STROBE NOTIFICATION APPLIANCE AND EMERGENCY LIGHTING APPLIANCE WITH DIRECTIONAL INFORMATION

• US 20180204429A1
• Filed: 03/16/2018
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Savage, JR., Kenneth, Scheufele, JR., Brian John, Marien, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 11,062,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/38 using flashing light
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

A strobe notification appliance and an emergency lighting appliance that output directional information are disclosed. The strobe notification appliance may generate, in addition to notification of the fire condition, directional information (e.g., such as away from the unavailable exit paths and/or toward the preferred exit paths). For example, the strobe notification appliance includes a strobe element outputting fire notification information and a directional light element outputting directional information. The emergency lighting appliance may also operate in different modes, such as a power failure mode in which the emergency lighting appliance outputs light responsive to a power failure, and an alert mode (e.g., fire alert or mass notification alert mode) in which the emergency lighting appliance outputs light to convey directional information in order to guide occupants of a building. In this way, the occupants may be notified of an alarm event and notified of available or unavailable exit paths.

Claims

1. A control panel comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with emergency lighting appliances in an emergency lighting system and notification appliances in a notification system; and

a controller in communication with the communication interface, the controller configured to;

identify an alarm event for the notification system;

identify a region on a premises, the region indicative of a safe place or safe passage for occupants of the premises;

identify, based on the identified region on the premises, a subset of the emergency lighting appliances, wherein the subset of the emergency lighting appliances comprises less than all of the emergency lighting appliances in the emergency lighting system; and

send a command to the identified subset of the emergency lighting appliances, the command indicative to the identified subset of the emergency lighting appliances to generate an output indicative to the occupants of the premises of the safe place or the safe passage.

2. The control panel of claim 1, wherein, in response to identified alarm event, the subset of the emergency lighting appliances are activated in order to indicate to the occupants of the premises of the safe place or the safe passage;

and

wherein, in response to identified alarm event, a remainder of the emergency lighting appliances in the emergency lighting system remain inactive.

3. The control panel of claim 2, wherein the command to the identified subset of the emergency lighting appliances comprises a command indicative to the identified subset of the emergency lighting appliances to turn on respective lights, associated with the identified subset of the emergency lighting appliances, in a constantly-on mode.

4. The control panel of claim 2, wherein the alarm event comprises a fire alarm event;

wherein the notification appliances comprise fire notification appliances;

wherein the notification system comprises a fire notification system;

wherein the region on the premises comprises the safe passage exiting the premises in order to escape the fire alarm event; and

wherein the controller is further configured to send a fire notification appliance command to one or more of the fire notification appliances to activate.

5. The control panel of claim 4, wherein the fire notification appliance command is indicative to the one or more of the fire notification appliances to strobe, wherein the strobing of the one or more of the fire notification appliances is indicative of the fire alarm event without being indicative to the occupants of the premises of the safe place or the safe passage.

6. The control panel of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to identify, based on the identified region on the premises, a subset of fire notification appliances, wherein the subset of the fire notification appliances comprises less than all of the fire notification appliances in the fire notification system;

and

wherein the controller is configured to send the fire notification appliance command to the identified subset of the fire notification appliances, the fire notification appliance command indicative to the identified subset of the fire notification appliances to generate an output indicative to the occupants of the premises the safe passage exiting the premises in order to escape the fire alarm event.

7. The control panel of claim 6, wherein the command to the identified subset of the emergency lighting appliances comprises a command indicative to the identified subset of the emergency lighting appliances to turn on respective lights, associated with the identified subset of emergency lighting appliances, in a constantly on mode;

wherein, in response to identified alarm event, a remainder of the emergency lighting appliances in the emergency lighting system remain inactive; and

wherein the fire notification appliance command to the identified subset of fire notification appliances comprises a command indicative to the identified subset of fire notification appliances to strobe respective lights associated with the identified subset of fire notification appliances.

8. The control panel of claim 6, wherein the command to the identified subset of emergency lighting appliances comprises a command indicative to the identified subset of emergency lighting appliances to strobe respective lights associated with the identified subset of emergency lighting appliances;

and

wherein the fire notification appliance command to the identified subset of fire notification appliances comprises a command indicative to the identified subset of fire notification appliances to strobe respective lights associated with the identified subset of fire notification appliances.

9. The control panel of claim 8, wherein a rate of strobing respective lights associated with the identified subset of emergency lighting appliances is different from a rate of strobing respective lights associated with the identified subset of fire notification appliances.

10. The control panel of claim 2, wherein the alarm event comprises a mass notification event;

wherein the notification appliances comprise mass notification appliances;

wherein the notification system comprises a mass notification system;

wherein the region on the premises comprises a safe passage exiting the premises or a shelter in place; and

wherein the controller is further configured to send a mass notification appliance command to one or more of the mass notification appliances to activate.

11. The control panel of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to include in the command a voice message field, the voice message field indicative to the emergency lighting appliances to generate an aural output indicative of directional information.

12. The control panel of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a loss of power;

identify one or more emergency lighting appliances to activate based on the loss of power; and

send a command to the identified emergency lighting appliances to activate based on the loss of power, the command controlling the identified one or more emergency lighting appliances to generate an output in order to provide lighting during the loss of power.

13. An emergency lighting appliance comprising:

a communication interface;

a first light emitting element configured to output light to illuminate a premises;

one or more second light emitting elements configured to output light indicative of directional information; and

a controller in communication with the communication interface, the first light emitting element, and the one or more second light emitting elements, the controller configured to;

receive, via the communication interface, an indication to activate the emergency lighting appliance; and

in response to receiving the indication;

control the first light emitting element in order for the first light emitting element to output the light to illuminate the premises; and

control the one or more second light emitting elements in order for the second light emitting elements to output the light indicative of the directional information, the directional information configured to convey at least one of a direction for an occupant to go, a direction for the occupant not to go, or an indication to stay in place,

wherein when the light to illuminate the premises and the light indicative of the directional information are output simultaneously, the light indicative of directional information is visible to an occupant separate from the light to illuminate a premises.

14. The emergency lighting appliance of claim 13, wherein the one or more second light emitting elements are positioned on opposite sides of the first light emitting element.

15. An emergency lighting appliance comprising:

a communication interface;

a light emitting element configured to output light to illuminate a premises; and

a controller in communication with the communication interface and the light emitting element, the controller configured to;

in a loss of power mode;

responsive to determining a loss of power, control the light emitting element in order to provide lighting during the loss of power;

in an alarm event mode;

receive a command from a control panel; and

responsive to receiving the command, control the light emitting element in order to provide directional information during an alarm event.

16. The emergency lighting appliance of claim 15, wherein the control panel is configured to determine whether there is the loss of power.

21. The strobe notification appliance of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to increase intensity of the at least one of the strobe lights in order to indicate to an occupant to use a path.

17. A strobe notification appliance for use in an alarm system, the strobe notification appliance comprising:

a communication interface;

one or more strobe lights;

a controller in communication with the communication interface and the one or more strobe lights, the controller configured to;

receive, via the communication interface, a command to activate the strobe notification appliance; and

in response to receiving the command;

control the one or more strobe lights in order for the one or more strobe lights to generate a light output,

wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one of the strobe lights in order for the light output from the at least one of the strobe lights to be strobing and to convey directional information.

18. The strobe notification appliance of claim 17, wherein the command to activate the strobe notification appliance comprises an indicator of the directional information;

wherein the controller is configured to determine, based on the indicator of the directional information, a frequency at which the light output is to be strobed; and

wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one the strobe lights to strobe and convey the directional information by;

controlling the at least one of the strobe lights to strobe at the frequency.

19. The strobe notification appliance of claim 18, wherein the frequency is increased to indicate to an occupant to use a path.

20. The strobe notification appliance of claim 18, wherein the frequency is increased to indicate to an occupant not to use a path.