Active emergency exit systems for buildings

• US 9,761,096 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: McMahan, Ryan J., Schoon, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/961,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911, 340540, 340577, 340628, 340632, 3406916, 345633, 701515
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/062 indicating emergency exits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

An active exit system may include one or more active exit signs, each exit sign having at least one sensor, a display, and a transceiver. Each active exit sign monitors building environmental conditions, monitors the locations of users and objects within the building, and assists in location services during normal operation. The exit signs transmit a dynamic exit plan to a user'"'"'s electronic device based on the user'"'"'s location. In response to sensing an emergency event, the exit sign transmits an emergency signal to the user'"'"'s electronic device and updates a user'"'"'s exit plan as needed based on the location of the emergency event. The exit sign also transmits user location information to emergency responders.

Claims

1. An exit system for a building, comprising:

at least one exit sign, the exit sign comprising;

a display;

at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of;

a human presence sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a noxious gas sensor, and a fire sensor;

at least one transceiver;

a power source;

a memory component; and

a central processor integrated with the display, the at least one sensor, the at least one transceiver, the memory component, and the power source;

a remote server in electronic communication with the exit sign;

a portable electronic device carried by a user, the portable electronic device being in electronic communication with the exit sign and the remote server; and

an application installed on the portable electronic device, the application configured to transmit and receive data from the exit sign and the remote server;

wherein the memory component stores at least one exit plan relating to the building;

wherein, in response to the at least one sensor detecting an emergency event, the central processor is configured to (i) actively update the exit sign to display emergency event information; and

(ii) transmit emergency event information to the remote server or the user via the transceiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device carried by a user comprises a GPS location device, and wherein the GPS device generates positional data that is received by the exit sign transceiver.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising object positional devices located adjacent objects within the building, wherein the object positional devices are in electronic communication with the remote server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the exit sign is configured to transmit data relating to the building environment to the remote server.

5. The system of claim 4, comprising an external power source electrically connected to the exit sign.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the memory component stores information including at least one of:

object locations, emergency event logs, sensor logs, user identities, and object identities.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one transceiver is selected from the group consisting of:

LAN, Wi Fi, BLUETOOTH, fiber optic, cellular, RF, UWB, and combinations thereof.

9. An active exit system for a building, comprising:

a first exit sign and a second exit sign, wherein the first and second exit signs are each located proximate an exit of the building or an exit of a portion of the building, each exit sign comprising;

a display;

at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of;

a human presence sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a noxious gas sensor, and a fire sensor;

at least one transceiver;

a back-up power source;

a memory component, the memory component storing at least one building exit plan; and

a central processor integrated with the display, the at least one sensor, the at least one transceiver, the memory component, and the back-up power source,

an external primary power source electrically connected to the exit sign;

a remote server, the remote server and the exit signs in electronic communication; and

a portable electronic device carried by a user, wherein (i) the portable electronic device is in electronic communication with the remote server, (ii) the portable electronic device comprises a GPS location device, and (iii) wherein the GPS location device generates positional data that is received by at least one exit sign transceiver;

an application installed on the portable electronic device, the application configured to transmit and receive data from the exit sign and the remote server;

wherein the at least one transceiver communicates with the server to provide the positional data to the user;

wherein, in response to the at least one sensor of the first or second exit sign sensing an emergency event, the first and second exit signs display emergency event information.

10. The system of claim 9, comprising object positional devices located adjacent objects within the building, wherein the object positional devices are in electronic communication with the remote server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one transceiver communicates with the server to provide the positional data to a user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, in response to an emergency event, the first or second exit sign transmits an updated building exit plan to the user based upon positional data that is received by at least one exit sign transceiver.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising a building environmental control system in electronic communication with the remote server, and wherein the exit sign is configured to transmit data relating to the building environment to the remote server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory component stores information including at least one of:

object locations, emergency event logs, sensor logs, user identities, and object identities.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one transceiver is selected from the group consisting of:

LAN, Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH, fiber optic, cellular, RF, UWB and combinations thereof.

17. A method for providing an active exit system for a building, comprising:

sensing one or more environmental conditions within a building using at least one exit sign, the exit sign comprising;

a display;

at least one sensor configured to sense the one or more environmental conditions, the at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of;

a human presence sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a noxious gas sensor, and a fire sensor;

at least one transceiver;

a power source;

a memory component comprising at least one exit plan relating to the building; and

a central processor integrated with the display, the at least one sensor, the at least one transceiver, the memory component, and the power source;

sensing a location of a portable electronic device carried by a user within the building, the portable electronic device having an application installed thereon, the application configured to transmit and receive data from the exit sign and a remote server, the portable electronic device being in electronic communication with the at least one exit sign and the remote server;

sensing a location of an object within the building;

transmitting a map to the portable electronic device, the map providing an exit plan from the location of the user;

detecting an emergency event within the building based at least in part on the one or more environmental conditions sensed by the at least one sensor;

transmitting an emergency signal to the portable electronic device in response to detecting the emergency event within the building environment; and

causing the central processor to (i) actively update the exit sign to display emergency event information; and

(ii) transmit emergency event information to the remote server or the user via the transceiver.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising transmitting a map to the portable electronic device, the map providing a path from the location of the user to the object.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising transmitting the location of the user to emergency responders in response to detecting the emergency event within the building.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising transmitting an updated exit plan to the user in response to detecting the emergency event within the building, the updated exit plan including the location of the emergency event.