PERSONAL ANNUNCIATION DEVICE
First Claim
1. An emergency notification system (ENS) for annunciating in an area of interest in the presence of an abnormal condition in a hazardous area, the ENS comprising:
- (a) a detection network configured for detecting an abnormal condition in a hazardous area and producing an information signal indicating the presence of the abnormal condition, and configured for processing the information signal and communicating a transmission input signal based at least in part on the information signal;
(b) a transmission terminal configured for receiving the transmission input signal and for communicating a transmission control signal based at least in part on the transmission input signal and recognition of detector alarm states for detectors deployed in specific locations;
(c) a transmission interface configured for receiving the transmission control signal from the transmission terminal and transmitting a wireless transmission based at least in part on the transmission control signal;
(d) a personal annunciation device (PAD) configured for self-arming into an armed state when moving into the area of interest and self-disarming into a disarmed state when moving out of the area of interest and configured for receiving the wireless transmission and annunciating the presence of the abnormal condition only when located within the area of interest based at least in part on the received wireless transmission and configured for performing a self-check and alerting when located within the area of interest, the PAD having a unique identification for transmittal to a base station when the PAD is transitioned to self-armed and when the PAD is transitioned to self-disarmed; and
(e) an RFID reader configured for recognizing the state of the PAD and causing the PAD to self-arm into the armed state when moving into the area of interest and self-disarm into the disarmed state when moving out of the area of interest.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A personal annunciation device (PAD) providing, in an area of interest, compensatory annunciation of the presence of an abnormal condition in a hazardous area and accountability of the user of the PAD. Compensatory annunciation supplements primary annunciation provided by an emergency notification system (ENS). A detection system detects an abnormal condition, and a wireless transmission system transmits a wireless transmission to the PAD. The PAD has a housing enclosing the components of the PAD including a communication module for receiving the wireless transmission, a power supply, processor, memory, annunciation system, and RFID module. The RFID module has an RFID receiver that listens for an RFID transmission from an RFID reader disposed in a portal of an area of interest. The PAD identifies the transmission and changes its operating state based on the transmission. The RFID readers recognize, record, and transmit the state of the PAD to a base station providing accountability of the wearer.
46 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An emergency notification system (ENS) for annunciating in an area of interest in the presence of an abnormal condition in a hazardous area, the ENS comprising:
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(a) a detection network configured for detecting an abnormal condition in a hazardous area and producing an information signal indicating the presence of the abnormal condition, and configured for processing the information signal and communicating a transmission input signal based at least in part on the information signal; (b) a transmission terminal configured for receiving the transmission input signal and for communicating a transmission control signal based at least in part on the transmission input signal and recognition of detector alarm states for detectors deployed in specific locations; (c) a transmission interface configured for receiving the transmission control signal from the transmission terminal and transmitting a wireless transmission based at least in part on the transmission control signal; (d) a personal annunciation device (PAD) configured for self-arming into an armed state when moving into the area of interest and self-disarming into a disarmed state when moving out of the area of interest and configured for receiving the wireless transmission and annunciating the presence of the abnormal condition only when located within the area of interest based at least in part on the received wireless transmission and configured for performing a self-check and alerting when located within the area of interest, the PAD having a unique identification for transmittal to a base station when the PAD is transitioned to self-armed and when the PAD is transitioned to self-disarmed; and (e) an RFID reader configured for recognizing the state of the PAD and causing the PAD to self-arm into the armed state when moving into the area of interest and self-disarm into the disarmed state when moving out of the area of interest.
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2. An emergency notification system (ENS) for annunciating in an area of interest in the presence of an abnormal condition in a hazardous area, the ENS comprising:
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(a) a detection network configured for detecting an abnormal condition in a hazardous area and producing an information signal indicating the presence of the abnormal condition, and configured for processing the information signal and communicating a transmission input signal based at least in part on the information signal; (b) a transmission terminal configured for receiving the transmission input signal and for communicating a transmission control signal based at least in part on the transmission input signal; (c) a transmission interface for receiving the transmission control signal from the transmission terminal and transmitting a wireless transmission based at least in part on the transmission control signal; and (d) a personal annunciation device (PAD) configured for receiving the wireless transmission and configured for annunciating the presence of the abnormal condition only when located within the area of interest based at least in part on the received wireless transmission. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A personal annunciation device (PAD) for providing in an area of interest compensatory annunciation of the presence of an abnormal condition in a hazardous area, the compensatory annunciation being in addition to primary annunciation provided by an emergency notification system (ENS), the PAD comprising:
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(a) a housing configured for enclosing the PAD; (b) a power supply configured inside the housing and configured for providing power to the PAD; (c) a radio frequency identification device (RFID) module configured for receiving an RFID transmission and for communicating an RFID signal; (d) a processor module configured for receiving the RFID signal and performing a state change algorithm for switching the PAD between an armed state in which the PAD will annunciate and a disarmed state in which the PAD will not annunciate; (e) a communication module configured for receiving a wireless transmission from a wireless transmission system and communicating annunciation information to the processor module based at least in part on the wireless transmission, wherein the processor module is further configured for receiving the annunciation information and communicating a first annunciation control signal based at least in part on the annunciation information; and (f) an annunciation module configured for receiving the first annunciation control signal and for providing annunciation corresponding to the first annunciation control signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for providing in an area of interest compensatory annunciation indicating the presence of an abnormal condition in a hazardous area, the compensatory annunciation in addition to primary annunciation provided by an emergency notification system (ENS), the method comprising:
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(a) receiving with a personal annunciation device (PAD) a radio frequency identification device (RFID) transmission from an RFID reader disposed in or near a portal of the area of interest; (b) determining whether the PAD is entering the area of interest based at least in part on the received RFID transmission; (c) changing an operating state of the PAD from a disarmed state to an armed state if the PAD is entering the area of interest; and (d) receiving a wireless transmission with the PAD in the armed state from a paging system of the ENS and providing compensatory annunciation to the user based on the received wireless transmission. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification