METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING EVACUATIONS USING POSITIONING SYSTEMS

• US 20150348220A1
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Sharma, Amit Kumar, Kumar, Rakesh, Konar, Shubhendu
• Granted Patent: US 11,188,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/205 Building evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

In a system and method for managing evacuations of buildings, in response to detection of a fire, a control panel initiates an alarm condition and activates annunciation devices to signal that an evacuation of the building is required. A positioning and evacuation system tracks locations of occupants in the building and the progression of the fire. The positioning and evacuation system generates individualized evacuation paths for the occupants, which are transmitted to and displayed on mobile computing devices of the occupants. Additionally, the positioning and evacuation system generates turn by turn directions of the individualized evacuation paths, which are displayed on three dimensional maps or with augmented reality on the mobile computing devices of the occupants.

Claims

1. A system for managing evacuation of a building, the system comprising:

fire detection devices that monitor the building for fire; and

a positioning and evacuation system that tracks locations of occupants of the building and directs the evacuation based on information from the fire detection devices.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning and evacuation system generates individualized evacuation paths based on information from the fire detection devices and forwards the individualized evacuation paths to the occupants.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a control panel that receives event data from the fire detection devices and signals a fire alarm condition for the building in response to fire being detected, the positioning and evacuation system transmitting the evacuation paths to the occupants in response to the fire alarm condition.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising mobile computing devices of the occupants that display the individualized evacuation paths from the positioning and evacuation system.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the positioning and evacuation system generates turn by turn directions for the individualized evacuation paths, the turn by turn directions being transmitted to and displayed by the mobile computing devices of the occupants.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the individualized evacuation paths are displayed in a user interface, which includes icons to indicate unsafe or blocked evacuation paths that must be avoided by the occupants during the evacuation.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning and evacuation system prioritizes the order in which occupants are evacuated based on an availability of evacuation paths and each of the occupant'"'"'s proximity to danger.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the positioning and evacuation system forwards the individualized evacuation paths to the occupants in a sequence based on the prioritized evacuation order.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning and evacuation system monitors a number of occupants that have been evacuated and a number of occupants remaining in the building.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the positioning and evacuation system forwards the number of occupants that have been evacuated and the locations of the occupants remaining in the building to first responders.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fire detection devices are smoke detectors, heat sensors, carbon dioxide detectors, and/or carbon monoxide detectors.

12. A method for evacuating a building, the method comprising:

monitoring the building for indicators of fire with fire detection devices;

tracking locations of occupants in the building; and

directing the evacuation of the building based on information from the fire detection devices.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising generating individualized evacuation paths based on information from the fire detection devices and forwarding the individualized evacuation paths to the occupants.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising signaling a fire alarm condition for the building in response to fire being detected and transmitting the evacuation paths to the occupants in response to the fire alarm condition.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising displaying the individualized evacuation paths on displays of the mobile computing devices of the occupants.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising generating turn by turn directions for the individualized evacuation paths, the turn by turn directions being transmitted to and displayed on the mobile computing devices.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising displaying icons in a user interface to provide indications of unsafe or blocked evacuation paths that must be avoided by the occupants during the evacuation of the building.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising prioritizing the order in which occupants are evacuated based on an availability of evacuation paths and each of the occupant'"'"'s proximity to danger.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising forwarding the individualized evacuation paths to the occupants in a sequence based on the prioritized evacuation order.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising monitoring a number of occupants evacuated and locations of occupants remaining in the building.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising forwarding a number of occupants evacuated and the locations of occupants remaining in the building to first responders.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein monitoring the building for indicators of fire includes detecting smoke, rise in temperature, fire, carbon dioxide, and/or carbon monoxide.