Emergency Lighting Nodes for Dynamic Virtual Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Buildings and building complexes often pose challenges for first responders during emergencies, including assessing inaccessible areas, communicating with trapped occupants, and accessing unfamiliar building layouts, which existing technologies fail to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A building network emergency system comprising autonomous nodes with sensors, emergency lighting, audio systems, and wireless transceivers that collect and share environmental data, provide communication, and generate dynamic virtual maps to facilitate decision-making and safe evacuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional emergency lighting systems are used, then basic illumination is provided, but real-time environmental data collection and sharing capabilities are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency lighting nodes are designed to perform multiple functions: providing illumination, collecting environmental data through integrated sensors, communicating with other nodes via wireless transceivers, and sharing data through a network. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by enabling comprehensive information availability without requiring separate dedicated systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate systems (emergency lighting, environmental sensing, wireless communication) into an integrated networked system where nodes perform multiple roles. This merging enables real-time data collection and sharing capabilities while leveraging existing infrastructure, thereby improving information availability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If autonomous nodes with multiple functions are deployed, then real-time data sharing and communication are enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into autonomous nodes that are distributed throughout the building. Each node is a self-contained unit with standardized components (sensors, transceiver, lighting), making individual nodes relatively simple while the collective network provides comprehensive coverage and high productivity during emergencies.
Solution Approach 2:
Each node operates autonomously, collecting data from its local sensors, processing information, and communicating with other nodes without requiring constant central control. This self-service capability enables the system to maintain high productivity and rapid response efficiency while keeping individual node complexity manageable through standardized, pre-configured units.
Data Source
AI summary
A network system in a building complex linking different locations together and facilitating information and data exchange and access, includes ‘N’ number of autonomous nodes for receiving, processing, and storing sensory data collected by one or more sensors relating to an environment in ‘N’ number of regions within the building complex. The nodes are configured to communicate and share sensory data among the ‘N’ number of nodes and to generate a dynamic virtual map of the building complex environment that is accessible by users having access to the network.