Method and apparatus for monitoring an alarm system
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsKarla Oberstein, Peer Thilo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for monitoring an alarm system such as a fire alarm system having a plurality of alarms connected to a central station determine the amount of departure of measured alarm values from a rated quiescent value and calculate a fluctuation value therefrom, the fluctuation value then being compared at selected time intervals with a rated limiting value. If the result of the comparison shows that the fluctuation value is less than the rated limiting value, a malfunction signal is displayed.
Claims11
A method for monitoring a plurality of alarm units in an alarm system, each of said alarm units continuously emitting quiescent measured values, comprising the steps of:
- cyclically sampling said luminescent measured values for each of said alarm units;
- calculating a fluctuation value from successive measured values for each alarm unit representing the change in magnitude of said successive measured values;
- storing a rated limiting value in a memory;
- comparing said fluctuation value at selected time intervals with said rated limiting value;
- and
- displaying a malfunction signal for an alarm unit if said fluctuation value for the alarm unit is less than said rated limiting value.
An apparatus for monitoring an alarm system having a plurality of alarm units therein, each of said alarm units continuously emitting a measured value corresponding to the quiescent state of an alarm unit, said apparatus comprising for each alarm unit:
- means for determining changes in the magnitude between two selected measured values emitted by an alarm unit;
- means for determining a fluctuation value from said measured value changes by comparing the magnitude of said measured value changes to at least one stored value;
- means for storing a rated limiting value;
- means for comparing said fluctuation value with said rated limiting value;
- and
- means for displaying a malfunction signal if said fluctuation value is less than said rated limiting value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.