EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHODS

• US 20160171231A1
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sielox, LLC (Costar Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sielox, LLC (Costar Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evans, Karen
• Granted Patent: US 10,503,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements

Abstract

The present invention is related to systems and methods for identifying and reporting a crisis status. In at least one embodiment, the system comprises a central server; an administrative work station communicably coupled to the central server, wherein the administrative work station is accessible only by an authorized administrator; a database communicably coupled to the central server, the database including a floor plan of the area, wherein the database is accessible and modifiable by the authorized administrator at the administrative work station; and a remote device at a particular location in the area, the remote device communicably coupled to the central server, the remote device capable of communicating securely to the database the particular location of the remote device and the crisis status of the particular location.

Claims

1. An emergency notification system for an area, the system comprising:

a central server;

an administrative work station communicably coupled to the central server, wherein the administrative work station is accessible only by an authorized administrator;

a database communicably coupled to the central server, the database including a floor plan of the area, wherein the database is accessible and modifiable by the authorized administrator at the administrative work station; and

a remote device at a particular location in the area, the remote device communicably coupled to the central server, the remote device is accessible only by an authorized user, the remote device capable of communicating securely to the database the particular location of the remote device and the crisis status of the particular location.

2. The emergency notification system of claim 1, wherein the authorized user selects an indicator on the remote device corresponding to the crisis status of the location, which is communicated to the database and the floor plan is updated in real time to reflect the security status of the location.

3. The emergency notification system of claim 1, wherein the floor plan is viewable by both the authorized administrator and the authorized user.

4. The emergency notification system of claim 1, further comprising a chat feature enabling at least one of audio, video, or text communication between the authorized administrator and the authorized user.

5. The emergency notification system of claim 1, further comprising:

a safety device communicably coupled to the central server, wherein a signal may be sent by the central server to the safety device to control the safety device depending on the crisis status of the particular location.

6. The emergency notification system of claim 5, wherein the safety device is selected from the group consisting of speakers, alarms, cameras, lights, locks, barriers, sensors, fire sprinkler systems, and public address systems.

7. The emergency notification system of claim 1, wherein the authorized administrator is at least one of an employee, a security officer, or a first responder.

8. The emergency notification system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is in wireless communication with the central server.

9. The emergency notification system of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a microphone, a camera, and a speaker.

10. The remote device of claim 9, wherein the remote device is selected from the group consisting of mobile phones, smartphones, and tablet devices.

11. The emergency notification system of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a touchscreen.

12. A method of remotely communicating a crisis status of a particular location to an authority, the method comprising:

communicating the particular location of an authorized user to a database via a remote device, wherein the database is communicably coupled to a central server and the database includes a floor plan of the area; and

selecting an indicator that correlates with the crisis status of the particular location, wherein selecting the indicator updates the floor plan in the database.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

communicating instructions and information through a chat feature enabling at least one of audio, video, or text communication between the authority and the authorized user.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling a safety device communicably coupled to the central server, wherein a signal dependent upon the crisis status of the particular location may be sent by the central server to the safety device.

15. The emergency notification system of claim 14, wherein the safety device is selected from the group consisting of speakers, alarms, cameras, lights, locks, barriers, sensors, fire sprinkler systems, and public address systems.