Communications: electrical – Systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2001-07-24
Pope, Daryl (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Systems
C340S870030, C340S506000, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06265964
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system for activating building facilities in the case of an emergency.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A quick glance over any urban skyline will reveal a large number of multi-story and high-rise buildings. Most of these multi-unit buildings, such as office buildings and apartment buildings have various electric or electronically controlled facilities, such as the elevator(s), the security doors and the emergency warning alarm system. Although generally designed with safety concerns in mind, these facilities often hinder emergency service personnel who are called to respond to an emergency at the building.
Until the present, there has been no successful attempt to facilitate the rapid access of emergency services personnel into such office and apartment buildings. Rather, the security doors and elevators typically slow down emergency response time to the incident.
For example, an emergency service unit responding to an incident at such a building must request the security door to be opened which quite often absorbs a lot of time for any number of reasons. Once past the security door, the emergency personnel must wait for the elevator to come to the ground floor, which again can absorb a lot of precious time, especially in some of the larger office towers in the large urban centres. These delays have been found to be between three and twenty minutes.
There thus exists a need for a system which could be used by emergency services personnel to provide automated rapid access into the building and to the building facilities for a limited period of time, after which the facilities would return to their normal operating state.
A further requirement is for there to be a universal means of accessing the building facilities at a number of different buildings. Rather than requiring emergency personnel to carry an assortment of keys, access codes or the like, it is desirable to have a single, universal alternative which emergency personnel can use at any building within the assigned territory for those personnel to access the facilities of those buildings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a system for activating building facilities in the case of an emergency.
In one aspect of the invention there is provided a system for activating building facilities in the case of an emergency in which the system comprises an activation means to allow emergency personnel to selectively access the system. There is further provided a plurality of adjustable timer circuits, each of which timer circuit is arranged so that the system controls a respective one or more of the building facilities for a pre-determined period of time, and a microprocessor to control the timer circuits. In the case of an emergency, the emergency personnel access the system by activating the activation means whereby the system assumes control of the building facilities during a cycle.
In another aspect of the invention, the building facilities comprise an alarm system, at least one security door and at least one elevator, wherein in use, the system actuates the alarm system, unlocks the at least one security door and calls the at least one elevator to the ground floor of the building.
In another aspect of the invention, the system comprises three timer circuits, one wired to control the alarm system and the at least one security door for a first period of time, one wired to control the at least one elevator for a second period of time and one wired to act as a delay period to allow the affected building systems to reset before the system can be re-started.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a security means to access the system and prevent unauthorized access to the system.
In another aspect of the system there is provided a plurality of systems for activating building facilities at a plurality of buildings wherein each of the systems is located at a different respective building and one security key provides universal access to each of the systems.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4532507 (1985-07-01), Edson et al.
patent: 5801625 (1998-09-01), Wang
patent: 5872513 (1999-02-01), Fitzgibbon et al.
Pope Daryl
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
LandOfFree
Automated building activation system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Automated building activation system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automated building activation system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2554394