Mapping and facilitating evacuation routes in emergency situations

• US 9,983,011 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Mountain, Dale Llewelyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US14/528,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20160123741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for indicating an emergency exit path upon detection of a fire in a building structure. The systems and methods may include detecting a signal indicating presence of the fire in the building structure and determining an evacuation situation is present based on a risk assessment. In response to determining the evacuation situation is present, the systems and methods may include mapping the emergency exit path out of the building structure based on an identified location of the fire and an identified location of a person in the building structure, and operating a plurality of lighting devices in the building structure to indicate the emergency exit path out of the building structure.

Claims

1. A method for indicating an emergency exit path upon detection of a fire in a building structure, comprising:

detecting, by a television receiver, a signal indicating presence of the fire in the building structure;

upon detecting the signal indicating the presence of the fire, determining, by the television receiver, an evacuation situation is present based on a risk assessment, wherein the risk assessment comprises;

collecting, by the television receiver, one or more conditions of the fire in the building structure, wherein the one or more conditions comprises at least one or more of;

an identified location of the fire in the building structure, an identified location of a person in the building structure, an identified size of the fire in the building structure, an identified trait of the person in the building structure, and a status of a fire protection device in the building structure, wherein the status comprises at least one of a presence, absence, active, and inactive status of the fire protection device;

assessing a risk level based on the one or more conditions; and

determining the evacuation situation is present based on the assessed risk level;

in response to determining the evacuation situation is present, mapping, by the television receiver, the emergency exit path out of the building structure based on an identified location of the fire and the identified location of the person in the building structure; and

operating, by the television receiver, a plurality of lighting devices in the building structure to indicate the emergency exit path out of the building structure.

2. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

unlocking, by the television receiver, at least one door lock of an in-path door in the building structure to indicate the emergency exit path out of the building structure, wherein the in-path door is located within the emergency exit path.

3. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 2, further comprising:

signaling, by the television receiver, a door opening module corresponding to the in-path door in the building structure to open and maintain and open position of the in-path door.

4. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

locking, by the television receiver, at least one door lock of an out-of-path door in the building structure to indicate the emergency exit path out of the building structure, wherein the out-of-path door lock is located outside of the emergency exit path.

5. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

unlocking, by the television receiver, at least one window lock of a window in the building structure to indicate the emergency exit path out of the building structure.

6. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping, by the television receiver, a plurality of emergency exit paths out of the building structure based on the identified location of the fire and a plurality of identified locations of a plurality of persons; and

operating, by the television receiver, the plurality of lighting devices in the building structure to indicate the plurality of emergency exit paths out of the building structure.

7. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the fire protection device comprises at least one of a fire extinguisher and a sprinkler system.

8. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the fire protection device is located at the identified location of the fire in the building structure.

9. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein each of the identified location of the fire and the identified location of the person comprises an identified room of the building structure.

10. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the identified trait of the person comprises at least one of a name, an age range, a weight, a height, a handicap status, and a responsiveness status.

11. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the identified size of the fire in the building structure is based on at least one sensed input detected by at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, a heat sensor, a temperature sensor, and an odor detector.

12. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the signal indicating presence of the fire in the building structure is based on a sensed input at a detector comprising at least one of a smoke detector and a heat detector.

13. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein operating the plurality of lighting devices further comprises at least one of;

intermittently powering on and off one or more of the plurality of lighting devices;

intermitting dimming on and off one or more of the plurality of lighting devices; and

controlling color changes of the one or more plurality of lighting devices.

14. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting the signal indicating the presence of the fire, outputting, by the television receiver, an audio broadcast over one or more audio speakers in communication with the television receiver.

15. The method for indicating the emergency exit path upon detection of the fire in the building structure of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the television receiver, one or more emergency responders in a proximity of the building structure; and

in response to detecting the one or more emergency responders, unlocking, by the television receiver, at least one door lock of the building structure.

16. A television receiver for indicating an emergency exit path upon detection of a fire in a building structure, comprising:

one or more tuners;

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive television channels via the one or more tuners;

detect a signal indicating presence of the fire in the building structure;

upon detecting the signal indicating the presence of the fire, determine an evacuation situation is present based on a risk assessment, wherein the risk assessment comprises causing the one or more processors to;

collect one or more conditions of the fire in the building structure, wherein the one or more conditions comprises at least one or more of;

an identified location of the fire in the building structure, an identified location of a person in the building structure, an identified size of the fire in the building structure, an identified trait of the person in the building structure, and a status of a fire protection device in the building structure, wherein the status comprises at least one of a presence, absence, active, and inactive status of the fire protection device;

assess a risk level based on the one or more conditions; and

determine the evacuation situation is present based on the assessed risk level;

in response to determining the evacuation situation is present, map the emergency exit path out of the building structure based on the identified location of the fire and the identified location of the person in the building structure; and

operate a plurality of lighting devices in the building structure to indicate the emergency exit path out of the building structure.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a television receiver, cause the television receiver to:

receive television channels via one or more tuners of the television receiver

detect a signal indicating a presence of a fire in a building structure;

upon detecting the signal indicating the presence of the fire, determine an evacuation situation is present based on a risk assessment, wherein the risk assessment comprises causing the television receiver to;

collect one or more conditions of the fire in the building structure, wherein the one or more conditions comprises at least one or more of;

an identified location of the fire in the building structure, an identified location of a person in the building structure, an identified size of the fire in the building structure, an identified trait of the person in the building structure, and a status of a fire protection device in the building structure, wherein the status comprises at least one of a presence, absence, active, and inactive status of the fire protection device;

assess a risk level based on the one or more conditions; and

determine the evacuation situation is present based on the assessed risk level;

in response to determining the evacuation situation is present, map an emergency exit path out of the building structure based on the identified location of the fire and the identified location of the person in the building structure; and

operate a plurality of lighting devices in the building structure to indicate the emergency exit path out of the building structure.