A smoke detector and method for testing a smoke detector are provided. The smoke detector includes a housing defining a chamber, an emitter, and a receiver. The housing includes an inlet port and an outlet port configured to allow an airflow to pass through the chamber. The emitter is configured to emit light into the chamber. The receiver is configured to receive light reflected by ambient materials in the airflow passing through the chamber. The smoke detector includes an entry point and an exit point, defining a channel therebetween. At least a portion of the airflow passes through the channel. The channel is in fluid communication with a sensor. The sensor is configured to detect at least one of a pressure differential and a mass flow of the airflow. The smoke detector and method for testing the smoke detector enable in situ testing of the smoke detector.

Devices, systems, and methods for event device maintenance are described herein. In some examples, one or more embodiments include a mobile device comprising a user interface, a memory, and a processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to receive an inventory including a group of event devices, generate a device identification analysis for the group of event devices, display on the user interface the device identification analysis, receive an input for an event device of the group to take an audit action, and initiate the audit action to be taken by the event device of the group in response to the input.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for using a drone to test a sensor. In one aspect, the method includes actions of detecting a message (i) broadcast by the drone and (ii) indicating that the drone is going to administer a test of a sensor, determining, by the monitoring system and based on the message and (i) sensor data generated by the sensor in response to the administration of the test, by the drone, within a predetermined period of time of the message or (ii) a lack of sensor data generated by the sensor in response to the administration of the test, by the drone, within a predetermined period of time of the message, whether the sensor is functioning properly, and in response to a determination that the sensor is not functioning properly, storing data indicating that the sensor is not functioning properly.

Systems and methods for using multi-criteria state machines to manage alarming states and pre-alarming states of a hazard detection system are described herein. The multi-criteria state machines can include one or more sensor state machines that can control the alarming states and one or more system state machines that can control the pre-alarming states. Each state machine can transition among any one of its states based on sensor data values, hush events, and transition conditions. The transition conditions can define how a state machine transitions from one state to another. The hazard detection system can use a dual processor arrangement to execute the multi-criteria state machines according to various embodiments. The dual processor arrangement can enable the hazard detection system to manage the alarming and pre-alarming states in a manner that promotes minimal power usage while simultaneously promoting reliability in hazard detection and alarming functionality.

Systems and methods for using multi-criteria state machines to manage alarming states and pre-alarming states of a hazard detection system are described herein. The multi-criteria state machines can include one or more sensor state machines that can control the alarming states and one or more system state machines that can control the pre-alarming states. Each state machine can transition among any one of its states based on sensor data values, hush events, and transition conditions. The transition conditions can define how a state machine transitions from one state to another. The hazard detection system can use a dual processor arrangement to execute the multi-criteria state machines according to various embodiments. The dual processor arrangement can enable the hazard detection system to manage the alarming and pre-alarming states in a manner that promotes minimal power usage while simultaneously promoting reliability in hazard detection and alarming functionality.

A system and method for facilitating inspection of fire alarm systems includes a graphical user interface rendered on a touchscreen display of a mobile computing device receiving selections of inspection results. The graphical user interface includes a testing pane, which indicates devices that are currently being tested, and a selection pane, which indicates devices yet to be tested. The devices indicated by the selection pane are filtered according to the inferred location of the inspector or the inferred order of test. Selection of devices indicated by the selection pane results in those devices being indicated by the testing pane. Results of inspections of the devices indicated by the testing pane are then selected by the touchscreen display detecting gestures (e.g. swipes toward the left or right) corresponding to different results. The results are sent to a connected services system and stored in a connected services database.

Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for managing building pathway information. A building and/or security management system can detect, based on receiving input from multiple sensor devices, a possible safety issue in a first pathway to an egress of a building, determine, based on detecting the possible safety issue and based on information regarding other pathways in the building, a second pathway to the egress of the building, and indicate at least the second pathway to another system.

Example implementations include a smoke detector comprising a smoke chamber; an LED that generates light in the smoke chamber; a photodetector configured to detect whether a threshold amount of light is scattered by smoke particles in the smoke chamber; and one or more self-testing components configured to re-direct the light from the LED toward the photodetector for self-testing the LED and the photodetector. Some further implementations include one or more masking self-test components configured external to the smoke chamber to direct light from outside the smoke chamber into the smoke chamber and toward the photodetector for determining whether the smoke detector has been masked. Some further example implementations include a method comprising controlling one or more self-testing components of a smoke detector to re-direct at least a portion of light from an LED toward a photodetector; and determining whether the photodetector causes an alarm trigger in response to the controlling.

The present disclosure relates to aspirating smoke detectors (ASD). In an ASD, ambient air is aspirated and is fed to a fire detector unit for determining a signal level. For normal operation, the suction power is set to a nominal airflow value and this is increased from a minimum signal level value in order to shorten the transport time of aspirated smoke through the suction pipe to the fire detector unit. In some embodiments, an interruption signal provided for normal operation is output if the airflow exceeds an upper limit value for a minimum period. Independently thereof, the suction power is increased from the minimum signal level value only to the extent that the airflow does not exceed the upper limit value. Or, regardless thereof, the suction power is increased only for a timespan smaller than the minimum period in which the airflow exceeds the upper limit value.

Devices, systems, and methods for visually inspecting event devices of a building alarm system are described herein. One mobile device includes a user interface, a display, a memory, and a processor configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to generate a list of event devices of an alarm system that are available for visual inspection, provide a device selection tool that allows a user to select one of the event devices from the list of event devices, and provide a visual inspection tool that provides a view of an image of the selected event device on the display.