Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B17/00—Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
  • G08B17/005—Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion for forest fires, e.g. detecting fires spread over a large or outdoors area
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B17/00—Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
  • G08B17/12—Actuation by presence of radiation or particles, e.g. of infrared radiation or of ions
  • G08B17/125—Actuation by presence of radiation or particles, e.g. of infrared radiation or of ions by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke

Definitions

• the object of the present invention is a control system in the visible and / or infrared control system, particularly suitable for the prevention of fires, which anticipates the above-mentioned evils and thereby allows a very large area of land to be controlled with a minimum of personnel.
• the control system consists of a certain number of stations, each of which is composed of two or more video recording complexes, one sensitive to infrared radiation and the other sensitive to visible radiation, from a complex of photovoltaic feeders, which are completed by a battery of buffer accumulators, which the Perform supply, from an anti-sabotage and lightning arrester device and from one or more sensors, which are suitable for measuring the speed of the wind, its direction, the temperature of the air and the degree of moisture.
• the control system is stored on specially designed latticeworks to be installed in particularly difficult areas.
• the information and images of the controlled zone are e.g. transmitted by radio links to the operative center, which is located at a location preferred by the user.
• the operational center unit which, as mentioned, receives the data, is provided with a computer, which is appropriately programmed and, after the data has been prepared, is therefore able to provide all the information that is required both on the basis of the data supplied by the weather observation center and based on the vegetation present in the zone, allow the fire to be identified and its extent and its probable rate of spread.
• the data recorded by the recording units and transferred from the operative center to the control unit are converted and printed by an electronic computer in the form of a matrix with very dense dots into digital signals, so together with precise information for determining the zone, the extent of the Fire and other important data to be passed to the extinguishing groups.
• both an alarm system and a protection system are provided, the latter being the subject of another property right.
• the visual control system and / or infrared control system particularly suitable for the prevention of fires, according to the present invention, turns out to be composed of the following components: one or more optoelectronic devices sensitive to the range of infrared radiation emitted by a fire; a recording unit, preferably equipped with a Newicon tube or other transducer, which is sensitive in the visible area; a telecommunication system of video information; Sensors which are suitable to measure or measure the speed and the direction of the wind, the temperature and the humidity; an electronic card, which allows the digital conversion of the pictures and the subsequent electronic processing.
• the quantity recorded by the units is preferably transmitted to the central control unit by means of a microwave radio link.
• the processing system delivers a pre-alarm signal and then an alarm signal.
• the infrared recording unit can be automatically remote controlled;
• a dedicated unit is provided, which is composed of a directional system, a two-way or set up radio connection for the transmission of data and a programmable control card that operates the whole.
• the department is responsible for controlling the movements of the infrared imaging units and for managing the images they capture. It provides the processing system with practically all the information it needs, be it positional information or visual information, and the system is also continuously analyzed for errors and the user is immediately informed of any malfunction in operation. It is also possible to program the control card so that combinations of sectors among a few predetermined ones are scanned by the recording units.
• the straightening system is equipped with position transducers (ENCODERS) for the orientation of the recording units during the scanning of the zone.
• ENCODERS position transducers
• the infrared system is supported by another in the "visible", whose control panel responds to precise security features, such as the transition from control of the infrared to that in the visible by means of a security key with automatic return to the "infrared" position, in the event that only a single channel for video transmission is used alternately in the visible or infrared; in the case of two channels, however, the aforementioned key is not used.
• the control system il Visible is equipped with the manual remote control of all functions of the television camera: an azimuthal and zenital swivel mechanism with regulation of the focal length and setting; a control panel; a radio link for data transmission and a microwave radio link for the transmission of the images.
• Each of the two connections is used alternately on command in the "visible" section or in the infrared section. This section works in conjunction with the previous section and it is this which provides the commands to the television camera of the visible.
• the radio link enables remote control of the azimuthal and zenital orientation as well as the regulation of the quick swivel and adjustment. It is extremely simple to operate and uses two industrial-style sticks.
• the images arriving at the collection station are digitized by an appropriate interface and processed by the electronic computer.
• the program which heads the research system, was created for the detection of illuminated spots "BRIGHT SPOT DETECTION SYSTEM", that is for a series of illuminated points, the strength of which lies above the calculated threshold.
• the digitized image must be cleaned of background disturbances and noises.
• the problem was solved analytically by dividing the image area into several zones: in each pixel, a statistical analysis is carried out pixel by pixel with the aim of determining the ideal threshold value for each individual when the individual spots that may be present are extracted. When this point is reached, the computer checks which of the spots determined exceeds the minimum extent, in terms of the number of pixels switched on; this extension is supplied as a date when the system is started up.
• the program solves the latter problem by analyzing the development over time of the determined characteristic values: it compares the spots currently shown with those determined in the previous run.
• the first step relates to determining whether the focus of the fire stops by checking whether the focus axis of the examined spots in the neighborhood corresponds to one of the spots belonging to the previous search.
• the radius of this proximity has a predefined value and is supplied when the system is started up.
• the "fire" alarm is triggered if the relationship between the current area of the spot and the previous area of the spot exceeds the specified value that is supplied when the system is started up (increase factor of the spot area).
• the importance of this alarm system is obvious because it allows the men to be alerted only when there is a real need to avoid wasting time and resources. Due to the practical implementation and the technology of the area, the properties previously presented in broad lines can be changed without leaving the area of the invention, as is evident from the following claims.

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Closed-Circuit Television Systems (AREA)
• Emergency Alarm Devices (AREA)
• Alarm Systems (AREA)
• Fire-Detection Mechanisms (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=11261730

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (2)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1987
  • 1987-02-19 IT IT8747659A patent/IT1206251B/it active
• 1988
  • 1988-02-19 ES ES88830060T patent/ES2065926T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1988-02-19 EP EP88830060A patent/EP0279792B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1988-02-19 DE DE3852047T patent/DE3852047D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1995
  • 1995-02-09 GR GR950400274T patent/GR3015042T3/el unknown

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