Dynamic resource assignment and exit information for emergency responders

• US 7,855,639 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Hemang F., Metke, Anthony R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/767,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20080314681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.2, 340/539.11, 340/539.26, 340/539.27, 340/506, 340/507, 340/521, 340/522, 340/628, 340/632, 362/227, 381/56, 381/57
• US Class Current: 340/539.2
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 3/00 Devices or single parts for facilitating escape from buildings or the like, e.g. protection shields, protection screens; Portable devices for preventing smoke penetrating into distinct parts of buildings A62B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 99/0081 Training methods or equipment for fire-fighting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

A method of providing situational awareness at an incident scene. Sensor data can be received from at least one sensor (104, 106, 108) located at the incident scene and position data can be received for at least one resource (306, 308, 310, 312). Based on the received data, at least one optimal exit route (318) at the incident scene can be calculated. The present invention also relates to a system (118) that provides situational awareness at an incident scene. The system can include a communications adapter (204) that receives sensor data from at least one sensor located at the incident scene and position data for at least one resource located at the incident scene, and a processor (202) that calculates at least one optimal exit route for the resource to exit a location at the incident scene based on the received sensor data and position data.

Claims

1. A method of providing coordinated exit assistance at an incident scene, comprising a processor:

receiving sensor data from a sensor located at the incident scene;

receiving position data for an emergency responder located at the incident scene;

based on the received sensor data and position data, calculating a first exit route for the emergency responder to exit the incident scene and determining when to require exit of the emergency responder from the incident scene by estimating the time for the emergency responder to reach safety from the incident scene using the first exit route and estimating the time that the emergency responder is able to remain at the incident scene, wherein estimating the time that the emergency responder is able to remain at the incident scene comprises estimating the time for biometric data of the emergency responder to reach an unsafe level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the time for the emergency responder to remain at the incident scene comprises estimating the time that the first exit route will remain available.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processor:

continually monitoring potential exit routes usable by the emergency responder, the potential exit routes initially being less optimal than the first exit route;

determining whether one of the potential exit routes becomes more optimal than the first exit route;

replacing the first exit route with the one of the potential exit routes after the one of the potential exit routes becomes more optimal than the first exit route; and

determining when to require exit of the emergency responder from the incident scene by estimating the time for the emergency responder to reach safety from the incident scene using the one of the potential exit routes and re-estimating the time that the emergency responder is able to remain at the incident scene.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether one of the potential exit routes becomes more optimal than the first exit route comprises:

estimating the time that the first exit route will remain available;

estimating the time that the one of the potential exit routes will remain available; and

determining that the one of the potential exit routes has become more optimal than the first exit route when the estimated time that the one of the potential exit routes will remain available is greater than the estimated time that the emergency responder is able to remain at the incident scene and is greater than the estimated time that the first exit routes will remain available.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein estimating the time that a particular exit route will remain available includes estimating when at least one of fire or debris is likely to block a particular exit associated with the particular exit route.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising if multiple emergency responders are present at the location, the processor independently determining which of the potential exit routes and first exit route is optimal for each emergency responder such that the emergency responders are able to use different exit routes at different times.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculation of the first exit route comprises choosing the shortest exit route that meets exit criteria including rules based on physical and environmental conditions along the route and biometric conditions of the emergency responder.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the processor continually monitoring and prioritizing additional exit routes based on the exit criteria.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processor re-assigning another emergency responder from another location to the incident scene to at least one of:

replace the emergency responder when exit of the emergency responder from the incident scene is required, perform rescue operations for the emergency responder when the emergency responder is injured or recover equipment of the emergency responder who has exited the incident scene but left the equipment at the incident scene.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processor calculating information including positions, directions of travel and optimal exit routes of as well as distances to optimal exits for the emergency responders, and providing the information to each emergency responder.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on a portable display carried by the emergency responder map overlay data that includes structures at the incident scene, an icon corresponding to a different emergency responder at the incident scene, the first exit route, and instructions to be conveyed to the emergency responder including at least one of:

when to begin exiting the incident scene, whether the different emergency responder requires assistance, or whether to replace the different emergency responder.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portable display further displays status indicators that present biometric data of the emergency responder and the different emergency responder, environmental data at the incident scene, and distances of the emergency responder and the different emergency responder from exits to be used by the emergency responder and the different emergency responder.

13. A system comprising a processor employing biometric data of an emergency responder and structural parameters and environmental data of the incident scene to determine an optimal exit route from the incident scene for the emergency responder and to estimate a time that the emergency responder is to exit the incident scene by determining an exit having the shortest distance from the first responder, and a display to provide the optimal exit route and alert the emergency responder when to exit the incident scene.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor determines a direction of travel that the emergency responder is moving and selects the optimal exit route and exit using the direction of travel.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein in determining the optimal exit route and when to exit the incident scene, the processor estimates the time that the optimal exit route will remain available by estimating when an earliest time at which environmental hazards or debris is likely to block the exit from being reached using the optimal exit route by employing the structural parameters and environmental data of the incident scene.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor continually monitors potential exit routes to the exit and other exits that are usable by the emergency responder and are initially less optimal than the optimal exit route, determines whether one of the potential exit routes becomes more optimal than the optimal exit route, and if so re-estimates the time that the emergency responder is to exit the incident scene using the one of the potential exit routes rather than the optimal exit route, and wherein the display redirects the emergency responder along the one of the potential exit routes and alerts the emergency responder as to the time that the emergency responder is to exit the incident scene using the one of the potential exit routes rather than the optimal exit route.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor independently determines an optimal exit route and associated exit, as well as independently estimating an exit time using the independently determined optimal exit route and associated exit, for each of a plurality of emergency responders at the incident scene using biometric data and structural parameters and environmental data unique to the particular emergency responder.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor continually monitors and prioritizes additional exit routes based on the structural parameters and environmental data of the incident scene.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor re-assigns another emergency responder from another location to the incident scene to at least one of:

replace the emergency responder when exit of the emergency responder from the incident scene is required, perform rescue operations for the emergency responder when the emergency responder is injured or recover equipment of the emergency responder who has exited the incident scene but left the equipment at the incident scene.

20. A method of providing coordinated exit assistance at an incident scene, comprising a processor:

receiving sensor data from a sensor located at the incident scene;

receiving position data for an emergency responder located at the incident scene;

based on the received sensor and position data as well as data indicating the direction of travel for the emergency responder, determining an exit for the emergency responder to exit the incident scene and calculating an optimal exit route to the exit, wherein the exit is the shortest distance from the emergency responder in a direction of travel of the emergency responder and may be different than an exit that is the shortest distance from the emergency responder.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprises using biometric data of an emergency responder and structural parameters and environmental data of the incident scene obtained from sensors to calculate the optimal exit route.