Navigation and coordination during emergencies

• US 7,242,303 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Sarkar, Shantanu, Moon, Bruce, Shaffer, Shmuel, Khouri, Joseph, Chahrouri, Gebran
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/073,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/572.1, 340/539.18, 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 340/524, 340/525, 340/537.4, 340/829.49
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• 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 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

The present invention includes methods and devices for providing. According to some implementations, radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tags are positioned at various locations throughout a building. Building locations can be determined from the RFID tags. Emergency service providers may be equipped with a portable device that includes at least one RFID reader for reading the RFID tags. Some implementations involve transmitting the RFID tag data to a control center from which the emergency services are coordinated. The emergency service workers'"'"' current and prior locations can be determined by the portable devices and/or at the control center. In preferred implementations, emergency service provider location information can be provided to control center personnel and to emergency service providers in real time.

Claims

1. A method of providing emergency services, the method comprising:

reading radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tags that are positioned at each of a plurality of building locations;

transmitting RFID tag data from the RFID tags to a control center;

determining the building locations based on the RFID tag data by searching a data structure that includes RFID tag data and corresponding building location data;

automatically determining the building locations of at least one emergency service worker;

making emergency service decisions based on the building locations; and

directing an emergency service operation according to the emergency service decisions.

2. The meted of claim 1, wherein the reading step comprises reading the RFID tags with a portable RFID reader and wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the RFID data via a wireless link.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining searched areas of a building that have been traversed by emergency service workers; and

making emergency service decisions based on the searched areas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing step comprises communicating with emergency service workers inside the building.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching a database of RFID reads of RFID tags assigned to individual people, the RFID reads uploaded by stationary RFID readers within the building;

making determinations of the last known locations of the individual people according to the RFID reads; and

making emergency service decisions based on the determinations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using, by a first emergency service worker, a portable device of a nearby second emergency service worker as a proxy for communication between the first emergency service worker and the control center.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying at least some of the building locations on a depiction of a building layout.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the depiction of a building layout is displayed at the control center.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the depiction of a building layout is displayed to an emergency service worker.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the depiction of a building layout is displayed on an emergency service worker'"'"'s visor.

11. An apparatus for providing emergency services, the apparatus comprising:

at least one radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag reader configured to read RFID tag data from RFID tags positioned at building locations;

a wireless transmitter for transmitting RFID tag data to a control center;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a wireless transceiver configured for voice communication with the control center via the speaker and microphone;

means for determining the locations based on the RFID tag data by searching a data structure tat includes RFID tag data and corresponding building location data; and

means for indicating the building locations and emergency service decisions based on the building locations to a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the indicating means comprises a display device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the determining means comprises a logic device.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for forming a mesh between a first portable device and a nearby second portable device, thereby allowing the first portable device to use the second portable device as a proxy for communication between the first portable device and the control center.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logic device is further configured to form instructions based on the building locations and to control the speaker to provide the instructions to the user in audible form.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indicating means comprises a display device and wherein the logic device is further configured to control the display device to display building locations.

17. A network for providing emergency services, the network comprising:

a plurality of portable devices, each of the plurality of portable devices comprising;

a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader;

a wireless transmitter for transmitting RFID tag data to a control center, the RFID tag data being based upon RFID tags that are positioned at each of a plurality of building locations;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a wireless transceiver configured for voice communication with the control center via the speaker and microphone; and

a control center, comprising;

a receiver configured to receive the RFID tag data;

determining means for determining the building locations of at least one portable device based on the RFID tag data by searching a data structure that includes RFID tag data and corresponding building location data;

decision means for making emergency service decisions based on the building locations; and

communication means for directing an emergency service operation according to the emergency service decisions.

18. The network of claim 17, further comprising means for determining searched areas of a building that have been traversed by emergency service workers, wherein the decision means makes emergency service decisions based on the searched areas.

19. The network of claim 17, wherein the control center further comprises:

means for searching a database of RFID reads of RFID tags assigned to individual people, the RFID reads uploaded by stationary RFID readers within the building; and

means for making determinations of the last known locations of the individual people according to the RFID reads;

wherein the decision means is further configured to make emergency service decisions based on the determinations.

20. The network of claim 17, wherein the portable devices comprise one of means for extracting location data from the RFID data and means for searching a data structure that includes RFID data and corresponding location data.

21. A method of providing emergency services, the method comprising:

reading radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tags that are positioned at each of a plurality of building locations;

determining the building locations based on the RFID tag data by searching a data structure that includes RFID tag data and corresponding building location data;

automatically determining the building locations of at least one emergency service worker; and

making emergency service decisions based on the building locations.