Method for Evacuating Buildings Divided into Sections

• US 20090040038A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Huber, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/527
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

A method, evacuation system and hazard warning center for the evacuation of a building divided into sections by the hazard warning center, which is connected to at least one hazard warning unit detecting a hazard. The hazard warning center produces an evacuation plan for the sections of the building on the basis of the location of the hazard detected by the hazard warning unit, the data received in connection with the hazard and at least one stored condition, and at least one alarm signaling unit in a section is sent at least one request to emit either a warning signal or an evacuation signal on the basis of the evacuation plan.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for evacuating a building divided into sections by way of a hazard warning center connected to at least one hazard warning unit detecting a hazard, the method which comprises:

generating an evacuation plan with the hazard warning center for a chronological sequence of evacuating the sections of the building on a basis of a location of the hazard detected by the hazard warning unit, received data relating to the hazard, and at least one stored condition; and

transmitting at least one request to emit either a warning signal or an evacuation signal to at least one alarm signaling unit in a section of the building based on the evacuation plan.

18. The method according to claim 17, which comprises using a delay time for emitting the warning and evacuation signals in a section as at least one condition.

19. The method according to claim 17, which comprises using a delay time for changing over from the warning signal to the evacuation signal in a section as at least one condition.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the delay time is dependent on the location.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the delay time is dependent on the location.

22. The method according to claim 17, which comprises assigning a priority to both the evacuation signal and the warning signal as at least one condition.

23. The method according to claim 22, which comprises, if a request is received to simultaneously emit the warning signal and the evacuation signal, emitting the signal having the higher priority with the alarm signaling unit.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the alarm signaling unit is one or more units selected from the group consisting of an alarm horn, a flash lamp, a strobe, an alarm bell, an announcement unit, graphical displays, and luminous strips.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the alarm horn emits at least two different sound sequences.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the two different sound sequences correspond to a warning signal and to an evacuation signal, respectively.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein the evacuation plan can be manually interrupted in the hazard warning center.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein an operating unit connected to the hazard warning center may be used for the manual interruption.

29. The method according to claim 17, wherein the request is a signaling message of a communication network.

30. The method according to claim 17, which comprises using a request either to open or close a door and/or a request to monitor a region by means of a monitoring camera as at least one condition.

31. The method according to claim 17, wherein an evacuation plan is created on the basis of the at least one condition for the at least one alarm signaling unit in a section.

32. A hazard warning center for evacuating a building divided into sections if a hazard is detected by at least one detecting hazard warning unit connected to the hazard warning center, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving data relating to the hazard detected by the hazard warning unit;

a processing unit connected to said receiving unit, said processing unit creating an evacuation plan for a chronological sequence of evacuating the sections of the building based on a location of the hazard detected by the hazard warning unit, the received data, and at least one stored condition;

a transmitting unit connected to said processing unit for transmitting at least one request to emit either a warning signal or an evacuation signal to at least one alarm signaling unit in a section of the building on a basis of the evacuation plan.

33. An evacuation system for a building divided into sections, the system comprising:

a hazard warning center;

one or more hazard detecting units disposed in the building and connected to said hazard warning center for transmitting data relating to a detected hazard to said hazard warning center;

said hazard warning center, upon receiving a signal indicating a detected hazard, creating a plan for a chronological sequence of evacuating the sections of the building on the basis of a location of the hazard detected by a respective said hazard detecting unit, the received data, and at least one stored condition; and

at least one alarm signaling unit connected to said hazard warning center for emitting a request to emit either a warning signal or an evacuation signal on the basis of the evacuation plan in a section of the building.