Fire detection system
First Claim
1. A fire detection system comprising:
- detector means for detecting the presence of energy within the spectrum of a fire and producing an analysis initiating signal;
video means for producing color information video images of an observed area including objects therein;
object means responsive to said video images for determining the presence of bright objects in the observed area;
analyzing means responsive to said analysis initiating signal for determining that at least one bright object is a fire if it exhibits ragged edges, edge flicker, growth, stationarity, spectrum corresponding to a known fire spectrum, and spectral changes and producing an analysis output signal indicative of the occurrence of a fire; and
threshold means analysis responsive to said output signal for determining the size of said bright object causing said analysis output signal and for causing a fire response when bright object determined to be a fire by said analyzing means exceeds a predetermined area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fire detection system includes a color video camera, a frame grabber and a computer processor operative to store and examine a series of image frames of the viewed area. Ultraviolet and infrared detectors produce event signals when energy received exceeds predetermined thresholds. The processor then rapidly evaluates the images from the camera to determine bright area objects, their location, edge profile, edge flicker, stationarity and spectral characteristics as well as spectral flicker to confirm a fire event. Finally, the size of a confirmed fire image is measured as a final criterion for the release of fire suppressant material, either in a limited zone within which the fire is located or within the entire facility.
117 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A fire detection system comprising:
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detector means for detecting the presence of energy within the spectrum of a fire and producing an analysis initiating signal; video means for producing color information video images of an observed area including objects therein; object means responsive to said video images for determining the presence of bright objects in the observed area; analyzing means responsive to said analysis initiating signal for determining that at least one bright object is a fire if it exhibits ragged edges, edge flicker, growth, stationarity, spectrum corresponding to a known fire spectrum, and spectral changes and producing an analysis output signal indicative of the occurrence of a fire; and threshold means analysis responsive to said output signal for determining the size of said bright object causing said analysis output signal and for causing a fire response when bright object determined to be a fire by said analyzing means exceeds a predetermined area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A fire detection system comprising:
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video means for producing color video images of an observed area; object means for determining the presence of bright objects in the observed area; analyzing means for determining that at least one bright object exhibits a spectrum corresponding to a known fire spectrum; and threshold means for causing a fire response when bright object determined to be a fire by said analyzing means equals or exceeds a predetermined area. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for detecting the presence of a fire within an observed area comprising the steps of:
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producing color information video images including object information of the observed area; examining the color information video images of the observed area produced by said producing step for the presence of bright objects therein; determining the edge profiles of any bright objects found in said examining step and any change of edge profiles thereof; determining the image area of said bright objects and the occurrence of growth of said bright objects found in said examining step; observing the spectra of bright objects found in said examining step and comparing the spectra observed therein to the spectrum of a known fire; determining the occurrence of spectral changes in selected portions of the bright objects found in said examining step; confirming the existence of a fire when the image area of any bright object exhibits ragged edges, edge flicker, growth, stationarity, spectra corresponding to a known fire spectrum, and spectral changes; comparing the image area of a bright object confirmed to be a fire in said confirming step to a predetermined threshold image area; and releasing a fire suppressant when the size of the image area confirmed to be a fire in said confirming step equals or exceeds said predetermined threshold image area. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification