Method and system for managing evacuation of occupant from building premise

Abstract

A method and system for managing evacuation of occupant from a building premise. The method includes receiving a data model (such as a 3D model) of the building premise and determining real-time access routes (604, 606) available to reach the occupant situated at the building premise based on the 3D model and a real-time location of occupant device in possession of the occupant. The method also includes configuring the 3D model based on the real-time access routes for rendering in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment and generating an alert which is sent to the evacuator device (600) in possession of evacuation personnel. This alert on being activated on the evacuator device enables selective access to the real-time access routes in the configured 3D model rendered in the AR environment.

Description

[0001] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING EVACUATION OF OCCUPANT FROM BUILDING

[0002] PREMISE

[0003] DESCRIPTION

[0004] The present disclosure relates generally to evacuation of occupants, and more specifically to a method and system for managing evacuation of an occupant from a building premise based on a data model rendered in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment.

[0005] Events such as a disaster is a catastrophe, a mishap, or a calamity of grave occurrence from natural or human-caused causes, which is beyond coping capacity of the affected community. Disaster Management includes integrated process of planning, organising, coordinating, and implementing measures which are necessary or expedient for prevention of danger to life and property, evacuation, rescue, and relief. As part of the disaster management, disaster response involves safe evacuation, mass confinement, and sanitization of the affected disaster site. One of the major teams involved in disaster management is an evacuation team which works on-ground to evacuate or rescue occupants who are stranded in site of the disaster.

[0006] Generally, one of the problems in the disaster management is lack of proper information to the evacuation team on how to reach the stranded occupants. For example, consider a scenario of a fire incident in a high-rise building, corporate office building, production facility or at a critical infrastructure plant. Here, the evacuation team or firefighter may have to rely on physically printed copies of floor plans provided by an incident management system, marked with arrows to indicate access routes which they would need to follow to reach an impacted floor and room where the fire incident has occurred. However, for the firefighter who have just arrived at the building premises to commence rescue and firefighting operations may be a time-consuming task to first study the floor plans of the building, to comprehend and understand how they need to proceed forward starting from where they need to enter the building or facility and then navigate through hallways, rooms, staircases etc to reach the stranded occupant. This means going through multiple print outs of the floor plans with the access routes or studying soft copies of the floor plans to understand details of building or facility in an environment which is under fire, thick smoke, and poor visibility. Most importantly, it consumes critical time and effort of the firefighter in figuring out how the orientation of the facility is from inside and how the access routes will lead them from the entrance till the impacted area. This leaves the firefighter completely unprepared and unaware and gravely compromising the safety and security of the stranded occupants who are waiting for rescue operations thereby endangering their lives.

[0007] Further, the incident management system which is installed in the building for the safety and security of the occupants is of limited help in this scenario and only capable of letting the firefighter know where the fire alarm is triggered, leaving the firefighter to figure out things on their own.

[0008] Conventional method of addressing the above-mentioned problem is by sending the floor plans with access routes marked in it to the handheld devices of the firefighter through a message. These message will be triggered by the incident management system when a fire alarm is triggered. However, once the firefighter receives the PDF version of the floor plans with the access routes, they would still be dependent on a static floor plan in their hand which is a 2D floor plan to figure out how it would relate to the real-world building inside and outside and how to follow it in the real world with the access routes. Therefore, the existing methods are extremely timeconsuming in a critical scenario and leaving the firefighter unprepared and unaware before entering the building with smoke and poor visibility for rescue and firefighting operations.

[0009] In some other conventional methods and systems, the firefighter may be provided with head mounted display (HMD) along with a lighting component to help them traverse through the building premise to rescue the stranded occupants. However, the display of building map on the HMD may not always required to the firefighter and would create a diversion of attention in the crucial rescue time. Also, the HMD display may not be clearly visible when the smoke content in the are is high.

[0010] The present disclosure seeks to overcome the above-mentioned challenges by configuring a three-dimensional (3D) model with the possible access routes to reach the stranded occupants and sending the configured 3D model to the handheld devices of the firefighter. When the firefighter accesses the message send to their handheld devices the configured 3D model is rendered in an immersive environment. The access routes are clearly provided in the immersive environment with exact path of navigation indicated to the firefighter with respect to their current location. Further, since the message is sent to the handheld device of the firefighter and not displayed on the HMD the firefighter is able to better perform the rescue operation even in times of presence of dense smoke and not having to worry about adjusting the HMD to a comfortable position, etc. Therefore, the proposed approach enhances the efficiency of evacuation as the access routes are continuously updated based on the real-time location of the firefighter and enable the firefighter to quicky respond to the situation.

[0011] The object of the present disclosure is achieved by a method for managing evacuation of occupant from a building premise. The method includes receiving a data model like for example a three-dimensional (3D) model of the building premise and determining multiple real-time access routes available to reach stranded occupants situated at the building premise. The multiple access routes may be determined based on the data model and a real-time location of occupant device in possession of the stranded occupant.

[0012] Further, the method includes configuring the data model based on the real-time access routes for rendering in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment and generating an alert for evacuator device (for example a hand-held device) which is in possession of evacuation personnel. Here, when the evacuator device receives the alert and activates the alert on the evacuator device, it enables selective access to the multiple real-time access routes in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the alert for the evacuator device is generated based on the real time location of the evacuation personnel and wherein the plurality of real-time access routes in the configured data model is automatically updated based on the real time location of the evacuation personnel.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes determining at least one realtime access route from the plurality of real-time access routes to reach the occupant is blocked. The method also includes determining at least one alternate real-time access route to reach the occupant and updating the configured data model with the at least one alternate real-time access route in the AR environment. In one or more embodiments, the at least one alternate real-time access route is determined based on a real time location of the occupant and a real time location of the evacuation personnel.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the alert when activated on the evacuator device superimposes a plurality of real-time parameters in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of real-time parameters comprises indication of thermal attributes of various portions of the building premises, a real time location of the evacuation personnel within the building premises and an approximate time duration required for the evacuation personnel to reach a nearest occupant.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the evacuator device automatically switches to operate in the AR environment when the alert is activated on the evacuator device.

[0018] The object of the present disclosure is also achieved by a system for managing evacuation of occupant from a building premise. The system includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor which includes instructions. When the processor executes the instructions, it configures the processor to receive a data model of the building premise and determine a plurality of real-time access routes available to reach the occupant situated at the building premise based on the data model and a real-time location of occupant device in possession of the occupant. Further, it configures the processor to configure the data model based on the real-time access routes for rendering in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment and generate an alert for evacuator device in possession of evacuation personnel. The alert when activated on the evacuator device enables selective access to the plurality of real-time access routes in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.

[0019] The object of the present disclosure is further achieved by a computer program code which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out steps of the aforementioned method. The object of the present disclosure is further achieved by a computer program product comprising computer program code which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out steps of the aforementioned method.

[0020] Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosure are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the disclosure. The disclosure is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details may be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

[0021] A more complete appreciation of the present disclosure and many of the attendant aspects thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings:

[0022] FIG 1 is a flowchart representation of a method for managing evacuation of an occupant from a building premise, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG 2 is a block diagram representation of a system for managing the evacuation of the occupant from the building premise, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG 3 is an exemplary depiction of a method of managing the evacuation, in accordance with existing art;

[0025] FIG 4 is an exemplary depiction of a 2-dimensional (2D) floor plan with indication of static access routes, in accordance with existing art;

[0026] FIG 5 is a flowchart representation of the method for managing the evacuation from the building premise, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG 6A-6C is an exemplary depiction of AR based access routes indicated on evacuator device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG 7 is a flowchart representation of the method for managing the evacuation from the building premise at system end, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0028] FIG 8 is a flowchart representation of the method for managing the evacuation from the building premise at evacuator device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Various embodiment-s are described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. It may be evident that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

[0030] Examples of a method, a system, and a computer-program product for managing evacuation of an occupant from a building premise are disclosed herein. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the disclosure. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the disclosure.

[0031] Conventional methods and systems for providing the access routes to the evacuators or the firefighters includes providing a 2D format to them which needs to be studied and understood and then access routes marked on the 2D format or the document needs to be followed to commence rescue operation. This in a critical scenario where the time is ticking and involves risk to lives of occupants stranded become a ridiculously huge draw back and needs to be addressed to be able to save more lives in the shortest possible time. Also, the poor visibility scenario due to the smoke that engulfs the environment due to the fire, the possibility of reading the 2D format or blueprint with the access routes becomes a cumbersome task in itself. In an anxious situation where the evacuators need to reach the stranded occupants as quickly as possible, the use to hard copies or 2D format with access routes is a major pain point. Therefore, with the proposed disclosure providing the 3D model of the building along with the access routes for the firefighters and evacuators in the AR environment on the handheld device is an effective, efficient and a quick solution which ensures that the critical time is spent effectively for conducting the evacuation of the stranded occupants rather than in reading and understanding the access routes marked in a physical document. Therefore, advanced digitalization and the AR based visualization of the access routes increases efficiency of the evacuation process as a whole and improves the ability of the evacuators to provide better evacuation service.

[0032] Referring now to FIG 1 , illustrated is a flowchart of a method (as represented by reference numeral 100) for managing evacuation of occupant from a building premise, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As used herein, evacuation is the process of safely rescuing stranded occupants of the building premise or any locality who may not be able to move to a safe location on their own capacity due to some event like fire, or debris being scattered, water logging, etc. The evacuation is carried on trained experts called evacuators. Throughout the disclosure the term evacuator and firefighter may be used interchangeably and would refer to anyone involved in the evacuation operation. Also, multiple examples may be provided with respect to a fire mishap scenario. However, the proposed disclosure is not limited to the fire mishap scenario alone and may be extended to any disaster where the evacuation needs to be conducted by the evacuators and a data model of the location of the evacuation can be generated or available. This approach includes using the 3D model of the building premises or the location where the evacuation needs to be conducted and configuring it with the access routes. Further, the approach includes rendering the configured 3D model in the AR environment, so that the evacuator can navigate within the building premises using the same. This approach enhances the efficiency of conducting the evacuation with efficient use of the critical time.

[0033] Referring to FIG 2, illustrated is a block diagram of a system 200 for managing the evacuation of the occupant from the building premise, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. It may be appreciated that the system 200 described herein may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processors, or a combination thereof. One or more of the present embodiments may take a form of a computer program product comprising program modules accessible from computer-usable or computer-readable medium storing program code for use by or in connection with one or more computers, processors, or instruction execution system. For the purpose of this description, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any apparatus that may contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The medium may be electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation mediums in and of themselves as signal carriers are not included in the definition of physical computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and optical disk such as compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk read / write, and digital versatile disc (DVD). Both processors and program code for implementing each aspect of the technology may be centralized or distributed (or a combination thereof) as known to those skilled in the art.

[0034] In an example, the system 200 may be embodied as a computer-program product 200 programmed for performing the said purpose. The system 200 may be incorporated in one or more physical packages. By way of example, a physical package includes an arrangement of one or more materials, components, and / or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard) to provide one or more characteristics such as physical strength, conservation of size, and / or limitation of electrical interaction. It is contemplated that in certain embodiments the computing device may be implemented in a single chip. As illustrated, the system 200 includes a communication mechanism such as a bus 202 for passing information among the components of the system 200. The system 200 includes a processor 204 and a memory 206. Herein, the memory 206 is communicatively coupled to the processor 204. In an example, the memory 206 may be embodied as a computer readable medium on which program code sections of a computer program are saved, the program code sections being loadable into and / or executable in a system to make the system 200 execute the steps for performing the said purpose.

[0035] Generally, as used herein, the term “processor” refers to a computational element that is operable to respond to and processes instructions that drive the system 200. Optionally, the processor includes, but is not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set (RISC) microprocessor, an exceptionally long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or any other type of processing circuit. Furthermore, the term “processor” may refer to one or more individual processors, processing devices and various elements associated with a processing device that may be shared by other processing devices. Additionally, the one or more individual processors, processing devices and elements are arranged in various architectures for responding to and processing the instructions that drive the system 200.

[0036] Herein, the memory 206 may be volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. The memory 206 may be coupled for communication with the processor 204. The processor 204 may execute instructions and / or code stored in the memory 206. A variety of computer-readable storage media may be stored in and accessed from the memory 206. The memory 206 may include any suitable elements for storing data and machine-readable instructions, such as read only memory, random access memory, erasable programmable read only memory, electrically erasable programmable read only memory, a hard drive, a removable media drive for handling compact disks, digital video disks, diskettes, magnetic tape cartridges, memory cards, and the like.

[0037] In particular, the processor 204 has connectivity to the bus 202 to execute instructions and process information stored in the memory 206. The processor 204 may include one or more processing cores with each core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores. Alternatively, or in addition, the processor 204 may include one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus 202 to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading. The processor 204 may also be accompanied with one or more specialized components to perform certain processing functions and tasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP), and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). Other specialized components to aid in performing the inventive functions described herein include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) (not shown), one or more controllers (not shown), or one or more other specialpurpose computer chips.

[0038] The system 200 may further include an interface 208, such as a communication interface (with the said terms being interchangeably used) which may enable the system 200 to communicate with other systems for receiving and transmitting information. The communication interface 208 may include a medium (e.g., a communication channel) through which the system 200 communicates with other system. Examples of the communication interface 208 may include, but are not limited to, a communication channel in a computer cluster, a Local Area Communication channel (LAN), a cellular communication channel, a wireless sensor communication channel (WSN), a cloud communication channel, a Metropolitan Area Communication channel (MAN), and / or the Internet. Optionally, the communication interface 208 may include one or more of a wired connection, a wireless network, cellular networks such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G mobile networks, and a Zigbee connection.

[0039] The system 200 also includes a database 210. As used herein, the database 210 is an organized collection of structured data, typically stored in a computer system and designed to be easily accessed, managed, and updated. The database 210 may be in form of a central repository of information that can be queried, analysed, and processed to support various applications and business processes. In the system 200, the database 210 provides mechanisms for storing, retrieving, updating, and deleting data, and typically includes features such as data validation, security, backup and recovery, and data modelling. The database 210 may include data model or 3D model of the building premises. The database 210 may also include the details of the evacuator devices which are involved in the evacuation.

[0040] The system 200 further includes an input device 212 and an output device 214. The input device 212 may take various forms depending on the specific application of the system 200. In an example, the input device 212 may include one or more of a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen display, a microphone, a camera, or any other hardware component that enables the user to interact with the system 200 in the metaverse environment. It is to be understood that, when reference is made in the present disclosure to the term “display” this refers generically either to a display screen on its own or to the screen and an associated housing, drive circuitry and possibly a physical supporting structure, of which all, or part of is provided for displaying information.

[0041] In the present system 200, the processor 204 and accompanying components have connectivity to the memory 206 via the bus 202. The memory 206 includes both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructions that when executed perform the method steps described herein for managing the evacuation of the occupant from the building premise. In particular, the memory 206 includes an evacuation management unit 216 to perform steps for managing the evacuation of the occupant from the building premise. Also, in the system 200, the memory 206 may be configured to store the data associated with or generated by the execution of the inventive steps.

[0042] Referring to FIGS 1 and 2 in combination, the various steps of the method 100 as described hereinafter may be executed in the system 200, or specifically in the processor 204 of the system 200, for - managing the evacuation of the occupant from the building premise. For purposes of the present disclosure, the managing the evacuation of the occupant from the building premise present method 100 is embodied as a configuration algorithm for generating the alert message which provides the access to the plurality of real-time access routes in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment. It may be appreciated that although the method 100 is illustrated and described as a sequence of steps, it may be contemplated that various embodiments of the method 100 may be performed in any order or a combination and need not include all of the illustrated steps.

[0043] In embodiments of the present disclosure, at step 101 , the method 100 includes receiving a data model of the building premise. The data model provides various data items with set relationships between the data items. It includes a physical design of a specific area or location. For example, but not limited to the data model is a Building Information Model (BIM) or a three- dimensional (3D) model of the building. The 3D model of the building premise can include an outdoor 3D model which includes a garden area, parking space, walking track, etc. and an indoor 3D model includes the inner portion of the building such as various floors, rooms in each floor, storage spaces, entry and exit points, hallways, staircases, room layouts, elevators, lounge area, seating facilities, kitchen area, etc. The data model of the building premise is previously stored in the database 210 of the system 200 and may be retrieved when there is a trigger such as a fire alarm.

[0044] In another embodiment, the data model of the building premise may be generated by the system 200 when the data model is not stored in the database 210 of the system 200. However, the generation of the data model may require more attributes such as live video of the premises, 2D model of the building premises, images, live coordinates of the location, etc. Therefore, in the proposed disclosure the system 200 uses data model such as the 3D model of the building premise.

[0045] In embodiments of the present disclosure, at step 102, the method 100 includes determining a plurality of real-time access routes available to reach the occupant situated at the building premise based on the data model and a real-time location of occupant device in possession of the occupant. Here, the access routes are the routes which are to be used by the evacuators to reach a stranded occupant within the building premises. The access routes may not always be an extensively used path. For example, a high-rise building may use elevators on a regular basis, but the access routes may be an unused fire-safety specific stairway.

[0046] The access routes within the building premises may be determined based on the 3D model of the building and the real-time location of occupant device in possession of the occupant. The occupant device in possession of the occupant can be for example but not limited to laptop computers, tablet computers, facsimile machines, mobile phones, non-mobile phones with and / or without displays, three-dimensional (3D) printer, robots, smart phones, Internet phones, Internet appliances, personal digital / data assistants (PDA), two-way pagers, digital cameras, portable game consoles, cable television (CATV), satellite television (SATV) and Internet television set- top boxes, digital televisions including high definition television (HDTV), three-dimensional (3DTV) televisions, wearable devices and other types of devices.

[0047] Here, the real-time location of the occupant device is determined and the same is used to update the access routes on the evacuator device so that that evacuator can reach the nearest stranded occupant. Further, the proposed solution may include updating the real-time location of the occupant based on the real-time location of the evacuator. For example, if the evacuator is on a tenth floor, then the routes leading to the real-time location of the stranded occupants on the tenth floor may be indicated on the evacuator device 600. This will help the evacuator to quickly arrive to help the stranded occupant.

[0048] In embodiments of the present disclosure, at step 103, the method 100 includes configuring the data model based on the real-time access routes for rendering in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment. The proposed disclosure includes configuring or including into the 3D model the determined access routes. This configured 3D model can be rendered in the AR environment. The AR environment allows overlay of computer-generated graphics on a person's view of the real world. The configuration of the access routes into the 3D model allows the user to navigate through the building premises using the access routes to reach the stranded occupants.

[0049] Further, additional data such as for example but not limited to real-time parameters can also be configured into the 3D model so that the same can be rendered in the AR environment when the access routes are provided. The real-time parameters can be for example but not limited to indication of thermal attributes of various portions of the building premises, a real time location of the evacuation personnel within the building premises and an approximate time duration required for the evacuation personnel to reach a nearest occupant, location of fire extinguishers within the building premises, availability of gas masks, location of fire hydrant box, location of a fire door and an emergency evacuation passage, distance to a nearest road, distance to nearest water body, etc. Therefore, in the proposed disclosure the access routes are provided with additional parameters which enables the evacuator to take an informed decision in the evacuation. For example, if the temperature indicated is extremely high and may not be feasible for the evacuator to go through the said temperature then the evacuator may look for alternate access routes to rescue the stranded occupant.

[0050] In embodiments of the present disclosure, at step 104, the method 100 includes generating an alert for the evacuator device 600 in possession of the evacuation personnel. The alert may be sent as for example but not limited to a short message service (SMS), a Multimedia messaging service (MMS), Instant messaging (via internet), Push notifications, In-app messages using an evacuator’s specific mobile application, Rich Communication Services (RCS), an electronic mail (e-mail), etc. This alert message will include a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or a quickresponse code (QR code) which can be used to activate the alert.

[0051] The alert when activated on the evacuator device 600 enables selective access to the real-time access routes in the configured 3D model rendered in the AR environment. The evacuator device 600 automatically switches to operate in the AR environment when the alert is activated and allows navigation through the configured 3D model rendered in the AR environment. Otherwise, the evacuator device 600 operates in a route chart mode displaying a route chart including a portion of the access route adjacent to the evacuator device 600. Further, the alert when activated on the evacuator device 600 superimposes the real-time parameters in the configured 3D model rendered in the AR environment.

[0052] In embodiments of the present disclosure, at step 105, the method 100 includes determining that the real-time access route to reach the occupant is blocked based on various sources of data received by the system 200 such as videos of the location, images, etc. Then, determining an alternate real-time access route to reach the occupant and automatically updating the configured 3D model with the alternate real-time access route in the AR environment. The alternate real-time access route is determined based on the real time location of the occupant and the real time location of the evacuation personnel. Here, the proposed disclosure automatically determines when the primary access route is blocked and determines the alternate access route to reach the stranded occupants. However, there can be another option which allows the evacuator to look for the alternate access routes (not automatically provided by the system 200) in case the evacuator finds that it may not be feasible to use the primary access route for the evacuation.

[0053] Therefore, the proposed disclosure provides the AR based 3D model of the building or facility along with the associated access routes in the AR environment. The 3D model of the building with the access routes in the AR environment provides a 3-dimensional view of the building or the facility with details of how the floor looks from inside along with its hallways, staircases, room layouts etc. This flexibility for the evacuators to view it in their handheld devices in the AR environment and become aware about the exact look and feel of the floors and the rooms along with details like where the staircases, hallways, balconies etc are, and from where the fire alarm has been triggered is of immense importance to save critical time. It provides a real-world orientation to the evacuators on how they can enter the building from the ground floor and navigate through the floor layouts on each floor with the AR access routes and reach the impacted area.

[0054] This eliminates the dependency on having any physically printed 2D floor plans or PDF copies with the access routes and the need to manually figure out details. With the exact location of the evacuators once they are inside the facility based on location data from the evacuator device 600, they can follow the access routes in real time so that they know where exactly they are in the building or facility under very low visibility scenarios due to heavy smoke thereby enabling them to speed up the rescue operations. Additionally, if the primary access route is blocked or inaccessible due to reasons such as objects have fallen in the path and blocked it, or there is high intensity of fire, smoke etc, based on the data from other sources such as the location data, the disclosure can additionally suggest alternative access route to the evacuators to reach the impacted area. Therefore, the proposed solution is extremely useful in conducting swift evacuation operation where the evacuators can just pick their handheld device and rush towards the affected area, as the system 200 automatically sends the alert with the 3D model comprising the access routes which can be accessed in the AR environment which provides a comprehensive and clear picture of the area where the evacuation needs to be conducted.

[0055] FIG 3 is an exemplary depiction of a method of managing the evacuation, in accordance with existing art. Referring to the FIG. 3, the conventional method for managing the evacuation generally is manual which requires the firefighter to use the physical printouts of the building premises to perform the evacuation. At step 302, the incident management system or the surveillance system which includes the fire alarm, etc indicate the occurrence of the fire situation. At step 304, the triggering of the fire alarm automatically generates the print outs of the floor plans with access route printed out on paper. At step 306, the emergency response team or fire fighters will have to collect the physical printouts and use them for traversing through the floors of the building for conducting the evacuation (step 308).

[0056] Therefore, in the existing methods of evacuation the fire fighters will have to spend critical time and effort in relating the floor plans and access routes to the real-world building before commencing the evacuation. In the fire situation, this time called as the golden hour is very crucial in saving possible damages to life and property. As a result, the existing methods may not be effective and efficient enough for managing the evacuation operations. Also, in the fire situation the visibility will be extremely poor due to the smoke that is generated within the building. As a result, the firefighter may not be able to clearly read the printouts which includes the access routes leading to loss of the critical time. FIG 4 is an exemplary depiction of a 2-dimensional (2D) floor plan with indication of static access routes, in accordance with existing art. Referring to the FIG. 4, in conjunction with the FIG. 3, the exemplary depiction of the 2D floor plan or layout map with indication of the static access routes clearly marked in provided. Here the static access routes may be indicated with colour codes as well for better clarity. However, the 2D floor plan with the static access routes does not indicate further details to the evacuator such as the evacuator’s location within the building with respect to the occupants, etc. In a scenario of poor visibility, the evacuator may not be able to read the 2D floor plan clearly and reach the nearest occupants. Also, since the 2D floor plan is a printed document with the static access routes a scenario where the evacuator is conducting search in a floor which has no occupants, cannot be addressed. This may also lead to loss of the crucial rescue time.

[0057] FIG 5 is a flowchart representation of the method for managing the evacuation from the building premise, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to the FIG. 5, the overview of the proposed solution is provided with respect to the scenario of the building being under fire. At step 502, the system 200 is configured with fire standard operating procedure (SOP). At step 504, the system 200 receives the indication of the fire incident and triggers the fire SOP in response to the indication of the fire incident. The 3D model of the building or the BIM model of the building along with the access routes to be rendered in the AR environment is configured in the fire SOP as the QR code or the URL which is triggered by the system 200.

[0058] At step 506, the system 200 instructs an email server to generate and send an alert to the fire- fighter / evacuator’s device 600. This alert will include the QR code or the AR URL to access the 3D model of the building which is under fire along with the indication of the multiple access routes. At step 508, the alert is received by the fire-fighter / evacuator’s device 600. At step 510, the firefighter activates the alert and is able to view the multiple access routes and a 360-degree view of the inside of the building. The fire-fighter can follow the access routes in real-time to reach the impacted area where the strander occupants need to be rescued. FIG 6A-6C is an exemplary depiction of the AR based access routes indicated on the evacuator device 600, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to the FIG. 6A, consider that the alert sent by the system 200 is received by the evacuator device 600, when the system 200 tiggers the fire SOP. When the evacuator activates the alert on the evacuator device 600, the 3D model of the building premises is rendered in the AR environment. Here, 602 indicates the floor of the building in which the fire is triggered from a side A of the building (frontside view). Also, 604 indicates the access route within the building to reach the stranded occupants. However, it may be noted that the exemplary depiction indicates the 3D model of the building rendered in a comprehensive manner and not with respect to any specific evacuator device 600.

[0059] The proposed solution can be customized for each of the evacuator device 600 based on the realtime location of the evacuator device 600. For example, consider that the evacuator device 600 is currently located on third floor of the building and the evacuator is tasked with evacuating the stranded occupants on the floors above the third floor. Then, the system 200 identifies the realtime location of the evacuator device 600 and configures the 3D model with access routes which are required to access the floors above the third floor of the building. As a result, the evacuator on the third floor is able to view the access routes required to approach the tasked floors. Similarly, if the evacuator on the third floor is tasked to rescue the stranded occupants on the second floor, then the alert sent to the evacuator device 600 is accordingly provided. Therefore, the proposed method ensures swift and efficient evacuation.

[0060] Further, the system 200 in proposed disclosure can also identify the real-time location of the occupant devices which are in the vicinity of the evacuator device 600 and provide the details of the location of the occupant devices on the 3D model configured to be rendered on the AR environment. As a result, there may be floors with no occupants and in such scenario the evacuator or the firefighter may not have to spend the critical time looking for stranded occupants. FIG. 6B indicates the access routes (606) marked in the 3D model within the AR environment which the firefighters can navigate and explore virtually to gain a complete understanding of their rescue operation. Once they enter the building, they can follow the access routes in the real time.

[0061] FIG. 6C indicates side B of the building (backside view). Consider a scenario where the evacuator may not be able to use the primary access route due to blockage of debris, etc. In such scenario the system 200 identifies that the primary access route to reach the stranded occupants is blocked and identify the alternate access routes to reach the stranded occupants. Here, 608 indicates the alternate access routes from the side B of the building, suggested to the firefighters in the 3D model of the building rendered in the AR environment. This is done based on the real-time location of the firefighters.

[0062] FIG 7 is a flowchart representation of the method for managing the evacuation from the building premise at system end, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to the FIG. 7, at step 702, the fire SOPs are initially preconfigured in the system 200. Consider a fire incident has occurred in the building. At step 704, the system 200 identifies that the fire alarm is triggered when there is an incident of fire and at step 706, the system 200 receives the BIM model of the building to be configured in the AR environment. At step 708, the system 200 triggers the fire SOP based on the input received in steps 704. In response to the fire SOP being triggered, at step 710, the system 200 sends the alert or email including the AR URL or the QR code to the evacuator device 600.

[0063] At step 712, the evacuator device 600 allows the user to navigate in the 3D model rendered in the AR environment. Further, the system 200 receives the location information from the evacuator device 600 (at step 714) and the data from various sources such as videos, access, BMS (at step 716) and is merged to identify that the main access route to the stranded occupants is blocked and it would not be possible for the evacuator to traverse through that route to reach the stranded occupant. Hence based on the inputs the system 200 determines the alternate access routes to reach the stranded occupant and updates the 3D model rendered in the AR environment of the evacuator device 600. FIG 8 is a flowchart representation of the method for managing the evacuation from the building premise at the evacuator device 600, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to the FIG. 8, at step 802, the evacuator device 600 receives the alert or the email from the system 200. The alert will include the QR code, or the URL embedded into the same. The evacuator can either scan the QR code or open the URL to activate the alert in the evacuator device 600. At step 804, the evacuator device 600 displays the realtime access routes in the configured 3D model which is then rendered in the AR environment. Further, at step 806, the evacuator can view the building premises along with the access routes provided in the 3D in the AR environment, identify the access routes virtually and follow it in realtime to commence the rescue operation and the firefighting.

[0064] Therefore, with the proposed disclosure providing the 3D model of the building along with the access routes for the firefighters and evacuators in the AR environment on the handheld device 600 becomes a very efficient solution for the existing problem where multiple floor plans in the 2D format needs to be studied and understood and then access routes marked on the 2D format or the document needs to be followed to commence rescue operations. This costs the critical time and effort of the firefighters and evacuators. Additionally, based on the real time location data and the data from other sources such as the videos, alternative access routes can be displayed, which can help speed up the evacuation process saving critical time to save lives. This level of advanced digitalization and AR based visualization increases efficiency of the incident management I danger management I fire management systems 200 and improves their performance significantly from an end user’s perspective.

[0065] While the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain embodiments, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to those embodiments. In view of the present disclosure, many modifications and variations would be present themselves, to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, as described herein. The scope of the present disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes, modifications, and variations coming within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be considered within their scope.

[0066] Bezugszeichenliste method 100 step 101 step 102 step 103 step 104 step 105 system 200 bus 202 processor 204 memory 206 interface 208 database 210 input device 212 output device 214 testcases management unit 216 step 302 step 304 step 306 step 308 static access routes 402 step 502 step 504 step 506 step 508 step 510 evacuator device 600 floor of building on fire 602 real-time access routes 604, 606 alternate access routes 608 step 702 step 704 step 706 step 708 step 710 step 712 step 714 step 716 step 718 step 802 step 804 step 806

Claims

PATENTANSPRUCHE / PATENT CLAIMS1. A method for managing evacuation of occupant from a building premise, the method comprising: receiving a data model of the building premise; determining a plurality of real-time access routes (604, 606) available to reach the occupant situated at the building premise based on the data model and a real-time location of occupant device in possession of the occupant; characterized by: configuring the data model based on the real-time access routes (604, 606) for rendering in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment; and generating an alert for evacuator device (600) in possession of evacuation personnel, wherein the alert when activated on the evacuator device (600) enables selective access to the plurality of real-time access routes (604, 606) in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alert for the evacuator device (600) is generated based on the real time location of the evacuation personnel and wherein the plurality of real-time access routes (604, 606) in the configured data model is automatically updated based on the real time location of the evacuation personnel.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: determining at least one real-time access route from the plurality of real-time access routes (604, 606) to reach the occupant is blocked; determining at least one alternate real-time access route (608) to reach the occupant; and updating the configured data model with the at least one alternate real-time access route (608) in the AR environment.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one alternate real-time access route (608) is determined based on a real time location of the occupant and a real time location of the evacuation personnel.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alert when activated on the evacuator device (600) superimposes a plurality of real-time parameters in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plurality of real-time parameters comprises indication of thermal attributes of various portions of the building premises, a real time location of the evacuation personnel within the building premises and an approximate time duration required for the evacuation personnel to reach a nearest occupant.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evacuator device (600) automatically switches to operate in the AR environment when the alert is activated on the evacuator device (600) and allows navigation through the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.

8. A system (200) for managing evacuation of occupant from a building premise, the system (200) comprising: a processor (204); and a memory (206) coupled to the processor (204), wherein the memory (206) comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor (204), configures the processor (204) to: receive a data model of the building premise; determine a plurality of real-time access routes (604, 606) available to reach the occupant situated at the building premise based on the data model and a real-time location of occupant device in possession of the occupant; characterized by: configure the data model based on the real-time access routes (604, 606) for rendering in an Augmented Reality (AR) environment; and generate an alert for evacuator device (600) in possession of evacuation personnel, wherein the alert when activated on the evacuator device (600) enables selective access to the plurality of real-time access routes (604, 606) in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the evacuator device (600) is configured to superimpose a plurality of real-time parameters in the configured data model rendered in the AR environment when the alert is activated on the evacuator device (600).

10. The system as claimed in claim 8 or in claim 9, wherein the evacuator device (600) is configured to automatically switch to operate in the AR environment when the alert is activated on the evacuator device (600) to enable navigation through the configured data model rendered in the AR environment.11 . The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the alert for the evacuator device (600) is generated based on the real time location of the evacuation personnel and wherein the plurality of real-time access routes (604, 606) in the configured data model is automatically updated based on the real time location of the evacuation personnel.

12. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of real-time parameters comprises indication of thermal attributes of various portions of the building premises, a real time location of the evacuation personnel within the building premises and an approximate time duration required for the evacuation personnel to reach a nearest occupant.

13. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor (204) is configured to: determine at least one real-time access route from the plurality of real-time access routes(604, 606) to reach the occupant is blocked; determine at least one alternate real-time access route (608) to reach the occupant, based on a real time location of the occupant and a real time location of the evacuation personnel; and update the configured data model with the at least one alternate real-time access route (608) in the AR environment.

14. A computer program product, comprising computer program code which, when executed by a processor (204), cause the processor (204) to carry out the method (100) of one of the claims 1 to 7.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising a computer program product comprising computer program code which, when executed by a processor (204), cause the processor (204) to carry out the method (100) of one of the claims 1 to 7.

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