Mass occupant emergency notification system using satellite radio downlink

• US 7,675,423 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Darryl T., Boling, Brian M., Bishop, Ronald D., Morgan, Scott P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/954,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.13, 340/539.32, 340/686.1, 340/990, 340/991, 340/425.5, 342/537.1, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20

Abstract

A mass occupant notification (MON) system includes an alert source, a first communication network, a MON supervisory system, a second communication network, a satellite radio broadcast network (SRBN) system and a plurality of MON communication units. The alert source, such as a telephone, personal computer or emergency sensor system, generates an alert signal containing information regarding an emergency situation. The first communication network communicates the alert signal from the alert source to the MON supervisory system. The MON supervisory system receives the alert signal and generates an alert message which includes audio message data and destination data. The destination data indicates a destination of the audio message data. The audio message data may contain a voice announcement providing information or instructions regarding the emergency situation. The second communication network communicates the alert message from the MON supervisory system to the SRBN system. The SRBN system extracts the destination data and the audio message data from the alert message, formats the audio message data for transmission via a satellite uplink, and transmits the audio message data via the satellite uplink to SRBN satellites. One or more of the MON communication units receive the audio message data transmitted from the SRBN satellites and generate an analog audio signal based on the audio message data.

Claims

1. A mass occupant notification system comprising:

an alert source for generating an alert signal containing information regarding an emergency situation;

a first communication network in communication with the alert source, the first communication network for communicating the alert signal from the alert source;

a mass occupant notification supervisory system in communication with the first communication network, the mass occupant notification supervisory system for receiving the alert signal and generating an alert message based thereon, wherein the alert message comprises audio message data and destination data, the destination data indicating a destination of the audio message data;

a second communication network in communication with the mass occupant notification supervisory system, the second communication network for communicating the alert message from the mass occupant notification supervisory system;

a satellite radio broadcast network system in communication with the second communication network, the satellite radio broadcast network system for receiving the alert message, extracting the destination data and the audio message data from the alert message, formatting the audio message data for transmission via a satellite uplink, and transmitting at least the audio message data via the satellite uplink to one or more satellite radio broadcast network satellites; and

a plurality of mass occupant notification communication units, one or more of which are operable to receive the audio message data transmitted from the satellite radio broadcast network satellites and generate an analog audio signal based on the audio message data.

2. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 further comprising a high-power speaker array connected to at least one of the mass occupant notification communication units for amplifying the analog audio signal and emanating a sound signal based thereon.

3. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the alert source includes sensors selected from the group consisting of smoke sensors, heat sensors, hazardous gas sensors, radiation detectors, motion detectors, portal entry detectors and severe weather condition sensors.

4. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the alert source comprises a communication device operated by properly designated personnel, the communication device selected from the group consisting of a landline telephone, a wireless telephone, a cellular telephone and a satellite telephone.

5. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the alert source comprises a computing device operated by properly designated personnel, the computing device selected from the group consisting of a server computer, a personal computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, handheld computer and personal data assistant.

6. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the alert source comprises a beacon transmitter unit which is operable in conjunction with a search-and-rescue satellite communication system operated by properly designated personnel.

7. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the mass occupant notification supervisory system determines the destination data of the alert message based on information provided in the alert signal, where the destination data indicates which of the mass occupant notification communication units are to receive the audio message data.

8. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the mass occupant notification supervisory system determines the audio message data based at least in part on information provided in the alert signal, where the audio message data includes an announcement related to an emergency situation at the destination of the alert message.

9. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the mass occupant notification supervisory system includes a database which cross-references information regarding the alert source to information regarding one or more of the mass occupant notification communication units.

10. The mass occupant notification system of claim 9 wherein the database cross-references an account number associated with an alert source to information regarding one or more of the mass occupant notification communication units that are associated with the account number.

11. The mass occupant notification system of claim 9 wherein the database contains information regarding one or more of the mass occupant notification communication units, including information selected from the group consisting of types and locations of the mass occupant notification communication units, whether the mass occupant notification communication units are fixed or mobile, the areas or zones to which the mass occupant notification communication units are assigned, types of annunciation equipment attached to each mass occupant notification communication unit, and a unique identification number assigned to a beacon transmitter that may be associated with a mass occupant notification communication unit.

12. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the first communication network and the second communication network are components of a global communication network.

13. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein the satellite radio broadcast network system comprises a subscriber-based system which, in addition to transmitting audio message data associated with alert messages, transmits entertainment programming to satellite radio receivers registered to subscribers.

14. The mass occupant notification system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the mass occupant notification communication units comprise:

a satellite radio receiver for receiving the audio message data transmitted from the satellite radio broadcast network satellites, decoding the audio message data and generating an analog alert message based on the audio message data;

an encoder for receiving the analog alert message and generating digital audio data based thereon;

a memory device for storing the digital audio data; and

a decoder for receiving the digital audio data from the memory device and generating the analog audio signal based thereon.

15. The mass occupant notification system of claim 14 wherein one or more of the mass occupant notification communication units further comprise a controller for causing the encoder to generate the digital audio data based on a control signal generated by the satellite radio receiver.

16. The mass occupant notification system of claim 15 wherein the controller causes the decoder to periodically generate the analog audio signal according to a timed cycle.

17. A mass occupant notification system comprising:

means for generating an alert signal containing information regarding an emergency situation;

means for communicating the alert signal via a first communication network;

means for receiving the alert signal from the first communication network and generating an alert message based thereon, wherein the alert message comprises audio message data and destination data, the destination data indicating a destination of the audio message data;

means for communicating the alert message via a second communication network;

a satellite radio broadcast network system for receiving the alert message from the second communication network, extracting the destination data and the audio message data from the alert message, formatting the audio message data for transmission via a satellite uplink, and transmitting at least the audio message data via the satellite uplink to one or more satellite radio broadcast network satellites; and

means for receiving the audio message data transmitted from the satellite radio broadcast network satellites and generating an analog audio signal based on the audio message data.

18. The mass occupant notification system of claim 17 wherein the means for receiving the alert signal from the first communication network and generating the alert message comprises a mass occupant notification supervisory system including:

an alert interface for receiving the alert signal from the first communication network;

a database which cross-references information regarding a source of the alert signal to information regarding one or more intended destinations of the audio message data;

a voice response unit for generating the audio message data based on information contained in the alert signal; and

a data output for outputting the audio message data and the destination data for communication via the second communication network.

19. The mass occupant notification system of claim 17 wherein the means for receiving the audio message data transmitted from the satellite radio broadcast network satellites and generating an analog audio signal based on the audio message data comprise:

a satellite radio receiver for receiving the audio message data transmitted from the satellite radio broadcast network satellites, decoding the audio message data and generating an analog alert message based on the audio message data;

an encoder for receiving the analog alert message and generating digital audio data based thereon;

a memory device for storing the digital audio data; and

a decoder for receiving the digital audio data from the memory device and generating the analog audio signal based thereon.

20. A method for mass occupant notification comprising:

(a) generating an alert signal containing information regarding an emergency situation;

(b) communicating the alert signal via a first communication network;

(c) generating an alert message based on the alert signal, wherein the alert message comprises audio message data and destination data, the destination data indicating a destination of the audio message data;

(d) communicating the alert message via a second communication network;

(e) extracting the destination data and the audio message data from the alert message at a satellite radio broadcast network system;

(f) formatting the audio message data for transmission via a satellite uplink;

(g) transmitting at least the audio message data via the satellite uplink to one or more satellites associated with the satellite radio broadcast network;

(h) receiving the audio message data transmitted from the satellite radio broadcast network satellites; and

(i) generating an analog audio signal based on the audio message data.