Facilitating a search of individuals in a building during an emergency event

US10726688B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Christopher L. Molloy · Raleigh, US
• Bernadette Ann Pierson · South Hero, US
• Jayashree Vaidyanathan · Cincinnati, US
• Edgar A. Zamora Duran · Heredia, CR

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 14, 2019
• Grant date: Jul 28, 2020
• Expiry date: Aug 14, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02D30/70
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes: determining, by a computing device, a location of an individual in a building relative to the location of an exit of the building; determining, by the computing device, the location of obstacles or hazards within the building; determining, by the computing device, a path from the individual to the exit based on determining the location of the individual relative to the exit and the location of the obstacles or hazards; generating, by the computing device, signaling instructions based on the path; and outputting, by the computing device, the signaling instructions to one or more signaling devices, wherein the outputting the signaling instructions control operations of the one or more signaling devices to guide the individual to the exit based on the path.