Conditionally variable strobe notification appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9466186-B2
Application number	US-201414341549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2011
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A strobe notification device that operates based on a sensed environmental condition is disclosed. The strobe notification device includes a programmed candela setting, programmed locally at the strobe notification device or programmed remotely and sent to the strobe notification device. Based on the sensed environmental condition, one or more aspects of the operation of the strobe notification device may be modified to operate the strobe of the strobe notification device at least at the programmed candela settings. For example, the intensity, duration of the pulse, or pulse width modulation of the strobe may be modified, based on the sensed environmental condition, to produce a candela output greater than the programmed candela setting. As another example, the intensity, duration of the pulse, or pulse width modulation of the strobe may be modified, based on the sensed environmental condition, to produce a candela output that is equal to the programmed candela setting.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A strobe notification device for use in an alarm system, the strobe notification device comprising:
a communication interface;
a strobe element; and
a controller in communication with the communication interface and the strobe element, the controller configured to:
determine a candela setting programmed for the strobe notification device, the programmed candela setting selected from a plurality of available candela settings;
receive one or more signals indicative of a parameter pertaining to an environmental condition;
select, based on the one or more signals indicative of the parameter pertaining to the environmental condition and from a plurality of pulse durations, a duration of a pulse of the strobe element such that the strobe element operates at least at the programmed candela setting;
receive, via the communication interface, a command to activate the strobe element; and
in response to receiving the command, use the selected duration of the pulse in order to control the strobe element to operate the strobe element at least at the programmed candela setting.

2. The strobe notification device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor, the sensor in communication with the controller and configured to generate the one or more signals indicative of a parameter pertaining to the environmental condition.

3. The strobe notification device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to select, based on the one or more signals indicative of the parameter pertaining to the environmental condition, an intensity of the pulse to generate an output by the strobe element equal to the programmed candela setting; and
wherein the controller is configured to control the strobe element at the intensity and the duration of the pulse to equal the programmed candela setting.

4. The strobe notification device of claim 3 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense an indication of ambient light; and
wherein the controller is configured to select the intensity and the duration of the pulse, from a plurality of intensities and the plurality of pulse durations, based on the indication of ambient light and the programmed candela setting.

5. The strobe notification device of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to select the intensity and the duration of a pulse by:
comparing the indication of ambient light with at least one threshold; and
accessing a look-up table using as inputs the programmed candela setting and the comparison of the indication of ambient light with at least one threshold.

6. The strobe notification device of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive, from a fire alarm panel, the look-up table.

7. The strobe notification device of claim 3 , wherein the parameter pertaining to the environmental condition comprises a parameter pertaining to ambient light; and
wherein the controller is configured to select the intensity and the duration of a pulse by:
comparing the parameter pertaining to ambient light with a threshold;
in response to the parameter pertaining to ambient light being greater than the threshold, selecting a first drive current and a first duration;
in response to the parameter pertaining to ambient light being less than the threshold, selecting a second drive current and a second duration;

wherein the first drive current is greater than the second drive current;
wherein the first duration is shorter than the second duration;
wherein the strobe element driven at the first drive current for the first duration equals the programmed candela setting; and
wherein the strobe element driven at the second drive current for the second duration equals the programmed candela setting.

8. The strobe notification device of claim 1 , further comprising a multi-position switch, the multi-position switch in communication with the controller; and
wherein the controller is configured to determine the programmed candela setting for the strobe notification device by communicating with the multi-position switch to determine its setting.

9. The strobe notification device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to select the duration of the pulse to generate an output by the strobe element which is greater than the programmed candela setting; and
wherein the controller is configured to use the selected duration of the pulse to provide an output which is greater than the programmed candela setting.

10. The strobe notification device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to select, based on the one or more signals indicative of the parameter pertaining to the environmental condition, an environmental candela setting, the environmental candela setting being greater than the programmed candela setting and selected from a discrete set of available candela settings; and
wherein the controller is configured to control the strobe element for an intensity and the duration of the pulse to provide the output which is greater than the programmed candela setting by controlling the strobe element to operate at the environmental candela setting.

11. The strobe notification device of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to select the environmental candela setting by:
receiving a measurement of ambient light when the strobe is not flashing;
receiving a measurement of ambient light when the strobe is flashing;
determining a difference between the measurement of the ambient light when the strobe is flashing and the measurement of the ambient light when the strobe is not flashing;
determining whether the difference is less than a predetermined value; and
in response to determining that the difference is less than the predetermined value, selecting the environmental candela setting to be greater than the programmed candela setting.

12. The strobe notification device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to select the environmental candela setting further by:
in response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, reduce a current candela setting so that the environmental candela setting is no more than the programmed candela setting.

13. A method for operating a strobe notification device used in an alarm system, the method comprising:
determining a candela setting programmed for the strobe notification device, the programmed candela setting selected from a plurality of available candela settings;
receiving one or more signals indicative of a parameter pertaining to an environmental condition;
selecting, based on the one or more signals indicative of the parameter pertaining to the environmental condition and from a plurality of pulse durations, a duration of a pulse of a strobe element such that the strobe element operates at least at the programmed candela setting;
receiving, via a communication interface, a command to activate the strobe element; and
in response to receiving the command, using the selected duration of the pulse in order to control the strobe element to operate the strobe element at least at the programmed candela setting.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising selecting, based on the one or more signals indicative of the parameter pertaining to the environmental condition, an intensity of the pulse to generate an output by the strobe element which is equal to the programmed candela setting; and
wherein using the selected duration of the pulse comprises controlling the strobe element for the intensity and the duration of the pulse to provide an output which is equal to the programmed candela setting.

15. The method of claim

Assignees

• Tyco Fire & Security Gmbh

Inventors

• Savage Jr Kenneth E

Classifications

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• G08B5/38 Primary

  using flashing light · CPC title

• Y02B20/46

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H05B37/0218

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0851

  Electricity · mapped topic