Abstract:
A verbal language based output system includes data defining a geometrical region, such as a building, configuration data relative to various detectors in the region, and a plurality of event inputs associated with the detectors. Verbal language generation software, in response to the data and the event inputs, produces verbal descriptions of developing events. Such verbal descriptions can be audibly output for use by personnel needing to enter the region to address the events.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention pertains to alarm condition indicating methods and systems. More particularly, the invention pertains to such methods and systems where spatially related information as to a developing alarm condition can be presented verbally. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The ability to send real time fire alarm updates and building information from the building fire alarm system to firefighters en route to the fire is currently available.  FIG. 1  illustrates a known implementation. Information from a fire monitoring system  10  indicative of a developing fire condition can be wirelessly transmitted to fire fighting personnel for review via a display unit  12  while en route to the fire. 
         [0003]    Mobile phones can be expected to be a frequent means for firefighters to receive the information. 
         [0004]    Given the limitations of very small mobile phone screens to display building graphics, text plus digital speech/audio will be the common display modality as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0005]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , known presentations of alarm related information are via an alarm list. Such lists while accurate do not provide a spatially meaningful verbal or visual description of how the fire is spreading in the building. A traditional reading of an alarm list corresponds to: 
         [0006]    Alarm  1  is at 10:05 PM on Floor  5   
         [0007]    Alarm  2  is at 10:07 PM on Floor  5   
         [0008]    Alarm  3  is at 10:14 PM on Floor  6   
         [0009]    Hence, all spatial integration is carried out by respective first responders in potentially hectic conditions as they are traveling to the fire. 
         [0010]    There is thus a need to be able to provide to first responders spatially meaningful verbal descriptions as to behavior of a fire condition. It would be useful to provide verbal information as to how a fire is spreading along a floor in a region, for example, without relying on the user studying alarm lists and attempting to extrapolate to the spatial behavior of the fire in the involved region. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a known type of active alarm list; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates a system in accordance with the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  illustrates a computer network-type embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3B  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates a top plan view of a region of a building; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  illustrates another view of the region of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates a partial view of the region of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a first alarm translation process; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating an alarm list translation process; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a flow diagram illustrating an alarm update translation process; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a flow diagram illustrating an alarm spread translation process. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    While embodiments of this invention can take many different forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated. 
         [0023]    Embodiments of the invention address the above noted problems by providing spatially integrated verbal descriptions of how a fire is developing. The present system and method emulate how people would describe the spread of a fire in their own words if they were, for instance, trying to describe it to someone over the phone. For example, they might say something like, “it has spread down the hall” or “it has spread from floor  1  to floor  2 ”. Thus embodiments of the invention describe the developing fire condition in spatially integrated and meaningful terms. For example, by temporal order, spatial order and domain. 
         [0024]    In a disclosed embodiment, a model-based method is provided for automatically generating a spatially-meaningful description of fire spread from alarm and building information. The language of the text can be constructed from the temporal and spatial relationships of the alarms combined with the definitions of building features from a building semantic model. 
         [0025]    For example, in one aspect of the invention, temporal order, spatial order and a building semantic model can be combined to produce a spatially meaningfully verbal output. Taking into account: 
         [0026]    Temporal order. Alarm  3  activated after Alarm  2  which activated after Alarm  1 , so the fire is spreading in the direction of Alarm  2 , and then to Alarm  3 ; 
         [0027]    Spatial order. Alarm  2  is east of Alarm  1 , so the smoke is spreading “to the east” or Alarms  1  and  2  are on floor  5  and Alarm  3  is on floor  6 , so the smoke is spreading “from floor  5  to floor  6 ”; and 
         [0028]    Semantic model. Both Alarm  1  and Alarm  2  are located in what the semantic model knows is a “hallway”. In fact, given the alarm locations it is the “same hallway”. In another aspect of the invention, the model also knows that “things move down hallways. So, together with the above, the smoke is spreading “down the hallway”. 
         [0029]    In yet another aspect, all three parameters above are combined to give the meaningful, verbal, spatial expression, such as: 
         [0030]    “The smoke is spreading east down the hallway on Floor  5  and then onto Floor  6 ”. 
         [0031]    In embodiments of the invention, the automated spatial-geometric language does the spatial integration of the alarms for the user and presents the result in meaningful text, whereas the traditional alarm list reading leaves all the spatial integration up to the user and presents as very cryptic text. Embodiments of the present invention can be expected to provide much more effective communication of the fire spread, preferably verbally, using words. 
         [0032]      FIG. 2  illustrates a system  20  in accordance with the invention. System  20  includes a requests input port  22  which is coupled to a computer based language system  24 . 
         [0033]    Language system  24  can be implemented with one or more programmable processors  26   a  in combination with control software  26   b  which is stored on a computer readable medium. One portion of the software  26   b  corresponds to a Spatial Geometric Language Generation Module  26   c , discussed in more detail subsequently. 
         [0034]    One or more storage units  28  are coupled to processor(s)  26   a  to provide a three dimensional semantic building data model  28   a , an artifact configuration data model  28   b  and a plurality of events received in real-time from various of the artifacts  28   b . The pre-stored information at the units  28  is accessible to the module  26   c  to automatically produce verbal reports as to developing fire conditions via output port  32 . 
         [0035]    Port  32  can provide such verbal outputs via a speaker  34  substantially in real-time. Alternately, a textual description can be displayed or printed, as at  36 . 
         [0036]    Preferably, the physical building B is abstracted into a semantic building data model  28   a  and stored in the system  28 . The configuration information about the detectors D (such as smoke detector, heat detector, etc) and the artifacts A (such as sprinkler, HVAC shut off, etc) are also be abstracted as artifacts configuration data model  28   b  and stored in the system  28 . 
         [0037]    The events A from the detectors D provide important information. For example, a smoke detector will send an event if it detected adjacent smoke. The difference between the events A from the aforementioned two data models is that these events are sent to system  28  at runtime with some specific representation format and stored as real time events  28   c  in system  28 . Abstracting this configuration information and real time event information is discussed in detail subsequently. 
         [0038]    The user can make different kinds of requests to the system  20 . For example, in a firefighter system, the firefighter can ask for temporal and spatial information about the first alarm so that they can get information like “Smoke first detected 14 minutes ago in room  205  of floor  2 , which is in NW corner of building”. The firefighter also can ask for some updated information from last time he/she inquired so that they can get information such as, “Smoke detected 8 minutes ago in floor  6 . From floor  6  to  7  at 4 minutes ago. Floor  6  has 5 active detectors, 5 new. Floor  7  has 3 active detectors, 3 new”. Alternate output verbal form could be: “Four minutes ago, smoke was filling floor  6  and spreading from floor  6  to floor  7 .” As a result, the request can be defined with some parameters. 
         [0039]    The Spatial Geometric Language Generation Module  26   c  receives a request from the user, via port  22 . Module  26   c  will analyze its parameters, for example from system  28 , and process that information to provide the requested verbal output. 
         [0040]    These process include establishing the temporal relationship (such as 10 minutes ago), establishing the spatial relationship (in NW corner of the building, smoke is spreading to west), establishing a domain related meaningful description (such as smoke is spreading down the hallway), and so on. The system  20  integrates this semantic information for user and presents the result in a meaningful verbal description via speaker  34 . The system  20  can display the result as the textual description  36  on a display screen  36   b  for the user. 
         [0041]    The system  20  of  FIG. 2  can also be implemented with a C/S (Client/Server) or a B/S (Browser/Server) mode via the internet/intranet, as  FIG. 3A  illustrates. In this embodiment, the user makes a request via the client C, which forwards the request by the internet/intranet to the “spatial geometric language automatic translation system” running on the server S. Once the meaningful output is generated, it is then returned to the user by the internet/intranet for verbal or visual presentation. 
         [0042]    The system can also be implemented using a mobile device M via a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network), as the  FIG. 3B  illustrates. In the embodiment, the user makes his request via the mobile device M. That request is forwarded by the wireless network to the “spatial geometric language automatic translation system” running on the server S 1 . Once the meaningful output is generated, it is then returned to user by the wireless network for verbal or audible presentation. 
         [0043]    Different taxonomy methods can be used to semantically describe a building&#39;s elements. Table 1 illustrates an exemplary geometric element classification (The OmniClass Construction Classification System, known as OmniClass™ or OCCS, is a new classification system for the construction industry. Its website is http://www.omniclass.org/. Table 1 is called “Spaces by Form”. The basic structure of the selected environment is delineated by physical or abstract boundaries and characterized by physical form. Other taxonomy methods or combination of several taxonomy methods also can be considered. The only requirement on the taxonomy is that the developer and the user can share its concepts well. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Space Type 
                 Sub Type 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Rooms 
                 Room, Lobby, Hall, Auditorium, Anteroom, Office, 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Other Rooms 
               
               
                   
                 Atria 
                 Gallery, Mall, Atrium, Enclosed Court, Other Atria 
               
               
                   
                 Shafts 
                 Stair Enclosure, Elevator Shaft, Mechanical Shaft, 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Other Shafts 
               
               
                   
                 Transition 
                 Corridor, Vestibule, Nave, Other Transition 
               
               
                   
                 Spaces 
                 Spaces 
               
               
                   
                 Raised 
                 Mezzanine, Balcony, Stage, Platform, Other 
               
               
                   
                 Spaces 
                 Raised Spaces 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0044]    A building can include several levels and each level can have several spaces, such as rooms, shafts, raised spaces, and so on. Each floor can be drawn or rendered for a user to observe. Images can be represented as raster images (such as JPG, BMP, etc) or vector graphs (such as WMF, SVG, etc), and 3D model can be represented as triangle mesh. To get more meaningful output, each object should also have a human-understandable name associated with its type. A building can then be abstracted using the following definition: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Building : 
                 = ID, Name, {Level} 
               
               
                 Level : 
                 = ID, Name, Level_Type, Image, {Space} 
               
               
                 Space : 
                 = ID, Name, Space_Type, Area 
               
               
                 Level_Type : 
                 = Level | Floor | Story | Basement | Attic | Other Levels 
               
               
                 Area : 
                 = {x, y} 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0045]    The above abstraction definition complies with EBNF syntax (Extended Backus-Naur form). A Building can thus be defined as an ID, a Name and several Levels; define Level as an ID, a Name, a Level_Type, an Image and several Spaces; and define Space as an ID, a Name, a Space_Type and several Areas. Level_Type and the Space_Type comply with OmniClass classification, and Space_Type is listed in Table 1. 
         [0046]    Here, ID is GUID; Name is a string for human to read; Image is the object which human can observe; Area, defined as a polygon with point list, is the region an object element covers. The information can be used during the processes of the spatial geometric language automatic translation system. For example, the Area information can help us to know which space a sensor or an artifact is equipped in. The Area information also can help us to do some deduction. For example, we seldom see a floor plan draw its hall way, but we can get the hall way by subtracting the spaces from the levels. Another example is, with the building ID, we can retrieve other information from the building&#39;s database so that we can know its owner, manager, address and so on. 
         [0047]    With reference to the floor plan of  FIG. 4 , three building elements can be represented with three polygons  40   a, b, c  at the upper-right corner. These are Auditorium, Stair Enclosure and Office respectively. These three elements can be represented as in Table 2 below: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Space1 := 
                 Space2 := 
                 Space3 := 
               
               
                   
                 ID = “000131”, 
                 ID = “000147”, 
                 ID = “000159”, 
               
               
                   
                 Name = “Audit 
                 Name = “North 
                 Name = “Office2”, 
               
               
                   
                 Room”, 
                 Stair”, 
                 Type = “Office” 
               
               
                   
                 Type = 
                 Type = “Stair 
                 Area = “91.000, 
               
               
                   
                 “Auditorium” 
                 Enclosure” 
                 110.146; 
               
               
                   
                 Area = “56.724, 
                 Area = “85.915, 
                 105.000, 
               
               
                   
                 84.761; 
                 122.246; 
                 110.146; 
               
               
                   
                 56.724, 
                 95.500, 
                 105.000, 
               
               
                   
                 122.246; 
                 122.246; 
                 96.346; 
               
               
                   
                 85.915, 
                 95.500, 
                 91.000, 
               
               
                   
                 122.246; 
                 117.833; 
                 96.346” 
               
               
                   
                 85.915, 
                 85.915, 
               
               
                   
                 84.671; 
                 117.833” 
               
               
                   
                 81.116, 
               
               
                   
                 82.292; 
               
               
                   
                 81.116, 
               
               
                   
                 79.746; 
               
               
                   
                 76.500, 
               
               
                   
                 79.746; 
               
               
                   
                 76.500, 
               
               
                   
                 82.792; 
               
               
                   
                 66.500, 
               
               
                   
                 82.792; 
               
               
                   
                 66.500, 
               
               
                   
                 79.746; 
               
               
                   
                 62.500, 
               
               
                   
                 79.746; 
               
               
                   
                 62.500, 
               
               
                   
                 82.792” 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0048]    And then the level and the building can be represented as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Level1 := 
                 Building1 := 
               
               
                   ID = “000011”, 
                   ID = “000001”, 
               
               
                   Name = “Floor1”, 
                   Name = “Modern Office Center”, 
               
               
                   Type = “Floor”, 
                   Type = “Building”, 
               
               
                   Image = floor1.wmf 
                   ......, Leve1, ...... 
               
               
                   ......, Space1, Space2, 
               
               
                   Space3, ...... 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0049]    In addition to the above abstraction, the building elements can be represented using a BIM/IFC format (BIM—Building Information Models, a collection point for information about a facility. This is unlike traditional approaches which scatter the information about a facility in multiple products so one can&#39;t get a clear picture of what is happening in the one facility of interest. BIM is intended to be an open standard based repository of information for the facility owner/operator to use and maintain throughout the life-cycle of a facility. Its website is http://www.facilityinformationcouncil.org/bim. IFC—Industry Foundation Classes, a standard to define an exchange format for information related to a building and its surroundings. Its website is http://www.iai-tech.org/). 
         [0050]    With the building element description, the following meaningful output can be generated: 
         [0051]    “Smoke first detected in room  205  of floor  2 ” 
         [0052]    “Room  205  of floor  2  is a room with hazardous material” 
         [0053]    “Smoke is spreading down the hallway” 
         [0054]    “Floor  2  has 8 active detectors” 
         [0055]    To meaningfully describe the building elements, it is preferable to also describe the orientation, direction or location. For example, in firefighting system, if the firefighter can clearly know the location of the first fire spot and its spread direction, they can save much time to deduce and assume the fire situation. 
         [0056]    A compass system can be generated for the building using a semantic model—a unit vector as its north direction points to:
       Compass:=x, y       
 
         [0058]    Here, x and y are the float values with the constraint X 2 +y 2 =1. With the vector, we can define 8 spatial relationships (North, West, South, East, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast) between two points, as the  FIG. 4  (in upright corner) shows and use OrientationRelation to represent the spatial relationship. For example, if point B(x 2 ,y 2 ) is in the east of A(x 1 ,y 1 ), it can be represented as:
       OrientationRelation(B, A)=East       
 
         [0060]    A function angle (v 1 ,v 2 ) can be defined to represent the angle between two vectors v 1 ,v 2 . So the OrientationRelation (B, A) can be abstracted by the following equation: 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               OrientationRelation 
                
               
                 ( 
                 
                   B 
                   , 
                   A 
                 
                 ) 
               
             
             = 
             
               { 
               
                 
                   
                     
                       North 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           
                             - 
                             π 
                           
                           / 
                           8 
                         
                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 B 
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                                 ( 
                                 
                                   x 
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                                   y 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                             
                             ) 
                           
                         
                         &lt; 
                         
                           π 
                           / 
                           8 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       NorthWest 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           
                             - 
                             3 
                           
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 B 
                                 - 
                                 A 
                               
                               , 
                               
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                                   x 
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                                 ) 
                               
                             
                             ) 
                           
                         
                         &lt; 
                         
                           
                             - 
                             π 
                           
                           / 
                           8 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       West 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           
                             - 
                             5 
                           
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
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                               , 
                               
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                                   x 
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                             8 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       SouthWest 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           
                             - 
                             7 
                           
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                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
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                             - 
                             5 
                           
                            
                           
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                             8 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       South 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           - 
                           π 
                         
                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 B 
                                 - 
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                                   x 
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                             7 
                           
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                       
                       , 
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       South 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           7 
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
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                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 B 
                                 - 
                                 A 
                               
                               , 
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   x 
                                   , 
                                   y 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                             
                             ) 
                           
                         
                         &lt; 
                         π 
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       SoutEast 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           5 
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 B 
                                 - 
                                 A 
                               
                               , 
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   x 
                                   , 
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                                 ) 
                               
                             
                             ) 
                           
                         
                         &lt; 
                         
                           7 
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       East 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           3 
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
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                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 B 
                                 - 
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                                   x 
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                         &lt; 
                         
                           5 
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       NorthEast 
                       , 
                       
                         
                           π 
                           / 
                           8 
                         
                         ≤ 
                         
                           angel 
                            
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 B 
                                 - 
                                 A 
                               
                               , 
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   x 
                                   , 
                                   y 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                             
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                         &lt; 
                         
                           3 
                            
                           
                             π 
                             / 
                             8 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
         [0061]    Beside the above relative spatial relationship, some absolute spatial relationships can be defined, such as northeast corner of building, as  FIG. 5  illustrates. With the above compass system, a developer can assign some area as absolute spatial area, as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 SpatialArea : 
                 = SpatialAreaType, Area 
               
               
                 SpatialAreaType : 
                 = NE Corner |NW Corner | SE Corner | SW Corner 
               
               
                   
                  | MW part | ME part | MN part | MS part 
               
               
                 Area : 
                 = {x, y} 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0062]    Here, Area, defined as a polygon with point list, is the region an absolute spatial area covers. And the SpatialAreaType defines type of a spatial area, for example, it is the North West corner of a building, or Middle West part of a building, and so on. 
         [0063]    With the building orientation description, the following meaningful output can be generated: 
         [0064]    “Room  205  of floor  2  is in the NW corner of the building” 
         [0065]    “Smoke is spread to east” 
         [0066]    With the building element description and orientation description, now a building semantic model can be abstracted as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Building : 
                 = ID, Name, Compass, {Level} 
               
               
                 Level : 
                 = ID, Name, Level_Type, Image, {Space}, {SpatialArea} 
               
               
                 Space : 
                 = ID, Name, Space_Type, Area 
               
               
                 Compass : 
                 = x, y 
               
               
                 SpatialArea : 
                 = SpatialAreaType, Area 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0067]    With the building semantic model, the following meaningful output can be generated: 
         [0068]    “Smoke is spreading east down the hallway on floor  5 ” 
         [0069]    The artifacts configuration information only includes where the artifacts are installed and what kinds of type they are. So the artifacts configuration data model can be represented as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Artifacts : 
                 = {Artifact} 
               
               
                 Artifact : 
                 = ID, Name, Artifact_Type, Level, Poistion 
               
               
                 Artifact_Type : 
                 = FirePhone | GasTank | FireKeyBox | LockedDoor | 
               
               
                   
                  FireExtingusherInterior | SmokeVent | FireDisplay | 
               
               
                   
                  Standpipe | StairesPressurized | EntryPoint | 
               
               
                   
                  GasShutoff | PowerShutoff | HVACShutoff | 
               
               
                   
                  SprinklerShutoff | HalonShutoff | SmokeDetector | 
               
               
                   
                  ChemicalDetector | HeatDetector | HeavyObject | 
               
               
                   
                  HighVoltage | HazardousMaterial 
               
               
                 Position : 
                 = x, y 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0070]    Here, ID is GUID; Name is a string for human to read; Level is defined in the building semantic model; x and y is the float values to represent the location of artifact in the image. The artifact type complies with the standard of NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet). 
         [0071]    In  FIG. 6 , artifacts  50   a, b, c, . . . n  are installed throughout the floor  1  of a building. Artifacts can be represented as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Artifact1 := 
                 Artifact2 := 
               
               
                   ID = “000821”, 
                   ID = “000932”, 
               
               
                   Name = “SD21”, 
                   Name = “HD32”, 
               
               
                   Type = “SmokeDetector” 
                   Type = “HeatDetector” 
               
               
                   Level = “Floor1” 
                   Level = “Floor1” 
               
               
                   Position = “112.915, 124.246” 
                   Position = “87.915, 98.763” 
               
               
                 Artifacts := 
               
               
                   ......, Artifact1, Artifact2, ...... 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0072]    The event from the sensor only includes when the event is triggered and which artifact trigger the event. So the real time events can be represented as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Alarms : = {Alarm} 
               
               
                   
                 Alarm : = InstantTime, Artifact 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0073]    Here, Artifact is the artifact which triggers the event. The InstantTime is an instant time, such as Mar. 2, 2008, 15:03:22 ET, to represent when the event is triggered. The InstantTime complies with the OWL-Time (Time Ontology in OWL, W3C Working Draft 27 Sep. 2006, http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-time/). 
         [0074]    Relative time appears to be more understandable for the firefighter. In addition to instant time, the Interval_Time can be used to represent the interval time (such as 5 minutes 22 seconds, 1 hour and 21 minutes) and only use ago to represent one of the temporal relations (such as 5 minutes ago). 
         [0075]    With the time description, the following meaningful output can be generated: 
         [0076]    “Smoke first detected 10 minutes ago” 
         [0077]    “Smoke was from floor  2  to  3  at 9 minutes ago” 
         [0078]    “Smoke is quickly spreading” 
         [0079]    “Floor  6  has 5 active detectors, 5 is new” 
         [0080]    With the Artifact Data Model and the Building Semantic Model, the data model for the Spatial Geometric Language Automatic Translation System can be abstracted as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Building : 
                 = ID, Name, Compass, {Level}, Artifacts, Alarms 
               
               
                 Level : 
                 = ID, Name, Level_Type, Image, {Space}, {SpatialArea} 
               
               
                 Space : 
                 = ID, Name, Space_Type, Area 
               
               
                 Compass : 
                 = x, y 
               
               
                 SpatialArea : 
                 = SpatialAreaType, Area 
               
               
                 Area : 
                 = {x, y} 
               
               
                 Artifacts : 
                 = {Artifact} 
               
               
                 Artifact : 
                 = ID, Name, Artifact_Type, Level, Poistion 
               
               
                 Alarms : 
                 = {Alarm} 
               
               
                 Alarm : 
                 = InstantTime, Artifact 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0081]    Those of skill will understand that different applications have different description requirements. The description of smoke spreading in a firefighting application is illustrated as an example. Four kinds of request types (FirstAlarm, AlarmList, AlarmUpdate, AlarmSpread) can be defined. A variable LatestTime can also be defined. LatestTime is an Instant_time to represent the latest time when the system received a request from the user. For different request types, different translation processes can be provided. 
         [0082]    Request Representation can be represented as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Request : 
                 = Request_Type 
               
               
                 RequestType : 
                 = FirstAlarm | AlarmList | AlarmUpdate | AlarmSpread 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0083]    First alarm can be described as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 “Smoke first detected var(IntervalTime) minutes ago in var(Space) 
               
               
                   
                   var(Level), which is in var (SpatialAreaType) of the building”. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0084]    The var( ) means it is a variable, which will be deduced from the translation system&#39;s data model (including the Artifact Data Model and the Building Semantic Model). And the variable is determinable until the request is received from user. An example of first alarm is “Smoke first detected 14 minutes ago in room  205  of floor  2 , which is in NW corner of building”. The translation process of the first alarm is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0085]    Alarm list can be described as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 “Smoke spread from var(leve1l) to var(level2) at 
               
               
                   
                   var(IntervalTime) minutes ago, 
               
               
                   
                   var(leve1l) has var(number1) active detector, 
               
               
                   
                   var(level2)has var(number2) active detector.” 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0086]    An example of alarm list is “Smoke spread floor  2  to  3  at 9 minutes ago, smoke spread from floor  3  to  4  at 2 minutes ago, floor  2  has 8 active detectors, floor  3  has 4 active detectors, and floor  4  has 2 active detectors”. The translation process of the first alarm is shown in the flow diagram of  FIG. 8 . 
         [0087]    Alarm update can be described as:
       “var(level) has var(number1) active detectors, var(number2) are new.”       
 
         [0089]    An example of alarm update is “Floor  6  has 5 active detectors, 3 are new; floor  7  has 3 active detectors, 3 new”. The translation process of the first alarm is shown in the flow diagram of  FIG. 9 . 
         [0090]    Alarm spread can be described as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 “The smoke is spreading var(orientationrealtion) [down var(space)] on 
               
               
                   var(level)” 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0091]    An example of alarm spread is “The smoke is spreading east down the hallway on floor  5 ”. The translation process of the first alarm is shown in the flow diagram of  FIG. 10 . 
         [0092]    Those of skill will recognize the present invention is not limited to the above disclosed exemplary embodiments. For example, it could be used to track and provide verbal information as to the spread of other types of dangerous conditions, such as leaking fluids, or chemicals, or explosive gases, all without limitation. Moreover, different additional request types can be generated using different syntactical combinations of variables. Further, different rules for concatenating two or more different request types can be created to generate a whole natural language sequence of alarm event messages. 
         [0093]    From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.