Computer-enabled, networked, facility emergency notification, management and alarm system
First Claim
1. A computer-enabled rapid alert propagation and management system for initiating audio and/or visual alarms relating to emergency events that can threaten the safety of occupants in places of public, private and governmental facilities comprising in operative combination:
- a) a secure network between a central administrative office of a public, private or governmental facility and a plurality of remote, related occupant space sites associated with said facility;
b) a plurality of multi-tone audio alarms disposed associated with at least some of said occupant space sites connected to said network, said alarms being selected from tone alarms and voice message delivery devices;
c) at least one computer including functionality of an application server for providing an alarm data signal to said network, said application server including a rapid alert initiation, management and archiving application program as an individual application or as part of an Operating System program suite;
d) at least one connectivity device functioning as a client computer linked to said network including a CPU, a data entry device, a display device, an operating program, and a client user interface for an authorized user to access said application server via said network to interact with said rapid alert application program to trigger user-selected ones of said alarms propagated on said network in response to user command inputs to said application program via said client computer, said user commands including inputs;
for selecting sites from among a plurality of occupant space sites in said facility;
for selecting and confirming alert alarms from a plurality of types of alerts, including at least two of;
lockdown;
evacuate, shelter in place, all clear; and
for selecting termination of an alarm from an alarm- off button; and
e) whereby said system provides authorized user-configured and selected rapid alerts to user-selected occupants or sites of said facility of impending or in-progress dangerous or threatening events from anywhere on the network in one or more of levels of directed action to be taken by occupants, and permitting viewing of the status of the alerts by responding personnel during the course of the event, and archiving data about the event including user-initiator of the alert, level of the alert, date and time of alert activation, and change in alert status to an all clear status at the termination of the event.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Secure, verifiable, computer-enabled, LAN/WAN/Wireless networked, facility emergency notification, rapid alert management, and occupant alarm systems for public, private, and government buildings, and outdoor areas for which there is a need for rapid alerts to occupants or attendees of the occurrence of impending or in-progress dangerous or threatening events. The inventive system is a highly flexible rapid alert initiation, management and archival system comprising computer-enabled and network-linked apparatus, software, and methods enabling rapid dissemination from a central station or decentralized location of alerts of the occurrence of threatening or dangerous events in a series of hierarchical, increasing levels of directed action to be taken by the occupants, and permits monitoring and controlling activity of occupants during the event, archiving event data, including audio or/and video recordings until the situation returns to normal and an all clear signal is given. Databases provide site plans to assist in the response planning and execution.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-enabled rapid alert propagation and management system for initiating audio and/or visual alarms relating to emergency events that can threaten the safety of occupants in places of public, private and governmental facilities comprising in operative combination:
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a) a secure network between a central administrative office of a public, private or governmental facility and a plurality of remote, related occupant space sites associated with said facility; b) a plurality of multi-tone audio alarms disposed associated with at least some of said occupant space sites connected to said network, said alarms being selected from tone alarms and voice message delivery devices; c) at least one computer including functionality of an application server for providing an alarm data signal to said network, said application server including a rapid alert initiation, management and archiving application program as an individual application or as part of an Operating System program suite; d) at least one connectivity device functioning as a client computer linked to said network including a CPU, a data entry device, a display device, an operating program, and a client user interface for an authorized user to access said application server via said network to interact with said rapid alert application program to trigger user-selected ones of said alarms propagated on said network in response to user command inputs to said application program via said client computer, said user commands including inputs;
for selecting sites from among a plurality of occupant space sites in said facility;
for selecting and confirming alert alarms from a plurality of types of alerts, including at least two of;
lockdown;
evacuate, shelter in place, all clear; and
for selecting termination of an alarm from an alarm- off button; ande) whereby said system provides authorized user-configured and selected rapid alerts to user-selected occupants or sites of said facility of impending or in-progress dangerous or threatening events from anywhere on the network in one or more of levels of directed action to be taken by occupants, and permitting viewing of the status of the alerts by responding personnel during the course of the event, and archiving data about the event including user-initiator of the alert, level of the alert, date and time of alert activation, and change in alert status to an all clear status at the termination of the event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Method of rapidly initiating and propagating alerts relating to emergency events that can threaten the safety of occupants in places of public, private and governmental facilities by triggering audio and/or visual alarms comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a secure network between a central administrative office of a public, private or governmental facility and a plurality of remote, related occupant space sites associated with said facility; b) connecting a plurality of multi-tone audio alarms disposed associated with at least some of said occupant space sites to said network, said alarms being selected from tone alarms and voice message delivery device; c) connecting at least one connectivity device provided with functionality of an application server for providing an alarm data signal to said network, said application server including a rapid alert initiation, management and archiving application program as a stand-alone program or as embedded in an Operating System suite; d) linking at least one client connectivity device acting as a computer to said network, said client connectivity device including a CPU, a data entry device, a display device, an operating program, and a client user interface for an authorized user to access said application server via said network to interact with said rapid alert application program to trigger user-selected ones of said alarms propagated on said network in response to user command inputs to said application program via said client connectivity device, said user commands including inputs;
for selecting sites from among a plurality of occupant space sites in said facility;
for selecting and confirming alert alarms from a plurality of types of alerts, including;
evacuate, shelter in place, all clear; and
for selecting termination of an alarm from an alarm-off button;e) configuring said rapid alert applications program to command said server to provide authorized user-selected rapid alerts to user-selected occupants or sites of said facility of impending or in-progress dangerous or threatening events from anywhere on the network in one or more of levels of directed action to be taken by occupants; f) permitting viewing of the status of the alerts by responding personnel during the course of the event; and g) archiving data about the event including user-initiator of the alert, level of the alert, date and time of alert activation, and change in alert status to an all clear status at the termination of the event. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. Rapid alert applications program resident as a stand-alone program or a code portion of an Operating System suite, installed in at least one connectivity device configured to function as an application server alone or as a part of a network for causing multi-tone alarms selected from tone alarms and voice message alarms connected in said network and distributed in association with occupant spaces in a public, private or governmental facility to sound alarm signals of an imminent or in-progress event that threatens the safety of occupants in said spaces upon alert by an authorized user accessing said program from any client connectivity device linked to said network comprising the functionality of:
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a) user interface accessibility; b) user authorization verification; c) hierarchical tree categories of facilities included in said network, related groups of spaces of each said facility being selectable, and selecting a broader category including all spaces included in said category; d) a menu permitting selection of at least one from among; i) alert types including at least two of;
lockdown;
evacuate;
shelter in place;
all clear; and
for an alarm-off button;ii) alert natures selected from tone alarms and voice message alarms; and iii) location of where alert is to be distributed; e) confirmation of alert type, alert nature and location selection; f) entry of comments on the nature of, or additional instructions relating to response to, the emergency; g) access to a resources information database; and h) menu of configuration and management of the system users and data in wizard template format. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification