METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING LOCALIZED FIRE INCIDENT AND FIRE EXIT ROUTE MAP

• US 20120025971A1
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: K., Arunkumar, R., Murali, Sundar, Deepak
• Granted Patent: US 8,466,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/525
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for finding fires. The method includes providing a plurality of reference locations within a facility where each of the reference locations is associated with a readily identifiable feature of the facility, detecting a fire within the facility, receiving a fire location request from a monitoring location within the facility and dynamically generating a routing map from the monitoring location to a location of the fire and from the fire to a fire exit of the facility using at least some of the plurality of reference locations based upon the request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of reference locations within a facility where each of the reference locations is associated with a readily identifiable feature of the facility;

detecting a fire within the facility;

receiving a fire location request from a monitoring location within the facility; and

dynamically generating a routing map from the monitoring location to a location of the fire and from the fire to a fire exit of the facility using at least some of the plurality of reference locations based upon the request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the readily identifiable feature further comprises a room identifier.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the room identifier further comprises a wall sign.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the monitoring location further comprising a fire alarm control panel.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising providing a display on the fire alarm control panel for displaying fire alarms.

6. The method as in claim 1 further monitoring a plurality of fire sensors within the facility.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising dynamically generating a plurality of routing maps from the monitoring location to the location of the fire.

21. The method as in claim 1 further comprising receiving the fire location request from a portable display of a fire fighter at remote location outside the facility.

22. The method as in claim 21 further comprising transferring the routing map to the portable device through the central station or a control panel within the facility.

23. The method as in claim 22 further comprising wirelessly sending the routing map to the fire fighter.

8. Apparatus comprising:

means for providing a plurality of reference locations within a facility where each of the reference locations is associated with a readily identifiable feature of the facility;

means for detecting a fire within the facility;

means for receiving a fire location request from a monitoring location within the facility; and

means for dynamically generating a routing map from the monitoring location to a location of the fire and from the fire to a fire exit of the facility using at least some of the plurality of reference locations based upon the request.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the readily identifiable feature further comprises a room identifier.

10. The apparatus of in claim 9 wherein the room identifier further comprises a wall sign.

11. The apparatus of in claim 8 wherein the monitoring location further comprising a fire alarm control panel.

12. The apparatus of in claim 11 further comprising means for providing a display on the fire alarm control panel for displaying fire alarms.

13. The apparatus of in claim 8 further means for monitoring a plurality of fire sensors within the facility.

14. The apparatus of in claim 8 further comprising means for dynamically generating a plurality of routing maps from the monitoring location to the location of the fire.

15. Apparatus comprising:

a plurality of reference locations provided within a facility where each of the reference locations is associated with a readily identifiable feature of the facility;

a plurality of fire sensors that detect a fire within the facility;

a display that receives a fire location request from a monitoring location within the facility; and

a processor that dynamically generates a routing map from the monitoring location to a location of the fire and from the fire to a fire exit of the facility using at least some of the plurality of reference locations based upon the request.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the readily identifiable feature further comprises a room identifier.

17. The apparatus of in claim 16 wherein the room identifier further comprises a wall sign.

18. The apparatus of in claim 16 wherein the monitoring location further comprising a fire alarm control panel.

19. The apparatus of in claim 18 further comprising means for providing a display on the fire alarm control panel for displaying fire alarms.

20. The apparatus of in claim 16 further comprising a routing processor that dynamically generates a plurality of routing maps from the monitoring location to the location of the fire.