Alarm system and alarm device

• US 8,269,642 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nohmi Bosai Limited (Secom Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nohmi Bosai Limited (Secom Company Limited)
• Inventors: Morita, Hidesato, Masuyama, Makoto, Watanabe, Toshimitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US12/629,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636.15, 340/636.1, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/636.15
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

An alarm system and an alarm device that are capable of enhancing a fail-safe function. A fire alarm device (A) operating as a master unit transmits a switching request signal to fire alarm devices operating as slave units at a predetermined timing. The switching request signal contains at least an own address and an address of a fire alarm device (B) that is to operate as the master unit next (S20). Upon reception of the switching request signal, among the fire alarm devices operating as the slave units, the fire alarm device (B) that is to operate as the master unit next judges whether or not switching is possible based on switching availability judgment information for judging whether or not switching to the master unit is possible (S30), and, when it is judged that switching is possible, starts operating as the master unit (S31).

Claims

1. An alarm system, comprising:

a master alarm device; and

at least one slave alarm device,

the master alarm device and the at least one slave alarm device all having an identical configuration and performing transmission and reception therebetween, wherein;

the master alarm device and the at least one slave alarm device store group information containing at least a master alarm device address and a slave alarm device address, and store a master unit switching order which is information predetermining the order of switching the master unit for all alarm devices,

the master alarm device determines which slave alarm device is to next operate as the master alarm device based on the master unit switching order, and transmits a switching request signal to all slave alarm devices at a predetermined timing, the switching request signal containing at least an own address and an address of the slave alarm device that is to operate as the master alarm device next;

upon reception of the switching request signal, the slave alarm device that is to operate as the master alarm device next judges whether or not switching is possible based on switching availability judgment information for judging whether or not the switching is possible between the slave alarm device and the master alarm device, and transmits, as a response, a result of the judgment to the master alarm device and all the other slave alarm devices, and when it is judged that the switching is possible, starts operating as the master alarm device; and

the master alarm device and all the other slave alarm devices update the group information when they have received a response to the result of the judgment from the slave alarm device.

2. An alarm system according to claim 1,

wherein, upon reception of the switching request signal, the slave alarm device that is to operate as the master alarm device next judges whether or not switching is possible based on switching availability judgment information for judging whether or not the switching is possible between the slave alarm device and the master alarm device, and, when it is judged that the switching is impossible, transmits an abnormality signal to the master alarm device.

3. An alarm system according to claim 2, wherein the master alarm device avoids transmitting the switching request signal to the slave alarm device that has transmitted the abnormality signal.

4. An alarm system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the alarm devices comprises:

a status detection section;

a status judgment section for judging a status based on a signal output from the status detection section;

a control section for causing an alarm to be output based on a result of the judging made by the status judgment section;

a transmitting/receiving section for transmitting and receiving a status signal to and from another alarm device; and

an operation setting section for performing setting as to whether the alarm device is to operate as a master alarm device or as a slave alarm device, wherein;

when the alarm device operates as the master alarm device, the control section transmits a switching request signal to the another alarm device at a predetermined timing via the transmitting/receiving section, the switching request signal containing at least an own address and an address of the one of the slave alarm devices that is to operate as the master alarm device next; and

when the alarm device operates as the slave alarm device, upon reception of the switching request signal, the control section judges whether or not switching is possible based on switching availability judgment information for judging whether or not the switching is possible between the slave alarm device and the master alarm device, and, when it is judged that the switching is possible, the operation setting section performs the setting so that the alarm device operates as the master alarm device.

5. An alarm system according to claim 4,

wherein, when the alarm device operates as the slave alarm device, upon reception of the switching request signal, the control section judges whether or not switching is possible based on switching availability judgment information for judging whether or not the switching is possible between the slave alarm device and the master alarm device, and, when it is judged that the switching is impossible, transmits an abnormality signal to the another alarm device via the transmitting/receiving section.

6. An alarm system according to claim 5, wherein the control section avoids transmitting the switching request signal to the alarm device that has transmitted the abnormality signal.