Graphical user interface for emergency apparatus and method for operating same

• US 20080007396A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc. (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Marshall, Julie, Parkulo, Craig Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,652,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

A communications system for emergency services personnel can include portable devices to be carried by emergency services personnel while at an emergency site. The portable devices each may have at least a first transceiver configured to communicate over a first network and the portable devices are configured to communicate with one another. The system may also include a portable gateway apparatus. The portable gateway apparatus may have a portable computer having a graphical user interface (GUI) and a PCMCIA or smaller card that itself includes at least a first radio. The first radio is configured to communicate over the first network to obtain status information from the portable devices carried by the emergency services personnel. The GUI is configured to communicate with the PCMCIA card to display a node map indicating communication links between the portable devices carried by the emergency services personnel.

Claims

1. A communications system for emergency services personnel, the system comprising:

portable devices to be carried by emergency services personnel while at an emergency site, the portable devices each having at least a first transceiver configured to communicate over a first network, wherein the portable devices communicate with one another; and

a portable gateway apparatus comprising a portable computer having a graphical user interface (GUI) and a PCMCIA card having at least a first radio thereon configured to communicate over said first network to obtain status information from said portable devices carried by the emergency services personnel, and said GUI configured to communicate with said PCMCIA card to display a node map indicating communication links between said portable devices carried by the emergency services personnel.

2. A communications system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said GUI is configured to indicate portable devices of emergency services personnel in an alarm condition.

3. A communications system in accordance with claim 2 wherein, at least when requested by a user of the portable gateway apparatus, said GUI is configured to indicate emergency services personnel who are neighbors in effective communication with an emergency services personnel in an alarm condition.

4. A communications system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said GUI is further configured to display a function indicative of a distance between at least one neighbor and the emergency services personnel in the alarm condition.

5. A communications system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said GUI is configured to display an indication of the type of alarm condition.

6. A communications system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said GUI is configured to display status information of the emergency services personnel.

7. A communications system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said status information includes an indication of at least one of air remaining in a tank and local temperature.

8. A communications system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said portable devices to be carried by emergency services personnel have a second transceiver configured to communicate over a second network, wherein the first and second networks are independent of one another, and said portable device further configured to time stamp and store in a log file, event information relating to said portable device, the emergency services personnel carrying said portable device, or both;

and further wherein said PCMCIA card also has a second radio thereon configured to communicate over said second network to download the log file stored in said portable devices to be carried by emergency services personnel via a link using the second radio and to store the log file in said portable computer.

9. A communications system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said second radio is configured to completely download a log file stored in one of said portable devices without interruption before proceeding to download a log file stored in another of said portable devices, and to select, from said portable devices within radio range, which said portable device is to initiate a download of a log file.

10. A communication system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said second radio operates at or above 900 MHz.

11. A communications system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said GUI is configured to provide a user with a selection of building drawings to provide in the GUI, and to permit a user to drag and drop icons representing personnel representations in said node map into user-selected positions in a selected said building drawing.

23. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising using the GUI to provide a user with a selection of building drawings, and displaying dragged and dropped icons representing personnel representations in the node map in user-selected positions in a selected building drawing.

12. A method for displaying status of a plurality of emergency services personnel carrying portable devices each having at least a first transceiver configured to communicate over a first network, wherein the portable devices communicate with one another, said method comprising:

utilizing a portable gateway apparatus comprising a portable computer and a PCMCIA card having at least a first radio thereon configured to communicate over said first network to obtain status information from said portable devices carried by the emergency services personnel, to display, on a GUI, a node map indicating communication links between said portable devices carried by the emergency services personnel.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising indicating, on the GUI, portable devices of emergency services personnel in an alarm condition.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein, at least when requested by a user of the portable gateway apparatus, said GUI is configured to indicate emergency services personnel who are neighbors in effective communication with an emergency services personnel in an alarm condition.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising, displaying, on the GUI, further a function indicative of a distance between at least one neighbor and the emergency services personnel in the alarm condition.

16. A method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising displaying an indication of the type of alarm condition on the GUI.

17. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising displaying status information of the emergency services personnel on the GUI.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein said displaying status information comprises displaying an indication of at least one of air remaining in a tank and local temperature.

19. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein said portable devices to be carried by emergency services personnel have a second transceiver configured to communicate over a second network, wherein the first and second networks are independent of one another, and said method further comprising time stamping event information relating to the portable device, the emergency services personnel carrying the portable device, or both, and storing the time-stamped event information in a log file in the portable device;

and further wherein said PCMCIA card also has a second radio thereon configured to communicate over said second network; and

said method further comprising downloading the log files stored in the portable devices to be carried by emergency services personnel via a radio frequency link using the second radio and storing the log file in the portable computer.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising completely downloading a log file stored in one of the portable devices without interruption before proceeding to download a log file stored in another of the portable devices, and to select without further user intervention, from the portable devices within radio range, which of the other portable devices is to initiate a download of a log file.

21. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein the second radio operates at or above 900 MHz.

22. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein the downloading of log files further comprises setting portable devices in a first room into a mode in which log files can be downloaded, and downloading the log files to the portable computer in a different room.