Fire alarm system

• US 5,654,690 A
• Filed: 12/13/1994
• Issued: 08/05/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xing, Inc. (Brother Industries Limited), Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Xing, Inc. (Brother Industries Limited), Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Intec Incorporated (G Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Tatsuo, Fujii, Kazuhiro, Urano, Takayoshi, Matsuhashi, Hiroshi, Ishikawa, Seiko, Moriguchi, Naomi, Hibino, Yoshihiko, Yasuda, Masaru, Funahashi, Yasuhiro, Ikami, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US08/354,668
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/531, 340/532, 340/533, 340/287, 340/288, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.24, 340/825.47, 340/825.25, 340/825.36, 340/825.37 , 340/825.52
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/04 using a single signalling line, e.g. in a closed loop

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved fire alarm system for an information providing system having a plurality of terminal devices for providing information to a plurality of operators, respectively. The fire alarm system is provided with a fire detecting sensors. If a fire is detected, a predetermined signal is transmitted to a controller. The controller controls each of the plurality of terminal devices to indicate an alarm information to the operator when the predetermined signal is received.

Claims

1. An information providing system, comprising:

a first controller;

means for storing information to be provided;

means for transmitting a predetermined signal carrying said information to be provided;

a plurality of terminal devices,

each of said plurality of terminal devices having;

(1) at least one of audio information indication means and image information indication means;

(2) means for receiving said predetermined signal; and

(3) a second controller for controlling said at least one of said audio information indication means and image information indication means to indicate a predetermined information to an operator in accordance with said predetermined signal received by said signal receiving means; and

emergency detecting means connected to said first controller for detecting an emergency condition and sending an emergency detection signal to said first controller,

wherein said first controller controls said transmitting means to transmit an emergency information signal to said signal receiving means of each of said plurality of terminal devices in response to said emergency detection signal sent by said emergency detecting means, and

wherein said second controller of each of said plurality of terminal devices controls said at least one of audio information indication means and image information indication means to stop providing said predetermined information and to provide said emergency information, which indicates said emergency condition, to said operator in response to said emergency information signal received by said signal receiving means.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said emergency detection signal contains information of an outbreak of a fire.

3. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein each of said terminal devices is operated in an enclosed circumstance.

4. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said emergency information includes an indication of a passageway.

5. The information providing system according to claim 4, wherein said indication of a passageway is a visual indication.

6. The information providing system according to claim 5, wherein said visual indication includes a message.

7. The information providing system according to claim 5, wherein said visual indication includes a map showing said passageway.

8. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said emergency detecting means comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting an outbreak of a fire and outputting a fire detection signal, and a receiver for receiving said fire detection signal from respective sensors and for sending said emergency detection signal to said first controller.

9. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said first controller is capable of controlling said transmitting means to output an emergency-cleared information signal to said receiving means when said emergency condition is cleared, and wherein said second controller controls said at least one of audio information indication means and image information indication means to stop providing said emergency information when said receiving means has received said emergency-cleared information signal.

10. The information providing system according to claim 9, wherein said second controller controls said at least one of said audio information indication means and image information indication means to provide information indicating said emergency condition is cleared when said receiving means receives said emergency-cleared information signal.

11. The information providing system according to claim 9, wherein said second controller controls said at least one of audio information indication means and image information indication means to start providing said predetermined information when said receiving means has received said emergency-cleared information signal.

12. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein said second controller controls said at least one of audio information indication means and image information indication means to start providing said predetermined information automatically when said receiving means has received said emergency-cleared information signal.

13. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein said second controller controls said at least one of audio information indication means and image information indication means to start providing said predetermined information when said operator executes a predetermined operation with said terminal device.

14. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein said second controller of each terminal device comprises a memory for storing operation condition information when said receiving means received said emergency information signal and said second controller controls said at least one of said audio information indication means and image information indication means to stop providing said predetermined information, said operation condition information stored in said memory can be used when said information providing operation is restarted.

15. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined information comprises entertainment information.

16. The information providing system according to claim 9, wherein said audio information indication means comprises a music reproducing device.

17. An information providing system, comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of terminal devices connected to said controller, said controller controlling each of said plurality of terminal devices to provide a predetermined information to an operator, each of said terminal devices having a plurality of information indication means including an audio information indication means and an image information indication means;

emergency detecting means for detecting an emergency condition and outputting a predetermined signal to said controller;

wherein said controller controls each of said plurality of terminal devices to stop providing said predetermined information and provide an emergency information indicating said emergency condition to an operator by means of at least one of said plurality of information indicating means in response to said predetermined signal transmitted from said controller.

18. The information providing system according to claim 17, wherein said controller comprises means for transmitting information to be provided to each one of said plurality of terminal devices.

19. The information providing system according to claim 18, wherein said information transmitted by said transmitting means includes said predetermined information.

20. The information providing system according to claim 19, wherein said information transmitted by said transmitting means includes said emergency information.

21. The information providing system according to claim 20, wherein said emergency information has an information of passageway.

22. The information providing system according to claim 21, wherein said controller is capable of determining optimum passageways for respective terminal devices.

23. The information providing system according to claim 22, wherein said emergency detecting means comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting outbreak of fire, wherein said controller comprises means for storing location of said plurality of sensors and location of said plurality of terminal devices, and wherein said controller determines said passageways for each terminal based on said location of said plurality of terminal devices and the location of a sensor which detects said outbreak of fire.

24. The information providing system according to claim 22, wherein said terminal devices respectively comprise display means for displaying image information, and wherein said passageways for respective terminals determined by said controller are displayed on said display means of respective terminal devices.

25. The information providing system according to claim 17, wherein said information providing system is for providing entertainment information.

26. The information providing system according to claim 17, wherein said terminal devices comprise a music reproducing device.

27. A combination of an alarm system and an information providing system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals for providing a predetermined information to respective operators, each of said terminals having a plurality of information providing devices;

emergency detecting means for detecting an emergency condition; and

controller for controlling at least one of said information providing devices of each of said terminals currently used for providing said predetermined information to stop providing said predetermined information and provide an emergency information when said emergency detecting means detects said emergency condition.