Controlling fire suppression based on occupancy data

Abstract

A method for responding to a threat detected in a building includes acquiring sensor data from one or more sensor devices located within the building. Occupancy information of occupants within the building is calculated, based on the sensor data, in response to detecting the threat in the building. A control instruction is sent to a threat mitigator to reduce or eliminate the threat based on the occupancy information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for responding to a threat detected in a building, comprising:
 acquiring sensor data from one or more sensor devices located within the building;   calculating, based on the sensor data, occupancy information of occupants within the building, in response to detecting the threat in the building; and   sending a control instruction to a threat mitigator to reduce or eliminate the threat based on the occupancy information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the threat comprises a fire and wherein the threat mitigator comprises a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the control instruction reduces, stops, or reverses an airflow into the building or into a zone in the building associated with the threat based on the occupancy information indicating an absence of the occupants in the zone. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising directing a movement of an occupant of the building via the threat mitigator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein directing the movement of the occupant of the building via the threat mitigator further comprises directing the occupant along an exit path away from a zone in the building associated with the threat, and wherein the control instruction reduces, stops, or reverses an airflow into the zone in the building based on the occupancy information indicating the occupant has moved out of the zone. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor devices comprise: a video sensor, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, an infrared sensor, a mobile device sensor, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the threat mitigator comprises a display, a guiding lighting system, a mobile device notification, an audio announcement device, or an access control system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising sending instructions to the access control system to selectively lock and/or unlock one or more access points at one or more zones of the building based on the occupancy information. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the occupancy information comprises calculating one or more of: an occupant count, an occupant location, an occupant movement pattern, or an occupant mobility level. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising calculating an exit path for the occupant of the building based on the occupancy information, a building plan, and a zone in the building associated with the threat and directing the movement of the occupant based on the exit path. 
     
     
         11 . A system for responding to a threat detected in a building comprising:
 one or more hardware processors, individually or in combination, configured to:
 acquire sensor data from one or more sensor devices located within the building; 
 calculate, based on the sensor data, occupancy information of occupants within the building, in response to detecting the threat in the building; and 
 send a control instruction to a threat mitigator to reduce or eliminate the threat based on the occupancy information. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the threat comprises a fire and wherein the threat mitigator comprises a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the control instruction reduces, stops, or reverses an airflow into the building or into a zone in the building associated with the threat based on the occupancy information indicating an absence of the occupants in the zone. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more hardware processors, individually or in combination, are further configured to direct a movement of an occupant of the building via the threat mitigator. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more hardware processors, individually or in combination, configured to direct the movement of the occupant of the building via the threat mitigator are further configured to direct the occupant along an exit path away from a zone in the building associated with the threat, and wherein the control instruction reduces or stops an airflow into the zone in the building based on the occupancy information indicating the occupant has moved out of the zone. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more sensor devices comprise: a video sensor, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, an infrared sensor, a mobile device sensor, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the threat mitigator comprises a display, a guiding lighting system, a mobile device notification, an audio announcement device, or an access control system. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more hardware processors, individually or in combination, are further configured to send instructions to the access control system to selectively lock and/or unlock one or more access points at one or more zones of the building based on the occupancy information. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more hardware processors, individually or in combination, configured to calculate the occupancy information are further configured to calculate one or more of: an occupant count, an occupant location, an occupant movement pattern, or an occupant mobility level. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more hardware processors, individually or in combination, are further configured to calculate an exit path for an occupant of the building based on the occupancy information, a building plan, and a zone in the building associated with the threat and configured to direct a movement of the occupant based on the exit path. 
     
     
         21 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors, individually or in combination, to respond to a threat detected in a building by:
 acquiring sensor data from one or more sensor devices located within the building;   calculating, based on the sensor data, occupancy information of occupants within the building, in response to detecting the threat in the building; and   sending a control instruction to a threat mitigator to reduce or eliminate the threat based on the occupancy information.