JP2023141062A - alarm - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an alarm configured to properly update a control method, etc., without stopping essential function needlessly, while preventing adverse effect on notification function of the alarm.SOLUTION: An alarm 100 is configured to operate in accordance with an instruction included in built-in software SW, the alarm 100 comprising: a control unit 10 which controls notification function that monitors the surroundings and issues an alarm on the basis of a monitoring result; and a communication unit 20 which controls communication with an external device E. The software SW is built in so as to be updated via he communication unit 20 after the alarm 100 is started for use. The control unit 10 is configured to perform inspection operation for the notification function when the alarm 100 is supplied with power. The control unit 10 is configured, when the update relates to communication, not to perform the inspection operation at power-on after the software SW is updated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an alarm device that monitors the surrounding environment.

Conventionally, alarm devices that detect fires, gas leaks, etc. in factories and homes and issue alarms have sensing means such as sensors that detect temperature and the presence of various gases, and sensors that detect abnormalities based on the detection results. It is equipped with a control means such as a microcomputer that determines the presence or absence, and a notification means that emits light, sound, etc. as a warning based on the determination result of the control means. In such an alarm device, a microcomputer or the like as a control means is configured to control the sensing means and notification means according to a program stored in a storage means such as a ROM to monitor the surrounding environment and issue an alarm when an abnormality is detected. ing.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that in an alarm system in which a plurality of alarm devices issue alarms in conjunction with each other by sharing alarm information via wireless communication, a program executed by a control circuit is a program stored in a first storage unit. It is disclosed that the function as a parent station and the function as a slave station can be switched by switching between programs stored in the second storage unit.

JP 2019-179329 Publication

In the field of alarm devices that detect the outbreak of fire or the presence of gas and issue an alarm, there are requirements to comply with the laws and regulations set by the country or local government where the alarm device is used, such as regulations regarding sensing performance and the determination of abnormality. Standards for temperature and gas concentration may change. Further, as in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, an alarm device may be used by being connected to an external device via a communication line. In addition, the communication protocols that devices with communication functions, including such alarms, comply with are subject to changes in response to the development of new communication technologies and infrastructure, and/or to new hacking techniques that appear on a daily basis. In order to compete with this, updates are constantly being made.

Therefore, alarms with communication functions must be controlled even after the alarm has been used, in order to keep up with changes in regulations and technological developments, and to protect the alarm's functions from new threats to the alarm. It is required to update the method and control specifications as appropriate. If the control method is not updated appropriately, for example, it may not be possible to keep up with revisions to laws and regulations, and the alarm may become virtually unusable even though the alarm itself is operable, or communication security may become unusable. This could also expose alarms to the threat of malicious technology that threatens security. However, due to the characteristics of the alarm device, it is undesirable for the essential function, the notification function, to be out of action for an unnecessarily long period when updating the control method or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an alarm device whose control method and the like can be appropriately updated without stopping the essential functions.

The alarm device of the present invention is an alarm device that operates according to instructions included in built-in software, and the alarm device includes a control unit that controls a notification function that monitors the surrounding environment and makes a notification based on the monitoring result; a communication unit that controls communication with an external device, the software is built in so that it can be updated via the communication unit after the alarm starts being used, and the control unit includes: When the power of the alarm is turned on, the control unit is configured to perform a check operation regarding the notification function, and when the update is an update regarding the communication, the control unit performs the check operation after the update is completed. The alarm is configured so that it does not.

The alarm of the present invention may further include a storage means for storing information indicating whether or not the update is related to the communication, and the control unit may store information indicating whether or not the inspection operation is to be performed. The configuration may be such that the determination is made based on the following information.

The control unit may be configured to perform the inspection operation after the update is completed when the update is related to the notification function.

The control unit may be configured to determine whether the update is an update related to the communication based on an identification code included in information related to the update received by the communication unit.

The control unit may be configured to compare the software before the update and the software after the update to determine whether the update is related to the communication.

The update may be performed via wireless communication between an external device and the communication unit.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an alarm device in which the control method and the like can be appropriately updated without affecting the notification function of the alarm device and without randomly stopping essential functions. .

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration and storage contents of a storage area included in the alarm processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation in the alarm device of one embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows another example of operation in the alarm device of one embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows yet another example of operation in the alarm device of one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the data frame containing updated software sent to the alarm device of one embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the determination method of the update type in the alarm device of one embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of the determination method of the update type in the alarm device of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing the outline of another example of the alarm device of one embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows yet another example of operation in the alarm device of one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiment described below and the attached drawings merely show an example of the alarm device according to the present invention. The configuration and operation of the alarm according to the present invention are not limited to the configuration and operation illustrated in the embodiments described below and the accompanying drawings.

<Basic configuration and function>
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the main components of an alarm device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The alarm device 100 of one embodiment is installed in a residence, a factory, etc., or carried by a user, and monitors the environment around the alarm device 100, for example. When the surrounding environment is in a specific state, the alarm device 100 detects it and, for example, issues an alarm or sends a signal. Notify surrounding people and designated equipment of abnormal conditions that could pose a risk to property. Specific conditions include the occurrence of a fire, gas leak, carbon monoxide, smoke, excessive temperature and humidity, etc., but the specific conditions detected by the alarm 100 are limited to these. Not done.

As shown in FIG. 1, the alarm device 100 of this embodiment includes a control section 10, a communication section 20, and a power supply section 3 that supplies power required by the control section 10 and the communication section 20. The control unit 10 controls a notification function that monitors the surrounding environment and provides notification based on the monitoring result. That is, the control unit 10 controls the essential functions of the alarm device 100, from monitoring the surrounding environment to reporting based on the monitoring results. The communication unit 20 controls communication between the alarm device 100 and the external device E. That is, the communication unit 20 controls communication functions of the alarm device 100, including transmission and/or reception of signals between the alarm device 100 and the external device E. The control unit 10 and the communication unit 20 are preferably configured to be able to send and receive signals between each other.

The communication unit 20 may directly transmit and receive data to and from the external device E via the wireless line C1 or the wired line C2. ) etc., signals may be transmitted and received with an external device E via a network N such as a network N. External devices E include alarm devices of the same type other than the alarm device 100, or alarm devices with different detection targets, and monitors or controls the operation of the alarm device 100, and/or monitors or monitors the detection results of the alarm device 100 or the progress of alarm issuance. An example is an information processing device such as a server that collects and performs statistical processing or analysis. However, the external device E is not limited to these.

The power supply section 3 supplies power to each component inside the alarm device 100, including the control section 10 and the communication section 20. The power supply unit 3 supplies each component with power supplied from, for example, a commercial power source (not shown). In that case, the power supply unit 3 may include, for example, an inverter that converts AC power supplied from a commercial power source into DC power of a desired voltage, or a voltage regulator that stabilizes the power supply voltage applied to the components in the alarm 100. etc. The power supply unit 3 may supply DC power from a primary battery such as a dry battery or a secondary battery such as a battery to each component in the alarm 100 instead of power from a commercial power source. The alarm device 100 in the example of FIG. 1 includes a power switch S that switches between supplying and stopping power from the power supply unit 3 to the control unit 10, the communication unit 20, and the like. In addition, although the alarm device 100 is equipped with the power switch S in the example of FIG. 1, the alarm device 100 of this embodiment does not necessarily include a switch that switches between supplying and stopping power. For example, in the present embodiment, the supply of power to the control unit 10 and the communication unit 20 may be switched simply depending on whether or not commercial power is being received or whether a battery is attached or detached.

The alarm device 100 of this embodiment has a built-in software SW and operates according to instructions included in the software SW. In the example of FIG. 1, the software SW included in the alarm device 100 is stored in the storage means 11 included in the processing device 1 constituting the control section 10 and the communication section 20, respectively. That is, the control section 10 and the communication section 20 share the processing device 1, and the processing device 1 has a built-in software SW. The processing device 1 includes a semiconductor device that specifically controls the notification function by the control section 10 and the control of communication with the external device E by the communication section 20. That is, the control unit 10 and the communication unit 20 in the example of FIG. 1 have a built-in software SW and share a semiconductor device that controls the notification function of the alarm device 100 and the communication with the external device E. . Note that in this embodiment, the alarm device 100 may include a storage means (not shown) such as a ROM that stores software SW executed by the processing device 1, separately from the processing device 1.

In the alarm device 100 of this embodiment, the software SW is built in so that the software SW can be updated via the communication unit 20 after the alarm device 100 starts to be used. Since the software SW including the commands that the alarm device 100 follows can be updated even after the alarm device 100 starts to be used, it is possible to update the software SW including the commands that the alarm device 100 follows, for example, in response to changes in regulations to comply with, changes in communication standards used for communication with external equipment E, etc. , the software SW can be updated to properly operate the alarm device 100.

In the alarm device 100 of the present embodiment, the operation to be performed after the update of the software SW is not performed with the same content as the initial operation when the power is turned on, but after the update that is actually executed. The control unit 10 and/or the communication unit 20 are configured to perform the operation with appropriate content, for example, content that is not excessive. Therefore, the control method defined by a series of commands included in the software SW can be updated as appropriate without stopping the essential functions of the alarm device 100. The configuration and operation of the alarm of this embodiment will be explained in detail below.

<Configuration of control unit>
In the example of FIG. 1, the control unit 10 includes a detection unit 12, a notification unit 13, and the aforementioned processing device 1 and its peripheral circuits (not shown). The processing device 1 is shared between the control section 10 and the communication section 20 as described above.

The detection unit 12 mainly includes various sensors that monitor physical phenomena in a monitoring target area around the alarm device 100 and output monitoring data. Various types of sensors include, for example, various gas sensors that detect carbon monoxide gas (CO), methane gas (CH ₄ ), or propane gas (C ₃ H ₈ ), temperature sensors such as thermistors, humidity sensors, smoke sensors, and odor sensors. It may be a sensor or the like. The detection unit 12 may be composed of one or more of these sensors. For example, gas leakage in the space around alarm device 100 is detected by various gas sensors. Furthermore, the occurrence of a fire around the alarm 100 is detected by a temperature sensor, a smoke sensor, and the like.

The notification unit 13 is constituted by a means for notifying the user of the alarm device 100, such as a light emitting diode, a display, a buzzer, and/or a speaker, and issues an alarm by emitting light, ringing, and/or sound. emanate. In addition to issuing an alarm, the notification unit 13 may also operate to inform the user of information regarding the status of the alarm device 100 and the environment of the monitoring area that does not warrant issuing an alarm.

In the example of FIG. 1, the processing device 1 shared between the control section 10 and the communication section 20 is composed of a semiconductor device such as a microcomputer or an ASIC, and operates according to a built-in program. Note that if the alarm device 100 includes a storage device (not shown) such as a ROM apart from the processing device 1, the processing device 1 may operate according to a program stored in this external storage device. The processing device 1 preferably has a calculation function, a comparison function, a storage function, and the like. In the control unit 10, the processing device 1 controls the entire operation related to the notification function of the alarm device 100, including the operation of the detection unit 12 and the notification unit 13. For example, the processing device 1 controls the start and stop of the monitoring operation of the surrounding environment by the detection unit 12. Furthermore, the processing device 1 determines whether or not the concentration of carbon monoxide and gas, the ambient temperature, the concentration of smoke, etc. indicated by the detection data obtained from the detection unit 12 exceed a predetermined threshold value. If the temperature, concentration, etc. exceed the threshold, the notification mode (how to make a sound, how to emit light, etc.) is determined depending on the extent of the exceedance, and the notification unit uses the determined method. 13 to execute notification.

The processing device 1 in the example of FIG. 1 includes a storage means 11. The storage means 11 stores arbitrary information necessary for processing executed by the processing device 1. The storage means 11 may be a memory space such as a ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), RAM, flash memory, and various registers, which are built into the processing device 1 . The storage means 11 includes, for example, software such as a program describing the operation of the processing device 1, a threshold value that is a criterion for issuing an alarm and is compared with the detection data of the detection unit 12, and a comparison between this threshold value and the detection data. The notification mode in the notification unit 13 associated with the result, information regarding the state of the communication unit 20, etc. are stored. In the example of FIG. 1, a memory that may constitute the storage means 11, such as an EPROM (erasable PROM), stores software SW that includes a program that describes instructions that the alarm device 100 follows. Further, for example, a register constituting the storage means 11 may store information regarding the time at which updating of the software SW is started.

<Composition of communication department>
The communication unit 20 includes the processing device 1 and its peripheral circuits (not shown), which are shared with the control unit 10 described above, and a transmitting/receiving unit 22. When the communication unit 20 wirelessly transmits and receives signals to and from the external device E, the transmitting and receiving unit 22 may include an antenna 22a.

The transmitting/receiving unit 22 transmits and receives signals to and from the external device E by wireless communication or wired communication. The transmitting/receiving unit 22 is configured to transmit and receive electrical signals between the external device E and the alarm 100, and is configured by hardware such as an integrated circuit device or an electrical circuit made up of individual components. The transmitting/receiving unit 22 performs signal conversion (analog/digital conversion, signal level conversion, etc.), signal amplification, signal synthesis and decomposition, signal modulation and demodulation, and external equipment necessary for communication with the external device E. and/or error control, etc.). For example, the transmitter/receiver 22 may include a communication control IC such as an ASIC designed to perform signal processing necessary for communication with the external device E, or a modem IC, and its peripheral circuits.

In the communication section 20, the processing device 1 controls the entire operation necessary for communication between the alarm device 100 and the external device E, which is performed by the transmitter/receiver section 22 while the alarm device 100 is in operation. For example, the processing device 1 may control the operation of sending information related to the notification performed based on the monitoring result of the surrounding environment in the alarm device 100 to the external device E. This "information regarding notifications" is not particularly limited as long as it is related to notifications performed in the alarm device 100 based on monitoring results. For example, "information related to notification" includes sequential or continuous detection data obtained by the detection unit 12, a threshold value for determining that the surrounding environment is in a specific state (alarm issuing criteria), an alarm issuing history, and The state of the alarm device 100 may be (for example, in a normal state and performing normal monitoring, in the case of a battery-powered device, the remaining battery level or a dead battery, in failure, issuing an alarm, etc.). The processing device 1 may further control the operation of sending information other than the above-mentioned "information related to notification" to the external device E, and the operation of receiving arbitrary information such as information related to control of the alarm device 100 from the external device E. May be controlled.

The communication unit 20 transmits the above-mentioned "state of the alarm device 100" such as during execution of normal monitoring, a dead battery state, a malfunction, and an alarm being issued to the external device E at a predetermined period (regular communication). It may be configured to perform the following. By performing periodic communication, it may be possible to receive appropriate control from the external device E in a timely manner. The predetermined period is appropriately selected depending on the object to be detected by the alarm device 100, the place of use, and the like. The predetermined period may be, for example, about several minutes, several hours, or about several days.

In the example of FIG. 1 , the processing device 1 includes a clock means 21 . For example, the timer 21 counts the elapsed time from a specific point in time. The clock means 21 may be, for example, a counter or a timer configured in a semiconductor device such as a microcomputer that constitutes the processing device 1. The timer 21 may, for example, count the elapsed time since the last time the status of the alarm device 100 was sent in the above-mentioned "regular communication" performed by the communication unit 20.

<Software update>
As described above, the software SW is built into the alarm device 100 so that it can be updated via the communication unit 20 after the alarm device 100 starts to be used. For example, the software SW is stored in an EPROM provided as the storage means 11 in the processing device 1, preferably in an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM) or a flash memory. In memories such as EEPROMs and flash memories, already stored content can be rewritten by applying a specific electrical environment to the memory, such as applying a high voltage that allows charge to be stored or removed.

For example, by storing the software SW in the rewritable storage area of the processing device 1, which is configured with a memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory, even after the alarm device 100 starts to be used, that is, Even after the alarm device 100 is shipped from the factory, it is possible to update the software SW. For example, under the control of a CPU (not shown) provided in the processing device 1, the storage contents of a flash memory (or a storage device external to the processing device 1) provided as the storage means 11 are rewritten, and as a result, , the software SW is updated. Note that if the alarm device 100 is equipped with a storage device (not shown) outside the processing device 1 and operates according to software stored in the storage device, the storage means may be a rewritable memory such as an EEPROM. For example, the software can be updated even after the alarm device 100 is shipped from the factory.

The software SW may include software such as a control program in which instructions related to operations performed by the processing device 1 are written. The software SW is software that is closely connected to the hardware of the processing device 1, and provides basic control of the processing device 1 in order to perform desired operations regarding the notification function handled by the control unit 10 and the control of communication by the communication unit 20. It may also include software that controls the That is, the software SW may be firmware related to the processing device 1 written in the memory of the processing device 1 (for example, the storage means 11 configured with an EEPROM or a flash memory). If the software SW that can be updated even after the start of use of the alarm device 100 is the firmware related to the processing device 1, for example, due to a change in regulations or a revision of the communication standard used for communication with the external device E, the basic update by the processing device 1 may be changed. Even if a change in control method is required, the change can be easily accommodated. For example, the basic control method of the processing device 1 can be updated without disassembling the alarm device 100 and/or replacing the processing device 1.

In particular, the communication standards that are followed for communication between various devices including alarm devices are being revised as appropriate with respect to security requirements, for example, in order to counter newly emerging hacking techniques. Communication standards are also sometimes revised to incorporate newly developed communication technologies. For example, TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking), a network standard whose specifications are stipulated in IEEE 802.1 established by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), has undergone several revisions over the years starting in 2021. is being carried out. If it is not possible to update the software SW related to the processing device 1, it will not be possible to comply with the revisions of these communication standards, and the communication between the alarm device 100 and the external device E will be exposed to threats such as hacking and eavesdropping, and the alarm device 100 There may also be restrictions on its use.

The alarm device 100 of this embodiment has a built-in software SW so that it can be updated even after the alarm device 100 starts to be used. Therefore, as mentioned above, it is not possible to update the software SW and appropriately update the control method etc. in response to changes in laws and regulations that must be met, changes in the communication standards used for communication with external equipment E, etc. , the alarm device 100 can be operated appropriately.

In this embodiment, the communication unit 20 may wirelessly transmit and receive signals to and from the external device E, as described above. Therefore, the software SW may be updated based on wireless communication between the external device E and the communication unit 20, in which case the updated software SW is supplied from the external device E. That is, the update of the software SW may be a so-called "OTA (Over-The-Air) update," and if the software SW is firmware as described above, it may be a "firmware OTA." In that case, the software SW can be updated even from a remote location, for example, without providing a physical line such as a communication cable between the alarm device 100 and the external device E. Therefore, for example, the alarm device 100 can easily monitor the surrounding environment and issue an alarm in accordance with the revised regulations, and perform communication with a high security level in accordance with the revised communication standards.

Note that the software SW may be updated through a physical line connected to the alarm device 100 without relying on wireless communication, and a storage medium such as a USB memory in which the updated software SW is stored is processed. This may also be done by electrically connecting to the device 1.

<Storage area configuration for storing software>
FIG. 2 shows the configuration and storage contents of a storage area 4 of a memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory, which is provided as a storage means 11 (see FIG. 1) to store software SW, which the processing device 1 has. An example is shown schematically. In the example of FIG. 2, a software SW consisting of instructions 1 to n is stored at addresses from address A-0000 to address A-nnnn. When the software SW is updated, a series of instructions that the updated software SW should include are overwritten, for example, in an area starting from address A-0000 and extending to an arbitrary address corresponding to the size of the updated software. It's okay.

The storage area 4 in the example of FIG. 2 has a first storage area A1 from address A-0001 to address A-FFFF, and a second storage area A2 from address B-0000 to B-FFFF. Therefore, when updating the software SW, a series of instructions that the updated software SW should include may be stored in the second storage area A2 without being overwritten in the first storage area A1. By storing the instructions to be included in the updated software SW in this way, the updated software SW can be stored in a flash memory or the like provided as the storage means 11 while the processing device 1 operates according to the pre-updated software SW. Can write to the area. Therefore, it is possible to update the software SW without causing any period during which the notification function does not function.

<Operation after software update>
FIG. 3A shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the basic operation of the alarm device 100 of this embodiment from power-on, including update P3 of the software SW (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 3A, in the alarm device 100 of this embodiment, the internal circuit of the alarm device 100 is activated by, for example, turning on the power switch S (see FIG. 1) or inserting a power plug (not shown) into an outlet. When power is supplied to (step S1), an inspection (initial inspection) P0 is performed by the control unit 10 (see FIG. 1) (step S2).

In the inspection P0, the hardware related to the notification function of the alarm device 100 from monitoring the surrounding environment to notifying the monitoring results, and the hardware related to communication with the external device E (see FIG. 1) are also inspected. Ru. For example, in the control unit 10, the processing device 1 (see FIG. 1) transmits an inspection signal to the detection unit 12 and notification unit 13 (see FIG. 1), and receives an appropriate response from the detection unit 12 and notification unit 13. It determines whether or not there is one, and notifies the user of the determination result by operating the notification unit 13 or the like. As described above, in the alarm device 100 of this embodiment, the control unit 10 is configured to perform an inspection operation regarding the notification function of the alarm device 100 when the alarm device 100 is powered on.

Further, in the inspection P0, in the communication unit 20, for example, the transmitting/receiving unit 22 (see FIG. 1) sends an inspection signal to the external device E, and the processing device checks whether or not an appropriate reply is sent from the external device E. 1 makes a judgment via the communication unit 20, and notifies the user of the judgment result using the notification unit 13 or the like. Since the inspection P0 is performed in this way, for example, even when the alarm 100 is put into use after a long-term storage after shipping inspection at the factory, or when the alarm 100 is restarted after a long-term suspension period, , it is possible to prevent the alarm device 100 with a malfunctioning notification function from being used for monitoring purposes.

After the inspection P0 is performed, the control unit 10 monitors the surrounding environment (step S3). That is, the detection unit 12 senses the temperature, gas concentration, etc. around the alarm device 100, and when the surrounding environment is in a specific state, an alarm or the like is issued to notify the user. In parallel with such monitoring of the surrounding environment, when the start of software update is requested ("Y" in step S4), software update P3 is executed (step S7). For example, as described above, the storage contents of the storage means 11 (see FIG. 1), which is comprised of a flash memory or the like included in the processing device 1, are updated. Note that the software update can be started, for example, by receiving the updated software sent from an external device E that supplies the updated software, or by operating a switch by the user of the alarm device 100 to instruct the alarm device 100 to update. required.

On the other hand, if a software update is not requested (“N” in step S4), the process returns to step S3 and monitoring of the surrounding environment continues unless stopping of monitoring is requested (“N” in step S5). be done. On the other hand, if the end of the monitoring is required ("Y" in step S5), the monitoring of the surrounding environment is ended (step S6). Note that monitoring of the surrounding environment can be stopped by, for example, turning off the power switch S, inputting an instruction to stop monitoring through other predetermined input means (not shown), or pulling out a power plug (not shown) from the outlet. , or a stop instruction from the external device E, etc.

In the example of FIG. 3A, the control unit 10 is configured not to perform the inspection P0 performed in step S2 after the software update P3 in step S7 is completed. In this embodiment, especially when the update P3 in step S7 is an update related to communication by the communication unit 20, the control unit 10 is configured not to perform the operation of inspection P0 after the update P3 ends.

Note that "updates related to communication" include, for example, changes in specifications related to security due to revisions to communication standards applied to communication with external device E, procedures for setting up and opening communication links, modulation methods, or errors. This may be an update regarding the number of retransmissions at the time of detection, etc. However, the "update related to communication" may be anything related to communication controlled by the communication unit 20, and is not limited thereto. In addition, in this specification, "the control unit 10 (or the communication unit 20) is configured to perform (or not perform) a specific operation or process" means that the control unit 10 (or the communication unit 20) is configured to perform a specific operation or process. An instruction to perform (or not perform) a specific operation or process is included in a program that describes the operation or process of the control unit 10 (or communication unit 20), that is, in the software SW (see FIG. 1). Contains.

As shown in FIG. 3A, after step S7, as long as there is no request to stop monitoring ("N" in step S5), the process returns to step S3 and monitoring of the surrounding environment is continued. That is, in the example of FIG. 3A, after the software is updated, the hardware related to the notification function of the alarm device 100 and the hardware related to communication are not inspected. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3A, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a period in which the notification function and communication function of the alarm device 100 do not function after the software is updated. That is, during the operation of inspection P0, it is necessary to respond to an inspection signal and sense a pseudo environment for inspection, so the detection unit 12 may not be able to monitor the actual surrounding environment, for example. . Further, the transmitting/receiving unit 22 may not be able to perform the intended transmitting/receiving at the timing after updating the software SW. For the alarm device 100, which is used to prevent harm to the human body, it is undesirable for the alarm device 100 to have such a period in which it is unable to monitor the surrounding environment or report the monitoring results.

As mentioned above, the inspection P0 after turning on the power is to check that there is no failure in each component of the alarm device 100 during the period when the power is not turned on, in the alarm device 100 that has not been turned on or has been stopped. It is carried out to confirm. On the other hand, it is considered that failures are extremely unlikely to occur during updating of the software SW. In particular, in the case of an update related to communication, the possibility that the update will interfere with the notification function, which is an essential function of the alarm device 100, is extremely low. Therefore, it may be more important to maintain a state in which the notification function functions and communication is possible, rather than performing inspections in preparation for unlikely failures at the cost of stopping the notification function or communication. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, as shown in the figure, after the software SW is updated, the inspection operation (inspection P0) that is performed after the power is turned on is not performed, regardless of the contents of the update P3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the notification function, which is an essential function of the alarm device 100, and the communication for reporting monitoring results to a remote location from stopping, for example. Therefore, according to the alarm device of this embodiment in which the inspection operation is not performed after the update at least when the update is related to communication, the alarm device of the present embodiment does not perform the inspection operation after the update regardless of the content of the update. According to the software, the surrounding environment can be continuously monitored even after a software update, and the user can be notified of the occurrence of an abnormality, for example.

FIG. 3B shows a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the alarm device 100 of this embodiment from power-on, including updating the software SW (see FIG. 1). Note that among the steps shown in FIG. 3B, the steps that perform the same operations and processing as the steps shown in FIG. 3A are given the same reference numerals (steps S1 to S7) as in FIG. 3A, and repetitive explanations are omitted. , may be omitted as appropriate.

As described above, in this embodiment, inspection P0 is not performed after an update regarding communication. However, in the case of an update related to functions other than communication, an inspection operation of the alarm device 100 may be performed after that. FIG. 3B shows an example in which, after updating the software SW, an inspection operation is performed according to the contents of the update. That is, in the example of FIG. 3B, when the update P3 in step S7 is an update regarding the notification function ("Y" in step S8), the control unit 10 performs the inspection P4 (step S9). The determination in step S8 may be made before the update P3 in step S7, and the inspection P4 may be performed in step S9 after the update depending on the determination.

Note that the "notification function" is a function that monitors the surrounding environment and provides notification based on the monitoring results. Therefore, the "update regarding the notification function" includes the monitoring operation of the surrounding environment by the detection unit 12 (see FIG. 1), the determination of whether or not to notify that a certain state is present, the determination of the manner in which the notification should be made, and This may be an update related to control of the notification operation using sound, light, etc. by the notification unit 13 (see FIG. 1). For example, the operating timing and sensitivity of the detection unit 12, the threshold value for determining a specific state (alarm issuing criteria), the association between the monitoring results that are determined to be a specific state and the notification mode, and the use of light as a notification means. An update that involves changes in the intensity, volume of voice, content of speech, etc. may be an "update regarding the notification function" (hereinafter also referred to as "first update"). This first update also includes updates regarding inspection items for self-inspections of the detection unit 12 and notification unit 13 that may be performed as appropriate in the control unit 10, switching of operation modes such as normal mode and low power consumption mode, etc. may be included.

As mentioned above, it is thought that there are few occurrences of failures during software updates, but if the software SW is the first update mentioned above, the notification function may be properly performed depending on the sensitivity and alarm triggering standards after the changes made by the update. It may be desirable to carry out an inspection to confirm whether or not the By doing so, it is possible to give a sense of security to the user of the alarm device 100, and for example, even if some kind of error occurs during the update, by detecting the error and updating again, the intended result of the update can be achieved. You can get the notification function. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3B, inspection P4 is performed in step S9 after the update.

In the inspection P4, for example, as described above with respect to the inspection P0 (initial inspection) carried out in step S2, an inspection regarding the notification function such as the operation of the detection unit 12 and the notification unit 13 is performed. The inspection items performed in inspection P4 may be the same as the inspection items performed in inspection P0, and therefore inspection P0 may be performed as inspection P4 in step S9. Alternatively, some of the inspection items performed in inspection P0 may be performed in inspection P4. For example, in inspection P4, inspection of communication with external equipment may be omitted.

In this way, in the alarm device 100 of the present embodiment, the control unit 10 is configured to perform the inspection operation performed when the power is turned on after the update of the software SW is related to the notification function. You can leave it there. Alternatively, as described above with reference to FIG. 3A, the control unit 10 performs the inspection operation that is performed when the power is turned on after the update of the software SW is completed, including when the update is related to the notification function. It may be configured such that there is no such thing.

In the example of FIG. 3B, if the update P3 in step S7 is an update regarding the operation of a function other than the notification function (“N” in step S8), the inspection operation by inspection P4 is not performed. In both examples of FIGS. 3A and 3B, if the update is related to the operation of a function other than the notification function, inspection P4 is not performed.

Note that the "update regarding the operation of functions other than the notification function" is an update regarding the operation of functions other than the function from monitoring the surrounding environment to making judgments and notifications based on the monitoring results. For example, the "update related to the operation of functions other than the notification function" (hereinafter also referred to as "second update") mainly includes the "update related to communication" by the communication unit 20. The update related to communication may be, for example, an upgrade of the security stack built in the communication unit 20, an update related to communication frequency, or the like.

In order to easily determine whether a software update is an update related to communication and an update related to a notification function, the alarm device 100 determines whether the update to be executed is an update related to communication or not. , and storage means (hereinafter also referred to as "update information storage area") for storing information indicating whether or not the update is related to the notification function. In that case, the control unit 10 may be configured to determine whether or not to perform the inspection operation of inspection P4 based on information stored in the update information storage area. For example, the alarm device 100 may include an update information storage area in the storage means 11 of the processing device 1, and hold a flag indicating such information as “true (1)” or “false (0)”. For example, a register (not shown) may be provided in the processing device 1 as an update information storage area. Alternatively, the alarm device 100 may include an update information storage area in a storage device (not shown) outside the processing device 1.

Note that, as described above, if the update P3 is an update related to communication, the inspection operation related to the notification function is not performed after the update. However, inspection of communication-related hardware such as the transmitting/receiving unit 22 in the communication unit 20 may be performed after a communication-related update. For example, it may be checked whether normal communication with the external device E is possible. That is, in the alarm device 100 of the embodiment, the content of the inspection to be performed subsequently may be selected depending on the content of the update.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating still another example of the operation of the alarm device 100 of this embodiment from power-on, including updating of the software SW (see FIG. 1). Note that among the steps shown in FIG. 4, the steps that perform the same operations or processes as the steps shown in FIG. 3A or 3B are given the same reference numerals (steps S1 to S9) as in FIG. 3A or 3B. , repetitive explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

In the example of FIG. 4, after the power is turned on (step S1) and before the inspection P0 (step S2), the control unit 10 executes the reset operation P1 (step S11). That is, the control unit 10 is configured to perform the reset operation P1 of the alarm device 100 before performing the inspection P0 operation. The reset operation P1 is, for example, resetting the program counter that stores the address of the storage means 11 where the next instruction to be executed by the processing device 1 is stored to address 0 or setting it to a predetermined address. may include. Further, the reset operation P1 may include clearing primary storage areas such as various registers provided in the processing device 1, and specifying various flags as “true (1)” or “false (0)”. This may include setting the state to . Further, the reset operation P1 may include erasing the alarm issuing history stored in an arbitrary storage means within the alarm device 100. Furthermore, the reset operation P1 erases the communication history with the external device E stored in any storage means in the alarm device 100, or sets or temporarily establishes a communication link with the external device E via the communication unit 20. It may also include resetting after release. However, the reset operation P1 performed by the control unit 10 is not limited to these.

Then, after the software SW update P3 (step S7) is completed, the control unit 10 performs a reset operation P2 as necessary. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the update P3 of the software SW is related to the operation of the notification function ("Y" in step S8), and also when it is related to the operation of a function other than the notification function ("N" in step S8). , it is determined whether the reset operation P2 is necessary (step S12 or step S13). If the reset operation P2 is necessary ("Y" in step S12 or step S13), the reset operation P2 is performed (step S14 or step S15). After that, if the update P3 is related to the notification function, a check P4 is performed in step S9 as in FIG. 3B. In steps S12 and S13, it is determined whether or not the reset operation P2 is necessary depending on the contents of the update P3 in step S7. In this way, the control unit 10 may be configured to determine whether or not to perform the reset operation P2 after the update P3 ends, depending on the content of the update P3.

In the example of FIG. 4, in steps S12 and S13, the reset operation P2 is performed depending on, for example, the degree of influence that the update P3 has on the notification function of the alarm device 100 or the degree of change in the internal operation of the processing device 1 due to the update P3. The necessity is determined. For example, the update P3 is an update regarding the detection operation such as the sensitivity of the detection unit 12, a threshold value for determining whether to issue an alarm by the processing device 1, and an update regarding inspection items in the self-inspection of the detection unit 12 and the notification unit 13. If so, it may be determined that the reset operation P2 is necessary (“Y” in step S12 or S13). Further, if the update P3 is an update regarding a change in the specifications regarding ensuring security due to a revision of the communication standard, a procedure for setting up a communication link, etc., it may be determined that the reset operation P2 is necessary.

On the other hand, if the update P3 is an update regarding the notification mode of the notification unit 13, for example, the intensity of light or the volume of the audio, even if it is determined that the reset operation P2 is unnecessary ("N" in step S12 or S13). good. Further, when the update P3 is an update regarding the number of retransmissions when an error is detected in communication with the external device E, it may be determined that the reset operation P2 is unnecessary. Furthermore, if the update P3 is an update related to communication sent to the external device E for analysis of the detection result of the detection unit 12, the reset operation P2 may be determined to be unnecessary.

Further, the control unit 10 may be configured to perform the reset operation P2 after the update P3 is completed when the update P3 is an update regarding the operation of the notification function. Since updates related to the notification function are considered to have a large influence on the notification function of the alarm device 100, it may be preferable to perform the reset operation P2 after the update P3. On the other hand, the control unit 10 may be configured not to perform the reset operation P2 after the update P3 ends when the update P3 is an update regarding the operation of a function other than the notification function. That is, the determinations in steps S12 and S13 in the example of FIG. 4 may be replaced by the determination in step S8. Therefore, steps S12 and S13, and further step S14 may be omitted. Note that the determinations in steps S8, S12, and S13 may be performed before the update P3, and the reset operation P2 may be performed after the update P3 according to the determinations.

The reset operation P2 may include each of the operations described above as operations included in the reset operation P1, similarly to the reset operation P1. Therefore, the reset operation P1 may be performed as the reset operation P2 after the update P3. Furthermore, the reset operation P2 may include only a part of the operations included in the reset operation P1, or may include operations that are not included in the reset operation P1.

In the alarm device 100 of the present embodiment, the control unit 10 is configured to determine whether or not to perform the reset operation P1 after updating the software SW in accordance with the content of the update. Unnecessary reset operations may be avoided. For example, it may be possible to continue monitoring the surrounding environment under the updated software SW by inheriting the settings and memory contents of each hardware before the update.

Note that, as described above, in the alarm device 100 shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 1 containing the software SW is shared between the control section 10 and the communication section 20. Therefore, the storage area 4 illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the software SW is stored is also shared between the control unit 10 and the communication unit 20. Therefore, both the commands related to the control unit 10 that controls the notification function of the alarm device 100 and the commands related to the communication unit 20 are included in one software SW and stored in the storage area 4. When updating, the entire software SW is updated.

Therefore, even when a second update such as an update regarding communication is performed, it may be preferable to perform a reset operation in the same way as when a first update regarding the operation of the notification function is performed. Therefore, when the processing device 1 is shared between the control unit 10 and the communication unit 20 as in the example of FIG. The control unit 10 may be configured to perform the reset operation P2 later. That is, in the example of FIG. 4, steps S12 and S13 may be omitted. Further, steps S12 to S15 may be omitted and the reset operation P2 may be performed before step S8.

<Determination of update type and reset operation to be performed>
An example of a method that makes it possible to determine whether the update of the software SW is an update related to communication by the communication unit 20 or an update related to the operation of the notification function, and to determine whether or not the reset operation P2 after the update is necessary is as follows. , described below with reference to FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B.

As an example, an example will be described in which these determinations are made based on information regarding updates sent from external device E (see FIG. 1) and received by communication unit 20 (see FIG. 1). FIG. 5 shows an example of a data frame F sent from the external device E to transmit the updated software SW when the updated software SW is supplied from the external device E to the alarm device 100. ing. In the data frame F, an identification code 5 is placed between the header H and the data body section including the updated software SW starting from the instruction 1. The identification code 5 consists of a bit string of an arbitrary predetermined length such as 4 bits or 8 bits, and the update of the software SW sent in the data frame F is determined by the combination of the values of each bit (“0” or “1”). , it is possible to indicate that the update is related to communication or that it is the first update related to the notification function.

Furthermore, the identification code 5 determines whether the update is related to the operation of the detection unit 12 (see FIG. 1) or a threshold value for determining that the surrounding environment is in a specific state, depending on the combination of the values of each bit. , whether it is related to the notification unit 13 (see FIG. 1), or whether it is related to communication such as communication standards. The control unit 10 of the alarm device 100 receives the content indicated by the identification code 5 from the communication unit 20, and based on the identification code 5, determines whether the update is related to communication or the operation of the notification function, etc. , it is possible to determine whether a reset operation is necessary after updating. Further, the control unit 10 may temporarily store the information obtained from the identification code 5 in the update information storage area described above. For example, when the type of update indicated by the identification code 5 is related to communication, the control unit 10 sets (“true (1)”) or resets (“false (0)”) a predetermined flag in the update information storage area. )”) may be done. Then, by referring to the stored information later, the control unit 10 determines whether the update is related to communication or the operation of the notification function, and determines whether or not a reset operation is necessary after the update. It's okay.

Note that the identification code 5 does not need to be included in the data frame F including the updated software SW, and may be placed separately, for example, before or after the data frame F including the software SW. The data frame may be sent as a data frame and received by the communication unit 20. In this way, the control unit 10 determines whether the update is related to communication and whether the update is related to the operation of the notification function, based on the identification code included in the information regarding the update received by the communication unit 20. Additionally, the configuration may be such that it is determined whether or not a reset operation is necessary after the update is completed.

Furthermore, as described above with reference to FIG. 2, if the updated software SW is written to a different area without overwriting the area in which the pre-update software SW is stored, the type of update, etc. For determination, the software SW before and after the update may be compared. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the software SWB before the update is stored in the first storage area A1 of the storage area 4 of the processing device 1 (see FIG. 1), and the software SWB after the update is stored in the second storage area A2. software SWA may be compared. In FIG. 6A, software SWB and software SWA are compared by comparison function 1c included in processing device 1. Based on the comparison results, the control unit 10 determines whether the update is related to communications, whether the update is related to the operation of the notification function, and whether or not a reset operation is necessary after the update is completed. It's okay.

In addition, if the alarm device 100 is equipped with a writable storage device 6 such as a DRAM, for example, as shown in FIG. A comparison may be made between SWB and the updated software SWA. That is, before starting the update, the processing device 1 writes the pre-update software SWB stored in the processing device 1 to the storage device 6, and then writes the updated software SWA in the processing device 1. Write to storage area 4. This writing may be overwriting the area where the software SWB before the update is stored, or may be writing to another area. In the example of FIG. 6B, the software SWA is written in the first storage area A1 starting from address A-0000.

The updated software SWA written to the first storage area A1 and the pre-updated software SWB written to the storage device 6 are compared by the comparison function 1c included in the processing device 1. Based on the comparison results, the control unit 10 determines whether the update is related to communications, whether the update is related to the operation of the notification function, and whether or not a reset operation is necessary after the update is completed. It's okay.

<Other examples of alarm device of one embodiment>
FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of main components of an alarm device 101, which is another example of an alarm device according to an embodiment. The alarm device 101 differs from the alarm device 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that the control unit 10 and the communication unit 20 do not share a processing device like the processing device 1 in the example of FIG. In FIG. 7, components similar to those of the alarm device 100 in the example of FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals as those in FIG. Omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the alarm device 101, the control unit 10 includes a first processing device 1a. The first processing device 1a is constituted by a semiconductor device that controls a notification function that monitors the surrounding environment and issues notifications based on the monitoring results. The communication unit 20 includes a second processing device 2a. The second processing device 2a is configured by a semiconductor device that controls communication between the alarm device 101 and the external device E. The control unit 10 and the communication unit 20 are preferably connected to each other so as to be able to send and receive signals to and from the other party.

The first processing device 1a and the second processing device 2a are made of semiconductor devices such as microcomputers and ASICs, and have arithmetic functions, comparison functions, storage functions, etc., like the processing device 1 in the example of FIG. The first processing device 1a controls the entire operation from monitoring the surrounding environment by the detection unit 12 to reporting an abnormality by the notification unit 13 while the alarm device 101 that monitors the surrounding environment is in operation. The second processing device 2a controls overall operations necessary for communication between the alarm device 101 and the external device E, which are performed by the transmitting/receiving section 22 while the alarm device 101 is in operation. The second processing device 2a includes a timer 2c that includes a counter or the like that counts the time elapsed from a specific time. The communication unit 20 in the example of FIG. 7 may also perform the “regular communication” described above with respect to the communication unit 20 of the alarm device 100 in the example of FIG. Note that in the alarm device 101, the first processing device 1a may be provided with a timer for counting the elapsed time from a specific time for regular communication or the like.

The first processing device 1a includes software SW1 and operates according to instructions included in the software SW1. In the example of FIG. 7, software SW1 is stored in storage means 1b included in first processing device 1a. The second processing device 2a includes software SW2 and operates according to instructions included in the software SW2. In the example of FIG. 7, the software SW2 is stored in the storage means 2b included in the second processing device 2a. Note that the software SW1 and the software SW2 are also built into the alarm device 101 so that they can be updated via the communication unit 20 after the alarm device 101 starts to be used. can be updated in any way.

In the alarm device 101 shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 10 and the communication unit 20 each have software SW1 and SW2 containing instructions that they follow built into the first processing device 1a and the second processing device 2a. Therefore, after updating the software (software SW1 and SW2) built into the alarm device 101, if the update is for the software SW1, only the reset operation of the first processing device 1a is performed and the second processing device 2a The reset operation may not be performed. On the other hand, if the update is for the software SW2, only the reset operation of the second processing device 2a may be performed and the reset operation of the first processing device 1a may not be performed.

The update for the software SW1 may include the above-mentioned first update, and the update for the software SW2 may include the above-mentioned second update. Therefore, if the update is the first update, only the reset operation of the first processing device 1a may be performed, whereas if the update is the second update, only the reset operation of the second processing device 2a may be performed. During this period, the notification function by the first processing device 1a may be maintained.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the alarm device 101 shown in FIG. 7, including updating the software. The example in FIG. 8 is an example in which the above-mentioned "regular communication" is performed in the communication unit 20. Note that among the steps shown in FIG. 8, the steps shown in FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, or FIG. The same reference numerals (steps S1 to S7 and step S11) as in FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, or FIG. 4 are given to the steps for performing the operations and processing, and repetitive explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

In the alarm device 101, after the inspection P0 (step S2) is performed, the state of the alarm device 101 is transmitted to the external device E by the communication unit 20 (step S21). The second processing device 2a resets, for example, a counter constituting the timer 2c and starts counting time every time it performs periodic communication. Then, monitoring of the surrounding environment is started (step S3), and if the start of software update is not requested ("N" in step S4), the second processing device 2a starts monitoring the surrounding environment based on the count value of the timer 2c. It is determined whether a predetermined period of time has passed since the last regular communication (step S22). If the predetermined time has not elapsed in step S22 ("N" in step S22), the second processing device 2a increases the time count of the timer 2c (step S23). Unless stopping the monitoring is requested ("N" in step S5), the process returns to step S3 and monitoring is continued. If the predetermined time has elapsed in step S22 (“Y” in step S22), the second processing device 2a transmits the status of the alarm device 101 to the external device E as regular communication (step S24). After that, the second processing device 2a resets the count value of the timer 2c (step S25). As long as there is no request to stop monitoring ("N" in step S5), monitoring continues.

As described above, in the alarm device 101, the first processing device 1a may include a clocking means (not shown). In that case, the timer in the first processing device 1a counts the period of periodic communication, and when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the previous periodic communication, the identification bit to be sent to the second processing device 2a, for example, is changed from 0 to 1, or vice versa. On the other hand, when the identification bit is inverted and the second processing device 2a receives the inverted identification bit, predetermined information may be transmitted from the transmitting/receiving section 22 to the external device E as a regular communication.

In the example of FIG. 8, if a software update is requested in step S4 ("Y" in step S4), update P3 is performed (step S7). If the update P3 is not an update related to communication (“N” in step S26), the reset operation P1 is performed in the control unit 10, or the reset operation P1 is not performed, as in the example of FIG. 4 referred to earlier. (Step S28), and the process proceeds to step S22. The determination in step S26 as to whether or not the update is related to communication is performed, for example, by the method described with reference to FIG. Although not shown in FIG. 8, a determination as to whether update P3 is the first update described above may also be made, for example, in step S26, and if update P3 is the first update. In some cases, inspection P4 illustrated in FIG. 4 may be performed after step S28.

On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 8, if the update P3 is an update related to communication ("Y" in step S26), a reset operation of the second processing device 2a is executed in the communication unit 20 (step S27). On the other hand, in this case, the reset operation P1 by the control unit 10 is not performed. After step S27, the process proceeds to step S22.

Similar to the reset operation P1 of the alarm device 100, the reset operation of the second processing device 2a resets the program counter to, for example, address 0, which stores the address of the storage means 2b where the next command to be executed is stored. It may also include setting a predetermined address such as , or clearing primary storage areas such as various registers provided in the second processing device 2a. Therefore, the count of the timer 2c may be reset by resetting the second processing device 2a. In that case, the process may be returned to step S3 after step S27.

However, when the count of the timer 2c is reset, the time from the periodic communication immediately before the update P3 to the next periodic communication may deviate from the predetermined cycle of the periodic communication. Therefore, processing may be performed to maintain the regular communication cycle. For example, when an update regarding communication is performed, regular communication is executed through step S22 (step S24) instead of step S27, and then the entire reset operation of the second processing device 2a or the clocking means 2c (first If the processing device 1a is equipped with a timer for periodic communication, the count of the timer) may be reset. Alternatively, after the processing device (first processing device 1a or second processing device 2a) equipped with a timer for counting the periodic communication period stores the current count value in the storage device 1b or storage device 2b, the processing in step S27 is performed. A reset operation may also be performed. The stored count value is read out from the storage means 1b or 2b after performing the reset operation. Then, from the count value obtained by adding a count value corresponding to the preset required time of the reset operation or the actual required time of the reset operation counted by the timer on the side that is not reset to the read count value, Counting for periodic communications may be restarted.

Further, the reset operation of the second processing device 2a may include erasing the communication history with the external device E, or resetting the communication link with the external device E after once releasing it. However, the contents, execution timing, and specific aspects of the reset operation in the second processing device 2a are not limited to these.

As in the example of FIG. 8, when the update of the software (software SW1, SW2) built in the alarm device 101 is related to communication with the external device E, the control unit 10 performs a reset operation P1 after the update is completed. It may also be configured so that this is not performed. Further, the communication unit 20 is configured to perform a reset operation of the second processing device 2a when the update of the software (software SW1, SW2) built in the alarm device 101 is related to communication with the external device E. You can leave it there. Since the reset operation involving the first processing device 1a or the control unit 10 is not executed, it is possible to prevent a period in which the alarm function of the alarm 101 does not function, and the second processing device 2a can be operated as intended according to the updated software SW2. It is thought that it can be operated as follows.

<Possible aspects of the alarm device of the embodiment>
Some aspects that the alarm device of the embodiment can take are shown below while repeating a part of the above description.

As described with reference to FIG. 4, in the embodiment, the control unit may be configured to perform a reset operation of the alarm before performing the inspection operation, and after the update is completed. It may be configured to determine whether or not to perform the reset operation depending on the content of the update. With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid unnecessary reset operations, and, for example, it is possible to continue monitoring the surrounding environment under the updated software by inheriting the settings and stored contents before the update.

The control unit may be configured to perform the reset operation after the update is completed when the update is related to the operation of the notification function. Since updates related to the notification function are considered to have a large influence on the notification function, by performing a reset operation after the update, the post-update notification function may be properly performed.

The control unit may be configured not to perform the reset operation after the update is completed when the update is related to the operation of a function other than the notification function. By doing so, unnecessary reset operations may be avoided.

As described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, in the embodiment, the control section includes a first processing device including a semiconductor device that controls the notification function, and the communication section is configured to communicate with an external device. a second processing device including a semiconductor device that controls the communication during the process, and the control unit is configured not to perform the reset operation after the update is completed when the update is related to the communication. The communication unit may be configured to perform a reset operation of the second processing device when the update is related to the communication. By doing so, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary period during which the notification function is not performed, and to appropriately perform communication according to the updated software.

As described with reference to FIG. 1, in the embodiment, the control unit and the communication unit are semiconductors that incorporate the software and control the notification function and the communication with the external device. The devices may be shared, and the control unit may be configured to perform the reset operation after the update is completed when the update is related to the communication. When a semiconductor device having built-in software and controlling a notification function and communication is shared, one piece of software to be updated may include instructions regarding both the control unit and the communication unit. Therefore, even in communication-related updates, the notification function may be maintained more reliably by executing a subsequent reset operation.

Note that the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments described above, and further includes all changes (modifications) within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims.

Further, in the above embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the processing operation of the alarm device of the embodiment is explained using a flow-driven flowchart in which processing is performed in order along the processing flow, but the present invention is not limited to this. . In the present invention, the processing operation of the alarm device may be performed by event-driven processing that executes processing on an event-by-event basis. In this case, it may be completely event-driven, or it may be a combination of event-driven and flow-driven.

100, 101 Alarm device 1 Processing device (semiconductor device)
11 Storage means 1a First processing device 1b Storage means 10 Control section 12 Detection section 13 Notification section 2a Second processing device 2b Storage means 2c Time measurement means 20 Communication section 21 Time measurement means 22 Transmission/reception section 4 Storage area 5 Identification code E External device P0 , P4 Inspection P1, P2 Reset operation P3 Update SW, SW1, SW2 Software SWB Software SWA before update Software after update

Claims (6)

An alarm device that operates according to instructions included in built-in software, and the alarm device includes a control unit that controls a notification function that monitors the surrounding environment and provides notification based on the monitoring results;
a communication unit that controls communication with external devices;
Equipped with
The software is built-in so that it can be updated via the communication unit after starting to use the alarm,
The control unit is configured to perform an inspection operation regarding the notification function when the alarm is powered on,
The control unit is configured to not perform the inspection operation after the update is completed when the update is related to the communication. Further comprising a storage means for storing information indicating whether the update is an update related to the communication,
The alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether or not to perform the inspection operation based on the information. The alarm device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the inspection operation after the update is completed when the update is related to the notification function. Claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the update is an update related to the communication based on an identification code included in information related to the update received by the communication unit. The alarm device according to any one of the above. 4. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to compare the software before the update and the software after the update to determine whether the update is related to the communication. The alarm device according to any one of the items above. The alarm device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the update is performed via wireless communication between an external device and the communication unit.

Images