Method for detecting fire with light section image to sense smoke

• US 6,611,207 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2002
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hefei Kdlian Safety Technology Co., Ltd. (Beijing Global Safety Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: University of Science and Technology of China (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
• Inventors: Yuan, Hongyong, Liu, Shenyou, Fan, Weicheng, Liu, Binghai, Su, Guofeng, Wang, Qingan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/958,730
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 340/630, 340/588, 340/589, 340/555, 340/556, 340/628
• US Class Current: 340/630
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/005 for forest fires, e.g. detecting fires spread over a large or outdoors area fire fighting forest fires A62C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for detecting fire with light section image to sense smoke. Infrared radiation arrays (1) and infrared cameras (2) are provided in a monitored area. The images of the infrared light spots transmitted by the infrared radiation arrays (1) are converted into video signals by the infrared cameras (2), and transferred to a video switcher (3). The video switcher sends the video signals received from the infrared cameras to a computer (4) one by one. The computer processes the signals. If fire is sensed, the computer controls the alarm unit (5) to alarm by a linkage.

Claims

1. A method of detecting fire by smoke-emission analysis, comprising the steps of:

training across a monitored area to be protected against fire from one side a plurality of discrete infrared beams capable of being intercepted by smoke particles emitted upon development of a fire condition;

detecting the discrete infrared beams on another side of the monitored area and generating video signals in response to detecting, the generated video signals representing attenuation of the discrete infrared beams by smoke particles;

processing the video signals to determine at least a possibility of a fire condition in the monitored area;

enabling an alarm in response to determining the fire condition if;

upon comparing each of the processed video signals to an alarm threshold, the processed video signal exceeds the alarm threshold, upon sequentially comparing each of the processed video signals to the alarm threshold and a turning threshold, a respective processed video signal exceeds the turning threshold, or

upon determining that all of the processed video signals exceed the turning threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing is performed by a computer employing a method selected from the group consisting of template matching, tendency analysis, correlation analysis and a combination of these.

3. The method according to claims 1, further comprising the steps of transferring the generated video signals to a video switcher, and sequentially sending the transferred video signals one by one in a polling manner to a processor operative to determine the possibility of the fire condition.

4. A system for detecting fire by smoke-emission analysis, comprising:

a plurality of infrared radiation arrays mounted in an area to be protected against fire and operative to generate discrete infrared light beams passing across the area and being interceptable by smoke particles emitted upon development of a fire condition;

a plurality of detectors mounted in the area at a distance from the infrared radiation array and each operative to detect a respective discrete infrared beam and to generate a respective video signal in response to detecting, the generated video signals representing attenuation of the discrete infrared beams by smoke particles;

a computer operative to process the video signals to determine at least a possibility of a fire condition in the area and to generate an alarm in response to the processing of the video signals in response to determining the fire condition in;

a first fire recognition mode, wherein each of the processed signals is compared to an alarm threshold and enables the alarm upon exceeding the alarm threshold,

a second fire recognition mode, wherein each processed signal is sequentially compared to the alarm threshold and a turning threshold to determine tendency corresponding to the fire condition in the monitored area, the processor enabling the alarm only if a respective processed signal exceeds the turning threshold, and

a third fire recognition mode, wherein the alarm is enabled if all of the processed signals exceed the turning threshold.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the detectors include infrared cameras.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a video switcher operative to sequentially receive the generated video signals from the infrared cameras and to sequentially transfer the received generated video signals to the computer.

7. A system for detecting fire by smoke-emission analysis, comprising:

a plurality of radiation arrays mounted in an area to be protected against fire and operative to generate a plurality of discrete light beams passing across the area and being interceptable by smoke particles emitted upon development of a fire condition;

a plurality of detectors mounted in the area at a distance from the infrared radiation arrays and each operative to detect a respective discrete light beam and to generate a respective video signal in response to detecting of the light beam, the generated video signals representing attenuation of the discrete light beams by smoke particles, each light beam being characterized by a respective intensity reduced upon penetration through smoke articles in accordance with the following formula

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a video switcher operative to sequentially receive the detected video signals and to sequentially send the received video signals to the processor.

9. A system for detecting fire by smoke emission analysis, comprising:

a plurality of radiation arrays mounted in an area to be protected against fire and operative to generate a plurality of discrete light beams passing across the area and being interceptable by smoke particles emitted upon development of a fire condition;

a plurality of detectors mounted in the area at a distance from the infrared radiation arrays and each operative to detect a respective discrete light beam and to generate a respective video signal in response to detecting, the generated video signals representing attenuation of the discrete light beams by smoke particles;

a processor operative to process the video signals to determine at least a possibility of a fire condition in the space and to generate an alarm in response to the processing of the video signals in response to determining the fire condition, the processor being a computer operable in a first fire recognition mode, wherein each of the processed signals is compared to an alarm threshold and enables the alarm upon exceeding the alarm threshold;

a second fire recognition mode, wherein each processed signal is sequentially compared to the alarm threshold and a turning threshold to determine tendency corresponding to the fire condition in the monitored area, the processor enabling the alarm only if a respective processed signal exceeds the turning threshold; and

a third fire recognition mode, wherein the alarm is enabled if all of the processed signals exceed the turning threshold.