METHODS FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION WITHIN A FIRE SAFETY SYSTEM

• US 20090040042A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lontka, Karen D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• 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

Abstract

An emergency device or emergency system is configured for operation within a fire safety system, or a fire safety portion of a building automation system (BAS). For example, wireless devices, emergency devices and/or automation components within the fire safety system or the fire safety portion of the BAS may be configured to automatically provide or otherwise communicate emergency information to an emergency device or system. The emergency information may, in turn, be utilized by emergency personnel or first responders to determine location information regarding the structure and/or relative positions within the structure or communicate with a remote emergency system.

Claims

1. A method for emergency communication, the method comprising:

deploying an emergency device within a structure;

providing the emergency device with location information, wherein the location information relates to a position of the emergency device within the structure; and

communicating location information between the emergency device and a mobile emergency device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating location information comprises communicating location information from the emergency device to the mobile emergency device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating location information comprises communicating location information to the emergency device from the mobile emergency device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating location information comprises communicating location information via a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of:

ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 standard;

a wireless fidelity (WiFi)/IEEE 802.11x standard;

an infrared/IrDA standard; and

a global positioning sensor communication standard.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing location information related to the mobile emergency device to a remote location via a fire safety system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the location information related to the emergency device on a display.

7. A method for emergency communication within a fire safety system, the method comprising:

processing an emergency communication received via a wireless communications component, wherein the emergency communication is received from an emergency device deployed within a building automation system;

generating display data based on the location information contained within the received emergency communication; and

communicating the display data for presentation to a user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein processing the emergency communication includes processing an emergency communication conforming to a communication standard selected from the group consisting of:

ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 standard;

a wireless fidelity (WiFi)/IEEE 802.11x standard;

an infrared/IrDA standard; and

a global positioning sensor transceiver.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing the emergency communication includes processing information selected from the group consisting of:

a temperature indication;

an air quality indication;

an oxygen-level reading;

a location indication;

structure layout information;

fire location information;

hazardous material location information and location information related to other personnel.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein generating display data based on the location information includes generating location information representative of a building zone defined within a structure.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

configuring a camera to capture environmental information; and

providing the environmental information to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the camera is a dual mode camera configured to capture infrared environmental information and visible spectrum environmental information.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

projecting the display data on a heads-up display.

14. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing the display data on mobile emergency device and displaying the display data on a touch screen.

15. A method for emergency communication within a fire safety system, the method comprising:

determining location information relative to a user, wherein the user is within a structure;

generating an emergency communication containing the location information; and

transmitting the emergency communication via a wireless communications component, wherein the emergency communication is communicated to an emergency device deployed within a building automation system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the emergency communication includes transmitting an emergency communication conforming to a communication standard selected from the group consisting of:

ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 standard;

a wireless fidelity (WiFi)/IEEE 802.11x standard;

an infrared/IrDA standard; and

a global positioning sensor transceiver.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining location information includes determining information selected from the group consisting of:

a temperature indication;

an air quality indication;

an oxygen-level reading;

a location indication;

structure layout information;

fire location information;

hazardous material location information and location information related to other personnel.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

configuring a camera to capture environmental information; and

providing the environmental information to the emergency device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the camera is a dual mode camera configured to capture infrared environmental information and visible spectrum environmental information.