Fire department station zoned alerting control system

• US 6,535,121 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard K. Matheny
• Original Assignee: Richard K. Matheny
• Inventors: Matheny, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/544,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 340/691.6, 340/825.36, 340/286.05, 340/286.06, 340/291, 340/293, 340/294, 340/506, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen

Abstract

An alerting system for fire stations utilizes programmable message centers, zone-coded lighting and audio modules to alert only selected personnel for a particular type of emergency, i.e. fire, medical, etc. to decrease response time while reducing stress to remaining personnel who need not be alerted. Related features include night vision lighting, low level lighting, remote sensing and activation of station doors, ceiling mounted lighting signals, bed proximity audio alerts, automatic control of Emergency Response Facility audio sources and daisy-chain Ethernet cabling for simple installation.

Claims

1. An alert control system for use in an emergency response site having at least two groups of personnel, a first such group designated for responding to a first type of emergency and a second such group designated for responding to a second type of emergency;

the system comprising;

a master control unit for receiving an alert command from a dispatch communications source and for generating alert control signals in response to each such command;

a plurality of remote modules for distribution to various locations through out said site, at least one of said remote modules controlling at least one relay for selectively switching on or switching off an electrical apparatus during an emergency, said plurality of modules being connected to said master control unit; and

microprocessors in said master control unit and in said remote modules for responding to said first type of emergency by activating a relay for switching on or switching off an electrical apparatus during an emergency;

at least one of said remote modules controlling an audio amplifier for selectively attenuating an audio announcement during an alert depending upon whether said amplifier is located adjacent personnel of said first group or personnel of said second group.

2. An alert control system for use in an emergency response site having at least two groups of personnel, a first such group designated for responding to a first type of emergency and a second such group designated for responding to a second type of emergency;

the system comprising;

a master control unit for receiving an alert command from a dispatch communications source and for generating alert control signals in response to each such command;

a plurality of remote modules for distribution to various locations through out said site, at least one of said remote modules controlling at least one relay for selectively switching on or switching off an electrical apparatus during an emergency, said plurality of modules being connected to said master control unit; and

microprocessors in said master control unit and in said remote modules for responding to said first type of emergency by activating a relay for switching on or switching off an electrical apparatus during an emergency;

at least one of said remote modules controlling an infrared emitter for reducing the volume of an adjacent audio device'"'"'s sound level during an emergency.

3. An alert control system for use in an emergency response site having at least two groups of dispersed personnel, a first such group designated for responding to a first type of emergency and a second such.group designated for responding to a second type of emergency;

the system comprising;

a master control unit for receiving an alert command from a dispatch communications source and for generating alert control signals in response to each such command;

a plurality of remote modules for distribution to various locations throughout said site, said remote modules each controlling a respective audio amplifier for selectively attenuating an audio announcement during an alert depending upon whether said amplifier is located adjacent personnel of said first group or personnel of said second group, said plurality of modules being connected to said master control unit; and

microprocessors in said master control unit and in said remote modules for responding to said first type of emergency by attenuating audio announcements to said second group of personnel while not attenuating audio announcements to said first group of personnel.

4. The alert control system recited in claim 3 at least one of said remote modules controlling an infrared emitter for reducing the volume of an adjacent audio device'"'"'s sound level during an emergency.

5. The alert control system recited in claim 3 at least one of said remote modules controlling at least one relay for selectively switching on or switching off an electrical apparatus during an emergency and sensing the control sequence.

6. The alert control system recited in claim 3 wherein said master control unit and said plurality of remote modules are interconnected along a closed data communications loop.

7. An alert control system for use in an emergency response site having at least two groups of dispersed personnel, a first such group designated for responding to a first type of emergency and a second such group designated for responding to a second type of emergency;

the system comprising;

a master control unit for receiving an alert command from a dispatch communications source and for generating alert control signals in response to each such command;

a plurality of remote modules for;

distribution to various locations through out said site, said remote modules each controlling a respective infrared emitter for reducing the volume of an adjacent audio device'"'"'s sound level during an emergency, said plurality of modules being connected to said master control unit; and

microprocessors in said master control unit and in said remote modules for responding to said first type of emergency by activating said infrared emitter for reducing volume of an audio device in an area adjacent said first group of personnel during said emergency.

8. The alert control system recited in claim 7 at least one of said remote modules controlling an audio amplifier for selectively attenuating an audio announcement during an alert depending upon whether said amplifier is located adjacent personnel of said first group or personnel of said second group.

9. The alert control system recited in claim 7 at least one of said remote modules controlling at least one relay for selectively switching on or switching off an electrical apparatus during an emergency.

10. The alert control system recited in claim 7 wherein said master control unit and said plurality of remote modules are interconnected along a closed data communications loop.