Patent Description:
Traditionally, addressable fire alarm peripherals (such as smoke sensors, heat sensors, pull stations, and notification appliances) are assigned addresses using either mechanical or electronic methods. Many such devices consist of a base which is typically attached to an electrical box for permanent or semi-permanent installation. A "head" containing the sensors or annunciators (lights, sounders, etc.) can then be removably attached a base for easy cleaning and/or replacement. Mechanical addressing methods include, for example, rotary switches or binary DIP switches located in either the device head itself or its base. Electronic addressing methods typically require the use of a proprietary tool that connects to the device and writes an address that the device stores electronically in non-volatile memory. <CIT> discloses an addressing method for fire, gas and intrusion signaling system where the detector base of each detector contains an identification module which defines for each individual detector base an unmodifiable detector base identification number which differs from the number of all other detector bases and is taken from a numerical range which is greater than ten thousand, and that in the detector, means are provided which can detect the detector base identification number. The identification module is an arrangement consisting of several resistors having different resistance values, or a ROM, PROM, EPROM or EEPROM, in which the detector base identification number is stored.

An emergency alarm system peripheral, such as a hazard detector (including but not limited to detection of smoke, heat, CO, CO<NUM>, flame, natural gas or other toxic or noxious chemicals, pull stations), intrusion detector (including but not limited to window and door contacts, glass break sensors, water or water level sensors, passive infra-red detectors) or a notification appliance (including but not limited to sirens, voice alerts, strobes), includes a base and a head. The base is typically mounted on a wall or ceiling, in front of an electrical box. The head, which houses the actual sensor(s) or notification transponder(s), is attached to the base during installation or replacement.

Most of the Description below refers to "detector heads", but for the purposes of this invention, "detector head" includes the transponder part of a notification appliance device that can attach to a base.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fire detection device as set out in claim <NUM>.

Preferably, the fire detection device is a hazard detector; and the transponder unit is configured to detect one or more of smoke, heat, fire, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, toxic chemicals, or natural gas.

The transponder unit may include a light source and a light detector; the light source is configured to generate a light signal; the light detector is configured to detect the light signal when a switch of the plurality of switches is in the first position. The light signal may include a pulsed light beam. The light signal may include a continuous light beam.

It should be noted that the term smartphone includes smartphones as well as other electronic mobile devices such as smart pads and smart wearables.

Embodiments described below employ a mechanical-only set of switches in a device base for addressing purposes as claimed in claim <NUM>.

In at least one exemplary arrangement which does not form part of the invention, the switches are located in a device base, and each switch consists of a metallic plate slideable between two positions. The switch itself is non-electrical; the metal plates simply slide between positions and are strictly passive, having no energy source or electrical connections of their own, nor are they physically connected to any electrical component. The detector itself has PCB tracks corresponding to each switch in the base, such that when the head is installed onto the base, each pair of tracks (nodes) is proximate a corresponding switch on the base. The position of the corresponding metallic plate determines a capacitance between the pair of tracks (node pairs). A corresponding circuit connected to each track detects the capacitance of the node pair, and from that, the position of the related switch.

In an example, a high-frequency signal generator generates a high-frequency signal designed to capacitively stimulate the switch's metallic plate, and the other circuit detects the presence of the high-frequency signal when coupled by the switch's metallic plate when it is in a first position, and the absence of the high-frequency signal when the metallic plate is in a second position.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the side of the base <NUM> that attaches to and faces the head (described below with respect to <FIG>). The base includes a group of switches <NUM>. For exemplary purposes, four individual switches <NUM> are shown; however one skilled in the art can see that there could be fewer or more switches, depending on the length of the address needed. Of course, the switches could be used to indicate parameters other than or in addition to an address, such as a group ID, whether to enable a sounder or not, etc..

Each switch <NUM> includes a metallic plate 14a-14d which in some arrangements is movably positionable, e.g., slideable, between two positions. For example, metallic plates 14a, 14c and 14d are in a first position, while plate 14b is in a second position. This could indicate, for example, that this device is to have an address <NUM><NUM> or <NUM><NUM>. The subscript "<NUM>" indicates a base <NUM> number and the subscript "<NUM>" indicates a base <NUM> number.

<FIG> is a view of the side <NUM> of the device head <NUM> that attaches to and faces the base <NUM> (<FIG>). A printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM> has a modulated PCB track <NUM> that is electronically coupled to a high-frequency signal generator (not shown). The modulated track may have extended fingers 24a corresponding to each address switch on the base. Separate tracks <NUM> corresponding to each finger are proximate but electrically isolated from respective fingers 24a.

Looking at both <FIG>, it can be seen that electrical contacts <NUM> lock the head <NUM> into the contacts <NUM> in the base <NUM>, such that the head can only be installed in one way, thus ensuring that node pair (<NUM>, 24a) on the base lies aligns with a corresponding switch 14a.

<FIG> illustrates a side view of a matching switch <NUM> and node pair (<NUM>, 24a) when the head <NUM> is installed onto the base <NUM>. It can be seen that when the metallic plate is in the ON Position 34A, it is proximate the two nodes <NUM>, <NUM>, and interacts with the nodes to change the capacitance between the nodes. When the plate is in the OFF Position 34B, as shown in this example, it not proximate either node, and has very little if any interaction with them, such that there is little to no capacitance between the nodes <NUM>, 24a.

<FIG> is a high-level schematic illustrating the operation of an exemplary arrangement which does not form part of the invention. For illustrative purposes, only one switch is discussed. A high-frequency generator (oscillator circuit) <NUM> generates a high-frequency signal and applies the signal to a modulated PCB track <NUM>. That signal is coupled through a closed switch <NUM>, or not-coupled if it is open, to sensing PCB track <NUM>. The high-frequency signal, if present, is sensed by a sensing circuit <NUM>. There is one sensing circuit per switch. Here, only one sensing circuit is illustrated. Each sensing circuit includes a sensing PCB track <NUM>, an amplifier <NUM> and a rectifier <NUM>. Each sensing PCB track is paired with an extended finger 24a (<FIG>) of the modulated PCB track, and may or may not be capacitively coupled with the corresponding finger depending on the position of the corresponding switch's metal plate. If the metal plate does couple the modulated PCT track with a sensing PCB track, the high-frequency signal will be sensed and amplified by amplifier <NUM>. The amplified signal is then rectified by rectifier <NUM>. The rectified signals for each of the switches are then read by a microcontroller or ASIC <NUM> which compares the amplitude of each signal against a predetermined threshold to determine the position of the switches.

It could be envisioned that a switch might have multiple positions near the nodes so as to interact with the nodes according to the position, enabling different values of the detected HF signal to indicate the different positions.

As an example of an installation, an installer may install the bases in an area, floor, building, or the like, and set the address switches on each base according to a blueprint or optionally, a smartphone app, installation instruction tables, etc. The bases can then be tested for wiring continuity and ground faults. The detectors can then be installed onto the previously addressed bases, and the fire panel programmed to recognize the addressable devices.

According to the invention, a mechanical-only set of switches is located in the detector base; however in this solution, the switches may be white or light-colored in one position, and black or dark-colored in the other position. The detector itself has light detection components (either completely exposed or through a "window") capable of detecting the light and dark conditions, that correspond to the switches and indicate the switch positions. Each light detection component may consist of an LED paired with a photo-detectors positioned as a pair above a corresponding switch.

<FIG> is a photograph illustrating a base <NUM> with a bank of switches <NUM>. It can be seen that four of the switches <NUM> appear dark, while the others are light. The detector head <NUM> includes a circuit board <NUM> which has a bank of light detection components <NUM> that correspond to the switches <NUM>. The light detection components <NUM> (such as an LED/phototransistor pair, but note that an LED could be configured as a receiver in place of a phototransistor pairs; other types of optical detectors may also be used) are positioned to align with the switches <NUM> when the head is installed on the base <NUM>, as shown by dotted line <NUM>. The switches reflect light in one position, and absorb or redirect light in the other position, for example the four dark switches <NUM>.

<FIG> is an outline of the printed circuit board <NUM> shown in <FIG>, clearly showing that each individual light detection component <NUM> comprises an LED 58A and a photodiode 58B.

Alternatively, as a not claimed example, as <FIG> illustrates, a "barcode" type label could be used in the base on which the installer darkens the desired address in lieu of a physical switch, for example, by filling in a space with a black marker. Here, the base <NUM> includes a label <NUM>. It can be seen that some of the spaces on the label have been darkened <NUM>, while others <NUM> have not. The address selected by this configuration is <NUM><NUM> or <NUM><NUM>, where the dark spaces are interpreted as <NUM>'s and the light spaces as <NUM>'s. The label can be read with the same optical solution (LED/phototransistor pair) as described above.

<FIG> illustrate another exemplary arrangement which does not form part of the invention in which a dial, rather than a bank of switches, may be used to set an address in the detector base without the base having any electronics. The address is read optically by the detector head. Here, there are no switches; the address depends instead on the orientation of the dial <NUM> with respect to the detector head. As shown in <FIG>, a dial <NUM> has a set of partial concentric grooves <NUM>, with the inner most ring representing <NUM><NUM> and the outermost ring representing (because there are four rings in this example) <NUM><NUM>. LED/sensor pairs <NUM> on the detector head (and shown here to show how the alignment works) correspond to each groove location, and determine whether a groove is present or not - presence being indicated by the shaded rings. Depending on the configuration of the dial, light from an LED <NUM> may be directed to a photodetector <NUM> to determine the "value" of a particular band. In the orientation shown, the <NUM><NUM> position is the only one that has a groove; hence the address is set to <NUM>. <FIG> shows a cut-away side-view of a dial <NUM>, illustrating the grooves in the illustrated orientation.

One skilled in the art would recognize that there could more or less groove rings, thus increasing or decreasing the address space respectively. Alternatively, or in addition, multiple dials and corresponding LED/sensor pairs on the detector head could be used to expand the address space. The LED and phototransistor pairs are shown for illustrative purposes but they reside in the detector head, one pair for each groove on the dial in the detector base <NUM>. In the "on" position for a given radius (four grooves shown), light from the corresponding LED is reflected back to the photodetector. In the "off" position, a switch does not reflect light to the photodetector. With the turning of the dial, the orientation of the grooves will change and a different address will be read. The bands may comprise grooves to represent darkened areas as has been discussed. Alternatively, a label may be used that has a printed pattern similar to that shown in <FIG>. The light from the LED may include infra-red light, visible light, and/or ultra-violet light.

<FIG> illustrates yet another exemplary arrangement which does not form part of the invention in which the base has a simple radial reflector within a dial (not shown) that reflects between one of plural radial light sensors <NUM> and a LED <NUM> in the middle. The detector <NUM> that detects the light from the LED indicates the dial position and hence the selected address. Conversely, there could be a single light sensor in the center and an array of light sensors distributed radially around the center. By pulsing the LEDs one at a time, and sensing for which pulse light is detected, the dial position can be determined. As with all the examples described above, there are no electronics in the base, just a rotatable dial with a reflector.

This concept provides a mechanical (easy, tool free) addressing solution without incurring the cost of an additional circuit board and connections in the base, or an even lower cost solution with the "barcode" approach.

In this example, which does not form part of the invention, the address of a device such as a smoke or heat detector is stored electronically. The address can be set by using a smartphone app that sends the address wirelessly to the device using Bluetooth or Near-Field Communication (NFC).

The use of a smartphone eliminates the requirement of a proprietary tool to set the address on fire alarm system peripherals. This solution also makes easy to change the address of a device while it is installed. In the case of NFC, it allows devices to be addressed without connecting them to anything, and in some cases without opening their packaging.

The smartphone may be used to program the base, or alternatively, a detector head. Because the NFC transceiver in the phone is used, no power is needed in the device being programmed. This may obviate the need for additional connectivity or communications in the device, resulting in significant cost savings. An NFC reader may be incorporated into the detector head so that when installed onto the base, the head uses its NFC reader to read the address from the base unit. Alternatively, the detector head could read the address from the base through additional electrical contacts (or through power contacts with the base).

In an example, an installer, with the aid of a building layout, may determine the address required for a particular device in a particular location, office or hallway, etc. <FIG> illustrates a user interface of a mobile device app <NUM> that an installer would use.

The current address to be assigned is shown at <NUM>. In this case, the address is "<NUM>". To change the address, the installer may use the incremental up and down buttons (102A and 102B respectively), or may use the keypad <NUM> to directly enter an address. The incremental buttons 102A, 102B are useful when assigning addresses sequentially or near sequentially.

When the desired address is showing at <NUM>, the installer may then hold the mobile device close to the base and select the ADDRESS DEVICE button <NUM>. If the same address has previously been programmed into another device, the mobile device may alert the installer audibly with a beep or voice, or a message showing on the screen, or even dimming the address before the ADDRESS DEVICE button is selected.

When all of the detectors have been scanned and installed, the file containing the information (address and unique identifier) can be transferred to the Programmer software, which may then be used to program the panel.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate a not claimed exemplary arrangement which does not form part of the invention in which each addressable fire alarm peripheral contains a unique digital identifier (similar to a MAC address) that is assigned during production. For example, the unique identifier may be stored on a barcode on the detector and in non-volatile memory.

During installation, a configuration file generated by a Programmer application on a PC may be installed onto a mobile / smart device, such as a smartphone, smartpad or some other mobile device capable of reading a barcode or QR code, etc. The detector bases may be installed on ceilings or walls. After testing and correcting wiring as needed, construction at the site may be completed. <FIG> illustrates a mobile app interface <NUM> that an installer may use to register and associate an address to the unique digital identified in the detector.

In this example, the shaded rows represent devices that have already been associated with an address. For example, the second row <NUM> represents a detector that has been labeled as "Atrium NE". The unique ID of that detector is 3C4A1, and that detector has been assigned to address "<NUM>".

The unshaded rows represent devices that have not yet been scanned and assigned an address. For example, the sixth row <NUM> does not show a code or unique ID, indicating that no detector head has been assigned to that location yet. The installer, noting that a device for the location "Conference Rm" has not yet been assigned, would go to that location (Conference Rm), and press the SCAN button <NUM> for that row <NUM>.

At this point a scanner will appear on the smart device, allowing the installer to scan the bar code on the detector head and read the unique identifier embedded thereon as illustrated in <FIG>. The unique ID will then appear on that line in the CODE column and is automatically associated with address "<NUM>". The installer could then repeat the process for "Classroom" and so on. Note that each row has a SCAN button which turns into a RESCAN button, allowing the installer to rescan a device, or later replace the installed device with another device with a different unique identifier. For example, in row <NUM>, the button <NUM> has changed to "RESCAN" because the address "<NUM>" has already been assigned, but if the assignment needs to be redone, for example if the installer made a mistake, the installer can press RESCAN and reassign the address.

After scanning the detector head and assigning an address to it, it can be mounted onto the base at that location. The scanned detector information (address, label, unique identifier/code) can then be transferred from the smart device back to the Programmer, which can then be used to program the panel. The panel may then initialize all devices on the loop by communicating their functional address (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. ) to them using the unique identifier. The communication may be real-time or delayed.

An installer can initiate this configuration of the fire panel from the mobile device.

In an alternative installation method, a configuration file may not be first generated by the Programmer software. Instead the installer, presented with a smart device user interface <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, may select or scan an address from a building plan. The installer would then go to the location identified in the plan corresponding to the selected address.

The current address to be assigned is shown at <NUM>. In this case, the address is "<NUM>". To change the address, the installer may use the incremental up and down buttons (92A and 92B respectively), or may use the keypad <NUM> to directly enter an address. The incremental buttons 92A, 92B are useful when assigning addresses sequentially or near sequentially.

When the desired address is showing at <NUM>, the installer may then select the SCAN DETECTOR button <NUM>. As with the previous installation method, a scanner will appear on the smart device (refer back to <FIG>), allowing the installer to scan the bar code on the detector head and read the unique identifier embedded thereon. The installer may then install the detector onto the corresponding base.

The scanned detector information (address, label, unique identifier/code) can then be transferred from the smart device back to the Programmer, which can then be used to program the panel. The panel may then initialize all devices on the loop by communicating their functional address (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. ) to them using the unique identifier.

In alternate exemplary arrangements which do not form part of the invention, the unique identifiers could be attached to bases rather than to the detector heads. As such, no new addressing would need to occur should a detector head need replacement.

Alternatively, a first portion of the unique identifier may be stored in the detector head and a second portion of the unique identifier stored in the base. This could be useful if, for example, there is a desire to maintain an association between the device and the base.

Claim 1:
A fire detection device, comprising:
a base (<NUM>) configured for mounting on a wall or ceiling, the base including a plurality of switches each configured to reflect light in a first position and absorb or redirect light in a second position, wherein the first position is associated with a first value and the second position is associated with a second value, and wherein positions of the plurality of switches indicate an address associated with the fire detection device without the base having any electronics; and
a transponder unit (<NUM>) including:
a transponder, and
means for detecting (<NUM>, <NUM>) whether the each of the plurality of switches is in the first position or the second position based on reflected light, wherein the transponder unit is configured to mount to the base such that the means for detecting is positioned opposite the plurality of switches to enable detection of the positions of the plurality of switches.