Explicit real-time fire disaster alarming device and method

• US 9,659,469 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Chung Hsing University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Chung Hsing University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Wen, Chih-Yu, Tsai, Hsiao-Ping, Wen, Tai-Ming, Zhang, Dun-Kai, Tsai, Yun-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): AKKI, MUNEAR T
• Application Number:
  US15/211,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731, 340540, 340628, 3405453, 3406911, 340506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• 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 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/064 indicating houses needing emergency help, e.g. with a flashing light or sound

Abstract

An explicit real-time fire disaster alarming device includes a fire disaster detector, human body detector, controller and outdoor light displaying portion. If the fire disaster detector detects any fire inside a space or room, it will send out a fire signal. The human body detector detects whether there is any human inside the space and send out a YES signal or a NO signal accordingly. When the controller receives the fire signal, the outdoor light displaying portion changes from a storing form to an extending form. When the controller receives the YES signal, the outdoor light displaying portion turns on a light for showing there is a human inside the space. When it receives the NO signal, the outdoor light displaying portion turns on another light for showing there is no human inside. Hence, fire fighters and rescuers are provided with a priority reference for life rescue.

Claims

1. An explicit real-time fire disaster alarming device, comprising:

at least a fire disaster detector disposed inside a predetermined space to send out a fire signal upon detection of a fire inside the predetermined space;

at least a human body detector disposed inside the predetermined space to send out a YES signal and a NO signal upon detection that a human is present in and absent from the predetermined space, respectively;

at least an outdoor light displaying portion disposed outside the predetermined space, capable of changing between a storing form and an extending form, and adapted to face outward to display one of a YES light and a NO light while being in the extending form; and

a controller connecting with the fire disaster detector, the human body detector and the outdoor light displaying portion and receiving the fire signal, the YES signal and the NO signal,

wherein, after receiving the fire signal, the controller controls the outdoor light displaying portion to change from the storing form to the extending form,

wherein, after receiving the YES signal, the controller controls the outdoor light displaying portion to display the YES light,

wherein, after receiving the NO signal, the controller controls the outdoor light displaying portion to display the NO light,

wherein the YES light provides external rescuers with a priority reference for use in life detection and rescue operations

wherein;

the fire disaster detector comprises at least one of a smoke detector and a rate-of-rise heat detector; and

the human body detector comprises at least one of an infrared thermograph and an infrared passerby traffic counter;

wherein the infrared passerby traffic counter measures passerby traffic by transmitting and receiving infrared signals or through an infrared human body detector;

wherein a doorway of the predetermined space defining a first end of the doorway away from the predetermined space and a second end of the doorway neighboring the predetermined space;

wherein, when the passerby traffic is measured by transmitting and receiving infrared signals, it comprises;

a first counting unit disposed at the first end of the doorway, and adapted to comprise a first transmitter and a first receiver corresponding in position to the first transmitter, the first transmitter transmitting a first infrared to the first receiver, and the first receiver connecting with the controller;

a second counting unit disposed at the second end of the doorway, and adapted to comprise a second transmitter and a second receiver corresponding in position to the second transmitter, the second transmitter transmitting a second infrared to the second receiver, and the second receiver connecting with the controller;

wherein a human body entering the predetermined space through the doorway blocks the first infrared and then blocks the second infrared, thereby allowing the controller to calculate number of arrivals and accordingly compute cumulative number of arrivals, wherein the human body exiting the predetermined space through the doorway blocks the second infrared and then blocks the first infrared, thereby allowing the controller to calculate number of departures and accordingly compute cumulative number of departures, wherein, finally, the controller subtracts the cumulative number of departures from the cumulative number of arrivals to determine whether any person is present in the predetermined space and, if yes, determine number of persons present in the predetermined space;

wherein, when an infrared human body detector is used to measure passerby traffic, it comprises a first sensor and a second sensor which are mounted above the doorway of the predetermined space to face downward, spaced apart by a distance horizontally, and adapted to send out a first detection signal and a second detection signal, respectively, wherein a time lag between the first detection signal and the second detection signal enables the controller to determine whether the human body enters or exits the predetermined space, thereby calculating the cumulative number of persons present in the predetermined space.

2. The explicit real-time fire disaster alarming device of claim 1, wherein the outdoor light displaying portion comprises at least one of a lamp curtain, an electronic glass and a balcony lamp.

3. The explicit real-time fire disaster alarming device of claim 2, wherein the lamp curtain comprises:

a casing having an opening;

a reel disposed in the casing;

a driving device coaxially coupled to the reel to drive the reel to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise; and

a lamp curtain device having a plurality of YES lamp elements, a plurality of NO lamp elements and a curtain element,

wherein the plurality of YES lamp elements and the plurality of NO lamp elements are each fixed to the curtain element, with the curtain element winding around the reel, rotating clockwise and counterclockwise together with the reel, and changing between the storing form and the extending form,

wherein the curtain element enters and exits the casing through the opening and thereby changes between the storing form and the extending form.

4. The explicit real-time fire disaster alarming device of claim 3, wherein:

the controller controls number of times the YES lamp elements flicker to indicate number of trapped persons,

the controller controls number of times the electronic glass flickers to indicate number of trapped persons, and

the controller controls number of times the balcony lamp flickers to indicate number of trapped persons.

5. An explicit real-time fire disaster alarming method, comprising:

preparing step;

providing a fire disaster detector, at least a human body detector, at least an outdoor light displaying portion and a controller, positioning the fire disaster detector and the human body detector inside a predetermined space, allowing the outdoor light displaying portion to be disposed outside the predetermined space and change between a storing form and an extending form, and connecting the controller to the fire disaster detector, the human body detector and the outdoor light displaying portion;

detecting step;

sending out a fire signal from the fire disaster detector as soon as the fire disaster detector detects a fire inside the predetermined space, and sending out a YES signal and a NO signal from the human body detector as soon as the human body detector detects that a human is present in and absent from the predetermined space, respectively; and

explicit warning step;

controlling, by the controller, the outdoor light displaying portion to change from the storing form to the extending form as soon as the controller receives the fire signal, and controlling, by the controller, the outdoor light displaying portion to display one of a YES light and a NO light in response to the YES signal and the NO signal, respectively, with the YES light providing external rescuers with a priority reference for use in life detection and rescue operations;

wherein;

the fire disaster detector comprises at least one of a smoke detector and a rate-of-rise heat detector;

the human body detector comprises at least one of an infrared thermograph and an infrared passerby traffic counter;

the infrared passerby traffic counter measures passerby traffic by transmitting and receiving infrared signals or through an infrared human body detector;

wherein a doorway of the predetermined space defining a first end of the doorway away from the predetermined space and a second end of the doorway neighboring the predetermined space;

wherein, when the passerby traffic is measured by transmitting and receiving infrared signals, it comprises;

a first counting unit disposed at the first end of the doorway, and adapted to comprise a first transmitter and a first receiver corresponding in position to the first transmitter, the first transmitter transmitting a first infrared to the first receiver, and the first receiver connecting with the controller;

a second counting unit disposed at the second end of the doorway, and adapted to comprise a second transmitter and a second receiver corresponding in position to the second transmitter, the second transmitter transmitting a second infrared to the second receiver, and the second receiver connecting with the controller;

wherein a human body entering the predetermined space through the doorway blocks the first infrared and then blocks the second infrared, thereby allowing the controller to calculate number of arrivals and accordingly compute cumulative number of arrivals, wherein the human body exiting the predetermined space through the doorway blocks the second infrared and then blocks the first infrared, thereby allowing the controller to calculate number of departures and accordingly compute cumulative number of departures, wherein, finally, the controller subtracts the cumulative number of departures from the cumulative number of arrivals to determine whether any person is present in the predetermined space and, if yes, determine number of persons present in the predetermined space,

wherein, when an infrared human body detector is used to measure passerby traffic, it comprises a first sensor and a second sensor which are mounted above the doorway of the predetermined space to face downward, spaced apart by a distance horizontally, and adapted to send out a first detection signal and a second detection signal, respectively, wherein a time lag between the first detection signal and the second detection signal enables the controller to determine whether the human body enters or exits the predetermined space, thereby calculating the cumulative number of persons present in the predetermined space.

6. The explicit real-time fire disaster alarming method of claim 5, wherein the outdoor light displaying portion comprises at least one of a lamp curtain, an electronic glass and a balcony lamp, wherein the lamp curtain comprises:

a casing having an opening;

a reel disposed in the casing;

a driving device coaxially coupled to the reel to drive the reel to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise; and

a lamp curtain device having a plurality of YES lamp elements, a plurality of NO lamp elements and a curtain element,

wherein the plurality of YES lamp elements and the plurality of NO lamp elements are each fixed to the curtain element, with the curtain element winding around the reel, rotating clockwise and counterclockwise together with the reel, and changing between the storing form and the extending form,

wherein the curtain element enters and exits the casing through the opening and thereby changes between the storing form and the extending form.

7. The explicit real-time fire disaster alarming device of claim 6, wherein:

the controller controls number of times the YES lamp elements flicker to indicate number of trapped persons,

the controller controls number of times the electronic glass flickers to indicate number of trapped persons, and

the controller controls number of times the balcony lamp flickers to indicate number of trapped persons.