Visually-impaired-accessible building safety system

• US 9,934,658 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Field, Leslie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US15/265,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20180075712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 704270, 704273, 704274, 704275, 704271, 34053911, 340692, 340 41, 340 414, 340 434, 340 584, 340 61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• 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 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination

Abstract

Building safety systems, methods, and mediums are provided. A method includes receiving a voice input by the building safety system. The method includes receiving voice data produced by a speech recognition process performed on the voice input. The method includes determining a response to the voice input based on the voice data. The method includes producing the response by the building safety system.

Claims

1. A method performed by a building safety system having at least a processor, comprising:

receiving a voice input by the building safety system;

receiving voice data produced by a speech recognition process performed on the voice input;

determining a location of an individual having transmitted the voice input;

determining a response to the voice input based on the voice data; and

producing the response by the building safety system,

wherein the response is directional information, to a destination location, relative to the location of the individual having transmitted the voice input, and

wherein the directional information is to a pull station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the voice data corresponds to an authorized user and wherein the building safety system produces the response when the voice data is determined to correspond to the authorized user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the speech recognition process is performed by a mobile device, and the voice data is transmitted to the building safety system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a response to the voice input comprises determining whether the voice input is one of a request for directions to a pull station, a distress sound or a distress word, and

wherein the building safety system includes a plurality of building safety devices each having a speaker, and after determining the voice input is one of a distress sound or a distress word, the building safety system produces an audible response via the speaker of a first of the building safety devices, the audible response being a phrase to prompt the individual to confirm an emergency event is occurring.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the building safety system has a plurality of building safety devices, each having a microphone, the voice input is received by one of the building safety devices, and the speech recognition process is performed by a safety control panel in communication with the one building safety device, and

wherein the voice input is received by a building safety device implemented in one of a pull station, a smoke detector, a heat detector, a notification device, an emergency light, an exit sign, or a public-address speaker.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the response is produced by a building safety device implemented in one of a pull station, a smoke detector, a heat detector, a notification device, an emergency light, an exit sign, or a public-address speaker.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the building safety system has a plurality of building safety devices in communication with a safety control panel;

each building safety device having a microphone and a speech recognition circuit; and

the speech recognition process is performed by one of the building safety devices.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising

detecting a direction of movement of the individual having transmitted the voice input;

and

updating the directional information according to the direction of movement.

8. A building safety system, comprising:

a safety control panel; and

a plurality of building safety devices in communication with the safety control panel, the building safety system configured to;

receive a voice input;

receive voice data produced by a speech recognition process performed on the voice input;

determine a location of an individual having transmitted the voice input;

determine a response to the voice input based on the voice data; and

produce the response,

wherein the response is directional information, to a destination location, relative to the location of the individual having transmitted the voice input, and

wherein the directional information is to a pull station.

9. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein the building safety system stores a plurality of voice patterns and is further configured to determine whether the voice data corresponds to an authorized user based on the voice patterns, and wherein the building safety system produces the response when the voice data is determined to correspond to the authorized user.

10. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein each of the building safety devices has a communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a mobile device, the speech recognition process is performed by the mobile device, and the voice data is transmitted to the building safety system via one of the building safety devices.

11. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein each of the building safety devices has a microphone and a speaker;

the voice input is received via one of the building safety devices;

the building safety system determines the voice input corresponds to a request for directions to a pull station; and

provides the response via the speaker of the one building safety device.

12. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein each of the building safety devices has a speaker, and after determining the voice input is one of a distress sound or a distress word, the building safety system produces an audible response via the speaker of a first of the building safety devices, the audible response being a phrase to prompt an individual to confirm an emergency event is occurring.

13. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein the voice input is received by at least one of the building safety devices, which is implemented as one of a pull station, a smoke detector, a heat detector, a notification device, an emergency light, an exit sign, or a public-address speaker.

14. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein the response is produced by at least one of the building safety devices, which is implemented as one of a pull station, a smoke detector, a heat detector, a notification device, an emergency light, an exit sign, or a public-address speaker.

15. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein each of the building safety devices has a location sensor that detects a location of an individual relative to the respective building safety device.

16. The building safety system of claim 8, wherein each of the building safety devices has a microphone, and the speech recognition process is performed by the safety control panel in communication with the one of the building safety device that receives the voice input or the speech recognition process is performed by one of the building safety devices.

19. The building safety system of claim 8, comprising

detecting a direction of movement of the individual having transmitted the voice input;

and

updating the directional information according to the direction of movement.

18. A method performed by a building safety system having at least a processor, comprising:

receiving a voice input by the building safety system;

receiving voice data produced by a speech recognition process performed on the voice input;

determining a location of an individual having transmitted the voice input;

determining a response to the voice input based on the voice data; and

producing the response by the building safety system,

wherein the response is directional information, to a destination location, relative to the location of the individual having transmitted the voice input,

wherein the directional information includes noises at a pitch and/or tone to direct a service animal, and

wherein the directional information is to a pull station or an exit relative to the location of the individual.

20. A building safety system, comprising:

a safety control panel; and

a plurality of building safety devices in communication with the safety control panel, the building safety system configured to;

receive a voice input;

receive voice data produced by a speech recognition process performed on the voice input;

determine a location of an individual having transmitted the voice input;

determine a response to the voice input based on the voice data; and

produce the response,

wherein the response is directional information, to a destination location, relative to the location of the individual having transmitted the voice input, and

wherein the directional information includes noises at a pitch and/or tone to direct a service animal, and

wherein the directional information is to a pull station or an exit relative to the location of the individual.