Device, system and method for informing alarm

• US 9,685,070 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Yamada, Katsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US14/681,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/04 Monitoring of the detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• 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 informing device is provided. The alarm informing device receives detection information from one or more sensors and informs an alarm to a user when either one of failure in the one or more sensors and error in the reception of the information from the one or more sensors occurs. The alarm informing device includes a time synchronizing module configured to synchronize an internal clock of the alarm informing device with an internal clock of another alarm informing device, an alarm sound output timing control module configured to control a timing of outputting an alarm sound when the alarm is issued, based on the internal clock of the alarm informing device, and a sound outputter configured to output the alarm sound at the timing controlled by the alarm sound output timing control module.

Claims

1. An alarm informing device for receiving detection information from one or more sensors and informing an alarm to a user when either one of failure in the one or more sensors and error in the reception of the information from the one or more sensors occurs, the alarm informing device comprising:

a processor configured to execute;

a time synchronizing module configured to synchronize an internal clock of the alarm informing device with an internal clock of another alarm informing device; and

an alarm sound output timing control module configured to control a timing of outputting an alarm sound when the alarm is issued, based on the internal clock of the alarm informing device; and

a sound outputter configured to output the alarm sound at the timing controlled by the alarm sound output timing control module, the sound outputter being one of a buzzer, a chime, or a speaker,

wherein the alarm informing device is either one of a radar and an electronic nautical chart information display system.

2. The alarm informing device of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store information regarding the timing of outputting the alarm sound from the alarm informing device, the timing being in association with the other alarm informing device,

wherein the alarm sound output timing control module controls the timing of the alarm sound output based on the stored information.

3. The alarm informing device of claim 2, wherein as the information regarding the timing of outputting the alarm sound from the alarm informing device, the memory stores information for specifying a time frame assigned with the alarm informing device among a plurality of time frames prepared as candidates for outputting the alarm sounds therewithin.

4. The alarm informing device of claim 2, wherein the timing of outputting the alarm sound of the alarm informing device is controlled to match with a timing of outputting an alarm sound of the other alarm informing device when the alarm informing device is categorized in the same group with the other alarm informing device.

5. The alarm informing device of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface configured to transmit information regarding importance of the alarm issued in the alarm informing device and receive information regarding importance of the alarm issued in the other alarm informing device,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an alarm sound output control module configured to control the alarm sound of the alarm informing device not to be outputted when the importance of the alarm issued in the other alarm informing device is higher than that of the alarm issued in the alarm informing device.

6. The alarm informing device of claim 1, wherein an importance of the alarm is defined in a plurality of levels, and

wherein when the alarm is issued in the alarm informing device and an alarm at the same importance level as the alarm issued in the alarm informing device is issued in the other alarm informing device, the alarm sound of the alarm informing device is outputted so that an output period of time thereof overlaps with that of an alarm sound of the other alarm informing device, through the control by the alarm sound output timing control module.

7. The alarm informing device of claim 1, wherein when an output period of time of the alarm sound of the alarm informing device overlaps with that of an alarm sound of the other alarm informing device, a timing of starting to output the alarm sound of the alarm informing device is matched with that of the alarm sound of the other alarm informing device, through the control by the alarm sound output timing control module.

8. The alarm informing device of claim 1, wherein the time synchronizing module synchronizes the internal clock of the alarm informing device with a GNSS time.

9. The alarm informing device of claim 1, wherein the time synchronizing module synchronizes the internal clock of the alarm informing device with the internal clock of the other alarm informing device by using either one of a network time protocol and a simple network time protocol.

10. The alarm informing device of claim 1, wherein the alarm informing device is connected with the other alarm informing device and provides navigation information.

11. The alarm informing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one kind among a GPS navigation system, a heading sensor, an acoustic depth meter, a radar sensor, a Doppler sonar, a wireless communication device, and an AIS.

12. An alarm informing system comprising one or more sensors and a plurality of alarm informing devices for receiving detection information from the one or more sensors and informing an alarm to a user when either one of failure in one of the one or more sensors and error in the reception of the information from the one or more sensors,

wherein each of the plurality of alarm informing devices includes at least one of a radar and an electronic nautical chart display system, both of the radar and the electronic nautical chart display system being configured to provide navigation information based on the detection information from the one or more sensors,

wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a GPS navigation system, a heading sensor, an acoustic depth meter, a radar sensor, a Doppler sonar, a wireless communication device, and an AIS,

each of the plurality of alarm informing devices is either one of a radar and an electronic nautical chart information display system, and

each of the plurality of alarm informing devices includes:

a processor configured to execute;

a time synchronizing module configured to synchronize an internal clock of the alarm informing device with an internal clock of another alarm informing device; and

an alarm sound output timing control module configured to control a timing of outputting an alarm sound when the alarm is issued due to the either one of the failure and the error, based on the internal clock of the alarm informing device; and

a sound outputter configured to output the alarm sound at the timing controlled by the alarm sound output timing control module, the sound outputter being one of a buzzer, a chime, or a speaker.

13. A method of informing an alarm in an alarm informing device for receiving detection information from one or more sensors and informing an alarm to a user when either one of failure in the one or more sensors and error in the reception of the information from the one or more sensors occurs, the alarm informing device being either one of a radar and an electronic nautical chart information display system, the method of informing the alarm comprising:

synchronizing an internal clock of the alarm informing device with an internal clock of another alarm informing device;

controlling a timing of outputting an alarm sound when the alarm is issued, based on the internal clock of the alarm informing device; and

outputting the alarm sound at the controlled timing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the timing of the alarm sound is outputted further based on the stored information regarding the timing of outputting the alarm sound from the alarm informing device, the timing being in association with the other alarm informing device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the stored information is specified a time frame assigned with the alarm informing device among a plurality of time frames prepared as candidates for outputting the alarm sounds therewithin.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the timing of outputting the alarm sound of the alarm informing device is controlled to match with a timing of outputting an alarm sound of the other alarm informing device when the alarm informing device is categorized in the same group with the other alarm informing device.