IR motion detectors for households and private properties have become more commonplace, cost-effective and user-friendly. a&s discusses some common issues, such as false alarms and missed events, with existing technologies and how manufacturers and solution providers address the problems.
IR motion detectors for households and private properties have become more commonplace, cost-effective and user-friendly. a&s discusses some common issues, such as false alarms and missed events, with existing technologies and how manufacturers and solution providers address the problems.
Today, the increasing awareness of how important it is to have a safe and secured environment has led many manufacturers into devoting more budgets to develop more intelligent alarm detection system. “The intruder market is growing as an increasing number of people demand more reliable security. Customers also recognize the need for improved false alarm immunity and accordingly are converting to more advanced sensors that rely upon multiple technologies and advanced intelligence in alarm decision making,” said Michael Reimer, Senior Product Manager of Intrusion Detection, Bosch Security Systems. “There is an increased awareness of total cost of ownership and while an alarm company could save a few Euros by utilizing a cheap detector, the additional time to set up and adjust that detector, as well as the increased number of false alarms that it will likely generate cost far more than the detector itself.”
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growth of gross national product (GNP), the rising demand for intrusion alarm system is also becoming more apparent as some developing countries are starting to be concerned with security issues in regard to other verticals and threats from terrorism. “In general, the security market grows along the GNP growth. However, in some cases, we see higher growth rates; as an example, India, following some massive terror events has shifted investment in security well beyond the normal growth rate. The events in Sinai may indicate that Egypt may also shift its focus to invest more in security,” said Hagai Katz, GM of Magal Security Systems. “We see uptake in the last two years in Africa, Mexico and Asia. We see growth in the seaports vertical, since they need to comply with International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS); a new vertical is solar farm.”
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advanced and convenient intruder alarm detectors being developed. Leon Langlais, Director of Product Management for Intrusion Detection, Tyco Security Products, mentioned, “Forecasts for growth in the intruder alarm segment around the globe show the greatest growth for detectors in outdoor applications, an area where analysts from IMS Research predict a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent through 2015. We expect to see major growth in wireless products as well as for hybrid solutions that take advantage of the ease of installation of wireless and the high performance and capacity of a hard wired panel.” Langlais further stated that due to the fact that the technology of wireless systems greatly surpasses the traditional hurdles of battery life, range and reliability, they will become increasingly more prevalent in the commercial space. “IMS is predicting a compound annual growth rate of nearly 5 percent through 2015 for indoor wireless detectors.”
Causes of False Alarms
False alarm has always been the greatest issue for the intruder alarm industry. To cope with the drastic increase in competition, discovering ways to minimize false-alarm rates (FARs) is a must. Several major intrusion detector manufacturers are constantly seeking ways to neutralize FAR issues.
The factors that contribute to the triggering of false alarm vary depending on the overall installation environment. “Choosing the right detector for the application is vital to ensuring performance. As it fulfills higher security requirements, a Grade 3 detector, used for example in banks, should not be utilized in a Grade 2 application such as small shops. The nearly 50 percent increase in sensitivity required to achieve Grade 3 performance could lead to false alarms in a Grade 2 installation.” said Reimer.
Incorrectly installed sensors also have the potential of generating a false alarm. “Incorrectly installed sensors are at the heart of many problems experienced by intruder systems. Door contacts must be well-aligned to send the proper signal to the panel, and motion sensors need to be both adequate in power and sensing technology as well as installed correctly to ward off false detection or even misdetection. For example, areas that receive direct sunlight are not ideal candidates for motion detection,” said Langlais.
He also at the same time addressed that the solution for the issue was simply through careful installation and correct execution of user's manual. Langlais further commented on wireless sensor installation, “On the wireless side, sensor installation is still of upmost importance. Some wireless peripherals are equipped with an LED that blinks when the wireless device is located in an appropriate location, ensuring optimal placement of that peripheral with minimal training on the technician side.”
Other than making sure that the detectors are properly installed into a system, there are yet elements that need to be paid attention to while choosing the system that fully caters your needs. “Installers should also choose a wireless system carefully as wireless strength, range and battery life also become considerations to the overall success of the installation and the life of the system,” Langlais said.
Improper installation is not the only element that might introduce a false alarm. “The more robust wireless systems are less vulnerable to noise and interference from other appliances and systems at the customer premises no matter how well the system was installed. If a sensor goes offline due to interference, the system will generate a false alarm,” said Langlais.
Reducing FARs
Manufacturers have come up with strategies to reduce FARs of their products or solutions. “All the information collected by these various sensor elements is fed into a microprocessor that analyzes the data using a complex signal processing algorithm we call sensor data fusion,” said Reimer. “We no longer rely upon a simple count of the number of pulses as traditional motion detectors did, but rather look at the actual signal data such as amplitude, timing, polarity and other factors. We then adjust the alarm thresholds of the other sensor elements in order to make truly intelligent decisions regarding whether or not the data indicates a valid alarm condition.”
In terms of reducing FARs to a minimum, Tyco also has its own maneuvers. “The majority of false alarms in an intruder detector system can be attributed to three main factors that are easily corrected in almost every installation,” Langlais mentioned. “Errors in installation and programming, such as the incorrect placement of a motion sensor, can cause repeated false alarms if the sensor's beam is misaligned even a few degrees. Proper usage of dual technology motion sensors, where both the PIR and microwave sensors need to detect movement to alarm are also extremely effective at reducing false alarms.”
Langlais further stated that it's important for the end-users to take responsibility for reducing FARs as well. “Although the system should be as easy to use as possible, proper training of the homeowner on the system is also crucial to the success of the installation.”
While environmental factors such as weather conditions could be a pain in the neck, Jonathan Murray, MD of Senstar (a Magal Security Systems company), believed that such a problem can be resolved through installing a system that is based on adapting technology. “Snow that piled on the ground, lighting and temperature changes, by adapting this variable property, the system knows how to differentiate between a real threat and false alarms,” Murray further addressed. “The main new technologies in microwaves are new digital processing capabilities that enable the system to process the change strength, the various frequencies and variable signature.” With a system that is able to adjust itself to the changes of the climate and fluctuations of the temperature, unstable weather conditions can no longer be a variable that yields the possibility of triggering a false alarm.
British and European Standards
The intruder alarms will need to be designed or modified to accommodate the EN40141:206 standard which is in accordance with PD6662:2010 and BS8243 for police calling systems starting June 1, 2012.
It's necessary for the intruder and hold up alarm systems to be installed according to the fundamental standards accepted by insurance companies and to be eligible for getting responses from the police, as countries in Europe often have different requirements that the alarm systems need to comply with.
The majority of European alarm suppliers and installers are attached to a series of British standards in order to ensure the reliability of alarm design, installation and maintenance. Standards such as frequencies limitations and emitting limitations all have significant impacts on the installers and suppliers. “European and British alarm standards have led the way in introducing catch performance and false alarm immunity performance requirements based upon real world security applications and risk level,” said Reimer.
“While we feel that we are able to very clearly differentiate our products performance in these and many other regards, the minimum requirements that these standards require will help the industry improve upon its reputation for providing a reliable product to our customers.”
Moreover, some standards are designed and modified to accommodate the general financial and economic conditions of Europe. “The number one factor in the U.K. and Europe is the economic recession. With regards to culture – Europe in general hates fences and therefore virtual fences are often implemented,” Katz further noted. “As for emitting limitations and frequency/bandwidth allocation, Europe and the U.K. have unique requirements that should be fulfilled; thus, sometimes clearing systems should be repeated for each country. Each country regulates its bandwidth autonomously. There are free bands in each country; in those bands there could be power limitations. Here is just one example in a small area of the full spectrum.”
Europe – ETSI standard EN 200 440 (Europe Harmonized). 24.00 – 24.25GHz range; 20dBm max power (100mW EIRP).
North America – FCC standards 15.245. 24.075 – 24.175GHz range. 32.7dBm max power
While some believe that British and European intruder alarm standards might have significant impact over the intruder alarm detector industry, others believe that the effect is only limited to Europe. “Throughout Europe, we expect to see the insurance industry mandate Grade 3 certification for a majority of residential detectors as well as intrusion panels within the next five years, ensuring that the advanced anti-masking features are utilized and detection signals are up to par with Grade 3 parameters. In addition, we anticipate that Grade 4 approvals are on the horizon. However, these requirements seem to be limited to Europe without much effect on the rest of the global intrusion market.” Langlais said.
