Patent Abstract:
A system and method for detecting and managing wildfires is described. The system and method deploy a plurality of fixed sensors in an area to be monitored. Each fixed sensor is operable to detect ambient conditions in the vicinity of the fixed sensor and to relay that information to a central control center. A plurality of mobile sensors are deployed with responders, where each mobile sensor is capable of detecting ambient conditions near the respective responder and conditions of the responder. The plurality of mobile sensors are in communication with the central control center. The system then determines attributes of the wildfire from the collective data from the plurality of fixed sensors and the plurality of mobile sensors and coordinates the activity of responders in response to the wildfire using the collective data.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED INFORMATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/037,479, filed Aug. 14, 2014, titled, “Distributed Wild Fire Alert System”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure is directed to a fire detection system, and more specifically to a fire detection system employing mobile and distributed sensors with wireless connectivity. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Everyone is familiar with the environmental and social costs of forest fires; in summertime, the prime fire season in the West, there are regular news stories about people losing their homes and thousands of acres ablaze. The economic costs both in lost homes and property and who pays to put the fires out are enormous and growing. As many as 90 percent of wild fires in the United States are caused by humans, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava. 
     Severe forest fires have increased in frequency over the past decade, resulting in substantial losses of property and human lives. In 2013, 47,579 wildfires burned over 4 million acres, with California, North Carolina, Oregon, Montana and Arizona experiencing the most wildfires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. On June 30, 19 firefighters were killed while working to contain the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona. This was the deadliest event for firefighters since 9/11 and the third-highest firefighter death toll attributed to wildfires. A massive wildfire that began near Yosemite Park in California on August 17 had burned over 255,000 acres and was designated as the state&#39;s third-largest wildfire. The December 17 fire in Big Sur, Calif., burned 917 acres and more than 30 homes. 
     The increased severity of fires, combined with continuing development in, and near, forests, puts many more communities at risk and has substantially increased both the difficulty and cost of fire suppression. Expenditures on fire suppression by the U.S. Forest Service alone have exceeded $1 billion in five of the last seven years. And in 2009, nearly $2 billion (48 percent of the agency&#39;s budget) is to be targeted at fire management, up from $300 million (13 percent) in 1991. 
     While no single technology or remedy will prevent tragedies caused by wildfires, any technology or system that could provide for earlier warnings, coordinate responses by firefighters, and improve fire fighter safety would be helpful in the ongoing fight to prevent, contain and manage wildfires. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a preferred embodiment, a system and method for detecting and managing wildfires is described that includes a plurality of fixed sensors, each operable to detect ambient conditions in the vicinity of the fixed sensor and to relay that information to a central control center. A plurality of mobile sensors are worn by responders and are capable of detecting ambient conditions near the respective responder and conditions of the responder, the plurality of mobile sensors in communication with the central control center. The collective data from the plurality of fixed sensors and the plurality of mobile sensors can be used to determine attributes of the wildfire and to coordinate the responders in response to the wildfire. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a system diagram showing an embodiment of a fire detection system according to the concepts described herein; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an embodiment of a mobile sensor according to the concepts described herein; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an embodiment of a fixed or distributed sensor according to the concepts described herein; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a fixed or distributed sensor according to the concepts described herein; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a an embodiment of a fixed or distributed sensor according to the concepts described herein. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for detecting and managing wildfires according to the concepts described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Wildfires present many problems for the Forest Service, Park Rangers, firefighters and the like. Among those problems are the inability in many instances to detect fires early, the difficulty managing and tracking large numbers of firefighters over large areas, understanding and tracking a fire as it progresses and detecting when a firefighter is in danger or has been injured. 
     A preferred embodiment of a system  100  that addresses each of these problems is shown in  FIG. 1 . The system can be composed of network  101  of inexpensive sensor units that can be either fixed sensors  103  (FS) or mobile sensors  102  (MS). Each type of sensor can come in different variations depending on the application or circumstances. For example, the fixed and mobile sensors can contain combinations of multiple sensor types that collect information about the surrounding environment. As will be discussed in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 2-4 , preferred embodiments of the fixed and mobile sensors might include a smoke sensor and a temperature sensor that are able to send messages using one or more of a variety of communication schemes as will be discussed below. In addition to smoke and temperature sensors, other sensors can be included that provide an important data point regarding the surrounding environment. For example, light sensors could be useful in detecting fires during the night hours, acoustic sensors could detect the acoustic signature of a wildfire, etc. Other types of sensors could include wind, humidity, and lightning sensors. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the mobile sensors  102  are preferably worn by fire fighters or other personnel or placed on equipment or vehicles. The fixed sensors  103  are preferably distributed in the terrain being monitored. The fixed sensors could be pre-placed in locations, such as in or on trees, on rock formation, or other locations by forest rangers. The fixed sensors could also be deployed from the air by dropping them from drones, helicopters or airplanes. Fixed sensors deployed by dropping them into the forest would be designed to catch in the trees or other foliage for best operation. 
     The fixed sensors  103  and mobile sensors  102  are designed to communicate with each other and with mobile hubs  104  deployed along with the sensors. Since the sensors would be in remote areas often without cellular service, a preferred method would be to have the sensors form a mesh network by communicating directly with each other. The mesh network  101  allows all of the sensors to send and receive data from a command and control center  109 . Given the remote nature of the devices, they could also be configured to use one or more of any usable type of network, such as cellular networks  105 , wireless networks  107 , such as wifi, or even satellite communications  106 . The data can then be sent over a provider network  108  to control center  109 . In areas where cellular networks do not exist or are not adequate, mobile wireless networks can be set up to facilitate communications with the sensors  102 ,  103  and hubs  104 . These mobile networks could use temporary antennas, vehicle mounted antenna or airborne antennas using drone, blimps, planes or any other suitable carrier. These networks would then relay the sensor data and sensor location for each of the mobile sensors  102  and fixed sensors  103 . The network could be created at the time a fire is detected by bringing in mobile units that could communicate with one or more of the sensors and relay information from all the sensors using the mesh network. While a “mothership” might provide advantages, it is not required as the system could operate solely using the mesh networked devices which relay communications through the network of sensors until a sensor or hub with connectivity to the outside network is found. 
     The fixed sensors  103  could have their location determined at the time of installation, such as by the ranger or drone, by associating a device id with the deployment location noted by the ranger, drone or other operator. The fixed sensors  103  could also include GPS receivers for location information. The mobile sensors  102  could include location information and might also include other sensors not required in the fixed sensors. A motion, or fall detection, sensor worn by a firefighter could provide and indication that the firefighter was injured or disabled. Smoke and temperature sensors, could provide an indication of the firefighters proximity to the fire. Biometric sensors could provide an indication of the firefighter&#39;s health and status. Location sensors, such as GPS, would provide a real-time location for the firefighter and corresponding environmental data. The mobile sensors could also be equipped with RF or cellular voice communication allowing two-way voice transmissions between the firefighter and a control center  109 . 
     Preprogrammed voice commands could be stored in the mobile sensors  103  and triggered by a command from the control center, other authority or as a result of environmental conditions. The voice commands could give directions to the firefighter on preferred escape routes, redeployment or other instructions. 
     The strength of the system proposed according to the concepts described herein lies in the ability to process environmental and other data from a large number of sensors. The collective data can be used to chart the location, intensity, progress and direction of the wildfire allowing resources to be deployed more efficiently. The data can also be used to show escape routes, as well ingress and egress paths for firefighters. The mobile sensor data would show the real-time location of all of the fire fighting resources and along with the fixed sensor data can be used to make sure those resources are deployed most efficiently. In addition to live streaming data from the sensors, information could also be derived from the loss of signals from the sensors, providing information about where fixed sensors have been destroyed by the fire. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , and an embodiment of a mobile sensor device  102  from  FIG. 1  is shown. The device  200  includes a microprocessor  201  and memory to store data and programming information. The device  200  also includes one or more transmitters or transceivers, such as RF transceiver/cellular transceiver/wifi transceiver  207 , a satellite transceiver  209 , or other transceiver, to allow the device to communicate in the mesh network with other sensor devices or to communicate with other wireless or cellular networks using antennal  212  and transceiver power supply  206 . The satellite transceivers  209  and satellite antenna  211  can allow data transmission and reception and for GPS location. Power can be supplied by batteries or by solar cells or other power supply, or by any combination thereof. 
     As described above, the devices  200  preferrably include one or more sensors, including sensors  202  and  203  that measure the ambient temperature and smoke, respectively. Motion sensors  204  or accelerometers can provide indication that the sensor device  200  has moved, such as from a firefighter involved in a fall. Any other sensor  205  that would provide useful data can also be included. The sensors can be inside the device or can be remote from the device and communicating with the device using a wired or wireless interface, such as Bluetooth or other short range protocol. The units can also include other elements such as lights  213  or sirens  214  that can be activated when fire is detected or when the wearer of a mobile unit appears incapacitated from a fall, smoke inhalation, or other event. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an embodiment of a fixed sensor device  102  from  FIG. 1  is shown. Device  300  is preferably a simpler device to mobile sensor  102  having few components and sensors that could be deactivated when not in use to conserve power. Device  300  includes microprocessor  301  and memory to store data and programming information. Sensor or sensors  302  collect data which can be stored and/or transmitted by the device. The device  300  also includes one or more transmitters or transceivers  303  to allow the device to communicate in the mesh network with other sensor devices or to communicate with other wireless or cellular networks using antennal  309 . A location circuit  304 , such as GPS or cellular location services, can be used to determine the location of device  300  or as described earlier, a device id  305  could be used to identify the device and associate it with a location determined by the deployer of the device. Power source can be batteries or by solar cells or other power supply, or by any combination thereof. In addition, fixed sensor device  300  can include a piezoelectric power circuit  307  that derives power from the motion of external “leaves”  308  on the device that vibrate with wind or other motion source. The piezoelectric power circuit  307  can be used to maintain a charge in the batteries and can allow the device to exist deployed for long periods, such as 5 or more years. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present system, the sensors might come in two or more configurations optimized for their intended use. An alternate embodiment of a fixed sensor is shown in  FIG. 4 . Device  400  is similar to fixed sensor device  300  shown in  FIG. 3 . It can includes microprocessor  401  and memory to store data and programming information. The device  400  may also include one or more transmitters or transceivers  403  to allow the device to communicate in the mesh network with other sensor devices or to communicate with other wireless or cellular networks using antennal  409 . A location circuit  404 , such as GPS or cellular location services, may be used to determine the location of device  400  or as described earlier, a device id  405  could be used to identify the device and associate it with a location determined by the deployer of the device. Power source  406  can be batteries or by solar cells, piezoelectric generator  407  with “leaves”  408  or other power supply, or by any combination thereof. Device  400  may be configured with a fire detection sensor  402 . In this configuration, the device  400  would lie dormant until fire detection sensor  402  detects a fire. At that time the device would wake up and transmit its id or location before it is consumed by the fire. This type of device would allow the control center to monitor the direction and progress of the fire from the signals from these devices as they are consumed. The device  400  could also be powered by the heat from the fire, further reducing the internal components and cost of the device. 
     Other configurations of fixed sensors could be employed that would be simpler and contain fewer sensors and transceivers to allow them to better manage power consumption. They could also be programmed differently to activate only when triggered by a remote command or when a sensor has detected a data level above a certain threshold. Mobile units can have more capabilities since they would not normally have the same power constraints as the fixed units. The mobile units can carry more sensors, location detection, lights and sirens, and voice communication capabilities among other things. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an embodiment of a fixed sensor form factor is shown. Device  500  includes case  501  holding the components. It may also include peizoelectric power “leaves”  502  that allow power to be generated from the wind. Hooks  503 , or other mechanisms, allow the device  500  to catch in trees when deployed from the air or other mechanism without having to be strapped or nailed to trees. In place of hooks  503  any other mechanism that allows device  500  to catch in the branches and leaves or needles of trees can be employed on case  501  without departing from the scope of the concepts described herein. 
     Many other embodiments of mobile and fixed sensors and hubs can be envisioned that would work with the system as described. Those embodiments could include sensors as part of camping gear or as part of GPS tools for hikers and campers, and embodiments incorporated into tents. Parks may buy sensors and post around edge of park and within park, while ranchers or landowners may want to place around land, especially at edges, report data back to landowner. The devices could include speakers on sensors and have multiple connectivity types. The devices could be powered by any method such as battery, solar, etc, or could be powered by movement, such as wind or connected to animal trackers. Devices could be made to be fireproof and include enough memory to record long periods of data. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a embodiment of a method for detecting and managing wildfires is shown. Method  600  begins with deploying fixed sensors in an area of interest, as shown by step  601 . The area may be an area that is prone to wildfires, an area where a wildfire has already been detected or other areas of interest from a fire concern. The fixed sensors can be deployed in advance where they can monitor for fires for years or can be placed in an area where a fire has already been detected to help monitor the fire. The fixed sensors can both help detect new fires, monitor local conditions prone to fire, and collect data on known and existing fires. 
     In step  602 , mobile sensors are carried by responders, such as fire fighters, responding to the detection of a fire. In step  603  the data returned from the fixed and mobile sensors is monitored and used to determine fire conditions. Those conditions can include location, direction of spread, speed of movement and other related conditions. These fire conditions can then be used to coordinate the fire fighting response to the fire and to provide safety information to fire fighters such as warnings of advancing lines of fire and escape routes, as shown by step  604 . 
     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6