Methods and systems for sending messages regarding an emergency that occurred at a facility

• US 8,710,982 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations Incorporated (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Monnerie, Emmanuel, Shudark, Jeffrey B., Chasko, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US12/846,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0484 Arrangements monitoring consumption of a utility or use of an appliance which consumes a utility to detect unsafe condition, e.g. metering of water, gas or electricity, use of taps, toilet flush, gas stove or electric kettle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• 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 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for sending messages regarding an emergency at a facility. The messages can be sent to an emergency response service or directly to another facility through a wireless mesh network. The wireless mesh network can comprise one or more nodes that route measurement data, such as utility meter reading data. The emergency messages can be assigned a higher priority so that they travel through the wireless mesh network more quickly. A device receiving an emergency message may identify the address of the associated facility, for example, by identifying an address associated with utility service also provided at the same facility. The address can be forwarded to an emergency response service and a confirmation or other message may be sent back to the facility. A device at a facility may receive various messages from a control center, such as a weather center, over the wireless mesh network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a monitoring device receiving a message, from a device at a facility, parsing the message to determine whether the message includes an indicator for an occurrence of an emergency condition at the facility, and assigning a high priority to the message responsive to a determination that the message includes the indicator for the emergency condition, wherein receiving the message comprises receiving user input at the monitoring device indicating that a fire, a medical emergency, or criminal activity has occurred or is occurring; and

a transmission component, at the facility, sending a high priority message to a node of a mesh network, the high priority message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition; and

wherein the mesh network comprises one or more nodes that receive and route measurement messages from facilities, wherein the measurement messages comprise information about measurements from sensors at the facilities.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor measuring consumption of natural gas, water, or electricity at the facility;

wherein the transmission component further sends messages with information about measurements from the sensor, wherein the messages are routed through the one or more nodes of the mesh network.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition has a higher routing priority within the mesh network than the messages with information about measurements from the sensors.

4. The system of claim 2 the system further comprising the monitoring device receiving the messages with information about measurements from the sensors and receiving the message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition, wherein the monitoring device provides the message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition to a control device for responding.

5. The system of claim 1 the system further comprising a control device processing the message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency, wherein, in response, the control device sends a response message to the device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein, in response to receiving the response message from the control device, the monitoring device:

displays or announces a notification including the indicator that the emergency service has been alerted;

or

causes the physical environment at the facility to be monitored, recorded, or changed.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the message is received based upon automated recognition that fire, a medical emergency, or criminal activity has occurred or is occurring at the facility.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device further receives user input indicating a request for assistance to be sent to one or more of the facilities, wherein the transmission component sends the request for assistance directly to one or more facilities for a response.

9. A system comprising:

a monitoring device receiving a message, from a device at a facility, parsing the message to determine whether the message includes an indicator for an occurrence of an emergency condition at the facility, and assigning a high priority to the message responsive to a determination that the message includes the indicator for the emergency condition; and

a sensor measuring consumption of natural gas, water, or electricity at the facility;

a control device that, in response to the message indicating the occurrence of the emergency condition, determines the location of the facility based on address information for an account associated with provision of the natural gas, water, or electricity at the facility; and

a transmission component, at the facility, sending a high priority message to a node of a mesh network, the high priority message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition, wherein the transmission component further sends messages with information about measurements from the sensor, wherein the messages are routed through the one or more nodes of the mesh network; and

wherein the mesh network comprises one or more nodes that receive and route measurement messages from facilities, wherein the measurement messages comprise information about measurements from sensors at the facilities.

10. A system comprising:

a monitoring device receiving a message, from a device at a facility, parsing the message to determine whether the message includes an indicator for an occurrence of an emergency condition at the facility, and assigning a high priority to the message responsive to a determination that the message includes the indicator for the emergency condition;

a control device processing the message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency, wherein, in response, the control device determines an address of the facility having the emergency condition, alerts an emergency response service, and provides the address of the facility to the emergency response service and

a transmission component, at the facility, sending a high priority message to a node of a mesh network, the high priority message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition; and

wherein the mesh network comprises one or more nodes that receive and route measurement messages from facilities, wherein the measurement messages comprise information about measurements from sensors at the facilities.

11. A system comprising:

a monitoring device receiving a message, from a device at a facility, parsing the message to determine whether the message includes an indicator for an occurrence of an emergency condition at the facility, and assigning a high priority to the message responsive to a determination that the message includes the indicator for the emergency condition, wherein the monitoring device is a thermostat comprising a plurality of buttons, one of the buttons, when selected, providing an indication of the occurrence of the emergency condition at the facility; and

a transmission component, at the facility, sending a high priority message to a node of a mesh network, the high priority message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition; and

wherein the mesh network comprises one or more nodes that receive and route measurement messages from facilities, wherein the measurement messages comprise information about measurements from sensors at the facilities.

12. A method comprising:

receiving an emergency message regarding an occurrence of an emergency condition at a facility, the emergency message received after being sent from the facility with a high priority through a mesh network and identified by parsing the emergency message to determine whether an emergency indicator is included in the emergency message;

receiving a measurement message at a lower priority than the emergency message, wherein the measurement message comprises information about a measurement from a utility consumption sensor at the facility, wherein the measurement message is received after being sent from the facility through the mesh network; and

in response to receiving the emergency message, alerting an emergency response service.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the measurement message is consumption of natural gas, water, or electricity at the facility.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the location of the facility based on address information for an account associated with provision of natural gas, water, or electricity at the facility.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising prioritizing the emergency message above the measurement message.

16. A system comprising:

a device, at a facility, receiving an indication of an occurrence of an emergency condition at the facility;

a sensor, at the facility, measuring consumption of natural gas, water, or electricity at the facility;

a transmission component, at the facility, sending a message through a network with a high priority, the message including an indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition, wherein the transmission component also sends messages with information about measurements from the sensor through the network at a lower priority than the message including the indicator, and wherein the transmission component is configured to determine whether to send the message at a high priority based at least in part parsing the message to identify the indicator; and

a control device that, in response to receiving the message including the indicator for the occurrence of the emergency condition, determines the location of the facility based on address information for an account associated with provision of the natural gas, water, or electricity at the facility.