Abstract:
The present invention discloses a method for responding to an emergency event. The method can start when a triggering event is detected by an emergency system inside a building. Next, the security state of a computing system associated with the building can change to indicate the emergency. An emergency responder can then be dispatched to the building to attend to the detected emergency. The emergency responder can be provided with previously unavailable information about the building that is helpful for an effective response to the emergency.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/867,743 filed 29 Nov. 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to emergency response systems and, more particularly, to providing emergency responders with detailed information pertaining to an emergency in an automated fashion. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    The routine of daily life in one&#39;s home carries with it a multitude of underlying hazards. Falling down the stairs, elevated carbon monoxide levels, injuries from tools, and accidental fires are but a few of the potential dangers lurking in a home. To tend to affected persons when such emergencies occur, emergency responders, such as paramedics and firefighters, are typically dispatched to the scene with inadequate and outdated information. These emergency responders routinely brave adverse and unknown conditions in the attempt to rescue trapped and injured homeowners and pets from danger. Unfortunately, these courageous responders are often injured by the very conditions from which they are attempting to rescue others. 
         [0006]    The inherent chaotic nature of an emergency situation, which typically increases miscommunication, is often as much a cause of injury and death for emergency responders as the actual emergency. For example, firefighters are routinely injured when they continue searching dangerous areas for potential victims, which are not present. Further, many victims are harmed or perish because emergency responders where simply unaware of their plight and location. 
         [0007]    Aside from the obvious hazards of an emergency situation, additional hidden dangers exist, such as explosions caused by oxygen tanks and gasoline containers, which increase the chance of injury to victim and responders and that often hinder rescue efforts. Emergency responders unfamiliar with a building&#39;s layout must waste valuable time orientating themselves, increasing their exposure to the unsafe environment and hindering their ability to rescue victims effectively. 
         [0008]    Further, the actual environment that is used to protect victims often impedes rescue efforts. Emergency responders must take additional time to reach incapacitated or helpless victims located in locked or blocked areas, increasing harmful exposure for both parties. For example, firefighters must take the time to break through a locked door to reach a trapped unconscious victim. Likewise, a combination lock on a kennel gate can prevent the rescue of a beloved pet. 
         [0009]    What is needed is a solution that provides emergency responders with information that is critical to the rescue of individuals and pets during an emergency. Such information would include the location of living beings within the affected area, the location of hidden dangers, a building layout, and the like. Ideally, this information would be provided to the emergency responders automatically in a real-time manner, and continuously and dynamically updated to reflect any relevant changes. 
       SUMMARY  
       [0010]    The present invention discloses a solution that automatically and dynamically provides emergency responders with key information that is useful when responding to an emergency. The solution can provide this information to an in-vehicle system or computing device that is accessible by the emergency responders and/or to mobile devices that they carry. The information can be automatically gathered once an emergency event is triggered. In one embodiment, the locations of living entities within a building can be automatically and dynamically determined using a location sensor, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) equipped device (e.g., a cell phone carried by a trapped person), a BLUETOOTH-enabled device, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and corresponding RFID scanners positioned within a building, and the like. Further, automatic locks can be automatically opened for emergency responders responsive to access codes transmitted by a mobile device carried by a responder. Additionally, in-building automation systems can automatically provide data, such as surveillance video of interior rooms or pictures of interior rooms to these mobile devices. 
         [0011]    The present invention can be implemented in accordance with numerous aspects consistent with the material presented herein. For example, one aspect of the present invention can include a method for responding to an emergency. The method can start when a triggering event is detected by an emergency system inside a building. Next, the security state of a computing system associated with the building can change to indicate the emergency. An emergency responder can then be dispatched to the building to attend to the detected emergency. The emergency responder can be provided with previously unavailable information about the building that is helpful for an effective response to the emergency. 
         [0012]    Another aspect of the present invention can include a method to assist emergency responders during an emergency. The method can include attaching location sensors to living occupants of the building. The location sensors can be used by a computing system to automatically and dynamically determine the location of tagged occupants. Next, an emergency event can be detected and an emergency responder dispatched to the building. The location information of the living beings inside the building can then be conveyed to a computing device accessible by the emergency responder. 
         [0013]    Still another aspect of the present invention can include an emergency response system. The system can include multiple location sensors, a computing device. an emergency detection system, and a mobile device accessible by emergency responders. The location sensors can be attached to living beings and contain data pertaining to the attached being. The computing device can be configured to dynamically determine the location of the living beings inside a building using the location sensors. The emergency detection system can detect emergencies related to the building. The mobile device can be automatically provided information about the building by the emergency detection system, such as the location of living beings and the data stored within the location sensors. 
         [0014]    It should be noted that various aspects of the invention can be implemented as a program for controlling computing equipment to implement the functions described herein, or a program for enabling computing equipment to perform processes corresponding to the steps disclosed herein. This program may be provided by storing the program in a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or any other recording medium. The program can also be provided as a digitally encoded signal conveyed via a carrier wave. The described program can be a single program or can be implemented as multiple subprograms, each of which interact within a single computing device or interact in a distributed fashion across a network space. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    There are shown in the drawings, embodiments which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a system that illustrates how useful information can be provided to an emergency responder in accordance with the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of two methods detailing the actions taken by a security system within the emergency environment and the external emergency response system in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a building depicting an environment that can facilitate the communication of useful information to an emergency responder in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying the useful information communicated to an emergency responder in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a graphical user interface (GUI) providing an emergency responder with access to security video in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a system  100  that illustrates how useful information can be provided to an emergency responder  130  in accordance with the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. In system  100 , the structure  105  can represent an entire building or a specific portion of a building, such as an apartment, where an emergency is occurring. The structure  105  can contain location tags  106 , sensors  108 , entryway controls  107 , and a communication device  109 . 
         [0022]    The occurrence of an emergency event at the structure  105  can be relayed to the security monitoring system  120  via a communication device  109  over network  110 . This communication device  109  can be a component of a more extensive security system. Likewise, such a security system can include entryway controls  107  in which an access code can be entered to unlock the entryway. The entryway controls  107  can include a variety of input mechanisms, including, but not limited to, a keypad, a magnetic strip reader, a smart card reader, a biometric reader, and the like. 
         [0023]    Additionally, structure  105  can contain one of more sensors  108  used to detect emergency events. These sensors  108  can include a variety of sensing devices, including, but not limited to, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detectors, motion detectors, and the like. The detection of an emergency by any sensor  108  can result in the notification of the security monitoring system  120 . 
         [0024]    The location tags  106  can be used to designate the locations of living beings and/or potential hazards, such as combustible objects. These location tags  106  can utilize a variety of technologies, such as GPS-equipped devices, BLUETOOTH-enabled devices, RFID devices, and the like. 
         [0025]    Upon receipt of a notification of an emergency at the structure  105 , the security monitoring system  120  can notify the appropriate emergency response system  125 . The security monitoring system  120  can represent a variety of commercially available services that monitor the status of sensors  108  within a structure  105 , such as BRINKS HOME SECURITY and ADT SECURITY services. The security monitoring system  120  can include data store  122  containing a variety of information pertaining to the occupants and/or the structure  105 . For example, data store  122  can include the access codes for the entryway controls  107 , emergency contact numbers, and a rescue priority of occupants. 
         [0026]    The emergency response system  125  can correspond to an emergency system, such as a 911 system local to the structure  105  that dispatches an emergency responder  130 . For example, detection of a fire by the security monitoring system  120  would trigger the notification of the fire department closest to the structure  105 . The emergency response system  125  can include a coordination data store  126  that can be configured to collect information pertinent to a specific emergency event from a variety of sources. This information can include the information contained within the data store  122  of the security monitoring system  125 . 
         [0027]    The coordination data store  126  can also obtain information regarding the structure  105  from the data store  117  of various Web information sources  115 . These Web information sources  115  can represent sites of publicly available information, such as floor plans, as well as secure information such as health records. For example, the coordination data store  126  can receive a link from the security monitoring system&#39;s  120  data store  122  to an individual&#39;s hospital records. The coordination data store  126  can then access the hospital records via this link and gather the data for transmission to the emergency responder  130 . 
         [0028]    An emergency responder  130  can be sent to the structure  105  to address the emergency situation. The emergency responder  130  can possess a mobile device  132  that can be configured to receive documents  135  over network  110  from the coordination data store  136  of the emergency response system  125 . As shown in this illustration, the documents  135  can contain entryway access codes, override codes, the building layout, a rescue priority, and additional information that can be useful in responding to the emergency. The emergency responder  130  can then access the documents  135  on the mobile device  132  when assessing and executing rescue efforts at the structure  105 . 
         [0029]    As used herein, presented data stores, including stores  117 ,  122 , and  126 , can be a physical or virtual storage space configured to store digital information. Data stores  117 ,  122 , and  126  can be physically implemented within any type of hardware including, but not limited to, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, a digitally encoded plastic memory, a holographic memory, or any other recording medium. Each of the data stores  117 ,  122 , and  126  can be a stand-alone storage unit as well as a storage unit formed from a plurality of physical devices. Additionally, information can be stored within data stores  117 ,  122 , and  126  in a variety of manners. For example, information can be stored within a database structure or can be stored within one or more files of a file storage system, where each file may or may not be indexed for information searching purposes. Further, data stores  117 ,  122 , and/or  126  can utilize one or more encryption mechanisms to protect stored information from unauthorized access. 
         [0030]    Network  110  can include any hardware/software/and firmware necessary to convey data encoded within carrier waves. Data can be contained within analog or digital signals and conveyed though data or voice channels. Network  110  can include local components and data pathways necessary for communications to be exchanged among computing device components and between integrated device components and peripheral devices. Network  110  can also include network equipment, such as routers, data lines hubs, and intermediary servers which together form a data network, such as the Internet. Network  110  can also include circuit-based communication components and mobile communication components, such as telephony switches, modems, cellular communication towers, and the like. Network  110  can include line based and/or wireless communication pathways. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of two methods  205  and  235  detailing the actions taken by a security system within the emergency environment and the external emergency response system in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. These methods  205  and  235  can be performed in the context of system  100  or any other system that can provide useful information to emergency responders. 
         [0032]    Method  205  can illustrate the steps taken by a security system within the environment where an emergency is occurring. Method  205  can begin with step  210  where the system detects an environmental danger, such as a fire or unsafe carbon monoxide levels. In step  215 , the system can confirm the danger. Confirmation can be determined by taking additional readings such as readings from an auxiliary sensor, or any means available to the system. 
         [0033]    When the danger is confirmed, the system can activate the local notification and/or escape systems in step  220 . For example, the security monitoring system  120  would be notified by the communication device  109  in system  100 . In step  225 , the environmental security state of the system can be changed to reflect the emergency. Step  225  can include sub-steps  226  through  228 . 
         [0034]    Emergency responders can be granted access to environmental and other stored information in step  226 . In step  227 , the access restrictions to monitoring equipment and controls can be altered to allow access by emergency responders. Then, the item location system can be activated in step  228 . Lastly, a danger notice and pertinent information can be sent to the emergency response system in step  230 . 
         [0035]    Method  235  can illustrate the steps taken by an emergency response system during an emergency notification. Method  235  can begin with step  240  where the system receives a notice of danger and accompanying information, such as that generated by step  230  of method  205 . In step  245 , the emergency response system can optionally confirm the danger. 
         [0036]    An emergency responder can be dispatched to the scene in step  250 . In step  255 , the emergency response system can optionally gather environmental information from additional sources, such as Web information sources  115  of system  100 . All the collected information can be conveyed to the emergency responder in step  260 . 
         [0037]    In step  265 , the emergency responder can receive the sent information on one or more mobile devices. The emergency responder can then, in step  270 , perform a multitude of actions with the received information, such as open electronically locked entryways by transmitting an access code from the mobile device to the controls, view the environment layout, communicate with the endangered people, and the like. It should be noted that the actions an emergency responder can take are dependent upon the information received and the device being used. For example, a hand-held computer can display a building layout, but may be unable to establish mobile communications with a victim. 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a building  300  depicting an environment that can facilitate the communication of useful information to an emergency responder in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. Building  300  can be a representative example of he structure  105  of system  100 . 
         [0039]    Building  300  can contain a variety of interior and exterior compartments. In this example, building  300  consists of seven compartments, designated R 1  through R 7 . R 1  can represent a dog kennel. R 2  can represent the bedroom of an elderly and ailing adult occupant. R 3  can represent a bathroom. R 4  can represent a bedroom with an adult and a child occupant. R 5  can represent a living room or parlor. R 6  can represent a kitchen. R 7  can represent a garage that is attached to the home structure. 
         [0040]    In this example, building  300  contains an emergency event  305 , a house fire. This emergency event  305  can be detected by the smoke detector  360  located in R 6 . Conventionally, firefighters and paramedics responding to the emergency event (fire)  305  would enter the building  300  essentially blind. However, the system implemented within building  300  can provide the responders with the location of occupants, hazardous objects, and access to security camera footage prior to entering the building  300 . 
         [0041]    In R 1 , an emergency responder can be given access to control video camera  315  so they may visually inspect the situation. Since the responder has already received information stating that a pet  310  is located in R 1 , they can visually confirm the condition of the pet  310 . The locational information of the pet  310  can be provided by a location tag  312  contained within the pet&#39;s  310  collar. 
         [0042]    Similarly, responders can use video camers  325  to determine the risk posed to the oxygen tank  320  in R 2 . Since the oxygen tank  320  contains a location tag  322 , responders can be made aware of its presence before entering the building  300 . It should be appreciated that the ability to assess such risk prior to entry can significantly reduce injuries from such hidden dangers and increase the efficiency of rescue efforts. 
         [0043]    The locational information provided by location tag  333  can help responders determine that person  330  is incapacitated or otherwise unable to move. Because locational data can be continuously received from the location tag  333 , the data can be analyzed for trends. A stationary trend determined from the locational information can indicate to responders that a person  330  has succumbed to injury or is incapacitated. Additionally, the location tag  333  can contain important medical information, such as preexisting conditions pertaining to the incapacitated person  330  that can assist in their treatment by medical responders. 
         [0044]    The location of the fire (emergency event  305 ) can cause person  352  to become trapped within the living room (R 5 ). The trapped person  352  can be carrying a mobile device  355  that contains a location tag  356 . Thus, the mobile device  355  can be used to communicate with responders as well as provide locational information for the trapped person  352 . Also contained within R 5  is a communication device  350 . This communication device  350  can correspond to the communication device  109  of system  100 . Thus, the communication deice  350  can transmit the various pieces of environmental data, such as video feeds and locational information, to the responders. 
         [0045]    Responders can be also presented with the locational information of a child  340  in R 4  and a fuel tank  370  in R 7 . A location tag  341  and  372  can be attached to each object, respectively. The responders can also be given the access code to the electronic locking mechanism  358  for the front door of the building  300 . Having this information ahead of time allows the door to be opened with little delay to the rescue effort. 
         [0046]      FIG. 4  is a graphical user interface (GUI)  400  displaying the useful information communicated to an emergency responder in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. This GUI  400  can be used within the context of system  100  or any other system that can provide useful information to emergency responders. The rescue GUI  400  can be utilized by an emergency responder  401  on a mobile device  402 . The information displayed in the GUI  400  can be the information collected by the coordination data store  126  of system  100 . 
         [0047]    As shown, the rescue GUI  400  can include sections displaying access codes  405 , rescue priority  410 , and additional information  420 . The access codes section  405  can include a digital code that can be transmitted to an electronic lock as well as codes for locks that must be manually unlocked. Codes displayed in the access codes section  405  can be for containers, such as safes and kennels, not just portals. 
         [0048]    The rescue priority section  410  can display a predetermined list designating the order in which occupants are to be rescued from the building. It should be noted that this list must have been created by an authorized agent prior to the emergency, and that the rescue priority of occupants would be at the discretion of emergency responders in the absence of a predetermined list. 
         [0049]    An entry in the rescue priority list  415  can include the occupant&#39;s identification and location  417  and an information button  418 . The locational information can be obtained by a location detection system, such as the use of location tags in  FIG. 3 . Selection of the information button  418  by the emergency responder  401  can result in the display of vital information for the identified occupant. This information can be displayed in the rescue GUI  400 , replacing the currently displayed information, or can be presented in a separate window. 
         [0050]    The additional information section  420  can provide an emergency responder  401  with access to collected environmental information. In this example, the additional information section  420  contains a satellite button  422 , floor plan button  423 , an exterior button  424 , and an interior button  425 . Selection of the satellite button  422  can provide the emergency responder  401  with a satellite picture of the specified building, similar to those provided by GOOGLE EARTH. Selection of the floor plan button  423  can display a drawing of the building&#39;s floor plan to help the emergency responder  401  understand the layout before entering. 
         [0051]    Selection of either the exterior or interior buttons  424  and  425  can provide the emergency responder  401  with live video images obtained from security cameras located within the building. In the event that the video cameras are disabled, these buttons can statically display the last image received from the camera or an image from a point prior to the emergency. 
         [0052]      FIG. 5  is a graphical user interface (GUI)  500  providing an emergency responder with access to security video in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The video GUI  500  can be utilized by an emergency responder  501  on a mobile device  502 . This video GUI  500  can be launched by the selection of the exterior  424  or interior buttons  425  of rescue GUI  400 . 
         [0053]    This video GUI  500  can include a video viewing area  505  and an information display  540 . The video viewing area  505  can include a video viewer  510 , video controls  515 , a video selector  518 , camera controls  520 , and a camera selector  525 . The video viewer  510  can display live or recorded video images from a video camera located inside the building. 
         [0054]    By utilizing the video controls  515  and video selector  518 , an emergency responder can select and/or replay an available video. The camera controls  520  can allow the emergency responder  501  to reposition or change the magnification of a selected video camera in order to visualize the entirety of the area. An emergency responder  501  can switch between multiple cameras within a building by using the camera selector  525 . 
         [0055]    Items being viewed in the viewer  510  that contain a location tag can be emphasized to the emergency responder  501 , shown in this example by the white dotted circles. An emphasized object can be selected via a mechanism, such as arrow  530 , and its information presented in the information display  540 . 
         [0056]    The displayed information for an object can include a photo  545 , personal information  550 , and health information  555 . This information can be provided by an authorized agent prior to the emergency, such as during the installation of a security system, and/or collected by the emergency response system. It should be appreciated that this information is not normally available to an emergency responder  501  and often distributed amongst a variety of systems. 
         [0057]    The present invention may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software may be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. 
         [0058]    The present invention also may be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the present context means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form. 
         [0059]    This invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.