Fire alarm with distinct alarm reset threshold

1. A hazard alarm for detecting a hazardous condition for an area, comprising:

a detector which measures a hazard parameter;

trigger logic which triggers an alarm state when the measured parameter reaches a predetermined alarm threshold, the alarm state being maintained until a reset is successfully performed, the predetermined alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state; and

reset logic which, upon a reset command, resets the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a predetermined reset threshold, and which inhibits resetting of the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold, the predetermined reset threshold being sufficiently different from the predetermined alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area,

the hazardous condition indicative of a hazard in a first part of the area and the continuing hazardous condition indicative of the hazard in a second part of the area, the alarm threshold and reset threshold being sufficiently different to prevent reset of the alarm state when the hazard continues to pertain in the second part even after the hazard in the first part ceases.

2. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , the hazard parameter comprising an indication of at least one of: heat, fire, smoke, carbon monoxide and natural gas.

3. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , inability to reset being an indication that a smoldering fire may still exist.

4. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , inability to reset being an indication that an unseen heat source is present.

5. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , further comprising:

a message presenter which, upon the reset command, presents a warning message if the measured parameter exceeds the reset threshold.

6. The hazard alarm of claim 5 , the message presenter being a display device which displays the warning message.

7. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , the reset threshold being set to a factory default.

8. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , the reset threshold being set to a level approved by a local authority.

9. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , where the reset threshold is constant.

10. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , where the reset threshold is variable.

11. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , further comprising:

reset override logic which, when activated, overrides the reset circuitry by resetting the alarm state even if the measured parameter exceeds the reset threshold.

12. The hazard alarm of claim 11 , the reset threshold tracking the alarm's average analog value.

13. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , the reset threshold tracking the alarm's average analog value.

14. The hazard alarm of claim 11 , where the reset threshold varies dependent on previous measurements of the hazard parameter.

15. The hazard alarm of claim 1 , where the reset threshold varies dependent on previous measurements of the hazard parameter.

16. A hazard alarm for detecting a hazardous condition for an area, comprising:

a detector which measures a hazard parameter;

trigger logic which triggers an alarm state when the measured parameter reaches a predetermined alarm threshold, the alarm state being maintained until a reset is successfully performed, the predetermined alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state;

reset logic which, upon a reset command, resets the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a predetermined reset threshold, and which inhibits resetting of the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold, the predetermined reset threshold being sufficiently different from the predetermined alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area; and

reset override logic which, when activated, overrides the reset circuitry by resetting the alarm state even if the measured parameter exceeds the reset threshold.

17. The hazard alarm of claim 16 , the reset threshold tracking the alarm's average analog value.

18. The hazard alarm of claim 16 , where the reset threshold varies dependent on previous measurements of the hazard parameter.

19. A hazard alarm for detecting a hazardous condition for an area, comprising:

a detector which measures a hazard parameter;

trigger logic which triggers an alarm state when the measured parameter reaches a predetermined alarm threshold, the alarm state being maintained until a reset is successfully performed, the predetermined alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state;

reset logic which, upon a reset command, resets the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a predetermined reset threshold, and which inhibits resetting of the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold, the predetermined reset threshold tracking the alarm's average analog value and being sufficiently different from the predetermined alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area.

20. A method for implementing a hazard alarm, comprising:

asserting an alarm state if a measured hazard parameter exceeds an alarm threshold, the alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state; and

upon a reset command,

resetting the alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a reset threshold, the reset threshold being sufficiently different from the alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area,

inhibiting resetting of the alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold,

the hazardous condition indicative of a hazard in a first part of the area and the continuing hazardous condition indicative of the hazard in a second part of the area, the trigger threshold and reset threshold being sufficiently different to prevent reset of the alarm state when the hazard continues to pertain in the second part even after the hazard in the first part ceases.

21. The method of claim 20 , the hazard parameter comprising an indication of at least one of: heat, fire, smoke, carbon monoxide and natural gas.

22. The method of claim 20 , inability to reset being an indication that a smoldering fire may still exist.

23. The method of claim 20 , inability to reset being an indication that an unseen heat source is present.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

upon the reset command, presenting a warning message if the measured parameter exceeds the reset threshold.

25. The method of claim 24 , a warning message being presented by displaying the message.

26. The method of claim 20 , the reset threshold being set to a factory default.

27. The method of claim 20 , the reset threshold being set to a level approved by a local authority.

28. A method for implementing a hazard alarm, comprising:

asserting an alarm state if a measured hazard parameter exceeds an alarm threshold, the alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state; and

upon a reset command,

resetting the alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a reset threshold, the reset threshold being sufficiently different from the alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area, and

inhibiting resetting of the alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold; and

upon a reset inhibition override command,

resetting the alarm state even if the measured parameter exceeds the reset threshold.

29. A method for implementing a hazard alarm, comprising:

asserting an alarm state if a measured hazard parameter exceeds an alarm threshold, the alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state; and

upon a reset command,

resetting the alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a reset threshold, the reset threshold tracking the alarm's average analog value and being sufficiently different from the alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area, and

inhibiting resetting of the alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold.

30. A hazard alarm, comprising:

means for asserting an alarm state if a measured hazard parameter exceeds an alarm threshold, the alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state; and

means for, upon a reset command,

resetting the alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a reset threshold, the reset threshold being sufficiently different from the alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area, and

inhibiting resetting of the alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold; and

means for resetting, upon a reset inhibition override command, the alarm state even if the measured parameter exceeds the reset threshold.

31. The hazard alarm of claim 30 , further comprising:

means for presenting, upon the reset command, a warning message if the measured parameter exceeds the reset threshold.

32. A hazard alarm for detecting a hazardous condition for an area, comprising:

a detector which measures a hazard parameter;

trigger logic which triggers an alarm state when the measured parameter reaches a predetermined alarm threshold, the alarm state being maintained until a reset is successfully performed, the predetermined alarm threshold indicative of a hazardous condition in the area and used for triggering the alarm state from a non-alarm state;

reset logic which, upon a reset command, resets the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter does not exceed a predetermined reset threshold, and which inhibits resetting of the alarm state to the non-alarm state if the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined reset threshold, the predetermined reset threshold varying dependent on previous measurements of the hazard parameter and being sufficiently different from the predetermined alarm threshold so as to be indicative of a continuing hazardous condition in the area.