Abstract: A number of different approaches are described for minimizing or preventing false alarms. In one case, override panels are used such as locally near or in the protected space or remotely at a security desk, for example. These override panels are used to deactivate or block the generation of a fire alarm signal in the case where the occupants or a management personnel recognizes that the fire alarm signal should not be generated. In this way, an alarm verification step is included. In another aspect, additional, contextual information is used to characterize or adjust when fire alarm signals are generated. This contextual information can be generated from sources that are not typically used in the generation of the fire alarm signal but instead are based on other sources of the information concerning the protected space.

Abstract: An augmented reality system for use with security systems comprises an augmented reality engine that provides information concerning devices of a security system and a display device that combines the security system information from the augmented reality engine onto a representation or view of the surrounding physical, real-world environment. The system can be used for inspection, installation and/or servicing, for example. In application, it can be used to facilitate inspection including periodic testing to ensure that a fire detection and alarm system, for example, is in compliance with building and safety codes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for verifying voice messages generated by notification devices in an emergency address system includes one or more verification devices and a validation module, which can be part of a control panel or a connected services system. The verification devices can be mobile computing devices or permanently installed devices associated with each notification device in the emergency address system. The verification devices include microphones, network interfaces, and controllers executing speech to text conversion processes. During testing, the notification devices play voice messages and the verification devices detect the messages, convert the messages to text and send the text-converted messages to the validation module, which validates the text-converted messages against the intended messages for each notification device and confirms that the messages were played in the correct locations.

Abstract: A temporary building network system for forming a temporary network for a building includes a first network device and a second network device. The first network devices includes an energy storage device configured to power the first network device using stored energy, a wireless radio configured to communicate with the second network device, and an indicator device configured to indicate a wireless radio connection strength to a user. The first network device includes a processing circuit configured to cause the wireless radio to communicate with the second network device via the temporary network, determine the wireless radio connection strength for the wireless connection between the first network device and the second network device based on a communication with the second network device via the temporary network, and cause the indicator device to indicate the determined wireless radio connection strength to the user.

Abstract: An alarm panel configuration system for facilitating cloud-based configuration of the alarm panel is provided. The configuration system may include a remote server providing a remotely accessible configuration file modification interface, the configuration file modification interface configured to compile a configuration file and transmit the configuration file to a mobile device, and an alarm panel configured to receive the configuration file from the mobile device.

Abstract: The near-universal connection between control panels and monitoring stations is used to transmit status information for non-compatible control panels to connected services systems. In this way, connected services systems can incorporate monitoring and tracking of non-compatible control panels as well as compatible control panels.

Abstract: The near-universal connection between control panels and monitoring stations is used to transmit status information for non-compatible control panels to connected services systems. In this way, connected services systems can incorporate monitoring and tracking of non-compatible control panels as well as compatible control panels.

Abstract: The near-universal connection between control panels and monitoring stations is used to transmit status information for non-compatible control panels to connected services systems. In this way, connected services systems can incorporate monitoring and tracking of non-compatible control panels as well as compatible control panels.

Abstract: A system and method for object location notification in a fire alarm system is disclosed. The fire alarm system includes a fire alarm panel and fire alarm devices deployed within a premises that capture audio and/or image information, The fire alarm panel generates alarm signals and provides notifications of the existence of objects of interest from the audio and/or image information captured by the fire alarm devices. In examples, the fire alarm devices include alarm notification devices that generate an audible and/or visible fire alarm to occupants of the premises such as sirens and strobe lights, and fire sensor devices such as flame sensor devices and smoke sensor devices that monitor for flame and smoke as the indications of fire, respectively. In one embodiment, an analytics system is integrated within the fire alarm devices that determines the existence of the objects of interest from the captured audio and/or image information.

Abstract: A number of different approaches are described for minimizing or preventing false alarms. In one case, override panels are used such as locally near or in the protected space or remotely at a security desk, for example. These override panels are used to deactivate or block the generation of a fire alarm signal in the case where the occupants or a management personnel recognizes that the fire alarm signal should not be generated. In this way, an alarm verification step is included. In another aspect, additional, contextual information is used to characterize or adjust when fire alarm signals are generated. This contextual information can be generated from sources that are not typically used in the generation of the fire alarm signal but instead are based on other sources of the information concerning the protected space.

Abstract: A connected services system manages assets of building management systems of different organizations. An application server collects information from the assets, which is stored in various data stores associated with an account of the client organization, including an asset store, a group hierarchy store, a user account store, an asset ownership store, and a group ownership store. The group hierarchy store organizes the assets into tiered groups such as campuses, buildings, floors and wings. Users view, on graphical interfaces displayed on the displays of user devices, information from the asset store pertaining to assets that are owned by or shared with them according to the group ownership and asset ownership stores. The graphical interfaces include an asset panel for displaying detailed information about assets, a grouping selector, for filtering which assets for which information is displayed, and a status graphic for providing information concerning the status of the assets.

Abstract: A connected services system manages assets of building management systems of different organizations. An application server collects information from the assets, which is stored in various data stores associated with an account of the client organization, including an asset store, a group hierarchy store, a user account store, an asset ownership store, and a group ownership store. The group hierarchy store organizes the assets into tiered groups such as campuses, buildings, floors and wings. Users view, on graphical interfaces displayed on the displays of user devices, information from the asset store pertaining to assets that are owned by or shared with them according to the group ownership and asset ownership stores. The graphical interfaces include an asset panel for displaying detailed information about assets, a grouping selector, for filtering which assets for which information is displayed, and a status graphic for providing information concerning the status of the assets.

Abstract: System and method for establishing configuration parameters for a comprehensive user interface of an alarm system. An exemplary embodiment of a configuration system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a plurality of alarm system workstations, each alarm system workstation having a set of configuration parameters associated therewith, a client workstation, and a user interface broker operatively connected to each of the alarm system workstations and the client workstation, wherein the user interface broker is configured to aggregate data from the alarm system workstations and to present such aggregated data at the client workstation using the comprehensive user interface. The user interface broker is further configured to facilitate designation of one of the alarm system workstations as a main workstation, whereupon the configuration parameters of the designated main workstation are applied to the comprehensive user interface.

Abstract: A number of different approaches are described for minimizing or preventing false alarms. In one case, override panels are used such as locally near or in the protected space or remotely at a security desk, for example. These override panels are used to deactivate or block the generation of a fire alarm signal in the case where the occupants or a management personnel recognizes that the fire alarm signal should not be generated. In this way, an alarm verification step is included. In another aspect, additional, contextual information is used to characterize or adjust when fire alarm signals are generated. This contextual information can be generated from sources that are not typically used in the generation of the fire alarm signal but instead are based on other sources of the information concerning the protected space.

Abstract: According to systems and methods for testing alarm initiating devices of a fire alarm system, a control panel of the fire alarm system is placed into test mode. Then, during a walkthrough test, an inspector activates an inspector-activated mechanism of a device. This sends a test mode signal to the control panel, which places the device into a test mode. The inspector or inspector then manually activates the device. The control panel initiates a fire alarm condition in response to a received device signals while the control panel not initiating a fire alarm condition when the device signals are indicative of a fire if the device signals were from alarm initiating devices in the test mode. Alternatively, the control panel places a group of alarm initiating devices into test mode on a rolling basis. As the inspector tests the devices, additional devices are added to the group and previously tested devices are returned to normal operation mode.

Abstract: An interface actuator device, an interface actuator system, and a system and method for remotely controlling an interface of a control panel are disclosed. The interface actuator device includes an actuator for controlling the interface of the control panel and an attachment mechanism for mounting the interface actuator device to the control panel. The system can further include a camera for capturing images of the interface and a mobile device for controlling the actuator and viewing the images from the camera.

Abstract: A device and method for self-testing fire detection device uses a blockage sensor system to determine if a detection chamber is blocked due to dust, for example. The system includes at least one pathway light source for shining the light into pathways of a baffle system and one or more detectors for detecting the light. The blockage sensor system detects obstructions in the pathways by analyzing how light propagates through the pathways.

Abstract: A device and method for self-testing fire detection devices that includes a smoke source housed within the fire detection device. The smoke source is typically a pressurized canister or cartridge, which stores or generates smoke or a smoke equivalent. In response to a signal from a controller, the smoke source releases the smoke or smoke equivalent in or near a sampling volume of the fire detection device to test the operation of the fire detection device. If the device is operating properly, it will be triggered in response to the smoke or a smoke equivalent.

Abstract: An augmented reality system for use with security systems comprises an augmented reality engine that provides information concerning devices of a security system and a display device that combines the security system information from the augmented reality engine onto a representation or view of the surrounding physical, real-world environment. The system can be used for inspection, installation and/or servicing, for example. In application, it can be used to facilitate inspection including periodic testing to ensure that a fire detection and alarm system, for example, is in compliance with building and safety codes.

Abstract: A number of different approaches are described for minimizing or preventing false alarms. In one case, override panels are used such as locally near or in the protected space or remotely at a security desk, for example. These override panels are used to deactivate or block the generation of a fire alarm signal in the case where the occupants or a management personnel recognizes that the fire alarm signal should not be generated. In this way, an alarm verification step is included. In another aspect, additional, contextual information is used to characterize or adjust when fire alarm signals are generated. This contextual information can be generated from sources that are not typically used in the generation of the fire alarm signal but instead are based on other sources of the information concerning the protected space.