Fire protection receiver and fire protection receiver system

• US 5,734,321 A
• Filed: 12/11/1996
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nohmi Bosai Limited (Secom Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nohmi Bosai Limited (Secom Company Limited)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/763,345
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/506, 340/514, 340/517, 340/518, 340/588, 340/589, 340/825.5, 364/551.01, 364/557
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements

Abstract

When updating the data of an EEPROM, wherein set data such as interlock data showing the interlock relationship between fire detectors and controlled equipment, data on correspondence between terminal addresses and places where the terminals are installed, display data to be shown on a display unit of the fire protection receiver, and receiver function data showing the functions of the fire protection receiver is stored, a fire protection receiver according to the present invention employs a memory pack comprised of an IC card or the like, which is disconnectably attached to the fire protection receiver, connects a memory pack, which stores data for updating set data, into the receiver, reads it, and writes it to the EEPROM. Alternatively, set data before updating stored in the EEPROM may be read into the memory pack, which is carried to a service center or the like, where set data for updating is created, referring to the set data before updating, and the created set data for updating may be written into the EEPROM via the memory pack in a similar manner. This makes it possible to provide a fire protection receiver and a fire protection receiver system, which enable a person, who does not know about a ROM, i.e., an electronic circuit, to update set data securely and which permits easy updating.

Claims

1. A fire protection receiver which receives a fire signal from at least one fire detector and issues a control signal to controlled equipment in accordance with set data indicative of a relationship between characteristics of the received fire signal and characteristics of the issued control signal, said fire protection receiver comprising:

a central processing unit;

a first memory, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, having stored therein an operation program executed by said central processing unit;

a second memory, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, for providing a working data area upon execution of the operational program by said central processing unit;

a third memory, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, having stored therein the set data, said third memory being an erasable nonvolatile memory; and

,

a connector, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, for detachably connecting an external detachable memory pack to said central processing unit, the external detachable memory pack having updated set data stored therein;

wherein, prior to reading the set data stored in said third memory to determine the characteristics of the control signal issued in response to the fire signal, the operation program causes said central processing unit to initially determine whether the external detachable memory pack is connected to said connector, and if the external detachable memory pack is determined to be connected to the connector, to then read the updated set data from the external detachable memory pack and to overwrite the set data already stored in said third memory with the updated set data read from the external detachable memory pack.

2. A fire protection receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a displaying means and a data updating completion writing means for storing a status of the set data for updating of said external detachable memory pack having been written into said erasable nonvolatile memory or in a predetermined memory in the receiver or for displaying it on said displaying means.

3. A fire protection receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a second writing means for writing the set data stored in said erasable nonvolatile memory into the external detachable memory pack.

4. A fire protection receiver according to claim 3, further comprising a displaying means and a data writing completion writing means for storing the status of said set data stored in said erasable nonvolatile memory having been written into said external detachable memory pack or in a predetermined memory in the receiver or for displaying it on said displaying means.

5. A fire protection receiver according to claim 3, further comprising a displaying means and a data updating completion writing means for storing the status of the set data for updating of said external detachable memory pack having been written into said erasable nonvolatile memory or in a predetermined memory in the receiver or for displaying it on said displaying means.

6. A fire protection receiver according to claim 1, wherein the set data stored in said erasable nonvolatile memory includes at least one set data out of interlock data showing the interlocking relationship between said fire detector and controlled equipment, data on correspondence between a terminal address and a place where the terminals is installed, display data to be shown on a display unit of the fire protection receiver, and receiver function data showing the functions of the fire protection receiver.

7. A fire protection receiver which receives a fire signal from at least one fire detector and issues a control signal to controlled equipment in accordance with set data indicative of a relationship between characteristics of the received fire signal and characteristics of the issued control signal, said fire protection receiver comprising:

a central processing unit;

a first memory, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, having stored therein an operation program executed by said central processing unit;

a second memory, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, for providing a working data area upon execution of the operational program by said central processing unit;

a third memory, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, having stored therein the set data, said third memory being an erasable nonvolatile memory;

an external detachable memory pack having updated set data stored therein; and

,

a connector, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, for detachably connecting said external detachable memory pack to said central processing unit;

wherein, prior to reading the set data stored in said third memory to determine the characteristics of the control signal issued in response to the fire signal, the operation program causes said central processing unit to initially determine whether the external detachable memory pack is connected to said connector, and if the external detachable memory pack is determined to be connected to the connector, to then read the updated set data from the external detachable memory pack and to overwrite the set data already stored in said third memory with the updated set data read from the external detachable memory pack.

8. A fire protection receiver system according to claim 7, wherein said fire protection receiver further comprises a second writing means for writing the set data stored in said erasable nonvolatile memory into said portable external detachable storing means.

9. A fire protection receiver system according to claim 8, wherein said portable external detachable storing means consists of a memory pack, whereto the set data stored in said erasable nonvolatile memory is written and the set data for updating the set data of said nonvolatile memory is written.

10. A fire protection receiver system according to claim 8, wherein said portable external detachable storing means comprises a write-only memory pack for storing said set data stored in said erasable nonvolatile memory and a read-only memory pack, wherein set data for updating the set data of said nonvolatile memory is stored;

and

said fire protection receiver reads said set data stored in said erasable nonvolatile memory and writes it into said write-only memory pack if said write-only memory pack is connected, while it reads said set data for updating from said read-only memory pack and writes it into said erasable nonvolatile memory if said read-only memory pack is connected.

11. A fire protection receiver system according to claim 10, wherein said write-only memory pack and read-only memory pack include attribute areas indicating that they are the write-only memory pack and the read-only memory pack, respectively.

12. A fire protection receiver system according to claim 11, wherein said write-only memory pack and said read-only memory pack are visually distinguishable.

13. A fire protection receiver system according to claim 7, wherein said memory pack is comprised of an IC card, IC board or an optical card.

14. A fire protection receiver according to claim 7, wherein said external detachable memory pack includes a mating connector.