Method of providing information for supporting rescue in disaster area and apparatus therefor

• US 10,229,566 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Hye Sun, Bae, Myung Nam, Hong, Sang Gi, Bang, Hyo Chan, Lee, Kang Bok, Shin, Dong Beom, Lee, Sang Yeoun, Son, Kyo Hoon, Yang, Hoe Sung, Choi, Jin Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US15/818,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20180165929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0263 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the direction in which child or item is located
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

An operation method of a first apparatus for supporting disaster communications includes obtaining map information of a disaster area from a server; obtaining information on a location of the first apparatus, and obtaining environmental condition information of the first apparatus indicating a risk of an area to which the first apparatus belongs; obtaining information on a location and environmental condition information of a second apparatus located in the disaster area from the second apparatus; determining a disaster risk level indicating a risk level for each location in the disaster area based on the location and environmental condition information of the first apparatus and the location and environmental condition information of the second apparatus; and updating the map information by reflecting the disaster risk level.

Claims

1. An operation method of a first apparatus carried by a first user for supporting disaster communications, the operation method being performed by the first apparatus and comprising:

obtaining map information of a disaster area from a server when the first apparatus is located outside the disaster area;

when the first apparatus is located within the disaster area, obtaining location information of the first apparatus through a first sensor included in the first apparatus and obtaining environmental condition information of the first apparatus indicating a risk of an area to which the first apparatus belongs through a second sensor included in the first apparatus;

obtaining, from a second apparatus carried by a second user which is located within the disaster area, location information and environmental condition information of the second apparatus;

determining disaster risk levels for each location in the disaster area based on the location and environmental condition information of the first apparatus and the location and environmental condition information of the second apparatus; and

updating the map information by reflecting the disaster risk levels.

2. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the determining disaster risk levels comprises:

classifying environmental condition information for the respective locations of the first apparatus and the second apparatus according to a predetermined criterion; and

determining the disaster risk levels for the respective locations corresponding to the classified environmental condition information for the respective locations of the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

3. The operation method according, to claim 1, farther comprising:

determining whether a current situation is a situation requiring departure from the disaster area;

in response to determination that the current situation is the situation requiring departure from the disaster area, classifying at least one location whose disaster risk level is higher than a predetermined threshold based on the map information reflecting the disaster risk levels;

identifying an optimal return path avoiding the at least one location whose disaster risk level is higher than the predetermined threshold based on the location information of the first apparatus; and

displaying the optimal return path on a display device included in the first apparatus.

4. The operation method according to claim 1, further comprising, when the first apparatus is out of the disaster area, transmitting rescue operation history information to the server,

wherein the rescue operation history information includes:

movement path information of the first apparatus in the disaster area, and the environmental condition information for each location of the first apparatus in the disaster area, and

movement path information of the second apparatus in the disaster area, and the environmental condition information for each location of the second apparatus in the disaster area.

5. The operation method according to claim 4, wherein;

the movement path information of the first apparatus is generated based on the location information of the first apparatus, and

the movement path information of the second apparatus is generated based on the location information of the second apparatus.

6. The operation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

updating the map information to indicate locations of users of the first and second apparatuses through the location information of the first apparatus and the location information of the second apparatus; and

displaying the updated map information on a display device included in the first apparatus.

7. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein:

the environmental condition information of the first apparatus includes ambient temperature, composition of ambient air, and presence or absence of an obstacle at the location of the first apparatus, and

the environmental condition information of the second apparatus includes ambient, temperature, composition of ambient air, and presence or absence of an obstacle at the location of the second apparatus.

8. The operation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining first physical condition information of a first user of the first apparatus through a third sensor included in the first apparatus;

obtaining second physical condition information of a second user of the second apparatus from the second apparatus; and

displaying the first physical condition information and the second physical condition information on a display device included in the first apparatus.

9. The operation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alert signal for the first apparatus when the environmental condition information of the first apparatus exceeds a predetermined reference value; and

transmitting the alert signal in a broadcast manner.

10. A first apparatus carried by a first user for supporting disaster communications, comprising a processor and a memory storing at least one instruction executed by the processor,

wherein the at least one instruction is configured to:

obtain, map information of a disaster area from a server when the first apparatus is located outside the disaster area;

when the first apparatus is located within the disaster area, obtain location information of the first apparatus through a first sensor included in the first apparatus and obtain environmental condition information of the first apparatus indicating a risk of an area to which the first apparatus belongs through a second sensor included in the first apparatus;

obtain, from a second apparatus carried by a second user which is located within the disaster area, location information and environmental condition information of the second apparatus;

determine disaster risk levels for each location in the disaster area based on the location and environmental condition information of the first apparatus and the location and environmental condition information of the second apparatus; and

update the map information by reflecting the disaster risk levels,

wherein, in the determining of the disaster risk levels, the at least one instruction is further configured to;

classify environmental condition information for the respective locations of the first apparatus and the second apparatus according to a predetermined criterion; and

determine the disaster risk levels for the respective locations corresponding to the classified environmental condition information for the respective locations of the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

11. The first apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one instruction is further configured to:

determine whether a current situation is a situation requiring departure from the disaster area;

in response to determination that the current situation is the situation requiring departure from the disaster area, classify at least one location whose disaster risk level is higher than a predetermined threshold based on the map information reflecting the disaster risk levels;

identify an optimal return path avoiding the at least one location whose disaster risk level is higher than the predetermined threshold based on the location information of the first apparatus; and

display the optimal return path on a display device included in the first apparatus.

12. The first apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the at least one instruction is further configured to, when the first apparatus is out, of the disaster area, transmit, rescue operation history information to the server,

wherein the rescue operation history information includes:

movement path information of the first apparatus in the disaster area, and the environmental condition information for each location of the first apparatus in the disaster area, and

movement path information of the second apparatus in the disaster area, and the environmental condition information for each location of the second apparatus in the disaster area.

13. The first apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the movement path information of the first apparatus is generated based on the location information of the first apparatus, and

the movement path information of the second apparatus is generated based on the location information of the second apparatus.

14. The first apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one instruction is further configured to:

update the map information to indicate locations of users of the first and second apparatuses through the location information of the first apparatus and the location information of the second apparatus, and

display the updated map information on a display device included in the first apparatus.

15. The first apparatus according to claim 10, wherein;

the environmental condition information of the first apparatus includes ambient temperature, composition of, ambient air, and presence or absence of an obstacle at the location of the first apparatus, and

the environmental condition information of the second apparatus includes ambient temperature, composition of ambient air, and presence or absence of an obstacle at the location of the second apparatus.

16. The first apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one instruction is further configured to:

obtain first physical condition information of a first user of the first apparatus through a third sensor included in the first apparatus;

obtain second physical condition information of a second user of the second apparatus from the second apparatus; and

display the first physical condition information and the second physical condition information on a display device included in the first apparatus.

17. The first apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one instruction is further configured to:

generate an alert signal for the first apparatus when the environmental condition information of the first apparatus exceeds a predetermined reference value; and

transmit the alert signal in a broadcast manner.