Global positioning system equipped hazard detector and a system for providing hazard alerts thereby

• US 9,251,687 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jonathan Thompson, Latonya Slack
• Original Assignee: Jonathan Thompson, Latonya Slack
• Inventors: Thompson, Jonathan, Slack, Latonya
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US13/866,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 340/209, 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/522, 340/524, 340/531, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.26, 340/540, 340/541, 340/573.1, 340/628, 340/686.6, 348/143, 379/37, 379/40, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations

Abstract

The present invention relates to detectors of hazardous environmental conditions (e.g., smoke, gas, motion). Specifically, the invention relates to a hazard detector configured to transmit and/or receive information related to hazardous environmental conditions based at least in part on the location of the hazard detector as identified through one or more location based service means (e.g., global positioning systems (GPS), cellular triangulation, Internet IP geolocation).

Claims

1. A hazard detector communicatively connected to one or more computing devices, said hazard detector comprising:

a power source;

a plurality of hazard detection devices that are each different, each hazard detection device detecting a hazardous environmental condition different from that detected by another hazard detection device, wherein said plurality of hazard detection devices include at least a first hazard detection device that is a smoke detector, a second hazard detection device that is a carbon monoxide detector, a third hazard detection device that is a heat detector, and a fourth hazard detection device that is a water sensor, wherein said plurality of hazard detection devices are configured to transmit hazardous environmental condition signals for smoke, carbon monoxide, heat and water to and from said one or more computing devices;

an alert device configured to provide a perceptible alert to individuals in proximity of the hazard detector;

a geolocation device configured to identify the geographic location of the hazard detector;

a secondary location component comprising one or more of an accelerometer, a level device, or an altimeter; and

a control interface incorporating an interaction device selected from the group comprising a keyboard, a touchscreen, and a voice recognition device;

wherein said control interface provides said individuals in proximity of the hazard detector the ability to provide additional information about hazardous environmental conditions by interacting with said interaction device of said control interface, including providing confirmation of the existence of said hazardous environmental conditions, wherein the control interface further allows for individuals in proximity of the hazard detector to cause the hazard detector to perform a plurality of actions selected from the group comprising;

disarming one of said plurality of hazard detection devices, adding a hazard detection device to said plurality of hazard detection devices, removing a hazard detection device from said plurality of hazard detection devices, requesting aid, checking status of said hazard detector and checking status of said power source;

wherein at least one of said one or more computing devices is a hazard detection and alert system configured to receive hazard information from and transmit hazard information to one or more hazard detectors based on the location of the one or more hazard detectors,

wherein said hazard detection and alert system is communicatively connected to a third party system that provides environmental hazard information, and is configured to receive information from said third party system; and

wherein said power source, said plurality of hazard detection devices, said alert device, said geolocation device, said secondary location component and said control interface are contained within the same portable hazard detector unit.

2. The hazard detector of claim 1, wherein said geolocation device operates using a global positioning system.

3. The hazard detector of claim 1, wherein said geolocation device operates using cellular signal triangulation.

4. The hazard detector of claim 1, wherein said alert device is selected from the group comprising, speakers, video displays, LEDs, warning lights, strobe lights, force feedback devices, electro stimulation devices and tone generators.

5. The hazard detector of claim 4, wherein the alert device comprises at least one visually perceptible alert device and one audibly perceptible alert device configured to provide alerts in sequence to inform individuals in the proximity of the alert device about the hazardous environmental conditions.

6. The hazard detector of claim 1, wherein said hazard detector is communicatively connected with one or more computers by a satellite enabled connection, a cellular connection, a wireless connection, or a wired connection.

7. The hazard detector of claim 1, wherein said power source comprises one or more power sources selected from the group comprising an AC power source, a DC power source, a battery powered power source, and a solar power source.

8. The hazard detector of claim 1 further comprising a recording device such as a camera for recording hazardous environmental condition data for storage upon detection of a hazardous environmental condition by one or more of said hazardous detection devices, said hazardous environmental condition data including one or more of audio data and video data.