JP2023130721A - Alarm and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an alarm that can present the state of detection performed by a human sensor in a more easily understandable way, and a method for controlling the same.SOLUTION: A gas alarm 1 comprises: a gas sensor 24 for detecting an abnormality in a monitoring area; a speaker 34 that, when an abnormality in the monitoring area is detected, outputs an abnormal state by sound based on a signal from the gas sensor 24; a human sensor 26 for detecting the presence of a person in its surroundings; and a checking processing unit 38a that executes a checking mode for checking the state of detection performed by the human sensor 26. The speaker 34 outputs a sound according to the state of detection performed by the human sensor 26 during the execution of the checking mode performed by the checking processing unit 38a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to an alarm device and a control method thereof.

Conventionally, alarm devices equipped with a human sensor have been proposed. For example, such an alarm device is configured so that when the presence of a person is detected, a display such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) displays an indication, and when the presence of a person is not detected, the display does not display an indication. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-128578 JP 2021-128579 Publication

However, the display of alarm devices such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 becomes very difficult to understand depending on the surrounding light environment (such as bright surroundings). In particular, alarms are usually placed at a location away from the eye, such as at one's feet, on the ceiling, or in the vicinity, making them extremely difficult to see.

The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide an alarm device and a control method thereof that can more easily display the detection state of a human sensor. There is a particular thing.

The alarm according to the present invention includes a sensor for detecting an abnormality in a monitoring area, a sound output unit that outputs a sound indicating an abnormal state when an abnormality in the monitoring area is detected based on a signal from the sensor, and a sound output unit for detecting an abnormality in a surrounding area. The sound output unit includes a human sensor for detecting the presence of a person, and a confirmation processing unit that executes a confirmation mode for confirming the detection state by the human sensor, and the sound output unit is configured to perform confirmation by the confirmation processing unit. During execution of the mode, a sound is output according to a detection state by the human sensor.

Further, the method for controlling an alarm according to the present invention includes a sensor for detecting an abnormality in a monitoring area, and a sound output that outputs a sound indicating an abnormal state when an abnormality in the monitoring area is detected based on a signal from the sensor. and a human sensor for detecting the presence of a person in the surrounding area, the confirmation processing step of executing a confirmation mode for confirming a detection state by the human sensor. In the confirmation processing step, a sound corresponding to a detection state by the human sensor is output during execution of the confirmation mode.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an alarm device and a control method thereof that can more clearly display the detection state of a human sensor.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing how the gas alarm according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing how the gas alarm according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a gas alarm according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a gas alarm according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the gas alarm shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 with the panel removed. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the gas alarm shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 with the lid and panel removed. 5 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the gas alarm shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the internal structure of the gas alarm shown in FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the operation of the gas alarm according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained along with preferred embodiments. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment shown below, a gas alarm will be explained as an example of an alarm, but it is not limited to a gas alarm, but is also a fire alarm or a gas fire integrated alarm that can detect gas and fire and issue an alarm. It may be. Furthermore, it may be a security alarm that detects an intruder or the like. In addition, in the embodiments described below, illustrations and explanations of some components are omitted, but details of omitted technologies will be provided within the scope of not contradicting the content explained below. It goes without saying that publicly known or well-known techniques are applied as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing how the gas alarm according to the embodiment of the present invention is used, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing how the gas alarm according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached. Further, FIG. 3 is a front view showing a gas alarm according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing a gas alarm according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment is a ceiling-mounted alarm that is attached to a rotating mounting portion A provided on the ceiling. As shown in FIG. 2, this gas alarm 1 has a structure in which it is attached to a rotary attachment part A while being rotated, similar to existing lighting devices.

As shown in FIG. 4, the gas alarm 1 has a contact C on the back surface facing the ceiling. Contact C is a metal member that protrudes toward the back side. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the rotary mounting portion A also has an electrical contact B. The electrical contact B is located at the inner part of the first groove G1 provided in the rotary mounting portion A. When the gas alarm 1 is attached to the rotary attachment part A, the contact C on the gas alarm 1 side comes into contact with the electrical contact B of the rotation attachment part A. As a result, the power of the gas alarm device 1 is turned on.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the gas alarm 1 includes a signal terminal (voltage contact) D on the back side in addition to the contact C. This signal terminal D is configured to fit into the second groove G2 shown in FIG. 2 when it is attached to the rotation attachment part A, and functions as a terminal for transmitting a so-called voltage signal. For example, the voltage signal becomes a 0V signal when the gas alarm 1 is removed from the rotating mounting part A or when the wire is disconnected, and the voltage signal becomes a 6V signal when the gas alarm 1 is in a normal monitoring state, and the gas alarm 1 generates an alarm. In this state, it becomes a 12V signal. The voltage signal is transmitted to, for example, an alarm monitoring panel in a management room of an apartment building.

Such a gas alarm 1 includes a housing 2 that houses at least a speaker 34, a gas sensor 24 (see FIG. 6, which will be described later), and the like. The casing 2 has a thin, substantially cylindrical shape when viewed from the outside, and includes a casing body 2a, a lid 2b, and a panel 2c, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The housing body 2a is a member forming the back side of the housing 2, and is a bottomed cylindrical member with an open front side. The lid body 2b covers the housing body 2a from the front side (the lower side when attached to the rotary attachment part A) which is the open side. The panel 2c is a plate material that fits into a recess D1 (see FIG. 5, which will be described later) formed on the front side of the lid 2b. The panel 2c has a substantially circular shape to match the shape of the housing 2.

Further, the gas alarm 1 includes a push-down operation section 10 on the side surface of the housing 2, as shown in FIG. The gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment has a function of communicating with an external server OS (see FIG. 7 described later). The push operation unit 10 is an operation unit for configuring communication settings for communication connection with an external server OS. Further, the gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment can perform an operation of checking the detection state of the human sensor 26 (see FIG. 6, which will be described later). The push-down operation section 10 is also an operation section for causing an operation to confirm the human sensor 26.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the gas alarm 1 includes a stop operation section 12 on the front side. The stop operation unit 12 is an operation unit for stopping an alarm operation when the gas alarm 1 is performing an alarm operation (sound output and light emission). This stop operation part 12 is formed by a part (lower right side) of the panel 2c, and can be elastically deformed in the rear direction by providing a recess D2 (see FIG. 5 described later) in the lid body 2b. . An alarm stop switch 32 (see FIG. 6, which will be described later) is provided on the back side of the stop operation section 12.

In this way, the gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the push operation section 10 and the stop operation section 12 separately. Here, if the push-down operation section 10 and the stop operation section 12 are formed into one operation section, the operations for confirming communication settings and the human sensor 26 and the operation for stopping the alarm need to be different, and each operation becomes complicated. However, by providing a separate device, the complexity of operation can be suppressed.

Further, the gas alarm 1 includes a first lens 14 and a second lens 16. The first lens 14 is a light transmitting member that is provided at the upper part of the front side of the gas alarm 1 and has a circular shape when viewed from the front. A human sensor 26 (see FIG. 6, which will be described later) is provided on the back side of the first lens 14. The second lens 16 is a light transmitting member that is provided at the upper part of the front side of the gas alarm 1 and has an arcuate shape when viewed from the front. A light emitting section 36 (see FIG. 6, which will be described later) is provided on the back side of the second lens 16.

Further, the gas alarm 1 has a speaker hole 18 and a gas hole 20 formed on the front side. The speaker hole 18 is an arcuate hole formed on the substantially right side of the stop operation section 12 when viewed from the front. A speaker 34 (see FIG. 6, which will be described later) is provided on the back side of the speaker hole 18. The gas hole 20 is an arcuate hole formed at the lower left side of the gas alarm 1 when viewed from the front. A gas sensor 24 (see FIG. 6, which will be described later) is provided on the back side of the gas hole 20. These speaker holes 18 and gas holes 20 allow sound from the speaker 34 and gas to be detected to easily pass through.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the gas alarm 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 with the panel 2c removed, and FIG. 6 is a front view of the gas alarm 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. It is a front view showing the state when the lid body 2b and panel 2c are removed. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the gas alarm 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In FIG. 7, for convenience, components other than the gas alarm 1 are also illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 6, the gas alarm 1 includes a control board 22 within the housing body 2a that extends in the horizontal direction when attached to the rotary mounting portion A. As shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the gas alarm 1 includes a gas sensor (sensor) 24, a human sensor 26, a communication module 28, a confirmation switch 30, an alarm stop switch 32, and a speaker (sound output section) 34, a light emitting section 36, a main microcomputer 38, an audio IC (Integrated Circuit) 40, and an external output section 42.

The control board 22 shown in FIG. 6 mounts various parts that constitute the main components of the gas alarm 1. The gas sensor 24 is for detecting abnormalities in the monitoring area. In this embodiment, the gas sensor 24 is a semiconductor type gas sensor that reacts to a gas to be detected such as city gas or carbon monoxide, and outputs a signal according to the concentration of the gas to be detected to the main microcomputer 38 (see FIG. 7). It is something. This gas sensor 24 is provided corresponding to a notch 22a formed in the control board 22. The gas introduction part 24a of the gas sensor 24 is installed so as to face the gas storage chamber GR formed corresponding to the gas hole 20 (see FIG. 3).

The human sensor 26 is for detecting the presence of a person in the surrounding area, and outputs a signal corresponding to, for example, infrared rays from a living body to the main microcomputer 38 (see FIG. 7). Note that the human sensor 26 is not limited to one that uses infrared rays, but may be one that detects a moving object using ultrasonic waves and determines that the moving object is a living body, for example.

The communication module 28 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is communicatively connected to an external server OS owned by a gas company or the like through a communication line. This communication module 28 is communicatively connected to the external server OS by being wirelessly connected to the router R in the house using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), which is a wireless communication standard, for example, and can send and receive information to and from the external server OS. .

The confirmation switch 30 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is an operation switch that starts a setting mode for executing communication settings by the main microcomputer 38, and is turned on when the push-down operation section 10 is pressed. The communication module 28 is wirelessly connected to the router R in the house in the setting mode, and is communicatively connected to the external server OS. Further, the confirmation switch 30 is also an operation switch for executing a confirmation mode for confirming the detection state by the human sensor 26. When the confirmation mode is executed, the main microcomputer 38 causes the human sensor 26 to enter a standby state, and then starts confirming the detection state by the human sensor 26.

To explain in detail, when a predetermined operation is performed, the gas alarm 1 first starts a confirmation mode, and after the confirmation mode ends, starts a setting mode. Here, the predetermined operation is, for example, when the gas alarm 1 is in a normal monitoring state and the push-down operation part 10 (confirmation switch 30) is pressed for a first specified time (for example, 3 seconds). Further, the predetermined operation may be that the power is turned on while the push-down operation section 10 (confirmation switch 30) is pushed down, and the push-down state continues for a first specified period of time. In particular, in the gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment, the push-down operation section 10 is provided on the side surface of the housing 2, so compared to the case where the push-down operation section 10 is provided on the front side of the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the gas alarm 1 can be easily attached to the rotary attachment part A while pressing down the push-down operation part 10.

The alarm stop switch 32 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is located on the back of the stop operation section 12 (see FIG. 3), and is activated when the stop operation section 12 is pushed toward the back side. , is turned on via the first lever member L1 (see FIG. 5) provided in the recess D2 (see FIG. 5) of the lid body 2b. When the alarm stop switch 32 is turned on, it sends a signal to that effect to the main microcomputer 38. When the main microcomputer 38 receives a signal indicating that the alarm stop switch 32 has been turned on while the alarm operation is being performed, the main microcomputer 38 stops the alarm operation.

The speaker 34 outputs a sound indicating the abnormal state when the main microcomputer 38 detects an abnormal state (high concentration abnormality of the detection target gas) in the monitoring area based on the signal from the gas sensor 24. At this time, the speaker 34 outputs an alarm sound and an alarm voice (alarm message). These warning sounds and the like are stored in the audio IC 40.

The light emitting unit 36 shown in FIG. 6 emits light to notify various states of the gas alarm 1, and is composed of eight LEDs. These light emitting sections 36 include a blue light emitting section 36a that indicates the communication status, an orange light emitting section 36b that indicates that a voice message or the like is being output (notifying), and a yellow light emitting section 36c that indicates an abnormality in the carbon monoxide concentration. , a green light emitting section 36d that indicates a power-on state, and a red light emitting section 36e that indicates a city gas leak state. The light from these light emitting parts 36 is output to the outside via a light guide plate (not shown) and the second lens 16 (see FIG. 5).

The main microcomputer 38 shown in FIG. 7 controls the entire gas alarm 1, and includes a confirmation processing section 38a in this embodiment. The confirmation processing unit 38a executes a confirmation mode for confirming the detection state by the human sensor 26. The external output section 42 is an output section for outputting a voltage signal via the signal terminal D (see FIG. 4), for example.

FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the internal structure of the gas alarm 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 7. As shown in FIG. 8, the gas alarm 1 includes a second lever member L2 connected to the back side of the lid 2b. The second lever member L2 is a cantilever-shaped member extending toward the control board 22, and its tip is interposed between the push-down operation section 10 and the confirmation switch 30. In particular, the second lever member L2 is positioned so that the confirmation switch 30 will not be pressed when no external force is applied. Such a second lever member L2 expresses a click feeling when the push-down operation section 10 is operated, and prevents the push-down operation section 10 from being held in a depressed state (that is, a state in which it is kept pressed). play a role.

Next, an overview of the operation of the gas alarm 1 according to this embodiment will be explained. FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of the gas alarm 1 according to this embodiment.

First, assume that the push-down operation unit 10 (confirmation switch 30) is pressed at time t1, and the power is turned on at time t2. Then, at time t3 when the long press is confirmed after a first specified time has elapsed from time t2, the confirmation processing unit 38a starts the confirmation mode. At this time, the main microcomputer 38 outputs a notification sound (for example, "beep") indicating the start of the confirmation mode. Further, the main microcomputer 38 starts blinking the blue light emitting section 36a and the green light emitting section 36d.

Thereafter, the human sensor 26 enters a standby state from time t4. Then, at time t5, when a second prescribed time (for example, 30 seconds) has elapsed from time t4, the standby state ends, and confirmation of the detection state by the human sensor 26 is started. At this time, the main microcomputer 38 causes the speaker 34 to output a sound to the effect that confirmation of the detection state by the human sensor 26 has started. Specifically, the speaker 34 outputs a voice saying "We will start checking the human sensor." Further, the main microcomputer 38 turns off the blue light emitting section 36a.

After that, assume that the user or the like enters the detection range of the human sensor 26 at time t6. At this time, the main microcomputer 38 detects a person based on the signal from the human sensor 26, and outputs a first notification sound (for example, "beep") in response to the detection for a first predetermined period of time. . The first notification sound is a sound of a first frequency that can be heard by humans. The state in which a person is detected continues until time t7, but the first notification sound is not output continuously until time t7, and the first predetermined time period elapses after the state switches to the state in which a person is detected. It will be output only during the time period up to. Note that the main microcomputer 38 continues to cause the blue light emitting section 36a to emit light while a person continues to be detected (between time t6 and time t7).

Next, assume that the user or the like leaves the detection range of the human sensor 26 at time t7. At this time, the main microcomputer 38 recognizes that a person is no longer detected based on the signal from the human sensor 26, and outputs a second notification sound (for example, "pop") corresponding to the fact that a person is no longer detected. Output only for a predetermined time. The second notification sound is a sound at a second frequency that is audible to a person and is different from the first frequency. Moreover, the second predetermined time may be the same time as the first predetermined time, or may be a different time. The state where no person is detected continues until time t8, but the second notification sound is not output continuously until time t8, and the time from when the state changes to where no person is detected until the second predetermined time period elapses. It is output only as a band. Note that the main microcomputer 38 turns off the blue light emitting section 36a while no person is detected (between time t7 and time t8).

After that, assume that the user or the like enters the detection range of the human sensor 26 at time t8. At this time, the same process as at time t6 is executed.

Next, assume that the user or the like leaves the detection range of the human sensor 26 at time t9. At this time, the same process as at time t7 is executed.

Then, the confirmation mode ends at time t10 when a third prescribed time (for example, 3 minutes and 30 seconds) has elapsed from time t5 when confirmation of the detection state by the human sensor 26 was started. At this time, the main microcomputer 38 changes the green light emitting section 36d from a blinking state to an off state. Further, the main microcomputer 38 causes the speaker 34 to output a notification sound indicating the end of the confirmation mode. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the speaker 34 outputs a third notification sound (for example, "beep") that continues for a third predetermined time that is longer than the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time. Note that the speaker 34 may output a fourth notification sound having a third frequency different from the first frequency and the second frequency when the confirmation mode ends.

Then, at time t11 when the output of the third notification sound or the fourth notification sound ends, the gas alarm 1 shifts to a setting mode in which communication settings are performed.

In this manner, according to the gas alarm 1 and the control method thereof according to the present embodiment, the speaker 34 outputs a sound according to the detection state by the human sensor 26 during execution of the confirmation mode, so that the user, etc. The detection state is transmitted through the sense of hearing, and the detection state by the human sensor 26 can be presented more clearly regardless of the surrounding light environment or the installation position of the gas alarm 1.

Further, a notification sound is outputted according to the detection state by the human sensor 26. For this reason, for example, if a person frequently switches between being detected and not being detected, it may not be possible to respond with a voice message that takes several seconds from start to finish, but it is possible to output a notification sound. In this case, even if switching occurs frequently, the detection state can be presented accurately and in an easy-to-understand manner.

Further, a first notification sound is output when a person is detected, and a second notification sound with a different frequency is output when a person is no longer detected. Therefore, even when a person is not detected, it can be perceived by the notification sound, and the detection state can be presented more clearly.

In addition, the first notification sound of the first frequency is output for a first predetermined time at the timing when the state changes from the state in which no person is detected to the state in which a person is detected, so that the state in which a person is detected does not change to the state in which a person is detected. At the timing when the state is switched, a second notification sound of a second frequency is output for a second predetermined time. For this reason, for example, during a state in which a person is detected, the first notification sound is not always output, but the first notification sound is output for a first predetermined period of time from the switching timing. The same applies to the second notification sound. Thereby, it is possible to maintain an easy-to-understand presentation of the detection state while reducing the possibility that the sound is constantly output and causes discomfort to the user or the like.

In addition, after starting the confirmation mode, when the standby state of the human sensor 26 ends and confirmation of the detection state by the human sensor 26 has started, a voice is output to that effect, and when the confirmation mode ends, the first predetermined A third notification sound is output for a third predetermined time longer than the second predetermined time, or a fourth notification sound is output having a third frequency different from the first frequency and the second frequency. Therefore, not only can detection/non-detection by the human sensor 26 be easily understood, but also the start and end times of detection status confirmation can be clearly displayed, and the overall Able to provide easy-to-understand presentations.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, or may be modified as appropriate to the extent possible. You can also combine these techniques.

For example, the gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment has been described as an alarm for city gas where the reducing gas to be detected is methane gas, but the gas alarm 1 is not limited to this, and the gas to be detected is propane gas or butane gas. It may also be an alarm device for LP gas such as the following. Further, the gas alarm 1 may be configured as a gas fire alarm further having a fire alarm function. Furthermore, the gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to a ceiling-mounted alarm, but may be a stationary alarm that is installed at other locations such as near the ceiling or on the wall beneath the feet.

Furthermore, the gas alarm 1 according to the present embodiment outputs a notification sound according to the detection state of the human sensor 26 during execution of the confirmation mode, but is not limited to this. It may also be possible to output a voice that has been recorded.

1: Gas alarm (alarm)
2: Housing 2a: Housing main body 2b: Lid body 2c: Panel 10: Push operation section 12: Stop operation section 22: Control board 24: Gas sensor (sensor)
26: Human sensor 28: Communication module 34: Speaker (sound output section)
38: Main microcomputer 38a: Confirmation processing section A: Rotation mounting section B: Electrical contact C: Contact D: Signal terminal L2: Second lever member

Claims (6)

a sensor for detecting abnormalities in the monitoring area;
a sound output unit that outputs a sound indicating an abnormal state when an abnormality is detected in the monitoring area based on a signal from the sensor;
a human sensor for detecting the presence of people in the surrounding area;
a confirmation processing unit that executes a confirmation mode for confirming the detection state by the human sensor;
The alarm device is characterized in that the sound output section outputs a sound according to a detection state by the human sensor while the confirmation processing section is executing a confirmation mode. The alarm according to claim 1, wherein the sound output unit outputs a notification sound according to a detection state by the human sensor. The sound output unit outputs a first notification sound of a first frequency when a person is detected based on the signal from the human sensor, and outputs a first notification sound of a first frequency when a person is no longer detected based on the signal from the human sensor. The alarm device according to claim 2, wherein a second notification sound having a second frequency different from the first frequency is output when the alarm occurs. The sound output unit outputs the first notification sound of the first frequency for a first predetermined time at a timing when the human sensor switches from a state in which a person is not detected to a state in which a person is detected; 4. The second notification sound of the second frequency is output for a second predetermined time at a timing when the human sensor switches from a state where a person is detected to a state where no person is detected. alarm. The sound output unit outputs a sound to that effect when the standby state of the human sensor ends and confirmation of the detection state by the human sensor starts after the confirmation processing unit starts the confirmation mode, When the confirmation processing unit ends the confirmation mode, a third notification sound is output for a third predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time, or the third notification sound is output at the first frequency and the second frequency. The alarm device according to claim 4, wherein the alarm device outputs a fourth notification sound having a different third frequency. a sensor for detecting an abnormality in the monitoring area; a sound output unit for outputting an abnormal state as a sound when an abnormality in the monitoring area is detected based on a signal from the sensor; and a sound output unit for detecting the presence of a person in the surrounding area. A method for controlling an alarm equipped with a human sensor,
comprising a confirmation processing step of executing a confirmation mode for confirming the detection state by the human sensor,
A method for controlling an alarm device, characterized in that, in the confirmation processing step, a sound corresponding to a detection state by the human sensor is outputted while the confirmation mode is being executed.

Images