Method and system for wireless configuration, control, and status reporting of devices in a fire alarm system

• US 8,988,217 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Piccolo, Joseph III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US13/929,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/517, 340/577, 340/10.1, 340/815.66, 340/539.11, 365/222, 702/182, 315/250
• US Class Current: 340/539.17
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/00 Alarm systems in which substations are interrogated in succession by a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/007 Wireless interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/145 of fire detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/22 Provisions facilitating manual calibration, e.g. input or output provisions for testing; Holding of intermittent values to permit measurement

Abstract

A method and system for configured one or more fire alarm system devices in a fire alarm system are disclosed. The fire alarm system includes the fire alarm system devices, a fire alarm panel, and a wireless handheld device. The fire alarm system devices communicate with the fire alarm panel via a first communications interface (such as a wired communications interface), and the wireless handheld device communicates with the fire alarm panel via a second communications interface (such as a wireless communications interface). In operation, the fire alarm control panel receives an indication from one of the fire alarm system devices of a user input. In response, the fire alarm panel sends a communication (such as a form) to the wireless handheld device. In response to the communication, the wireless handheld device sends a response to the fire alarm control panel (such as including information in the form). The fire alarm panel may then update its memory with the information sent from the wireless handheld device in order to control the operation of the fire alarm system device.

Claims

1. A fire alarm control panel for controlling a plurality of fire alarm system devices, the fire alarm control panel comprising:

a first communications interface configured to communicate with the plurality of fire alarm system devices;

a second communications interface;

a memory configured to store configuration data for configuring the fire alarm system devices; and

a controller configured to;

receive an indication, via the first communications interface, of a user input from a fire alarm system device;

send at least one communication responsive to receiving the indication, via the second communications interface, to a wireless handheld device proximal to the fire alarm system device;

receive a response, via the second communications interface, from the wireless handheld device, the response including information entered by a user; and

update or store the configuration data in the memory based on the information.

2. The fire alarm control panel of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication sent to the wireless handheld device comprises a form;

and

wherein the response comprises a modified form, the modified form having been modified by including information entered by the user.

3. The fire alarm control panel of claim 2, wherein the first communications interface comprises a wired communications interface;

wherein the second communications interface comprises a wireless communications interface;

wherein the controller is configured to receive the indication of the user input from the fire alarm system device via the wired communications interface; and

wherein the controller is configured to send the form to the wireless handheld device via the wireless communications interface.

4. The fire alarm control panel of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify the fire alarm system device that sent the indication;

access the memory to determine whether previous configuration information is correlated to the identified fire alarm system device; and

populate the form with the previous configuration information; and

wherein the controller is configured to send the populated form to the wireless handheld device.

5. The fire alarm control panel of claim 4, wherein an indicator of the identity of the fire alarm system device is populated in the form.

6. The fire alarm control panel of claim 5, where the indicator of the identity of the fire alarm system device comprises a device type.

7. A fire alarm device comprising:

a communications interface configured to communicate with a fire alarm control panel;

an input interface configured to receive input from an operator; and

a controller in communication with the communications interface and the input interface, the controller configured to;

responsive to receiving the input from the input interface, send a communication via the communications interface to the fire alarm control panel, the communication indicative of receiving the input from the input interface;

receive information via the communications interface from the fire alarm control panel responsive to at least one communication between the fire alarm control panel and a wireless handheld device to obtain an operator input from the wireless handheld device, the information being sent from the wireless handheld device proximal to the fire alarm device and being routed to the fire alarm device using the fire alarm control panel; and

responsive to receiving the information, modify at lest a part a configuration of the fire alarm device using the information.

8. The fire alarm device of claim 7, wherein the input interface comprises a wireless input interface configured to receive a near-field wireless input from the operator.

9. The fire alarm device of claim 8, wherein the wireless input interface comprises an infrared wireless input interface.

10. The fire alarm device of claim 7, wherein the wireless handheld device is configured to communicate with the fire alarm panel via a wireless local area network.

11. The fire alarm device of claim 7, wherein the input interface comprises a manual input interface configured to receive a manual input from the operator.

12. The fire alarm device of claim 11, wherein the manual input interface comprises a switch.

13. The fire alarm device of claim 12, wherein the switch comprises one of a manual switch or a magnet switch.

14. The fire alarm device of claim 7, wherein the communication is indicative to the fire alarm panel that the operator is proximate to the fire alarm device.

15. The fire alarm device of claim 14, wherein the communication further is indicative to the fire alarm panel of programming of at least one aspect of the fire alarm device.

16. The fire alarm device of claim 7, wherein responsive to receiving the information, the controller is configured to modify the configuration of at least one of:

detector sensitivities of the fire alarm device;

detection modes of the fire alarm device; and

operation of the fire alarm device.

17. A method for configuring a fire alarm device, the method comprising:

receiving an input from an operator via an input interface of the fire alarm device;

responsive to receiving the input from the input interface, sending a communication via a communications interface to a fire alarm control panel that controls or communicates with the fire alarm device, the communication indicative of receiving the input from the input interface;

receiving information via the communications interface from the fire alarm control panel responsive to at least one communication between the fire alarm control panel and a wireless handheld device to obtain an operator input from the wireless handheld device, the information being sent from the wireless handheld device proximal to the fire alarm device and being routed to the fire alarm device using the fire alarm control panel; and

responsive to receiving the information, modifying at lest a part a configuration of the fire alarm device using the information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving an input from an operator via an input interface of the fire alarm device comprises receiving a near-field wireless input from the operator.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless input interface comprises an infrared wireless input interface.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless handheld device is configured to communicate with the fire alarm panel via a wireless local area network.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving an input from an operator via an input interface of the fire alarm device comprises receiving a manual input from the operator.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the manual input comprises moving a switch.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the switch comprises one of a manual switch or a magnet switch.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication is indicative to the fire alarm panel that the operator is proximate to the fire alarm device.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein configuring at least a part of the fire alarm device using the information comprises configuring at least one of:

detector sensitivities of the fire alarm device;

detection modes of the fire alarm device;

or operation of the fire alarm device.