Devices, methods, and systems for a self-testing fire sensing device are described herein. One device includes an adjustable particle generator and a variable airflow generator configured to generate an aerosol density level, an optical scatter chamber configured to measure a rate at which the aerosol density level decreases after the aerosol density level has been generated, and a controller configured to compare the measured rate at which the aerosol density level decreases with a baseline rate, and determine whether the self-testing fire sensing device requires maintenance based on the comparison of the measured rate at which the aerosol density level decreases and the baseline rate.

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.

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.

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.

A detector unit for use in an aspirating detection system. The detector unit includes an aspirator for drawing air along at least one sampling pipe and into the detector unit; a sensor chamber for analysing a sample of the air drawn into the detector unit; a Venturi conduit through which the air is moved by the aspirator, the Venturi conduit including a first portion of the Venturi conduit and a second portion of the Venturi conduit, a cross-sectional area of the first portion being smaller than a cross-sectional area of the second portion; a pressure sensor configured to detect a differential pressure between the air in the first portion and the air in the second portion of the Venturi conduit; and a controller configured to determine a leak and/or a blockage in the aspirating detection system based on the detected differential pressure.

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.

Methods and systems for performing a walk test for fire alarm systems using a mobile device are described herein. One fire alarm system, includes a system control panel fixedly positioned within a building for controlling a plurality of fire alarm system devices connected to the panel and positioned within the building, a mobile device wirelessly connected to the control panel, and a fire alarm system control application on the mobile device, wherein the fire alarm control system application gains access to the control panel and, therethrough, the plurality of fire alarm system devices and wherein the fire alarm control system application issues a command to a particular fire alarm system device of the plurality of fire alarm system devices to perform a particular test or maintenance function and the control panel relays the command to the particular fire alarm system device.

Devices, systems, and methods for providing fire events pattern analysis and cross-building data analytics are described herein. One fire system maintenance system, includes a number of fire system detectors, a fire system control panel, and a gateway device all positioned within the facility, the gateway device having instructions to: collect fire system device health data associated with one or more fire or smoke detector devices and to send this fire system device health data to a remote device, the remote device having instructions to: analyze the collected fire system device health data to determine an event type for each device health event recorded in the collected data, predict future device health events, categorize the device health events based on their determined event type, and prioritize the categorized device health events based on the quantity of events categorized in each event type.