Evacuation Guidance System Using Exit Time Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional security systems are ineffective in guiding evacuations, particularly due to panic, communication delays, physical limitations, and obstacles, leading to poorly executed evacuations.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize sensors and computing devices to identify individuals in an environment, calculate exit times based on their location, monitor evacuation status, and transmit alerts to devices if individuals have not evacuated on time, providing navigation instructions and real-time assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional security systems are used for evacuation monitoring, then system simplicity is maintained, but evacuation efficiency and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into a unified platform: sensor data collection, person identification, location tracking, exit time calculation, evacuation status monitoring, and alert transmission all operate within a single security system framework, enabling comprehensive evacuation management without requiring separate specialized systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual evacuation monitoring and communication methods with automated electronic systems including sensors, processors, and communication devices that automatically track individuals, calculate exit times, and send alerts, eliminating the need for human operators to manually monitor each person during evacuation
2Reliability
If real-time monitoring and alert transmission are implemented, then evacuation reliability is improved, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the critical information needed for evacuation monitoring: last known location of each person, calculated exit time based on location, and current evacuation status. By focusing on these key parameters rather than collecting all possible data, the system maintains high reliability while minimizing information processing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically performs data processing tasks including calculating exit times based on sensor-detected locations, determining whether persons have evacuated by monitoring egress points, and transmitting alerts when exit times are exceeded. This automated self-service approach reduces the information processing burden on external systems
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for providing evacuation guidance. An implementation may determine a last known location of a person in an environment under evacuation. An implementation may calculate, for the person, an exit time for evacuating the environment based on an amount of time needed by the person to exit the environment starting from the last known location. An implementation may monitor whether the person has evacuated the environment. An implementation may determine whether a current time has passed the exit time. An implementation may transmit an alert to a device of the person in response to determining that the current time has passed the exit time and that the person has not evacuated the environment.