Evacuation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10529199-B2
Application number	US-201816042548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2018
Priority date	Dec 30, 2008
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A system includes a first sensor configured to identify information regarding an emergency condition associated with a structure and a second sensor configured to identify an occupancy pattern regarding the structure. The system also includes a processor operatively coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and a transceiver. The processor is configured to determine a severity of the emergency condition based at least in part on the information regarding the emergency condition and prioritize rescues within the structure based at least in part on the occupancy pattern. The system also includes the transceiver which is configured to transmit an identification of the emergency condition, a location of the structure, the occupancy pattern, the prioritization of rescues, and the severity of the emergency condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first sensor configured to identify hazardous condition information regarding an emergency condition associated with a structure;
one or more second sensors configured to identify occupancy information regarding the structure, wherein the occupancy information includes first occupancy information associated with a first location in the structure and second occupancy information associated with a second location in the structure;
a processor operatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the processor is configured to:
identify an evacuation condition based on the hazardous condition information;
determine a first severity associated with the evacuation condition at a first location in the structure based at least in part on the hazardous condition information;
determine a second severity associated with the evacuation condition at a second location in the structure based at least in part on the hazardous condition information;
determine an evacuation route, wherein, to determine the evacuation route, the processor is further configured to select the evacuation route based on a comparison of the first severity and the second severity and further based on the first and second occupancy information associated with the first location and the second location, respectively; and
generate an alert communicating evacuation route information associated with the evacuation route.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the alert to one or more network-connected nodes.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a warning unit coupled to the processor, wherein the warning unit is configured to generate an audio and/or visual warning associated with the alert.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the occupancy information includes a number of occupants in the structure.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the occupancy information is specific to a given location within the structure.

6. A method of electronically monitoring a structure, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first decision node, occupancy information from a first sensor and hazardous condition information from one or more second sensors;
identifying, at the first decision node, an evacuation condition based on the hazardous condition information;
determining, at the first decision node, a first severity associated with the evacuation condition at a first location in the structure based at least in part on the hazardous condition information;
determining, at the first decision node, a second severity associated with the evacuation condition at a second location in the structure based at least in part on the hazardous condition information;
determining, at the first decision node, an evacuation route, wherein determining the evacuation route comprises:
comparing the first severity and the second severity;
assessing occupancy information associated with the first location and the second location; and
selecting the evacuation route based on the comparing of the first severity and the second severity and further based on the occupancy information associated with the first location and the second location; and

generating, by the first decision node, an alert communicating evacuation route information associated with the evacuation route.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the occupancy information comprises occupant characteristic information for one or more individual occupants, and wherein generating the alert comprises generating the alert based, at least in part, the occupant characteristic information.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the occupant characteristic information comprises at least one of an estimated age, health, disability, or wakefulness of a respective occupant.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the alert comprises an audible alert tailored to the respective occupant based on the occupant characteristic information.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving, at the first decision node, processed data from a second decision node, wherein the first decision node is connected to the second decision node across a network; and
modifying, by the first decision node, the evacuation route based on the processed data from the second decision node.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the processed data received from the second decision node is based, at least in part, on occupancy information from a third sensor and hazardous condition information from a fourth sensor.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein modifying the evacuation route comprises selecting an alternate evacuation route that avoids a location determined by the second decision node to be associated with a high severity evacuation condition.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the processed data comprises an alternative evacuation route, and wherein modifying the evacuation route comprises selecting the alternate evacuation in response to a determination that the alternate evacuation route provides increased evacuation capacity.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is part of a sensory node communicatively coupled to the first decision node across a network.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first decision node comprises at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein the occupancy information comprises an expected occupancy based on a historic occupancy of the structure.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein selecting the evacuation route is further based on structure layout information and a type of the evacuation condition.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the occupancy information comprises occupant characteristic information for one or more individual occupants, and wherein the processor is further configured to generate the alert based, at least in part, the occupant characteristic information.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the occupant characteristic information comprises at least one of an estimated age, health, disability, or wakefulness of a respective occupant, and wherein the alert comprises an audible alert tailored to the respective occupant based on the occupant characteristic information.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive processed data from a network-connected node; and
modify the evacuation route based on the processed data from the network-connected node.

Assignees

• Oneevent Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wedig Kurt Joseph
• Parent Daniel Ralph
• Wedig Tammy Michelle
• Sutter-Parent Kristin Ann

Classifications

• G08B21/02

  Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons · CPC title

• G08B29/181

  due to failing power supply · 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

• G08B25/004

  Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi® not available use GSM · CPC title

• G08B17/10

  Actuation by presence of smoke or gases {, e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means} · CPC title