Wireless emergency lighting system

• US 6,754,602 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Valvue Company
• Original Assignee: International Valvue Company
• Inventors: Tkachenko, Victor, Singh, Ram A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US09/948,447
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 702/108, 702/117, 702/118, 702/121, 315/129, 340/540
• US Class Current: 702/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/42 for ships or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit

Abstract

A wireless emergency lighting system for a structural object such as a transportation vehicle. The system includes a multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies installed in the transportation vehicle at spaced apart locations for assisting passengers of the transportation vehicle to exit the transportation vehicle in an emergency situation. Each emergency lighting assembly has an emergency lighting component, a micro processor for controlling the operations of the emergency lighting component, a memory device for storing information of the emergency lighting component, a battery for providing electrical power to the emergency lighting component, and means for receiving and transmitting radio signals. The system also includes at least one control module for wireless interrogation of the multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies. The control module has means for receiving and transmitting radio signals, and a memory device for storing raw data received from the emergency lighting assemblies. The system further includes a computer for analyzing the raw data collected by the control module, and diagnosing any problem in the emergency lighting system.

Claims

1. A wireless emergency lighting system for an airplane which has a central electrical bus for providing electrical power, comprising:

a. a multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies installed in said airplane at spaced apart locations for assisting passengers of said airplane to exit said airplane in an emergency situation, each emergency lighting assembly having an emergency lighting component, a micro processor for controlling the operation of the emergency lighting component, a memory device for storing information of the emergency lighting component, a battery for providing electrical power to the emergency lighting component, and means for receiving and transmitting radio signals;

b. a multiplicity of control modules connected to said central electrical bus of said airplane for monitoring the status of said central electrical bus and wireless interrogation of said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies, each control module having means for receiving and transmitting radio signals where the distances between adjacent control modules are adjusted such that each of said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies is within the radio signal transmission range of at least two control modules and therefore covered by said at least two control modules, and each control module further having a memory device for storing raw data received from said emergency lighting assemblies covered by said each control module and also the summation of the raw data received from other control modules such that each control module has raw data of all of said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies and said multiplicity of control modules;

c. a system evaluation status indicator for indicating the operational status of said emergency lighting system based on said raw data collected by said control modules; and

d. a computer connected to said multiplicity of control modules for analyzing said raw data collected by said control modules, and diagnosing any problem in said emergency lighting system.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies include emergency lights.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies include emergency exit identification signs.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies include emergency exit markers.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies include emergency exit locators.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said emergency light component include one or more lamps.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said memory device of each said emergency lighting assembly for storing raw data includes at least one random access memory (RAM) device.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each said emergency lighting assembly further comprises a read-only memory (ROM) for storing program instructions to be executed by said micro processor.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each said emergency lighting assembly further comprises means for testing said emergency lighting component.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each said emergency lighting assembly further comprises means for testing said battery.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said emergency lighting assembly include a wireless radio signal receiver.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said emergency lighting assembly include a wireless radio signal transmitter.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said memory device of each said control module includes at least one random access memory (RAM) device.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each said control module further comprises a micro processor for controlling the operation of each said control module.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein each said control module further comprises a read-only memory (ROM) for storing program instructions to be executed by said micro processor.

16. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said control module include a wireless radio signal receiver.

17. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said control module include a wireless radio signal transmitter.

18. A wireless emergency lighting system for a transportation vehicle, comprising:

a. a multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies installed in said transportation vehicle at spaced apart locations for assisting passengers of said transportation vehicle to exit said transportation vehicle in an emergency situation, each emergency lighting assembly having an emergency lighting component, a micro processor for controlling the operations of the emergency lighting component, a memory device for storing information of the emergency lighting component, a battery for providing electrical power to the emergency lighting component, and means for receiving and transmitting radio signals;

b. a multiplicity of control modules for monitoring the status of said transportation vehicle and wireless interrogation of said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies, each control module having means for receiving and transmitting radio signals where the distance between adjacent control modules are adjusted such that each of said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies is within the radio signal transmission range of at least two control modules and therefore covered by said at least two control modules, and a memory device for storing raw data received from said emergency lighting assemblies covered by said each control module and also the summation of the raw data received from other control modules such that each control module has raw data of all of said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies and said multiplicity of control modules; and

c. a computer for analyzing said raw data collected by said control modules, and diagnosing any problem in said emergency lighting system.

19. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said multiplicity of discrete wireless emergency lighting assemblies include emergency lights.

20. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said emergency light component include one or more lamps.

21. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said memory device of each said emergency lighting assembly for storing raw data includes at least one random access memory (RAM) device.

22. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein each said emergency lighting assembly further comprises a read-only memory (ROM) for storing program instructions to be executed by said micro processor.

23. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein each said emergency lighting assembly further comprises means for testing said emergency lighting component.

24. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein each said emergency lighting assembly further comprises means for testing said battery.

25. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said emergency lighting assembly include a wireless radio signal receiver.

26. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said emergency lighting assembly include a wireless radio signal transmitter.

27. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said memory device of each said control module includes at least one random access memory (RAM) device.

28. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein each said control module further comprises a micro processor for controlling the operation of each said control module.

29. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein each said control module further comprises a read-only memory (ROM) for storing program instructions to be executed by said micro processor.

30. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said control module include a wireless radio signal receiver.

31. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting radio signals of each said control module include a wireless radio signal transmitter.

32. The system as defined in claim 18 further comprising a system evaluation status indicator for indicating the operational status of said emergency lighting system based on said raw data collected by said control modules.

33. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein said transportation vehicle is a commercial airplane.

34. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein said transportation vehicle is a ground transportation vehicle.

35. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein said transportation vehicle is a water vessel.

36. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein said transportation vehicle is a space ship.