EP2182498A1 - Module of a surveillance and/or alarm system, with temperature measurement and method for measuring room temperature - Google Patents

Abstract

The module has a microcontroller (7) comprising a radio electric transmission block (15) for transmitting radio electric signals representing digital signals to be transmitted. A generator or activation block (13) generates functioning phases and watching or stopping phases. A calculation block (21) deducts a specific signal issued from a temperature probe (20) at a predetermined instant. The calculation block generates temperature data representing ambient temperature and inserts the temperature data in the signals to be transmitted. An independent claim is also included for a method for measuring ambient temperature of a place where a module of a monitoring and/or alarm system is installed.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of surveillance and / or alarm systems used in particular in home automation.

Such systems may include unit modules equipped with electrical or electronic devices, such as motion detection devices, particularly infrared devices installed in locations to be monitored, door or window opening detection devices centralization, control devices for example keyboard, alarm devices for example siren or bright.

The unit modules may be able to communicate with each other unidirectionally or bidirectionally over the radio.

Electrical or electronic devices may include electronic components or chips that include integrated circuits capable of performing electrical or electronic functions, such as sensors, microcontrollers, calculators, transmitters, receivers, and / or transmitters / receivers. .

In order to measure the ambient temperature, the document US 6,084,522 describes a monitoring system in which a temperature sensor, distinct from its functional circuits, is added and in which the signal delivered by this probe is transmitted. In addition, the document JP 261 125 discloses an electronic system in which an electronic component comprises an integrated temperature probe and wherein the signal delivered by this probe is transformed by means of a specific formula such that the transmitted signal is representative of the ambient temperature.

It is recalled that in order that the unit modules have a reduced power consumption, allowing their power supply by batteries, electrical or electronic devices can be adapted so that at least some of the circuits of the electrical or electronic components, generally the most consumers of electrical energy, have phases of operation separated in time by standby or stopping phases.

The object of the present invention is to further benefit, and in a complementary manner, the advantages of such alternative phases of operation and standby or shutdown.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a module of a monitoring and / or alarm system, comprising electronic components comprising: means for generating signals to be transmitted containing data, and transmission means for transmitting radio signals representative of signals to be transmitted, activation means for putting into operation at least some of said electronic components during phases of operation separated in time by standby or shutdown phases.

One of said electronic components may be a specific semiconductor component which comprises an integrated circuit which is subjected at least partially to said activation means and which comprises a probe adapted to deliver a specific electrical signal whose value depends on the temperature.

The electronic components may comprise means for taking the specific electrical signal of said probe at a predetermined time, at the beginning or just after the start of at least some of the operating phases of the specific electronic component, and for generating a corresponding temperature data. , representative of the ambient temperature, and inserting this temperature data into at least one signal to be transmitted.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a method for measuring the ambient temperature of a place where a module of a surveillance and / or alarm system equipped with a specific semiconductor component comprising a integrated circuit a temperature probe delivers a specific electrical signal whose value depends on the temperature.

This method may comprise the steps of: placing said specific semiconductor component in the operating state, taking the specific electrical signal from said probe of said specific semiconductor component at a predetermined time, at the beginning or just after the beginning of at least some of the operating phases of the specific electronic component, generating a temperature data corresponding to said specific electrical signal, representative of the ambient temperature, inserting said temperature data in a signal to be transmitted, transmitting a radio signal representative of said signal to be transmitted, and setting in standby or off, at least partially, said specific semiconductor component.

• la figure 1 représente schématiquement un système de surveillance et d'alarme ;
• la figure 2 représente une vue en perspective d'un module dudit système de surveillance et d'alarme ;
• la figure 3 représente un schéma électronique dudit module ; et
• la figure 4 représente un diagramme de fonctionnement dudit module.

A monitoring and alarm system including a module having a specific semiconductor component and its mode of operation will now be described in a nonlimiting manner and illustrated by the drawing in which:

• the figure 1 schematically represents a surveillance and alarm system;
• the figure 2 represents a perspective view of a module of said surveillance and alarm system;
• the figure 3 represents an electronic diagram of said module; and
• the figure 4 represents an operating diagram of said module.

On the figure 1 there is shown a monitoring and alarm system 1 which comprises various electrical or electronic modules such as, for example, a main module or a central unit 2, motion detection modules 3, in particular with infrared, detection modules of FIG. opening 4, in particular by actuating electrical contacts, for openings, a local alarm module 5, for example a siren. Such a system can further include fire detection modules and a telephone transmission module.

The different modules can be equipped with means enabling them to communicate with each other by radio, unidirectionally or bidirectionally, via their antennas.

Referring to the figure 2 it can be seen that in particular an electronic motion detection module 3 may comprise different semiconductor components mounted on a printed circuit board 6 to connect them selectively, including a microcontroller 7, a detection element 8 for example to infrared, a specific communication member 9, and an autonomous source of electrical energy 10 such as a battery for powering the various components, the assembly can be installed in a suitable housing.

In particular, the microcontroller 7 and the specific communication element 9 may comprise integrated circuit chips included in housings 7a and 9a.

Referring to the figure 3 , an embodiment of the electronic detection module 3 will now be described in more detail.

The integrated circuit of the microcontroller 7 may comprise, for example, a program block 11 for recording a control program, a generator block 12 for generating digital signals to be transmitted and a generator or activation block 13 for generating phases of operation and phases of standby or shutdown.

The integrated circuit of the specific communication element 9 may comprise, for example, a signal control block 14, a radio transmission block 15 connected to an antenna 16 and a switch 17.

The detection member 8 can be connected to the microcontroller 7 by a line 18.

The microcontroller 7 and the specific communication element 9 can be connected by an electric communication bus 19.

The electrical power source 10 can be connected to the microcontroller 7 to supply the latter permanently and can be connected to one of the terminals of the switch 17 of the communication element 9, the other terminal of this switch 17 being connected to the other circuits of this communication member 9, to supply the latter, at least in part, only if the switch 17 is in the closed state.

The integrated circuit of the specific communication element 9 may furthermore comprise a block constituting a probe 20 capable of delivering a specific electrical signal, analog, the value of which depends on the temperature, that is to say on which the value depends the temperature of the housing 9a containing this integrated circuit.

The integrated circuit of the microcontroller 7 may furthermore comprise a calculation block 21 containing a correspondence table for transforming the specific signal coming from the probe 20 into a specific digital temperature data signal whose value is representative of the specific electrical signal. delivered by the probe 20 and corresponds to a temperature value.

We will now describe a mode of operation of the electronic detection module 3.

Under the effect of the program recorded in the program block 11, the phase generator block 13 generates operating time phases 22 by placing the switch 17 in the closed state, separated in time by standby phases. or stop 23 by placing the switch 17 in the open state, as shown in FIG. figure 4 .

For example, the operating phases could last a few seconds, for example 10 seconds, and the standby or stopping phases could last a few minutes, for example 5 minutes.

During the time phases of operation, the different blocks of the specific communication member 9 are able to function, while, during the standby or shutdown phases, for example, the block 14 for signal control , at least partially, and the transmission block 15 are not powered.

During the time phases of operation, the specific signal from the probe 20 can be taken, while during the standby or shutdown phases, the specific signal from the probe 20 can not be taken.

During the time phases of operation, under the effect of the program stored in the program block 11, the generator block 12 can generate digital signals to be transmitted, containing, for example, state data of the detector 8 and / or state of charge of the battery 10. These digital signals are sent to the transmission block 15 to be transmitted on the antenna 16 in the form of radio signals, these digital signals being able to be picked up by the central unit 2 which can decode them, treat and interpret them. For example, if the detector 8 detects a movement, the central unit 2 can trigger an alarm by activating for example the siren 5.

During the time phases of operation or some of these phases, under the effect of the program recorded in the program block 11, the calculation block 21 can take the signal from the probe 20 and deliver a corresponding specific data signal. temperature representative of the temperature value of the specific communication member 9.

Also under the effect of the program stored in the program block 11, the generator block 12 can generate a specific digital signal to be transmitted, containing the temperature data above, possibly among other data to be transmitted such as the state detector 8 and / the state of charge of the battery 10. This specific digital signal to be transmitted can then be sent to the transmission block 15 to be transmitted on the antenna 16 as previously described.

The alternation of the operating phases 22 and the standby or stopping phases 23 makes it possible to reduce the consumption of the electrical energy available in the battery 10. This alternation also establishes ranges during which the temperature of the housing 9a of the the specific communication element 9 increases above the ambient temperature by a few degrees, as is the case when it is in the operating phase as described previously, and while which the temperature of the housing 9a of the specific communication member 9 decreases dissipation to return to room temperature, as is the case when it is in standby or stopping phase.

For the specific signals from the probe 20 to be representative of the ambient temperature, these signals can be taken, as previously described, at the beginning or at a predetermined time just after the start of at least some of the operating phases of the specific communication member 9, that is to say at times such that the temperature of this body is still at room temperature or very close.

Thus, the temperature data contained in the specific signal emitted by the transmission block 15 is the value of the ambient temperature, where the electronic detection module 3 is installed.

Having this value of the ambient temperature after reception and decoding of the radio signal containing it, the central unit 2 can deliver this value from the ambient temperature to a member such as a display or to a control member of a heating installation or for example, to regulate the temperature of the room or the room in which the electronic motion detection module 3 is installed.

The present invention is not limited to the examples described above. In particular, the phases of operation and standby or shutdown could be applied to other blocks of the integrated circuits. The probe could be a part of an integrated circuit of another semiconductor component, for example microcontroller 7. The taking of the specific signal from the temperature probe could take place at other times and possibly be stored for to be inserted later in a specific signal to be transmitted.

Claims (2)

Module of a monitoring and / or alarm system, comprising electronic components comprising: means (12) for generating signals to be transmitted containing data, transmission means (15) for transmitting radio signals representative of signals to be transmitted, activation means (13) for operating at least some of said electronic components during operation phases (22) separated in time by standby or off phases (23); characterized by the fact that one of said electronic components is a specific semiconductor component (9) which comprises an integrated circuit which is at least partially subjected to said activation means (13) and which comprises a probe (20) adapted to deliver a specific electrical signal whose value depends on the temperature,
and that the electronic components (7, 9) comprise means (21) for taking the specific electrical signal from said probe at a predetermined time, at the beginning or just after the start of at least some of the operating phases of the specific electronic component. , and to generate a corresponding temperature data representative of the ambient temperature, and insert this temperature data into at least one signal to be transmitted. Method for measuring the ambient temperature of a place where a module of a surveillance and / or alarm system equipped with a specific semiconductor component (9) is installed, comprising an integrated circuit of which a temperature probe delivers a specific electrical signal whose value depends on the temperature; comprising the following steps: placing in operation said specific semiconductor component (9), taking the specific electrical signal of said probe of said specific semiconductor component at a predetermined time, at early or just after the start of at least some of the operating phases of the specific electronic component, generating a temperature data corresponding to said specific electrical signal, representative of the ambient temperature, insert this temperature data in a signal to be transmitted, transmit a radio signal representative of said signal to be transmitted, putting at standstill or shutting down, at least partially, said specific semiconductor component.

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