retransmits the messages transmitted by the control unit (1) to an element relayed (5, 51, 52).   10. Application of a method according to one of claims 5 to 9 in an alarm system according to claim 1.