Synchronization of outputs in a wireless fire system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743372-B2
Application number	US-201314101755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2013
Priority date	Dec 10, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus that including a control panel sending an activate output command, a gateway of the control panel receiving the activate output command and determining a time period until a wireless communication subsystem becomes available, the wireless subsystem adjusting the determined time period by determining a time until a node is available to receive the output command through the gateway and wireless subsystem, the wireless subsystem sending the output command and a value of the adjusted determined time period to the node and the node activating an output device based upon the output command and adjusted determined time period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
a control panel sending an activate output command, wherein the activate output command instructs an output device to activate an audible or visual output indicating an alarm scenario;
a gateway of the control panel receiving the activate output command and determining a time period until a wireless communication subsystem becomes available;
the wireless communication subsystem adjusting the time period by determining a time until a node is available to receive the activate output command through the gateway and the wireless communication subsystem, wherein the time until the node is available to receive the activate output command through the gateway and the wireless communication subsystem is determined based on an occurrence of a transmission slot within a time division multiplexing (TDM) super frame;
the wireless communication subsystem sending the activate output command and a value of the time period as adjusted to the node; and
the node activating the output device based upon the activate output command and the time period as adjusted.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the control panel and the gateway routing the activate output command to one of a plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes includes the node.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the plurality of nodes are arranged into a mesh network.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein the control panel, the gateway, and the plurality of nodes comprise a security system reporting a security threat.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising detecting the security threat through one of the plurality of nodes and the one of the plurality of nodes transmitting the activate output command in response to the security threat.

6. The method as in claim 4 wherein the output device comprises a first audible alarm alerting occupants of a secured area of the security threat.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising synchronizing a second audible alarm with the first audible alarm, wherein the second audible alarm is coupled to a wired loop between the control panel and the gateway.

8. The method as in claim 2 wherein the wireless communication subsystem communicates with the plurality of nodes using the TDM super frame.

9. The method as in claim 2 further comprising dividing the TDM super frame into six phases, including two request phases, one response phase, and three silent phases, wherein each of the two request phases and the one response phase are separated by one of the three silent phases, wherein the two request phases send data from some of the plurality of nodes to the control panel, and wherein the one response phase sends data from the control panel to the plurality of nodes.

10. The method as in claim 2 further comprising:
a parent one of the plurality of nodes receiving child data from a child one of the plurality of nodes;
appending parent node data; and
retransmitting the child data and the parent data to the control panel through the wireless communication subsystem.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising;
the control panel transmitting control panel data to the one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the control panel data includes first data to the child one of the plurality of nodes that is appended to second data to the parent one of the plurality of nodes;
the parent one of the plurality of nodes receiving the control panel data;
the parent one of the plurality of nodes removing the second data; and
the parent node retransmitting the first data.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a node;
an output device;
a control panel that sends an activate output command to the node, wherein the activate output command instructs the output device to activate an audible or visual output indicating an alarm scenario;
a gateway of the control panel having a gateway processor;
a wireless subsystem of the gateway, wherein the gateway processor receives the activate output command and determines a time period until the wireless subsystem of the gateway becomes available;
a subsystem processor of the wireless subsystem that adjusts the time period by determining a time until the node is available to receive the activate output command through the gateway and the wireless subsystem and sends the activate output command and a value of the time period as adjusted to the node, wherein the time until the node is available to receive the activate output command through the gateway and the wireless subsystem is determined based on an occurrence of a transmission slot within a time division multiplex (TDM) super frame; and
a node processor of the node that activates the output device based upon the activate output command and the adjusted time period.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the node comprises a plurality of nodes including a parent node and a child node.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a mesh network.

15. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the control panel, the gateway, and the plurality of nodes comprise a security system.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15 wherein at least some of the plurality of nodes comprise intrusion sensors.

17. The apparatus as in claim 16 wherein the output device comprises an audible alarm that alerts occupants of a secured area to a security threat.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of nodes;
a plurality of output devices;
a control panel that sends an activate output command to one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the activate output command instructs the plurality of output devices to activate an audible or visual output indicating an alarm scenario;
a gateway of the control panel having a gateway processor;
a wireless subsystem of the gateway, wherein the gateway processor receives the activate output command and determines a time period until the wireless subsystem of the gateway becomes available;
a subsystem processor of the wireless subsystem that adjusts the time period by determining a time until the plurality of nodes is available to receive the activate output command through the gateway and the wireless subsystem and sends the activate output command and a value of the adjusted time period to the plurality of nodes, wherein the time until the plurality of nodes is available to receive the activate output command through the gateway and the wireless subsystem is determined based on an occurrence of a transmission slot within a time division multiplex (TDM) super frame; and
a node processor of each of the plurality of nodes that further adjusts the time period further adjusts the determined time period based upon internal processing requirements of each of the plurality of nodes and activates the plurality of output devices based upon the activate output command and the further adjusted time period.

19. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a mesh network.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc
• Life Safety Distribution Ag

Inventors

• Frison Andrea
• Polito Daniel
• Merli Daniel

Classifications

• H04W56/004 Primary

  compensating for timing error of reception due to propagation delay · CPC title

• G08B25/10 Primary

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B17/00

  Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion · CPC title