Emergency lighting system

• US 7,848,702 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Finch, Michael Douglas, Kocsi, Zoltan, Ho, Dang Hai, Lavrencic, Drago
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tu X
• Application Number:
  US11/880,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20080026781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/15
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit

Abstract

An emergency system for providing an emergency function is described in which the system is required to provide an autonomous and self-diagnostic capability so the system can be tested when not in operation in an emergency situation. A plurality of emergency devices 14 are provided which have transmitters and receivers for producing a mesh network (FIG. 1). Each device 14 has a processor 60 for establishing a preferred wireless communication link of the mesh network to another device 14 for relaying signals and messages. The devices 14 are arranged in subnets 50 and the subnets are also grouped into groups of devices 14 which may cross various subnets 50 so that only one group of devices 14 can be tested at a particular time.

Claims

1. An emergency system for providing an emergency function, comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of emergency devices, each for providing the emergency function; and

transmitters and receivers for producing a mesh network for providing wireless communication of data between the controller and the emergency devices so that the operability of the plurality of emergency devices in an emergency situation can be tested by a wireless signal over the mesh network to the emergency devices to initiate a test operation of the devices and for communicating data relating to the test back to a control receiver, each device having a processor for establishing a preferred wireless communication link of the mesh network to another emergency device for relaying the signal and for relaying the data to the control receiver, and for establishing an alternative wireless communication link via a further emergency device, if the preferred wireless communication link is inoperative, the controller balancing the mesh network by forcing at least one of the plurality of emergency devices to detach.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller also comprises the control receiver.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein

the processor has a routing table which lists all emergency devices in a subnet of emergency devices, the subnet comprising the said another emergency device providing the preferred control link and a plurality of further emergency devices through which the alternative wireless communication link can be established.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the processor is also for updating the another emergency device in the event of failure of the initial preferred communication link.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the emergency system comprises an emergency lighting system for providing emergency lighting in the event of an emergency situation where power to an environment is shut off and the emergency devices comprise emergency lighting devices for providing an exit path from the environment.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitters and receivers for producing the mesh network comprise a transceiver in each of the emergency devices for receipt and transmission of over-the-air signals, and a transceiver in the at least one controller.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises an area controller and at least one router, the area controller being connected to the at least one router by a network.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the network is the internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a PSTN, or any other media which can carry IP packets.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes an additional plurality of emergency devices connected to the controller by a communication link formed by a cable, thereby enabling conventional wired emergency devices to also be included in the system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller initiates the mesh network using a quietest channel available to the controller.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices joins a subnet of the mesh network associated with a strongest signal.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices joins a subnet of the mesh network associated with a weighted sum of factors comprising at least one of signal strength, channel noise, hopcount, and subnet population.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices transmits a short message comprising an advertisement, the advertisement representing an intended transmission to an intended recipient of the intended transmission.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices within radio distance of the at least one emergency device transmitting the short message remains silent during transmission of the intended transmission.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices within radio distance of the intended recipient of the short message remains muted during transmission of a response transmission from the intended recipient to the at least one emergency device transmitting the short message.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices requests a node address prior to joining the mesh network, the node address being allocated by the controller.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices is assigned a temporary address upon connection to the mesh network, the temporary address comprising a node address of a helping node connected to the mesh network plus a predetermined number.

18. An emergency system for providing an emergency function, comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of emergency devices, each for providing the emergency function; and

transmitters and receivers for producing a mesh network for providing wireless communication of data between the controller and the emergency devices so that the operability of the plurality of emergency devices in an emergency situation can be tested by a wireless signal over the mesh network to the emergency devices to initiate a test operation of the devices and for communicating data relating to the test back to a control receiver, each device having a processor for establishing a preferred wireless communication link of the mesh network to another emergency device for relaying the signal and for relaying the data to the control receiver, and for establishing an alternative wireless communication link via a further emergency device, if the preferred wireless communication link is inoperative, the controller balancing the mesh network by forcing at least one of the plurality of emergency devices to detach, wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices is assigned a system identifier, the system identifier distinguishing between independent installations of the mesh network.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller also comprises the control receiver.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the processor has a routing table which lists all emergency devices in a subnet of emergency devices, the subnet comprising the said another emergency device providing the preferred control link and a plurality of further emergency devices through which the alternative wireless communication link can be established.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor is also for updating the another emergency device in the event of failure of the initial preferred communication link.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the emergency system comprises an emergency lighting system for providing emergency lighting in the event of an emergency situation where power to an environment is shut off and the emergency devices comprise emergency lighting devices for providing an exit path from the environment.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the transmitters and receivers for producing the mesh network comprise a transceiver in each of the emergency devices for receipt and transmission of over-the-air signals, and a transceiver in the at least one controller.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller comprises an area controller and at least one router, the area controller being connected to the at least one router by a network.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the network is the internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a PSTN, or any other media which can carry IP packets.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein the system includes an additional plurality of emergency devices connected to the controller by a communication link formed by a cable, thereby enabling conventional wired emergency devices to also be included in the system.

27. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller initiates the mesh network using a quietest channel available to the controller.

28. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices joins a subnet of the mesh network associated with a strongest signal.

29. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices joins a subnet of the mesh network associated with a weighted sum of factors comprising at least one of signal strength, channel noise, hopcount, and subnet population.

30. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices transmits a short message comprising an advertisement, the advertisement representing an intended transmission to an intended recipient of the intended transmission.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices within radio distance of the at least one emergency device transmitting the short message remains silent during transmission of the intended transmission.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices within radio distance of the intended recipient of the short message remains muted during transmission of a response transmission from the intended recipient to the at least one emergency device transmitting the short message.

33. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices requests a node address prior to joining the mesh network, the node address being allocated by the controller.

34. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the plurality of emergency devices is assigned a temporary address upon connection to the mesh network, the temporary address comprising a node address of a helping node connected to the mesh network plus a predetermined number.