Emergency evacuation management system

Abstract

This invention relates to an emergency evacuation management system. In particular, the invention relates to an emergency evacuation management unit and to an emergency evacuation management system. The emergency evacuation management unit includes a manually activatable trigger mechanism for initiating an evacuation; an audible annunciator that emits an audible evacuation alert upon activation; and a visitor coordination unit configured to maintain a record of visitors to a specific site and, upon activation of the trigger mechanism, to generate a list of visitors present at the site. The emergency evacuation management system includes two or more such emergency evacuation management units operatively connected via a wireless communication link, enabling coordinated communication and response across multiple locations.

Description

[0001] EMERGENCY EVACUATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates to an emergency evacuation management system. In particular, the invention relates to an emergency evacuation management unit and to an emergency evacuation management system.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In South Africa all buildings are required to comply with the SANS 10139 for fire safety and SANS 10400 regulations for buildings and equipment comply to the SABS standards.

[0006] Traditionally, fire detection and alarm systems have been associated with high installation costs, the need for skilled labour, expensive and at times unreliable cable installations.

[0007] The inventors identified a need for an emergency evacuation management system that is not arranged as a detection and alarm system but rather as an evacuation management system. This need eliminates the requirement for automatic fire detection and alarm systems and thus allow such systems to be easier to install, less complex to operate and more cost effective to operate.

[0008] The present invention aims to address this need.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an emergency evacuation management unit, which includes a trigger mechanism which is manually activatable by a person to trigger an emergency evacuation; an audible annunciator operable upon activation of the trigger mechanism to emit an audible evacuation notification; a visitor coordination unit, operable to keep a record of visitors to a particular site, and upon triggering of the trigger mechanism to provide a list of visitors at the site when the trigger mechanism has been triggered.

[0011] The audible evacuation notification may be in the form of any one or both of an audible alarm or an audible voice annunciation. The audible annunciator may include a database of pre-recorded messages or a database of text to voice messages, which upon activation, provide evacuation directions in one or more languages. The emergency evacuation management unit may include a fire alarm bell.

[0012] The emergency evacuation management unit may thus include a digital to analogue interface, an audio amplifier and a speaker, operable to convert a digitally stored voice message into an audible signal.

[0013] The emergency evacuation management unit may include a visual annunciator operable upon activation of the trigger mechanism to emit a visual evacuation notification. The visual annunciator may be in the form of a flashing strobe light, or the like.

[0014] In one embodiment, the visitor coordination unit may include a database of visitors which is accessible to visitors to load their details into the database.

[0015] In another embodiment, the visitor coordination unit may include an electronic link to a database of visitors which is accessible to visitors to load their details into the database. In this embodiment, the visitor coordination unit may be in the form of a scannable device located at the emergency evacuation management unit which, when scanned, directs a visitor to an interface on which personal details can be completed for storing onto the database. The database may be a local database or a remote database.

[0016] The emergency evacuation management unit may include a display screen, operable upon activation to display evacuation directions from the unit to the nearest emergency exit. The display screen may be a touch sensitive screen, operable to receive user inputs via the screen.

[0017] The emergency evacuation management unit may include wireless interface in the form of any one or more of a Long Range (LoRa) transceiver operable to communicate wirelessly with other emergency evacuation management units, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) transceiver operable to communicate on a mobile telephone network, or the like.

[0018] The emergency evacuation management unit may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, operable to determine the geolocation of the emergency evacuation management unit.

[0019] The emergency evacuation management unit may include output relays, operable to provide actuation signals to auxiliary devices upon activation, de-activation, triggering, or reset of the emergency evacuation management unit.

[0020] The emergency evacuation management unit may include a central processor, operable to interface with all of: the trigger mechanism, the audible annunciator, the visitor coordination unit, the visual annunciator, the local database, the display screen, the fire alarm bell, the output relays, and the wireless interfaces.

[0021] The emergency evacuation management unit may include a power supply in the form of a battery and a battery charger.

[0022] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an emergency evacuation management system, which includes at least two or more emergency evacuation management units in accordance with the invention, operatively connected to each other via a wireless communication link.

[0023] The wireless communication link may be in the form of a LoRa WAN. The emergency evacuation management system may include a remote server connected to the at least one of the emergency evacuation management units, for receiving visitor details from visitors onto a database.

[0024] The remote server may include a front end which is accessible to visitors via their mobile phones to enter their visitor information into the database.

[0025] Upon triggering of an emergency evacuation by any one or more emergency evacuation management unit, a list of visitors to a facility from where the triggered emergency evacuation management unit is located may then present a list of visitors which is associated with the triggered emergency evacuation management unit, thereby to provide a roll call list of visitors that need to be reported on.

[0026] The emergency evacuation management units in a particular emergency evacuation management system may be linked together and may be partitioned in zones which are to operate together in an emergency evacuation situation.

[0027] The linked emergency evacuation management units may thus also be triggered together when any one of the emergency evacuation management units are triggered in a particular zone.

[0028] It is to be appreciated that the emergency evacuation management system may be configured as required for a particular application.

[0029] The invention is now described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying figures:

[0030] FIGURE(S)

[0031] In the figure(s):

[0032] Figure 1 shows an emergency evacuation management unit in accordance with one aspect of the invention as well as an emergency evacuation management system in accordance with another aspect of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals denote like parts of the invention unless otherwise indicated.

[0033] EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0034] In Figure 1 an emergency evacuation management unit (10) is shown in accordance with a first aspect of the invention. The emergency evacuation management unit (10) includes a trigger mechanism (12) in the form of an emergency push button. The emergency push button (12) is covered behind a glass shield that should be broken to gain access to the emergency switch. The glass shield is provided to prevent accidental of malicious pushing of the emergency push button (12). When the emergency push button (12) is pushed however, this indicates an emergency evacuation situation.

[0035] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) includes an audible annunciator (14) which is operable upon activation of the emergency push button (12) to emit an audible evacuation notification. In this instance the audible annunciator (14) includes an audible siren (14.1) an audible voice annunciator (14.2) and a fire alarm bell (14.3).

[0036] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) includes a central processor (16), which includes an analogue to digital converter connected to an audio amplifier and a speaker (not shown). The central processor (16) includes a voice database of pre-recorded messages or a database of text to voice messages, which upon activation, provide evacuation directions in one or more languages via the digital to analogue converter / amplifier / speaker combination.

[0037] The evacuation directions may be stored in various languages in the voice database in the processor (16).

[0038] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) further includes a visual annunciator in the form of a flashing strobe light (20), which is operable upon activation of the trigger mechanism to emit a visual evacuation notification. The emergency evacuation management unit (10) includes a display screen (22) which is operable, upon activation, to display evacuation directions from the emergency evacuation management unit (10) to the nearest emergency exit. In this example, the display screen (22) is a touch sensitive screen, operable to receive user inputs via the screen.

[0039] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) further includes a wireless interface in the form of a Long Range (LoRa) transceiver (24) operable to communicate wirelessly with other emergency evacuation management units with matched LoRa transceivers.

[0040] In this example, the emergency evacuation management unit (10) include another wireless interface in the form of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) transceiver (24) operable to communicate on a mobile telephone network (32), the Internet, or the like.

[0041] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver (28), operable to determine the geolocation of the emergency evacuation management unit, when in use.

[0042] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) further include output relays (30), operable to provide actuation signals to auxiliary devices upon activation, de-activation, triggering, or reset of the emergency evacuation management unit (10).

[0043] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) is powered by a power supply (34) in the form of a battery and a battery charger combination.

[0044] Importantly, the emergency evacuation management unit (10) includes a central processor (16), operatively connected to the trigger mechanism (12), the audible annunciator (14), the visual annunciator (20), the display screen (22), the fire alarm bell (14.3), the output relays (30), the GPS receiver (28), the LoRa WAN transceiver (24) and the GPRS transceiver (26). Also shown in Figure 1 is an emergency evacuation management system (50) in accordance with another aspect of the invention. In this instance the emergency evacuation management system (50) includes at least three more emergency evacuation management units (10) which are operatively connected to each other via their LoRa transceivers to form a LoRa Wide Area Network (WAN).

[0045] The emergency evacuation management system (50) includes a remote server (52) connected to the emergency evacuation management units (10) via a mobile telephone network (32) providing an Internet service. The function of the remote server (52) is to receive details from visitors onto a database (54).

[0046] The remote server (52) includes a front end (not shown) which is accessible to visitors via their mobile phones (not shown) to enter their visitor information into the database (54).

[0047] The emergency evacuation management unit (10) includes a visitor coordination unit (18). However, in this instance the visitor coordination unit (18) is in the form of a QR code.

[0048] The function of the visitor coordination unit is to keep a record of visitors to a particular site, and upon triggering of the trigger mechanism to provide a list of visitors at the site when the trigger mechanism has been triggered.

[0049] In this example, in use, when a visitor visits a particular site in which an emergency evacuation management unit (10) is installed the QR code (18) is scanned by the visitor's mobile telephone. The visitor is then directed to a front-end hosted by remote server (52). On the front-end, the visitor is required to provide certain information, which is then entered via the font-end and stored on the database (54).

[0050] In an emergency evacuation situation, the visitor information stored on the database (54) in association with the particular emergency evacuation management unit (10) is then accessible to provide a roll-call list of visitors. It is to be appreciated that the roll-call list of visitors may be forwarded to emergency responders via the mobile telephone network (32) or via other means to provide the roll-call list in a timeous fashion.

[0051] It is to be appreciated that the emergency evacuation management units (10) in a particular emergency evacuation management system (50) can be linked together and can be partitioned in zones which are to operate together in an emergency evacuation situation.

[0052] The linked emergency evacuation management units (10) can thus also be triggered together when any one of the emergency evacuation management units (10) are triggered in a particular zone.

[0053] It is to be appreciated that the emergency evacuation management system may be configured as required for a particular application.

[0054] The inventor believes that the invention provides a new emergency evacuation management unit and a new emergency evacuation management system which will be of particular use in emergency evacuation situations.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . An emergency evacuation management unit, which includes a trigger mechanism which is manually activatable by a person to trigger an emergency evacuation; an audible annunciator operable upon activation of the trigger mechanism to emit an audible evacuation notification; and a visitor coordination unit, operable to keep a record of visitors to a particular site, and upon triggering of the trigger mechanism to provide a list of visitors at the site when the trigger mechanism has been triggered.

2. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , in which the audible evacuation notification is in the form of any one or both of an audible alarm, and an audible voice annunciation.

3. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , in which the audible annunciator includes any one of a database of pre-recorded messages and a database of text to voice messages, which upon activation, provide evacuation directions in one or more languages.

4. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes a fire alarm bell.

5. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes any one of a digital to analogue interface, an audio amplifier and a speaker, operable to convert a digitally stored voice message into an audible signal.

6. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes a visual annunciator operable upon activation of the trigger mechanism to emit a visual evacuation notification.

7. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 6, in which the visual annunciator is in the form of a flashing strobe light.

8. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1, in which the visitor coordination unit includes any one of a database of visitors and an electronic link to a database of visitors, which is accessible to visitors to load their details into the database.

9. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 8, in which the visitor coordination unit is in the form of a scannable device located at the emergency evacuation management unit which, when scanned, directs a visitor to an interface on which personal details can be completed for storing onto the database.

10. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 8, in which the database is any one of a local database and a remote database.

11. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1, in which the emergency evacuation management unit includes a display screen, operable upon activation to display evacuation directions from the unit to the nearest emergency exit.

12. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 11 , in which the display screen is a touch sensitive screen, operable to receive user inputs via the screen.

13. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes wireless interface in the form of any one or more of a Long Range (LoRa) transceiver operable to communicate wirelessly with other emergency evacuation management units, and a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) transceiver operable to communicate on a mobile telephone network.

14. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, operable to determine the geolocation of the emergency evacuation management unit.

15. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes output relays, operable to provide actuation signals to auxiliary devices uponactivation, de-activation, triggering, or reset of the emergency evacuation management unit.

16. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes any one or more of: a trigger mechanism; an audible annunciator; a visitor coordination unit; a visual annunciator; a local database; a display screen; a fire alarm bell; an output relays; wireless interfaces; and a central processor, wherein the central processor is operable to interface with any one of the trigger mechanism, the audible annunciator, the visitor coordination unit, the visual annunciator, the local database, the display screen, the fire alarm bell, the output relays, and the wireless interfaces.

17. The emergency evacuation management unit as claimed in claim 1 , which includes a power supply in the form of a battery and a battery charger.

18. An emergency evacuation management system, which includes at least two or more emergency evacuation management units as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, operatively connected to each other via a wireless communication link.

19. The emergency evacuation management system as claimed in claim 20, in which the wireless communication link is in the form of a LoRa WAN.

20. The emergency evacuation management system as claimed in claim 18, which includes a remote server connected to at least one of the emergency evacuation management units, for receiving visitor details from visitors onto a database.

21. The emergency evacuation management system as claimed in claim 20, in which the remote server includes a front end which is accessible to visitors via their mobile phones to enter their visitor information into the database.

22. The emergency evacuation management system as claimed in claim 18, wherein in use, upon triggering of an emergency evacuation by any one or more emergency evacuation management unit, a list of visitors to a facility from where the triggered emergency evacuation management unit is located then presents a list of visitors which is associated with the triggered emergency evacuation management unit, thereby to provide a roll call list of visitors that need to be reported on.

23. The emergency evacuation management system as claimed in claim 18, in which the emergency evacuation management units in a particular emergency evacuation management system are linked together and are partitioned in zones which are to operate together in an emergency evacuation situation.

24. The emergency evacuation management system as claimed in claim 23, in which the linked emergency evacuation management units are triggered together when any one of the emergency evacuation management units are triggered in a particular zone.

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