Systems and methods for event-based sensor activation and operation

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods of a novel framework for automatically and dynamically recommending exit routes within / from a location during an emergency. In some embodiments, the framework can additionally, or in the alternative, provide first responders audible and / or visible indicators as to the current location and / or direction of individuals within a location. The disclosed framework, therefore, can analyze collected sensor information from a location, inclusive of smoke detector triggers and current positioning of people / pets within a location, and compile a dynamically updateable set of instructions for which such sensors can audibly and / or visibly output instructions for such people to escape to safety.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EVENT-BASED SENSOR ACTIVATION AND OPERATIONCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 650,177 filed May 21, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure is generally related to location-based safety measures, and more particularly, to a decision intelligence (Dl)-based computerized framework that automatically and dynamically activates a set of devices within a location in response to a detected event that enables a safe and efficient exit to safetyBACKGROUND

[0003] Conventional smoke detectors are devices within a location that sense smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Smoke detectors, also known as smoke alarms, generally issue an audible or visual alarm.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] Conventional smoke detectors are focused on alerting individuals within a location as to an occurrence of fire. That is, such smoke detectors simply alert people within a location that the detector itself has detected a fire.

[0005] To that end, as discussed herein, disclosed are computerized systems and methods that provide a novel framework for automatically and dynamically determining and recommending exit routes within / from a location during (or in response to) an event (e.g., an emergency, such as a fire, for example).

[0006] As discussed herein, a location can be any type of building, structure or definable phy sical, geographic location, such as, but not limited to, a home, office, patio, garage, and the like.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the disclosed framework can detect that an event is occurring at location (e.g., a fire), and based on advanced computational analysis of the information related to the event, the location, living things (e.g., people / pets) within / around the location, among other variables (e.g., which can include, but are not limited to, thermalconditions at the location, sprinkler system capabilities at the location, air quality, types of gases, concentration of smoke, materials of ceilings, floors and walls at the location, and the like) can determine a real-time exit route for the living things within the location.

[0008] In some embodiments, information related to the exit route can be output by at least one smoke detector and / or devices positioned within the location (e g., sensors, lights, and the like, as discussed below). In some embodiments, such output can involve, but are not limited to. a visible display, audible output, and / or haptic effect, among other types of outputs. For example, in the event that smoke and / or a fire is detected by a smoke alarm, the disclosed framework can identify and trigger smart connected lights that can be actuated to flash by the smart alarm to indicate that an alarm is present. Among other benefits, this can allow people that are deaf to be made aware that there is an alarm present. Additionally, the lights can be flashed to make a sequential pattern leading to the exits of the location. This can also aid people in the event that the smoke is dense and limiting audible and / or visual indicators. In some embodiments, such lights (and / or other devices with lighting elements, for example) may be controlled via wireless protocol by the smoke alarm directly and / or by an intermediate device such as a security system panel.

[0009] Accordingly, the disclosed framework can effectuate an accurate and up-to-date reflection of the safety conditions at a location so as to enable the most safe and quickest exit from an emergency. The disclosed framework, therefore, can analyze collected sensor information from a location, inclusive of smoke detector triggers and current positioning of people / pets within a location, and compile a dynamically updateable set of instructions for which such sensors and / or devices can audibly and / or visibly output instructions for such people to escape to safety.

[0010] It should be understood that while the discussion herein focuses on smoke detectors and detection of smoke and / or fire related hazards, it should be construed as limiting, as other types of hazardous conditions and / or emergency event within / around a location can be the basis of the disclosed framework’s operation without departing from the scope of the instant disclosure (e.g., carbon monoxide detection, intruder detection, and the like).

[0011] According to some embodiments, a method is disclosed that automatically and dynamically activates a set of devices within a location in response to a detected event that enables a safe and efficient exit to safety. In accordance with some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for carrying out the above-mentioned technical steps of the framework’s functionality. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium has tangibly stored thereon, or tangibly encoded thereon, computer readable instructions that when executed by a device cause at least one processor to perform a method that automatically and dynamically activates a set of devices within a location in response to a detected event that enables a safe and efficient exit to safety.

[0012] In accordance with one or more embodiments, a system is provided that includes one or more processors and / or computing devices configured to provide functionality in accordance with such embodiments. In accordance with one or more embodiments, functionality is embodied in steps of a method performed by at least one computing device. In accordance with one or more embodiments, program code (or program logic) executed by a processor(s) of a computing device to implement functionality in accordance with one or more such embodiments is embodied in, by and / or on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description of embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of the disclosure:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example configuration within which the systems and methods disclosed herein could be implemented according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of an exemplary' system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary workflow according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary implementation of an architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary implementation of an architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0019] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device showing an example of a client or server device used in various embodiments of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of non-limiting illustration, certain example embodiments. Subject matter may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and. therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any example embodiments set forth herein; example embodiments are provided merely to be illustrative. Likewise, a reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Among other things, for example, subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. Accordingly, embodiments may. for example, take the form of hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof (other than software per se). The following detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0021] Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrase "‘in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase “in another embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter include combinations of example embodiments in whole or in part.

[0022] In general, terminology may be understood at least in part from usage in context. For example, terms, such as “and”, “or”, or “and / or,” as used herein may include a variety of meanings that may depend at least in part upon the context in which such terms are used. Typically, “or” if used to associate a list, such as A, B or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, here used in the inclusive sense, as well as A. B or C, here used in the exclusive sense. In addition, the term “one or more” as used herein, depending at least in part upon context, may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense or may be used to describe combinations of features, structures or characteristics in a plural sense. Similarly, terms, such as “a,” “an,” or “the,” again, may be understood to convey a singular usage or to convey a plural usage, depending at least in part upon context. In addition, the term “based on” may be understood as not necessarily intended to convey an exclusive set of factors and may, instead, allow7for existence of additional factors not necessarily expressly described, again, depending at least in part on context.

[0023] The present disclosure is described below with reference to block diagrams and operational illustrations of methods and devices. It is understood that each block of the block diagrams or operational illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams or operational illustrations, can be implemented by means of analog or digital hardware and computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer to alter its function as detailed herein, a special purpose computer, ASIC, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, implement the functions / acts specified in the block diagrams or operational block or blocks. In some alternate implementations, the functions / acts noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality / acts involved.

[0024] For the purposes of this disclosure a non-transitory computer readable medium (or computer-readable storage medium / media) stores computer data, which data can include computer program code (or computer-executable instructions) that is executable by a computer, in machine readable form. By way of example, and not limitation, a computer readable medium may include computer readable storage media, for tangible or fixed storage of data, or communication media for transient interpretation of code-containing signals. Computer readable storage media, as used herein, refers to physical or tangible storage (as opposed to signals) and includes without limitation volatile and non-volatile, removable and nonremovable media implemented in any method or technology for the tangible storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer readable storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM. ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, optical storage, cloud storage, magnetic storage devices, or any other physical or material medium which can be used to tangibly store the desired information or data or instructions and which can be accessed by a computer or processor.

[0025] For the purposes of this disclosure the term ‘'server” should be understood to refer to a service point which provides processing, database, and communication facilities. By way of example, and not limitation, the term “server” can refer to a single, physical processor with associated communications and data storage and database facilities, or it can refer to a networked or clustered complex of processors and associated network and storage devices, aswell as operating software and one or more database systems and application software that support the services provided by the server. Cloud servers are examples.

[0026] For the purposes of this disclosure a “network” should be understood to refer to a network that may couple devices so that communications may be exchanged, such as between a server and a client device or other types of devices, including between wireless devices coupled via a wireless network, for example. A network may also include mass storage, such as network attached storage (NAS), a storage area network (SAN), a content delivery network (CDN) or other forms of computer or machine-readable media, for example. A network may include the Internet, one or more local area networks (LANs), one or more wide area networks (WANs), wire-line type connections, wireless type connections, cellular or any combination thereof. Likewise, sub-networks, which may employ differing architectures or may be compliant or compatible with differing protocols, may interoperate within a larger network.

[0027] For purposes of this disclosure, a “wireless network” should be understood to couple client devices with a network. A wireless network may employ stand-alone ad-hoc netw orks, mesh networks, Wireless LAN (WLAN) networks, cellular networks, or the like. A wireless network may further employ a plurality of network access technologies, including Wi-Fi, Long Term Evolution (LTE), WLAN, Wireless Router mesh, or 2nd, 3rd, 4thor 5thgeneration (2G, 3G. 4G or 5G) cellular technology, mobile edge computing (MEC), Bluetooth, 802.1 Ib / g / n, or the like. Network access technologies may enable wide area coverage for devices, such as client devices with varying degrees of mobility, for example.

[0028] In short, a wireless network may include virtually any type of wireless communication mechanism by which signals may be communicated betw een devices, such as a client device or a computing device, between or within a network, or the like.

[0029] A computing device may be capable of sending or receiving signals, such as via a wired or wireless network, or may be capable of processing or storing signals, such as in memory as physical memory states, and may, therefore, operate as a server. Thus, devices capable of operating as a server may include, as examples, dedicated rack-mounted servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, set top boxes, integrated devices combining various features, such as two or more features of the foregoing devices, or the like.

[0030] For purposes of this disclosure, a client (or user, entity, subscriber or customer) device may include a computing device capable of sending or receiving signals, such as via a wired or a wireless network. A client device may, for example, include a desktop computer or a portable device, such as a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a display pager, a radio frequency(RF) device, an infrared (IR) device a Near Field Communication (NFC) device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, a tablet computer, a phablet, a laptop computer, a set top box, a wearable computer, smart watch, an integrated or distributed device combining various features, such as features of the forgoing devices, or the like.

[0031] A client device may vary in terms of capabilities or features. Claimed subject matter is intended to cover a wide range of potential variations, such as a web-enabled client device or previously mentioned devices may include a high-resolution screen (HD or 4K for example), one or more physical or virtual keyboards, mass storage, one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, global positioning system (GPS) or other location-identifying type capability, or a display with a high degree of functionality, such as a touch-sensitive color 2D or 3D display, for example.

[0032] Certain embodiments and principles will be discussed in more detail with reference to the figures. With reference to FIG. 1, a system is depicted for a location 100 which includes smoke detector(s) 102, user equipment (UE) 112 (e.g., a client device, as mentioned above and discussed below in relation to FIG. 10), sensors 110, network 104, cloud system 106, database 108 and alarm engine 200. It should be understood that while system 100 is depicted as including such components, it should not be constmed as limiting, as one of ordinary7skill in the art would readily understand that vary ing numbers of smoke detectors, UEs, sensors, cloud systems, databases and networks can be utilized; however, for purposes of explanation, system 1 0 is discussed in relation to the example depiction in FIG. 1.

[0033] According to some embodiments, smoke detector 102 can be configured to provide audible, visible and haptic output, or some combination thereof, regarding an exit direction for a person fleeing a location. In some embodiments, the smoke detector 102 can be specifically configured with audio, visual and / or haptic components that enable the recommendations of the exit direction, as discussed below at least in relation to FIG. 3. For example, in some embodiments, the smoke detector 102 can be configured with an array of lights or light emitting diodes (LEDs), which can be configured in any shape and / or size. The configuration of the lights / LEDs enables illumination of at least a portion of the lights so as to enable an arrow or directional indication to be provided on the smoke detector 102. In some embodiments, all of the lights / LEDs of the smoke detector 102 may' be illuminated, but the lights / LEDs associated with the directional output may be illuminated at a higher brightness (e.g., higher watts to such bulbs, for example).

[0034] In some embodiments, the smoke detector 102 can also be configured with at least one siren or speaker that can enable audible instructions to be output along the exit route. For example, a siren noise, and / or directional instruction can be provided (e.g., “walk forward until the staircase, and walk 2 flights down the stairs,” “be careful of fallen debris,” “crawl through this area due to smoke,” and the like). Accordingly, the audio can account for the real-time conditions in the location, for which instructions can be dynamically based. Indeed, the visible output of the lights / LEDs can be specifically configured to adapt to the real-time conditions, where the illuminated lights / LEDs can provide indications (e.g., a craw-ling image, a stair case, a smoke image, and the like) of the current conditions / surroundings / dangers, as discussed below.

[0035] In a similar manner to the audio and visible output, haptic effects can be provided, which may enable visibly and / or audibly impaired individuals within the location.

[0036] In some embodiments, the smoke detector 102 can also provide instructions not only to the people fleeing the location, but also to first responders (e.g., Fire Department personnel, for example). For example, the lights / LEDs and / or audio output can provide instructions to the current location and / or directional movement of the people in the building.

[0037] In some embodiments, the smoke detector 102 can provide exit instructions and personfinding instructions on a partitioned or modified display, so as to enable people to exit while aiding first responders to find such people. For example. ! of the display can provide instructions for the people exiting, while the other !4 provides first responders information. In some embodiments, different colors, different sounds, alternating instructions (e.g., displays and / or instructions), and the like, can be utilized so as to enable instructions for all parties within a location during an emergency.

[0038] Accordingly, while the discussion herein uses a smoke detector as an example of the audio, visible and / or haptic output, it should not be construed as limiting, as any of the UE 112 and / or sensors 110 discussed herein can be specifically configured in a similar manner without departing from the scope of the instant disclosure.

[0039] According to some embodiments, UE 112 can be any type of device, such as, but not limited to, a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, sensor, Internet of Things (loT) device, autonomous machine, and any other device equipped with a cellular or wireless or wired transceiver. In some embodiments, UE 112 can be a device associated with an individual (or set of individuals) for which security and / or climate control services are being provided. In some embodiments, UE 112 may correspond to a device of a security and / or climate service provider entity (e.g.. athermostat, whereby the device can be and / or can have corresponding sensors 110, as discussed herein).

[0040] In some embodiments, a peripheral device (not shown) can be connected to UE 112, and can be any type of peripheral device, such as, but not limited to, a wearable device (e.g., smart w atch), printer, speaker, sensor, and the like. In some embodiments, a peripheral device can be any type of device that is connectable to UE 112 (and / or sensor 110 and / or smoke detector 102) via any type of known or to be known pairing mechanism, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth™, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), NFC, and the like.

[0041] According to some embodiments, sensors 110 can correspond to sensors associated with a location of system 100. In some embodiments, the sensors 110 can be, but are not limited to, temperature sensors (e.g., thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), thermistors, semiconductor based integrated circuits (IC), thermometers, and the like, for example) cameras, glass break detectors, motion detectors, door and window contacts, heat and smoke detectors, carbon monoxide (CO) and / or carbon dioxide (CO2) detectors, passive infrared (PIR) sensors, time-of-flight (ToF) sensors, and the like. For example, sensor 110 can be a smoke detector similar to smoke detector 102.

[0042] In some embodiments, the sensors 110 can involve an loT environment and / or be associated with devices associated with the location of system 100, such as, for example, lights, smart locks, garage doors, smart appliances (e.g., thermostat, refrigerator, television, personal assistants (e.g., Alexa®, Nest®, for example)), smart phones, smart watches or other wearables, tablets, personal computers, and the like, and some combination thereof. For example, the sensors 110 can include the sensors on UE 112 (e.g., smart phone) and / or peripheral device (e.g.. a paired smart watch).

[0043] In some embodiments, network 104 can be any type of network, such as. but not limited to, a wireless network, cellular network, the Internet, and the like (as discussed above). Netw ork 104 facilitates connectivity of the components of system 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0044] According to some embodiments, cloud system 106 may be any type of cloud operating platform and / or network based system upon which applications, operations, and / or other forms of network resources may be located. For example, system 106 may be a service provider and / or network provider from w here services and / or applications may be accessed, sourced or executed from. For example, system 106 can represent the cloud-based architecture associated with a security and / or climate-control system provider, which has associated network resourceshosted on the internet or private network (e.g., network 104), which enables (via engine 200) the security management discussed herein.

[0045] In some embodiments, cloud system 106 may include a server(s) and / or a database of information which is accessible over network 104. In some embodiments, a database 108 of cloud system 106 may store a dataset of data and metadata associated with local and / or network information related to a user(s) of UE 112 / detector 102 and the UE 112 / detector 102, sensors 110, and the services and applications provided by cloud system 106 and / or alarm engine 200.

[0046] In some embodiments, for example, cloud system 106 can provide a private / proprietary management platform, whereby engine 200, discussed infra, corresponds to the novel functionality system 106 enables, hosts and provides to a network 104 and other devices / platforms operating thereon.

[0047] Turning to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the exemplary computer-based systems / platforms, the exemplary computer-based devices, and / or the exemplary computer- based components of the present disclosure may be specifically configured to operate in a cloud computing / architecture 106 such as, but not limiting to: infrastructure a service (laaS) 510, platform as a service (PaaS) 508, and / or software as a service (SaaS) 506 using a web browser, mobile app, thin client, terminal emulator or other endpoint 504. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate schematics of non-limiting implementations of the cloud computing / architecture(s) in which the exemplary computer-based systems for administrative customizations and control of network-hosted APIs of the present disclosure may be specifically configured to operate.

[0048] Turning back to FIG. 1, according to some embodiments, database 108 may correspond to a data storage for a platform (e.g., a network hosted platform, such as cloud system 106, as discussed supra), a plurality of platforms, and / or UE 112 and / or sensors 110. Database 108 may receive storage instructions / requests from, for example, engine 200 (and associated microservices), which may be in any type of known or to be known format, such as, for example, standard query language (SQL). According to some embodiments, database 108 may correspond to any type of known or to be known storage, for example, a memory or memory stack of a device, a distributed ledger of a distributed network (e.g., blockchain, for example), a look-up table (LUT), and / or any other type of secure data repository.

[0049] Alarm engine 200, as discussed above and further below in more detail, can include components for the disclosed functionality. According to some embodiments, alarm engine 200 may be a special purpose machine or processor, and can be hosted by a device on network 104, within cloud system 106, on UE 1 12, and / or detector 102 (and / or on sensors 110). In someembodiments, engine 200 may be hosted by a server and / or set of servers associated with cloud system 106.

[0050] According to some embodiments, as discussed in more detail below, alarm engine 200 may be configured to implement and / or control a plurality of services and / or microsendees, where each of the plurality' of services / microservices are configured to execute a plurality of workflows associated with performing the disclosed security management. Non-limiting embodiments of such workflows are provided below.

[0051] According to some embodiments, as discussed above, alarm engine 200 may function as an application provided by cloud system 106. In some embodiments, engine 200 may function as an application installed on a server(s), network location and / or other type of network resource associated with system 106. In some embodiments, engine 200 may function as an application installed and / or executing on UE 112 and / or detector 102. In some embodiments, such application may be a web-based application accessed by UE 112, smoke detector 102 and / or devices associated with sensors 110 over network 104 from cloud system 106. In some embodiments, engine 200 may be configured and / or installed as an augmenting script, program or application (e.g., a plug-in or extension) to another application or program provided by cloud system 106 and / or executing on UE 112, sensors 110 and / or smoke detector 102.

[0052] As illustrated in FIG. 2, according to some embodiments, alarm engine 200 includes identification module 202. analysis module 204. determination module 206 and control module 208. It should be understood that the engine(s) and modules discussed herein are non- exhaustive, as additional or fewer engines and / or modules (or sub-modules) may be applicable to the embodiments of the systems and methods discussed. More detail of the operations, configurations and functionalities of engine 200 and each of its modules, and their role within embodiments of the present disclosure will be discussed below.

[0053] Turning to FIG. 3, Process 300 provides non-limiting example embodiments of the disclosed framework for real-time event detection and exit strategy recommendations.

[0054] By way of discussion, according to some embodiments, many smart homes have a degree of interconnectedness between systems and / or devices operating therein (e.g., loT connectivity, for example). For example, such systems can include, but are not limited to, security systems, smoke alarms, lighting systems, entertainment systems, climate systems, and the like. Thus, as based on the disclosed functionality herein, such systems can interact to provide enhanced security for homeowners.

[0055] By way of example, in some embodiments, the disclosed framework provides mechanisms for a smoke alarm system to control the lighting system for enhanced security. In some embodiments, in an event that a smoke alarm is detected (or the alarm is triggered), smart connected lights can be actuated to flash to indicate that an alarm is present. Moreover, in some embodiments, the lights can be caused to flashed, turn on / off and / or illuminate and / or deilluminate at certain rates and / or frequencies, which, in some embodiments, can correspond to a sequential pattern leading to the exits of the location. As discussed herein, the lights may be controlled via wireless protocol by the smoke alarm directly and / or by an intermediate device such as a security system panel.

[0056] Accordingly, while the discussion herein will focus on a smoke alarm / smoke alarm system controlling lighting at a location (e.g.. home, for example), it should not be construed as limiting, as one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the disclosed systems and methods can be utilized for other systems and / or to control other loT systems without departing from the scope of the instant disclosure. For example, the smoke alarm system can control connected media so that blind users (or people in general, where the smoke from the fire has rendered visibility low) can navigate via sounds from speakers around the home.

[0057] According to some embodiments, Steps 302 and 316 can be performed by identification module 202 of alarm engine 200; Steps 304 and 310 can be performed by analysis module 204; Steps 306, 308 and 314 can be performed by determination module 206; and Steps 312 and 318 can be performed by control module 208.

[0058] According to some embodiments, Process 300 begins with Step 302 where engine 200 can receive sensor information from at least one sensor at the location. For example, as discussed above at least in relation to FIG. 1, a smoke detector 102 can detect smoke within a room at a home.

[0059] In some embodiments, the sensor information received in Step 302 can be collected according to a criteria, which can be in accordance with, but not limited to, a time period, a time interval, a detected event, continuously, a user request, and the like, or some combination thereof.

[0060] In Step 304, engine 200 can analyze the collected sensor information. In some embodiments, the sensor information can be parsed, whereby data and / or metadata related to a detected event can be identified and / or extracted from the data. For example, fire event information can be identified, which can be related to, but not limited to, position within the location (e.g., which room, which floor, and the like), spread of fire, thermal conditions, numberof people in the location, types or identities of people, current movement direction of each person, number and types of pets (and / or plants), location and quantity of flammable materials, air quality, fire intensity, other detect gas measurements, and the like, or some combination thereof.

[0061] Thus, in Step 306, engine 200 can determine information related to the hazardous condition (e.g., where the fire is located, the fire’s span and / or spread in the location, its movement direction, its heat intensity, amount of smoke, and the like); and in Step 308, engine 200 can determine where the people (and pets) in the location are located, how many there are, and their types (e.g., height, weight, ages, for example). In some embodiments, Steps 306 and 308 can be performed in a single operational step by engine 200; and, in some embodiments, Steps 306 and 308 can be performed in any operational order.

[0062] In some embodiments, engine 200 can implement any type of known or to be known computational analysis technique, algorithm, mechanism or technology to perform the analysis and determination in Steps 304-308.

[0063] In some embodiments, engine 200 may include a specific trained artificial intelligence I machine learning model (AI / ML), a particular machine learning model architecture, a particular machine learning model type (e.g., convolutional neural network (CNN), recurrent neural netw ork (RNN), autoencoder, support vector machine (SVM), and the like), or any other suitable definition of a machine learning model or any suitable combination thereof.

[0064] In some embodiments, engine 200 may be configured to utilize one or more Al / ML techniques chosen from, but not limited to, computer vision, feature vector analysis, decision trees, boosting, support-vector machines, neural networks, nearest neighbor algorithms, Naive Bayes, bagging, random forests, logistic regression, and the like. By way of a non-limiting example, engine 200 can implement an XGBoost algorithm for regression and / or classification to analyze the sensor data, as discussed herein.

[0065] According to some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, a neural network technique may be one of, without limitation, feedforward neural network, radial basis function network, recurrent neural network, convolutional network (e.g., U-net) or other suitable network. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, an implementation of Neural Network may be executed as follows: a. define N eural N et work architecture / model , b. transfer the input data to the neural netw ork model.c. train the model incrementally, d. determine the accuracy for a specific number of timesteps, e. apply the trained model to process the newly-received input data, f. optionally and in parallel, continue to train the trained model with a predetermined periodicity.

[0066] In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, the trained neural network model may specify a neural network by at least a neural network topology, a series of activation functions, and connection weights. For example, the topology7of a neural netw ork may include a configuration of nodes of the neural network and connections between such nodes. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, the trained neural network model may also be specified to include other parameters, including but not limited to, bias values / functions and / or aggregation functions. For example, an activation function of a node may be a step function, sine function, continuous or piecewise linear function, sigmoid function, hyperbolic tangent function, or other type of mathematical function that represents a threshold at which the node is activated. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below-, the aggregation function may be a mathematical function that combines (e.g., sum, product, and the like) input signals to the node. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, an output of the aggregation function may be used as input to the activation function. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any' embodiment described above or below, the bias may be a constant value or function that may be used by the aggregation function and / or the activation function to make the node more or less likely to be activated.

[0067] In some embodiments, the determined information from Step 306 and Step 308 can be stored in database 108, as discussed above.

[0068] In Step 310, engine 200 can analyze the determined information from Step 306 and Step 308, which can be effectuated via any of the known or to be known AI / ML model techniques discussed above.

[0069] In Step 312, based on a computational and comparative analysis of the hazardous condition and person information from Step 310, in some embodiments, engine 200 can cause a device to emit a notification. They notification can be a native output to the device (siren, for example). For example, the device can be smoke detector 102, which can emit an audible and / or visual signal to indicate that a fire and / or fire-related smoke has been detected. In anotherexample, the device can be a smart phone of a user (e.g., UE 102), whereby the user can receive an alert (e.g., SMS or other type of known or to be known notification) that indicates a fire within the location, and the position of such fire within the location.

[0070] In Step 314, also based on a computational and comparative analysis of the hazardous condition and person information from Step 310, engine 200 can determine an exit route from the location for each person.

[0071] For example, if the fire is located at a door way to a stairwell on the north side of the building on the second floor, and a person is near that location, an exit route from the person’s current location to the stairwell on the south side can be compiled and generated via the determination in Step 314. It should be noted that while only one exit route is discussed, one of skill in the art would recognize that multiple exit routes can be determined, which can be ranked in order of proximity to the user’s current location. Thus, in some embodiments, as discussed infra, the ranked listing can be provided to the user to enable the user to select their preferred route (e.g., avoid steps because they have a bad knee, for example).

[0072] According to some embodiments, the exit route can include specific steps, information and / or movements, which can correspond to specific portions of the location and / or be associated with specific sensors. For example, engine 200 can leverage the AI / ML models (e.g., computer vision technology from camera sensors) to perform segmentation of smoke from fire related hazards (e.g.. a user can walk / run through smoke, but not fire, per se). In another nonlimiting example, engine 200 can leverage thermal information from particular sensors (e.g.. provide information to avoid areas where heat temperatures are beyond a threshold - for example - while no fire or smoke in an area of a location, the path may be on a floor above the fire, thereby causing a dangerous path that may be subject to cave ins). In another non-limiting example, engine 200 can leverage the detection of flammable materials to compile the exit route (e.g., avoid areas of such materials at all cost - for example, avoid an exit from the garage where gas and other combustible materials may be located. And, in yet another non-limiting example, engine 200 differentiate a type of user (e.g., child vs. adult vs. elderly), and optimize their path based on their abilities (and / or their positional relationship to other users (e.g., if a child is near an adult, the child’s path can assimilate to the adults (as the adult may be able to pick them up, for example)).

[0073] In Step 316, engine 200 can locate and / or identify the devices along the determined exit route. For example, such devices can be lighting devices that can be controlled via instructions from engine 200. In some embodiments, such devices can further include smoke detectors 102located along the route determined in Step 314 can be identified. In some embodiments, such identification can involve pinging each sensor so they are primed for reception of additional instructions.

[0074] In Step 318, engine 200 can compile and communicate executable instructions causing each identified device along the exit route to output exit instructions. For example, the device can be configured to display a sequential lighting pattern in connection with other lights in the direction of the route so that the lights indicate that the exit route is in the direction of the sequential routing. For example, if the user is located at X, and exit route is Y, and in between X and Y are three lights A, B, C, Step 318 can cause A to light up (or flash), then B, then C, which provides an indication that the direction of A to C is the direction of Y.

[0075] Thus, the disclosed framework can analyze collected sensor information from a location, inclusive of smoke detector triggers and current positioning of people / pets within a location, and compile a dynamically updateable set of instructions for which such sensors can output instructions for such people to escape to safety.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a client device showing an example embodiment of a client device that may be used within the present disclosure. Client device 600 may include many more or less components than those shown in FIG. 6. However, the components shown are sufficient to disclose an illustrative embodiment for implementing the present disclosure. Client device 600 may represent, for example, UE 112 discussed above at least in relation to FIG. 1.

[0077] As shown in the figure, in some embodiments. Client device 600 includes a processing unit (CPU) 622 in communication with a mass memory' 630 via a bus 624. Client device 600 also includes a power supply 626, one or more network interfaces 650, an audio interface 652, adisplay 654, akeypad 656, an illuminator 658, an input / output interface 660. ahaptic interface 662, an optional global positioning systems (GPS) receiver 664 and a camera(s) or other optical, thermal or electromagnetic sensors 666. Device 600 can include one camera / sensor 666, or a plurality of cameras / sensors 666, as understood by those of skill in the art. Power supply 626 provides power to Client device 600.

[0078] Client device 600 may optionally communicate with a base station (not shown), or directly with another computing device. In some embodiments, network interface 650 is sometimes known as a transceiver, transceiving device, or network interface card (NIC).

[0079] Audio interface 652 is arranged to produce and receive audio signals such as the sound of a human voice in some embodiments. Display 654 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD),gas plasma, light emitting diode (LED), or any other type of display used with a computing device. Display 654 may also include a touch sensitive screen arranged to receive input from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand.

[0080] Keypad 656 may include any input device arranged to receive input from a user. Illuminator 658 may provide a status indication and / or provide light.

[0081] Client device 600 also includes input / output interface 660 for communicating with external. Input / output interface 660 can utilize one or more communication technologies, such as USB, infrared, Bluetooth™, or the like in some embodiments. Haptic interface 662 is arranged to provide tactile feedback to a user of the client device.

[0082] Optional GPS transceiver 664 can determine the phy sical coordinates of Client device 600 on the surface of the Earth, which typically outputs a location as latitude and longitude values. GPS transceiver 664 can also employ other geo-positioning mechanisms, including, but not limited to, triangulation, assisted GPS (AGPS), E-OTD, CI, SAI, ETA, BSS or the like, to further determine the physical location of client device 600 on the surface of the Earth. In one embodiment, however, Client device 600 may through other components, provide other information that may be employed to determine a physical location of the device, including for example, a MAC address, Internet Protocol (IP) address, or the like.

[0083] Mass memory 630 includes a RAM 632, a ROM 634, and other storage means. Mass memory 630 illustrates another example of computer storage media for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Mass memory 630 stores a basic input / output system (‘’BIOS”) 640 for controlling low-level operation of Client device 600. The mass memory also stores an operating system 641 for controlling the operation of Client device 600.

[0084] Memory 630 further includes one or more data stores, which can be utilized by’ Client device 600 to store, among other things, applications 642 and / or other information or data. For example, data stores may be employed to store information that describes various capabilities of Client device 600. The information may then be provided to another device based on any of a variety of events, including being sent as part of a header (e.g., index file of the HLS stream) during a communication, sent upon request, or the like. At least a portion of the capability information may’ also be stored on a disk drive or other storage medium (not shown) within Client device 600.

[0085] Applications 642 may include computer executable instructions which, when executed by Client device 600, transmit, receive, and / or otherwise process audio, video, images, andenable telecommunication with a server and / or another user of another client device. Applications 642 may further include a client that is configured to send, to receive, and / or to otherwise process gaming, goods / services and / or other forms of data, messages and content hosted and provided by the platform associated with engine 200 and its affiliates.

[0086] As used herein, the terms “computer engine’' and “engine’' identify at least one softw are component and / or a combination of at least one software component and at least one hardware component which are designed / programmed / configured to manage / control other software and / or hardware components (such as the libraries, software development kits (SDKs), objects, and the like).

[0087] Examples of hardware elements may include processors, microprocessors, circuits, circuit elements (e.g.. transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, and so forth), integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (PLD), digital signal processors (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), logic gates, registers, semiconductor device, chips, microchips, chip sets, and so forth. In some embodiments, the one or more processors may be implemented as a Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) or Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) processors; x86 instruction set compatible processors, multi-core, or any other microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU). In various implementations, the one or more processors may be dual-core processor(s), dual-core mobile processor(s), and so forth.

[0088] Computer-related systems, computer systems, and systems, as used herein, include any combination of hardware and software. Examples of software may include software components, programs, applications, operating system software, middleware, firmware, software modules, routines, subroutines, functions, methods, procedures, software interfaces, application program interfaces (API), instruction sets, computer code, computer code segments, words, values, symbols, or any combination thereof. Determining whether an embodiment is implemented using hardware elements and / or software elements may vary in accordance with any number of factors, such as desired computational rate, power levels, heat tolerances, processing cycle budget, input data rates, output data rates, memory resources, data bus speeds and other design or performance constraints.

[0089] For the purposes of this disclosure a module is a softw are, hardware, or firmware (or combinations thereof) system, process or functionality, or component thereof, that performs or facilitates the processes, features, and / or functions described herein (with or without human interaction or augmentation). A module can include sub-modules. Softw are components of amodule may be stored on a computer readable medium for execution by a processor. Modules may be integral to one or more servers, or be loaded and executed by one or more servers. One or more modules may be grouped into an engine or an application.

[0090] One or more aspects of at least one embodiment may be implemented by representative instructions stored on a machine-readable medium which represents various logic within the processor, which when read by a machine causes the machine to fabricate logic to perform the techniques described herein. Such representations, known as “IP cores,’’ may be stored on a tangible, machine readable medium and supplied to various customers or manufacturing facilities to load into the fabrication machines that make the logic or processor. Of note, various embodiments described herein may, of course, be implemented using any appropriate hardw are and / or computing software languages (e.g., C++, Objective-C, Swift, Java, JavaScript, Python, Perl, QT, and the like).

[0091] For example, exemplary software specifically programmed in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure may be downloadable from a network, for example, a website, as a stand-alone product or as an add-in package for installation in an existing softw are application. For example, exemplary software specifically programmed in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure may also be available as a client-server software application, or as a web-enabled software application. For example, exemplary software specifically programmed in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure may also be embodied as a software package installed on a hardware device.

[0092] For the purposes of this disclosure the term “user”, “subscriber” “consumer” or “customer” should be understood to refer to a user of an application or applications as described herein and / or a consumer of data supplied by a data provider. By way of example, and not limitation, the term “user” or “subscriber” can refer to a person who receives data provided by the data or sendee provider over the Internet in a brow ser session, or can refer to an automated software application which receives the data and stores or processes the data. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the methods and systems of the present disclosure may be implemented in many manners and as such are not to be limited by the foregoing exemplary embodiments and examples. In other words, functional elements being performed by single or multiple components, in various combinations of hardware and software or firmware, and individual functions, may be distributed among software applications at either the client level or server level or both. In this regard, any number of the features of the different embodimentsdescribed herein may be combined into single or multiple embodiments, and alternate embodiments having fewer than, or more than, all of the features described herein are possible.

[0093] Functionality may also be, in whole or in part, distributed among multiple components, in manners now known or to become known. Thus, myriad software / hardware / firmware combinations are possible in achieving the functions, features, interfaces and preferences described herein. Moreover, the scope of the present disclosure covers conventionally known manners for carrying out the described features and functions and interfaces, as well as those variations and modifications that may be made to the hardware or software or firmware components described herein as would be understood by those skilled in the art now and hereafter.

[0094] Furthermore, the embodiments of methods presented and described as flow charts in this disclosure are provided by way of example in order to provide a more complete understanding of the technology7. The disclosed methods are not limited to the operations and logical flow presented herein. Alternative embodiments are contemplated in which the order of the various operations is altered and in which sub-operations described as being part of a larger operation are performed independently.

[0095] While various embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, such embodiments should not be deemed to limit the teaching of this disclosure to those embodiments. Various changes and modifications may be made to the elements and operations described above to obtain a result that remains within the scope of the systems and processes described in this disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method comprising: collecting, by a device, information related to activity at a location, the activity corresponding to indications of a fire; analyzing, by the device, the collected information; determining, by the device, event information, the event information comprising information related to a position of the fire within the location, the event information further comprising positional information of a person in the location; determining, by the device, based on the event information, an exit route for the person, the exit route comprising a direction from a current position of the person to an exit of the location that avoids the position of the fire; identifying, by the device, a set of devices along the exit route; and causing, by the device, the set of devices to produce an output that indicates the exit route.

2. The method of claim 1. further comprising: triggering the device to output a native output, the native output being at least one of audibly and visibly detectable by the person.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of devices are sequentially caused to produce the output, wherein a first output along the sequence is produced by a device within the set of devices that is closest to the current position of the person, and a last output along the sequence is produced by a device within the set of devices that is closest to the exit of the location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of devices are lighting devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of devices are Internet of Things (loT) devices communicatively connected to the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of devices are configured to output at least one of audible and visual indicators.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event information further comprises information related a spread of the fire, movement of the fire, heat intensity of the fire and amount of smoke related to the fire.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event information further comprises an identity of the person and characteristics of the person.

9. The method of claim 1. wherein the device is a smoke detector.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location comprises a definable physical area for which the device is positioned.

11. A device comprising: a processor configured to: collect information related to activity7at a location, the activity corresponding to indications of a fire; analyze the collected information; determine event information, the event information comprising information related to a position of the fire within the location, the event information further comprising positional information of a person in the location; determine, based on the event information, an exit route for the person, the exit route comprising a direction from a current position of the person to an exit of the location that avoids the position of the fire; identify a set of devices along the exit route; and cause the set of devices to produce an output that indicates the exit route.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to: triggering the device to output a native output, the native output being at least one of audibly and visibly detectable by the person.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the set of devices are sequentially caused to produce the output, wherein a first output along the sequence is produced by a device within the set of devices that is closest to the current position of the person, and a last output along the sequence is produced by a device within the set of devices that is closest to the exit of the location.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the event information further comprises information related a spread of the fire, movement of the fire, heat intensity of the fire and amount of smoke related to the fire.

15. The device of claim 11. wherein the event information further comprises an identity of the person and characteristics of the person.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions that when executed by a device, perform a method comprising: collecting, by the device, information related to activity at a location, the activity corresponding to indications of a fire; analyzing, by the device, the collected information; determining, by the device, event information, the event information comprising information related to a position of the fire within the location, the event information further comprising positional information of a person in the location; determining, by the device, based on the event information, an exit route for the person, the exit route comprising a direction from a current position of the person to an exit of the location that avoids the position of the fire; identifying, by the device, a set of devices along the exit route; and causing, by the device, the set of devices to produce an output that indicates the exit route.

17. The non-transilory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising: triggering the device to output a native output, the native output being at least one of audibly and visibly detectable by the person.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the set of devices are sequentially caused to produce the output, wherein a first output along the sequence is produced by a device within the set of devices that is closest to the current position of the person, and a last output along the sequence is produced by a device within the set of devices that is closest to the exit of the location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the event information further comprises information related a spread of the fire, movement of the fire, heat intensity of the fire and amount of smoke related to the fire.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the event information further comprises an identity of the person and characteristics of the person.

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