SYSTEM AND INTERFACES FOR MANAGING WORKPLACE EVENTS

• US 20180151037A1
• Filed: 11/29/2017
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invixium Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Triax Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Morgenthau, Justin J., Sweet, Benjamin Tyson, Probert, Gregory Mathias
• Granted Patent: US 11,170,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A system and associated interfaces are provided that permit alert of an evacuation event to a workplace environment. In one aspect, an evacuation alert device having at least one speaker and a plurality of LEDs may be mounted at a worksite. For instance, it is appreciated that there may be an evacuation alert device that can alert the worksite of an evacuation event by emitting light from the plurality of LEDs and/or emitting sound from the at least one speaker. For instance, an evacuation alert device may be paired with an external system, and, in response to receiving indication of an evacuation event from the external system, may alert the worksite of the evacuation event.

Claims

1. An evacuation alert device, comprising:

a mechanical interface adapted to affix the evacuation alert device;

a wireless network interface adapted to communicate with an external system, wherein the external system indicates an evacuation event to the evacuation alert device;

at least one speaker adapted to emit a sound when the evacuation event is indicated; and

a plurality of light emitting units adapted to emit light when the evacuation event is indicated.

2. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, further comprising a button, wherein the evacuation alert device, when the button is pressed, is adapted to pair the evacuation alert device to the external system.

3. The evacuation alert device of claim 2, wherein the evacuation alert device, when the button is pressed, is further adapted to test the functionality of the evacuation alert device.

4. The evacuation alert device of claim 2, further comprising at least one second light emitting unit, wherein the second light emitting unit is adapted to emit light when the evacuation alert device is paired to the external system.

5. The evacuation alert device of claim 2, wherein the evacuation alert device is adapted to pair the evacuation alert device to the external system when the button is pressed for a predetermined amount of time.

6. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitting units are adapted to emit light in a plurality of different patterns.

7. The evacuation alert device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light emitting units are adapted to emit light in a pattern, of the plurality of different patterns, depending on a type of the evacuation event.

8. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the at least one speaker is adapted to emit a plurality of different sounds.

9. The evacuation alert device of claim 8, wherein the at least one speaker is adapted to emit a sound, of the plurality of different sounds, depending on a type of the evacuation event.

10. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, further comprising at least one third light emitting unit, wherein the at least one third light emitting unit is adapted to emit light of a higher intensity than the light emitted by the plurality of light emitting units.

11. The evacuation alert device of claim 10, wherein the at least one third light emitting unit is adapted to provide emergency light during the evacuation event.

12. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the mechanical interface is adapted to affix the evacuation alert device to a wall or to a ceiling.

13. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitting units are LEDs.

14. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, further comprising a cover, wherein the wireless network interface, the at least one speaker, and the plurality of light emitting units are disposed inside the cover.

15. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the mechanical interface comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

at least one screw;

an adhesive; and

at least one magnet.

16. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the evacuation event is indicated by an authorized person, at least by causing the external system to indicate the evacuation event to the evacuation alert device.

17. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitting units are disposed on at least two sides of the evacuation alert device.

18. The evacuation alert device of claim 3, wherein testing the functionality of the evacuation alert device comprises emitting sound from the at least one speaker and emitting light from the plurality of light emitting units.

19. The evacuation alert device of claim 14, wherein the cover is weatherproof.

20. The evacuation alert device of claim 14, wherein the cover includes a speaker grill that allows for sound emitted from the at least one speaker to pass through the cover.

21. The evacuation alert device of claim 14, wherein the cover allows for light emitted by the plurality of light emitting units to pass through the cover.

22. The evacuation alert device of claim 2, further comprising a cover, wherein the wireless network interface, the at least one speaker, the plurality of light emitting units, and the button are disposed inside the cover, and wherein the button may be pressed through the cover.

23. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, further comprising a battery, and wherein, when the battery drops below a threshold of charge, the at least one speaker is adapted to make a noise indicating the battery dropped below the threshold of charge.

24. The evacuation alert device of claim 1, wherein the wireless network interface is adapted to communicate on a wireless mesh network.

25. The evacuation alert device of claim 24, wherein the wireless network interface is adapted to communicate, on the wireless mesh network, with one or more entities selected from the group consisting of:

at least one sensor device;

at least one supervisor device; and

at least one management system.

26. The evacuation alert device of claim 25, wherein the evacuation alert device is adapted to receive messages from the one or more entities.

27. The evacuation alert device of claim 25, wherein the one or more entities are at least one management system, and the evacuation alert device is adapted to send at least one message to the at least one management system.

28. The evacuation alert device of claim 24, wherein the wireless network interface is adapted to communicate on the wireless mesh network to determine a location of the evacuation alert device.

29. The evacuation alert device of claim 28, wherein the wireless network interface is adapted to send at least one signal to at least one node on the wireless mesh network, and the location of the evacuation alert device is determined by a strength of the at least one signal received by the at least one node on the wireless mesh network.

30. The evacuation alert device of claim 27, wherein the management system stores a history of the evacuation event.

31. The evacuation alert device of claim 30, wherein the management system is adapted to display the history of the evacuation event to a user.

32. The evacuation alert device of claim 10, wherein the at least one third light emitting unit is adapted to emit light of a different color than the light emitted by the plurality of light emitting units.

33. The evacuation alert device of claim 32, wherein the at least one third light emitting unit is adapted to emit white light and the plurality of light emitting units is adapted to emit red light.

34. The evacuation alert device of claim 25, wherein the one or more entities include at least one sensor device and a management system, and wherein the at least one sensor device is assigned to a worker, and is adapted to send a signal to the management system indicating that the worker has acknowledged the evacuation event indicated by the evacuation alert device.

35. The evacuation alert device of claim 34, wherein the management system is adapted to allow a user to track workers who have acknowledged the evacuation event indicated by the evacuation alert device and workers who have not acknowledged the evacuation event indicated by the evacuation alert device.

36. The evacuation alert device of claim 35, wherein the management system is adapted to allow the user to view locations of the workers who have acknowledged the evacuation event indicated by the evacuation alert device and locations of the workers who have not acknowledged the evacuation event indicated by the evacuation alert device.