WIRELESS DISASTER-PREVENTION NODE AND WIRELESS DISASTER-PREVENTION SYSTEM

• US 20110312354A1
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hochiki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hochiki Corporation
• Inventors: NAKAMURA, Yoshio
• Application Number:
  US13/197,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20110312354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/500
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/12 Checking intermittently signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/88 related to allowing or preventing alarm transmission

Abstract

To determine the busy degree of the operating frequency channel caused by other systems and enable a user to know an unused frequency channel having a low communication frequency. A first usage-rate measuring unit 40 measures the usage rate of an operating frequency channel, and a second usage-rate measuring unit 42 measures the usage rates of unused frequency channels. When the usage rate measured by the first usage-rate measuring unit 40 exceeds a predetermined value to generate a busy state, a first usage-rate determining unit 44 displays the unused frequency channel having the low frequency rate, which is determined by the second usage-rate determining unit 45, to recommend the unused frequency channel as a switching destination.

Claims

1. A wireless disaster-prevention node comprising:

a channel setting unit capable of setting an operating frequency channel from among a plurality of frequency channels;

a wireless communication unit receiving a wireless signal in accordance with a predetermined telegram message format output from a sensor node using a frequency channel same as the operating frequency channel set by using the channel setting unit, demodulating the wireless signal, and measuring radio-field intensity;

a communication control unit executing a process based on the telegram message when a transmission source ID obtained from the telegram message demodulated by the wireless communication unit matches a registered ID determined and registered in advance;

a first usage-rate measuring unit measuring a usage rate of the operating frequency channel; and

a second usage-rate measuring unit measuring a usage rate of the unused frequency channel.

2. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, further comprising a first usage-rate display unit displaying a result of the measurement of the first usage-rate measuring unit.

3. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, further comprising

a first usage-rate determining unit determining that a result of the measurement of the first usage-rate measuring unit is within a predetermined range;

and

a first usage-rate display unit displaying the result of the determination of the first usage-rate determining unit.

4. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, further comprising a second usage-rate display unit displaying all of or any of the usage rate of the unused frequency channel among a result of the measurement of the second usage-rate measuring unit.

5. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, further comprising

a second usage-rate determining unit obtaining the order of unused usage rates from a result of the measurement of the second usage-rate measuring unit;

and

a second usage-rate display unit displaying part or all of the order of the usage rates obtained by the second usage-rate determining unit.

6. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 4, wherein the second usage-rate display unit carries out the display when a result of the measurement of the first usage-rate measuring unit is within a predetermined range.

7. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit:

when the wireless signal of the telegram message format is not being received, obtains the radio-field intensity from the wireless communication unit at an every predetermined measurement interval and increments the number of times of measurement;

when the radio-field intensity is within a predetermined range, adds the number determined according to the radio-field intensity to the number of times of usage at that point; and

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the number of times of usage by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

8. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit:

when the wireless signal having the telegram message format but having the transmission source ID not matching the registered ID is received, adds the number of times of correction calculated by a predetermined method to each of the number of times of usage and the number of times of measurement at that point to accumulate the respective numbers; and

,

every time the number of times measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the number of times of usage by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

9. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein

the second usage-rate measuring unit:

at an every measurement interval, temporarily switches the operating frequency channel of the wireless communication unit to the unused frequency channel, obtains radio-field intensity, and increments the number of times of measurement;

when the radio-field intensity is within a predetermined range, adds the number determined according to the radio-field intensity to the number of times of usage at that point; and

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the number of times of usage by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

10. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 9, wherein,

when a plurality of the unused frequency channels are present, the second usage-rate measuring unit calculates the usage rates respectively for the individual frequency channels.

11. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit:

when the wireless signal of the telegram message format is not being received, obtains the radio-field intensity from the wireless communication unit at an every predetermined measurement interval, adds 1 to the number of times of measurement, and adds the value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the radio-field intensity to a usage quantity at that point to accumulate the quantity; and

,

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the usage quantity by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

12. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit:

when the wireless signal having the telegram message format but having the transmission source ID not matching the registered ID is received, adds the number of times of correction calculated by a predetermined method to the number of times of measurement at that point and adds a usage quantity obtained by multiplying a value, which is obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the radio-field intensity, by the number of times of correction to a usage quantity at that point to accumulate the quantity; and

,

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the usage quantity by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

13. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 8, wherein

the number of times of correction is calculated by dividing the communication time by the measurement interval and rounding up the number of decimals.

14. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein

the second usage-rate measuring unit:

at an every predetermined measurement interval, temporarily switches the operating frequency channel of the wireless communication unit to the unused frequency channel, obtains radio-field intensity, adds 1 to the number of times of measurement, adds a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the radio-field intensity to a usage quantity at that point, and, every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the usage quantity by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

15. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein,

while the telegram message of the predetermined format from the sensor node is being received, the second usage-rate measuring unit prohibits the wireless communication unit from switching to the unused frequency channel.

16. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein,

any or all of outputs of the first usage-rate measuring unit and the second usage-rate measuring unit is transmitted to and displayed by a receiver.

17. The wireless disaster-prevention node according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor node detects a fire and transmits the wireless signal in accordance with the predetermined telegram message format;

and,

when the communication control unit obtains the telegram message demodulated from the wireless signal of the sensor node by the wireless communication unit and determines the fire, the communication control unit relays and transmits a fire signal to a receiver connected by a signal line and causes the receiver to emit an alarm.

18. A wireless disaster-prevention system receiving and processing, by a wireless disaster-prevention node, a wireless signal transmitted from a sensor node and transmitting a result of the processing to a receiver connected by a signal line, wherein

the wireless-disaster prevention node comprising:

a channel setting unit capable of setting an operating frequency channel from among a plurality of frequency channels;

a wireless communication unit receiving a wireless signal in accordance with a predetermined telegram message format output from a sensor node using a frequency channel same as the operating frequency channel set by using the channel setting unit, demodulating the wireless signal, and measuring radio-field intensity;

a communication control unit executing a process based on an telegram message when a transmission source ID obtained from the telegram message demodulated by the wireless communication unit matches a registered ID determined and registered in advance;

a first usage-rate measuring unit measuring a usage rate of the operating frequency channel; and

a second usage-rate measuring unit measuring a usage rate of the unused frequency channel.

19. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the wireless disaster-prevention node transmits wireless monitoring information including part or all of outputs of the first usage-rate determining unit and the second usage-rate determining unit to the receiver;

and

the receiver is provided with a monitoring information processing unit which displays occurrence of a busy state of the wireless disaster-prevention node of a transmission source and the unused frequency channel having the low usage rate to recommend the unused frequency channel as a switching destination based on the wireless monitoring information received from the wireless disaster-prevention node.

20. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit of the wireless disaster-prevention node:

when the wireless signal of the telegram message format is not being received, obtains the radio-field intensity from the wireless communication unit at an every predetermined measurement interval and increments the number of times of measurement;

when the radio-field intensity is within a predetermined range, adds the number determined according to the radio-field intensity to the number of times of usage at that point; and

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the number of times of usage by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

21. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit of the wireless disaster-prevention node:

when the wireless signal having the telegram message format but having the transmission source ID not matching the registered ID is received, adds the number of times of correction calculated by a predetermined method to each of the number of times of usage and the number of times of measurement at that point to accumulate the respective numbers; and

,

every time the number of times measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the number of times of usage by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

22. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the second usage-rate measuring unit of the wireless disaster-prevention node:

at an every predetermined measurement interval, temporarily switches the operating frequency channel of the wireless communication unit to the unused frequency channel, obtains radio-field intensity, and increments the number of times of measurement;

when the radio-field intensity is within a predetermined range, adds the number determined according to the radio-field intensity to the number of times of usage at that point; and

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the number of times of usage by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

23. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit of the wireless disaster-prevention node:

when the wireless signal of the telegram message format is not being received, obtains the radio-field intensity from the wireless communication unit at an every predetermined measurement interval, adds 1 to the number of times of measurement, and adds the value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the radio-field intensity to a usage quantity at that point to accumulate the quantity; and

,

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the usage quantity by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

24. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the first usage-rate measuring unit:

when the wireless signal having the telegram message format but having the transmission source ID not matching the registered ID is received, adds the number of times of correction calculated by a predetermined method to the number of times of measurement at that point and adds a usage quantity obtained by multiplying a value, which is obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the radio-field intensity, by the number of times of correction to a usage quantity at that point to accumulate the quantity; and

,

every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the usage quantity by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

25. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the second usage-rate measuring unit:

at an every predetermined measurement interval, temporarily switches the operating frequency channel of the wireless communication unit to the unused frequency channel, obtains radio-field intensity, adds 1 to the number of times of measurement, adds a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the radio-field intensity to a usage quantity at that point, and, every time the number of times of measurement reaches a predetermined number of times, divides the usage quantity by the number of times of measurement to calculate the usage rate.

26. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein,

while the telegram message of the predetermined format from the sensor node is being received, the second usage-rate measuring unit of the wireless disaster-prevention node prohibits the wireless communication unit from switching to the unused frequency channel.

27. The wireless disaster-prevention system according to claim 18, wherein

the sensor node detects a fire and transmits the wireless signal in accordance with the predetermined telegram message format;

and,

when the communication control unit of the wireless disaster-prevention node obtains the telegram message demodulated from the wireless signal of the sensor node by the wireless communication unit and determines the fire, the communication control unit relays and transmits a fire signal to the receiver and causes the receiver to emit an alarm.