WIRELESS LOCATION-BASED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING HAZARDOUS AND NON-HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS

• US 20110161885A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gonia, Patrick, Kolavennu, Soumitri
• Granted Patent: US 9,978,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/847
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 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 Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements

Abstract

A wireless location-based gas detection system and method includes a gas detector for wirelessly detecting location information associated with a hazardous gas event. The gas detector includes one or more remote gas sensors that monitor for the occurrence of a gas event and wirelessly communicates information with respect to the location of the event in association with time information to a server or location manager. A wireless communication device in association with one or more location anchor points periodically and under event conditions, transmits the location information and the gas concentration level. A location engine calculates an estimated location of the gas detector based on information received from the wireless communication device and provides the location data to the location manager. The location manager records the gas concentration level, the estimated location, and the time information and stores this information within a database. A graphical user interface is provided for visualizing the current and historical information.

Claims

1. A method for reporting the detection of a hazardous or non-hazardous condition, said method comprising:

measuring data related to a presence or an absence of a hazardous condition and to a location of a detection of said presence or absence of said hazardous condition;

communicating said data to at least one server; and

recording said data in a database associated with said at least one server for subsequent retrieval, display, and review for use in detecting said presence or absence of said hazardous condition.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a particular subset of said data; and

displaying said particular subset of said data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

measuring said data related to said hazardous condition and said location utilizing a gas concentration detector, wherein said gas concentration detector is configured to periodically and under a particular condition, report said data to said at least one server.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

estimating a global location of said detection of said hazardous condition including longitude and latitude coordinates by receiving signals from a global navigation satellite system; and

sending said estimated global location as a part of said data related to a location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said data related to a location is based, at least in part, on a measurement of a received signal strength level of a wireless signal received from at least one location anchor;

and

wherein said signal strength level and information including locations of said at least one location anchor are utilized to calculate an estimated location of said presence or said absence of said hazardous condition.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said data related to a location is based, at least in part, on a measurement of a time of flight of a wireless signal between at least one location anchor and a device;

and

wherein said measurement of said time of flight and information including locations of said at least one location anchor are utilized to calculate an estimated location of said presence or said absence of said hazardous condition.

23. The method of claim 3 wherein displaying said particular subset of said data, further comprises graphically and interactively displaying said data via a GUI for a user.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising graphically displaying via said GUI, an icon that when selected, generates alarm origin area information, including at least one of:

an alarm reporting time, area priority data, alarm priority information, a number of gas concentration detectors within the alarm origin area at the time of alarm, and a number of gas concentration detectors within the alarm origin area at the current time.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

graphically displaying via said GUI, an estimated location of said gas concentration detector and the data related to a presence or an absence of a hazardous condition measured by said gas concentration detector as a function of time.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising graphically displaying via said GUI, a heat map of gas concentration at a particular time derived from the said data reported to the server.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising graphically displaying via said GUI, a time series of said heat maps.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising graphically displaying via said GUI, data that includes images of said heat maps indicative of a future time in association with a mapping of predicted gas concentrations wherein said predicted gas concentrations are based, at least in part, on the said data reported to the server.

6. A system for reporting the detection of a hazardous or non-hazardous condition, said system comprising:

at least one device for measuring a presence or an absence of a hazardous condition to generate a measurement thereof, wherein said at least one device wirelessly communicates information related to said measurement;

at least one receiver that wirelessly communicates with said at least one device to receive said information;

at least one location engine that receives information related to a location of said at least one device and which calculates a calculation of an estimated location of said at least one device based on said information related to location of said at least one device; and

at least one server for collecting, logging, and displaying server data, said server data comprising said information related to said measurement of said presence or said absence of said hazardous condition and said estimated location.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said server data further comprises a location time associated with the time that said information related to a location was generated and a measurement time associated with the time of said measurement of said presence or said absence of said hazardous condition.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one location anchor for the provision of a wireless location service, wherein said at least one location anchor communicates wirelessly with said at least one device, and said calculation of an estimated location is based on additional information including a location of said at least one location anchor.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein at least one location anchor among said at least one location anchor comprises said at least one receiver.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein:

said at least one device measures a wireless received signal strength level of at least one signal respectively received from said at least one location anchor, wherein said at least one signal includes location anchor identification information; and

said information related to location is sent wirelessly by said at least one device to said at least one receiver and the information related to location includes the measured signal strength and the associated location anchor identification information for at least one received signal.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one device includes a capability of estimating a global location of said at least one device, including at least longitude and latitude coordinates by receiving signals from a global navigation satellite system and wherein an estimate of said global location of said at least one device is included in said information related to a location.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein:

said at least one location anchor comprises a receiver and further includes a capability of measuring a wireless received signal strength level of at least one signal from said at least one device and wherein said at least one signal includes device identification information associated with said at least one device; and

said information related to location is transmitted by said at least one location anchor and said information includes a measured received signal strength level and identification information for said at least one device and identification information for said at least one location anchor.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein said at least one device includes time stamp information corresponding to a time of said measurement of said presence or said absence of said hazardous condition and wherein said information related to said measurement further comprises said time stamp information.

14. The system of claim 6 wherein said at least one device periodically reports the information related to said measurement and the information related to a location and receives an acknowledgement from said at least one server with respect to at least a subset of said reports.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one device periodically reports the information at a particular reporting interval and changes a reporting interval to a shorter interval when said hazardous condition is detected.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said report information is temporarily logged in said at least one device if said report is not acknowledged by said at least one server, said at least one device continues to periodically send a report; and

logged information is sent to said at least one server when access to said at least one server is confirmed by an acknowledgement received with respect to a report.

17. The system of claim 8 wherein said at least one location anchor includes a capability of at least one of:

receiving and responding to a probe request as specified in IEEE Std 802.11-2007;

or

generating a beacon frame as specified in IEEE Std 802.11-2007.

18. The system of claim 6 wherein text messages are transmitted in at least one direction between said at least one server and said at least one device.

19. The system of claim 6 wherein said at least one device includes a battery for providing electrical power to said at least one device, such that said at least one device saves a consumption of said battery by not performing actions necessary to provide information related to a location when said at least one device detects a lack of motion.

20. The system of claim 7 wherein:

said at least one device includes time stamp information corresponding to a time of said measurement of said presence or said absence of said hazardous condition and wherein said information related to said measurement is further comprised of the time stamp information; and

said at least one device periodically reports the said information related to said detection and the said information related to a location and receives an acknowledgement from said at least one server with respect to at least a subset of said reports.

21. The system of claim 6 wherein at least one location engine among said at least one location engine is resident in at least one device among said at least one device and prepares data indicative of location estimates.