Detector-to-detector alerts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10055965-B2
Application number	US-201615365617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2016
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

An alert system and method includes at least first and second detectors that each includes environmental condition detection circuitry, data processing circuitry, and wireless communication circuitry. The first and second detectors are respectively carried by first and second users. The first and second detectors detect environmental conditions in a vicinity of the respective detectors and communicate detection data to the respective data processing circuitry. In response to detection of a hazardous environmental condition by the first detector, the first detector provides an alert notification to the first user and communicates the alert to the second detector via wireless communication, and in response to receipt of an alert from the first detector, the second detector transmits the alert to another detector or device via wireless communication. A communicated or transmitted alert may include an incrementing indicator of a number of hops or levels of transmission of the alert.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An alert system, comprising:
a first detector that includes environmental condition detection circuitry, data processing circuitry, and wireless communication circuitry, wherein the first detector is configured to be carried by a first user, and wherein the environmental condition detection circuitry of the first detector detects environmental conditions in a vicinity of the first detector and communicates the detected environmental conditions to the data processing circuitry of the first detector; and
a second detector that includes environmental condition detection circuitry, data processing circuitry, and wireless communication circuitry, wherein the second detector is configured to be carried by a second user, and wherein the environmental condition detection circuitry of the second detector detects environmental conditions in a vicinity of the second detector and communicates the detected environmental conditions to the data processing circuitry of the second detector,
wherein, in response to detection of a hazardous environmental condition by the first detector, the data processing circuitry of the first detector provides notification of an alert to the first user and communicates the alert to the second detector via the wireless communication circuitry of the first detector, and when communicating the alert to the second detector, the data processing circuitry of the first detector includes an indicator of a number of hops or levels of transmission of the alert with the communication,
wherein, in response to receipt of the alert from the first detector by the second detector, the data processing circuitry of the second detector determines whether to provide notification of the alert to the second user and further determines whether to transmit the alert to another detector or device based on at least one of a determined proximity to the first detector that transmitted the alert, a determined duration of time from when the first detector transmitted the alert, a determined severity of the hazardous environmental condition indicated by the alert, or the indicator of the number of hops or levels of transmission of the alert, and
wherein, in response to determining to transmit the alert to another detector or device, the data processing circuitry of the second detector transmits the alert to the another detector or device via the wireless communication circuitry of the second detector, and before transmitting the alert to the another detector or device, the data processing circuitry of the second detector increments the indicator of the number of hops or levels of transmission of the alert and includes the incremented indicator with the transmission to the another detector or device.

2. The alert system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to detection of a hazardous environmental condition by the second detector, the data processing circuitry of the second detector provides notification of an alert to the second user and communicates the alert to the first detector via the wireless communication circuitry of the second detector, and
wherein, in response to receipt of the alert from the second detector by the first detector, the data processing circuitry of the first detector transmits the alert to another detector or device via the wireless communication circuitry of the first detector.

3. The alert system of claim 1 , wherein the first detector broadcasts the alert in an ad hoc communication to the second detector without knowing that the second detector is in transmission range of the first detector.

4. The alert system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second detectors communicate in a self-forming network that forms as the first and second detectors are carried within transmission range of each other.

5. The alert system of claim 1 , wherein the second detector is a master device that is paired with the first detector and with additional detectors as slave devices, wherein each of the additional detectors has environmental condition detection circuitry, data processing circuitry, and wireless communication circuitry and is capable of providing notification of an alert to respective users carrying the additional detectors.

6. The alert system of claim 1 , further comprising a third detector that includes environmental condition detection circuitry, data processing circuitry, and wireless communication circuitry, wherein the third detector is configured to be carried by a third user, and wherein the environmental condition detection circuitry of the third detector detects environmental conditions in a vicinity of the third detector and communicates the detected environmental conditions to the data processing circuitry of the third detector,
wherein, in response to detection of the hazardous environmental condition by the first detector, the data processing circuitry of the first detector further communicates the alert to the third detector via the wireless communication circuitry of the first detector,
wherein, in response to receipt of the alert from the first detector by the third detector, the data processing circuitry of the third detector determines whether to provide notification of the alert to the third user and further determines whether to transmit the alert to yet another detector or device based on at least one of a determined proximity to the first detector that transmitted the alert, a determined duration of time from when the first detector transmitted the alert, a determined severity of the hazardous environmental condition indicated by the alert, or the indicator of the number of hops or levels of transmission of the alert, and
wherein, before transmitting the alert to yet another detector or device, the data processing circuitry of the third detector further increments the indicator of the number of hops or levels of transmission of the alert, and then transmits the alert with the further incremented indicator to yet another detector or device via the wireless communication circuitry of the third detector.

7. The alert system of claim 1 , wherein the first detector further includes location detection circuitry, and in response to detection of the hazardous environmental condition by the first detector, the data processing circuitry of the first detector further communicates location data reflecting a location of the first detector to the second detector via the wireless communication circuitry of the first detector.

8. The alert system of claim 1 , wherein the first detector further includes one or more biometric sensors configured to monitor biometric information of the first user, and in response to detection of the hazardous environmental condition by the first detector, the data processing circuitry of the first detector further communicates the biometric information of the first user to the second detector via the wireless communication circuitry of the first detector.

9. The alert system of claim 1 , wherein the another detector or device is a third detector that includes environmental condition detection circuitry, data processing circuitry, and wireless communication circuitry, wherein the third detector is configured to be carried by a third user, and wherein the environmental condition detection circuitry of the third detector detects environmental conditions in a vicinity of the third detector and communicates the detected environmental conditions to the data processing circuitry of the third detector, and
wherein, in response to receipt of the alert and incremented indicator from the second detector by the third detector, the data processing circuitry of the third detector determines whether to provide notification of the alert to the third user and further determines whether to transmi

Assignees

• Fluke Corp

Inventors

• Prabhakar Dileepa
• Corrigan Christopher
• Shankarananda Pronitha

Classifications

• G08B25/10 Primary

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B25/08

  using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B25/009

  Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range · CPC title

• G08B25/007

  Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols · CPC title

• G08B25/001

  Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation · CPC title