WO2018231168A1

WO2018231168A1 - Disaster detection and reporting system

Info

Publication number: WO2018231168A1
Application number: PCT/TR2017/050271
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ali Can; Yilmaz KARAKAYA; Bora SAYINER
Original assignee: Ali Can; Karakaya Yilmaz; Sayiner Bora
Priority date: 2017-06-16
Filing date: 2017-06-16
Publication date: 2018-12-20

Abstract

A disaster detection and reporting system provides real-time perception and reporting of post-disaster situations of structures that are likely to be damaged or destroyed in the event of a disaster, wherein it comprises a sensor group (50) which senses the inclination, damage or destroy of the structure to which it is connected; a processor (20) which determines whether the structures are affected by disasters according to the data received from the said sensor group (50); a communication unit (21 ) that transmits the information about the structures affected or unaffected from disasters, which is identified by the processor (20), to a server (60); a black box (10) which is connected to the structures that are likely to be damaged from disasters and contains the sensor group (50), processor (20) and communication unit (21 ); and an uninterruptible power supply (30), which generates the operating voltage required by the processor (20), the communication unit (21 ), and the sensor group (50) in the black box (10).

Description

Disaster Detection and Reporting System

Technical Field

The invention relates to real-time detection and reporting of post-disaster situations of structures such as buildings, bridges, roads, viaducts, etc. that are likely to be damaged or destroyed in the event of a disaster or accident. Prior Art

Nowadays, it is vital to immediately reach the damaged constructions and to determine the areas/structures to be intervened as soon as possible during disasters. Damage assessment is affected by panic encountered after a disaster and thus, correct results cannot be transmitted and reported to the relevant units. As a result of missing/incorrect data obtained, aid cannot be rapidly delivered to disaster-victims.

Nowadays, there are black boxes which are placed to the structures that can be affected by earthquakes. These devices cut gas and electricity by detecting earthquakes in the moment of an earthquake and record these movements within itself.

In another similar product, building conditions are logged; however, these records are only recorded locally via an SD card. Status information of the registered building, etc. is received via an USB interface.

There is no real-time reporting and recording mechanism on existing systems. Similar systems are not online systems, work only where they are installed, and do not have collective coordination, reporting, and communication capabilities. The application TR 2005/00268 resulting from technical investigations, which is a building damage detection and alarm notification system (YABSIS), is a damage assessment and evaluation system that can send data in cases where the communication infrastructure may be damaged, including natural disasters. It has a unit that measures deformation of structures, such as buildings, bridges, viaducts, etc., which can occur in disasters such as earthquake, flood, etc. This device monitors quakes and transmits the axial displacements at the end of the predefined quake profiles to a center via the "Ad Hoc" (non-infrastructure) protocol over its neighborhoods. There are relative displacements from the structures in the neighborhood of data transmission structure and regional plate movement from the higher sensitivity absolute measurement of regional centers and the possible damage status is determined from the movement of each structure relative to its ground plane.

In our system, the deformation occurred in disasters, such as earthquakes, is not measured; data regarding location information with xyz axis, inclination, acceleration, magnetic field, and gyro information are measured. Different parameters can also be measured with additional sensor support (gas sensor, hydrogen sensor, etc.). Our system does not transmit the outputs over the neighborhoods according to the predetermined quake profiles by monitoring the quakes. Our system does not draw a quake profile. Its data transmission structure is different. Communication is provided using GPRS/GSM technology. In our system, angular displacement is calculated instead of total displacement. Moreover, each device can transfer data to the center independently from each other. Our system can work on an individual basis and make reporting. It is not based on a system design depending on a region-based communication and on an intra-communication of devices with each other as in TR 2005/00268. Since the neighboring relationships are used in the said system, a lot of devices should be used and it is suitable for use in an urban/regional basis. Another application No. US20071 14422 (A1 ) resulting from technical investigations provides information about the statuses of the buildings via energy generators and sensor circuits. In our system according to the invention, no energy is produced and no sensor array is present as in the said document. The application No. US20071 14422 (A1 ) observes the structural variation of the material on the surfaces other various structures such as airplanes. Our invention is concerned with the structural position change. In the current art, in the said application, the system does not use the battery supply. It uses wireless power distribution in its multi-circuit system.

The present structure, besides all these, does not have the novelty aimed at solving the above mentioned negativities.

As a result, due to the above mentioned negativities and the inadequacy of the existing solutions, an improvement in the relevant technical field has been needed. Object of the Invention

The object of the invention is to disclose a structure with different technical features which brings a new expansion in this area, unlike the structures used in the current technique.

The primary object of the invention is to provide damage status information after disasters and to provide coordination after informing.

Another object of the invention is to provide real-time detection and reporting of post-disaster situations of structures such as buildings, bridges, roads, viaducts, etc. that are likely to be damaged and destroyed in the event of a disaster.

Another object of the invention is to provide damage detection and to provide real time transmission and reporting of the most accurate results to the central unit without being affected by the panic environment experienced after a disaster.

Another object of the invention is to provide assistance to disaster-victims in the fastest way.

Another object of the invention is to collect information regarding seismic movements and the final state of structure, power failures, etc. and to report these collected information to a cloud/server system with periods to be determined (it can be set to min 0.3 sec during the installation phase), if there is no change.

Another object of the invention is to make reporting without waiting for periods when an unusual event occurs.

Another object of the invention is to immediately inform the monitoring units which are to be located at the center as a result of the reporting and to direct the relevant emergency aid team without any need for announcement, such as phone calls, etc., in order to eliminate the emergency situation there. In this way, both emergency situations can be monitored continuously and the directions can be immediately made, so that people can get help without losing time.

Another object of the invention is to develop a mobile application that will enable people to see the situations of the structures where they and their neighbors are in. Another object of the invention is to follow-up regional electricity interruptions momentarily during the period.

Structural and characteristic features and all advantages of the invention will become apparent via the below drawings and detailed description that is written by making reference to these drawings. Therefore, the evaluation should also be performed by taking these drawings and detailed description into account.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is the general view of the system according to the invention.

The drawings do not necessarily have to be scaled and details that are not necessary to understand the present invention may have been omitted. Furthermore, members which are at least substantially identical or have at least substantially identical functions are indicated by the same number.

Explanation of Reference Parts

10. Black Box

20. Processor

21 . Communication unit

30. Uninterruptible power supply

40. Battery

50. Sensor group

51 . Inclination sensor

52. Accelerometer

53. Magnetometer

54. Gyroscope

60. Server

70. Central management and monitoring unit

Detailed Description of the Invention In this detailed description, preferred embodiments of the invention are described only for better understanding of the subject and will not form any limiting effect. In the invention, there is a black box (10) which is connected to the structures that are likely to be damaged from disasters and then continuously provides information and reporting about the structures. The said structures may be primarily living quarters (buildings), business centers, bridges, viaducts, hospitals, schools etc. The black box (10) is connected to the points that will be determined by the architects and engineers of these structures. According to the situations of the structures, more than one black box (10) can be used. In the event that the structure to which the black box (10) is connected is inclined or destroyed, the results indicating the inclination, damage or destroy of the structure are obtained via the sensor group (50) found in the black box (10).

The black box (10) consists of the following components;

• Processor (20)

• Communication unit (21 )

• Uninterruptible power supply (30)

• Battery (40)

• Sensor group (50)

The black box (10) has a processor (20) which performs the main control and communication processes of the system. In the processor (20), data received from the sensor group (50) are collected and their values are checked. In addition, these data received from the sensor group (50) is recorded. The processor (20) has also an embedded operating system. The task of this operating system is to provide a connection between the black box (10) and the external device (cloud/server) via the hardware contained in the black box (10).

The processor (20) provides its communication link with the server (60) over the communication unit (21 ).

The black box (10) has a sensor group (50) which senses the physical condition of the structure to which the black box (10) is connected. In the sensor group (50), there are 4 sensors. They are designed to be a backup of each other and to prevent erroneous measurements that can occur in noisy environments and failures

In the designed system, the most accurate results are obtained by the data received from the sensor group (50) is filtered with the sensor fusion and compared. Since each component/sensor operates independently of each other, its effect on the systematic failure is minimal. Sensors can work simultaneously. Sensors can give analog or digital outputs according to their type. Analog outputs are transmitted to the system with the serial communication and digital outputs are transmitted simultaneously to the processor (20) with the protocols such as PC, UART, etc. The sensors installed in the system are;

• Inclinometer (51 )

• Accelerometer (52)

• Magnetometer (53)

• Gyroscope (54)

Inclinometer (51 ) senses the change in the inclination of the black box (10) relative to its initial state. Accelerometer (52) measures instantaneous change of motion and magnetometer (53) measures the magnetic change. The gyroscope (54) measures the direction by maintaining the angular equilibrium.

The above sensors transmit the received data directly to the processor in real time (20).

The data obtained by the sensor group (50) located in the black box (10) and processed in the processor (20) and structures damaged in the perceived disaster or normal situations are transmitted to a server (60) over the communication unit (21 ). The server (60) can be a company's own systems or it can be common servers. Companies that use the system make this decision. The reporting provided by the processor (20) can be performed continuously or in certain periods. Regardless of the reporting period, in a situation where the processor (20) considers it important, instantaneous reporting is performed to the central management and monitoring unit (70) which is in charge of disaster coordination and follow-up through the communication unit (21 ) and the server (60).

The communication unit (21 ) provides a communication between the processor (20) and the server (60). The initialization of the communication unit (21 ) and connection settings with the server (60) are performed by the processor (20). The only interface of the communication unit (21 ) is the processor (20).

The black box (10) has an uninterruptible power supply (30) that generates the operating voltage required by the black box (10) and that continuously and properly charges the battery (40) present on the system. The feeding of the uninterruptible power supply (30) is provided via the mains voltage. This feeding voltage is transmitted to the processor (20) by making appropriate voltage conversions. If the mains voltage is disconnected in any way, the uninterruptible power supply (30) immediately switches to the feeding of the battery (40) to allow the processor (20) operating without closing. The processor (20) has one interface with the uninterruptible power supply (30). This interface includes information about the status of the city network feeding and the voltage level of the battery (40). The processor (20) informs the server (60) through the communication unit (21 ) when the mains voltage, which is the main feeding input, cuts out or when the battery (40) voltage drops below a critical level. The server (60) ensures that the central management and monitoring unit (70) is aware of this situation. The mains voltage continuously provides the power feeding required by the uninterruptible power supply (30). However, in case the city network is interrupted or cuts out, the power feeding required by the uninterruptible power supply (30) is provided via the battery (40). If the mains voltage is not available in some way, the power feeding of the processor (20) is provided via the battery (40). The battery (40) provides the voltage feeding of all components of the black box (10) when the mains voltage is not available. The battery (40) will allow the processor (20) to report itself even after an electrical interruption for a period of 2-3 days (the period can be increased by powering up the battery (40)).

The central management and monitoring unit (70) is the part where disaster detection and reporting is informed to organizations such as local governments, central administrations, disaster coordination units, and search and rescue units. In the central management and monitoring unit (70), follow-up and monitoring processes can be performed via web, desktop or mobile applications. The monitoring screens in the central management and monitoring unit (70) show the status of the relevant regions instantly on the map based on location. The events that provide state of emergency or information criteria are shown in a list next to the location. Upon request, crossing between the list and map can be provided. The system user (for example, a local government) can request assistance by sharing with anywhere (for example, with environmental local governments) in case of a need. Besides these, people can instantly monitor either the statuses of their own houses or the statuses of the structures, such as workplace, houses etc. of their neighbors through a mobile application.

JSON is used as data sharing format. This format uses less bandwidth and is easy to read. It is also more efficient to process and display this type of data on mobile platforms. The members and functions of the system of the invention are;

• A black box (10) which is connected to the structures that are likely to be damaged from disasters and contains a sensor group (50), a processor (20) and a communication unit (21 ),

• A sensor group (50) which senses the inclination, damage or destroy of the structure to which it is connected (Spatial, magnetic, and inertial measurements are performed via inclination sensor (51 ), accelerometer (52), magnetometer (53), and gyroscope (54). After the sensors are positioned in the black box (10), they start measurements following the initialization process.),

• A processor (20) which determines whether the structures are affected by disasters according to the data received from the said sensor group (50) (If the data received from the sensor group (50) exceeds a certain limit value, it is understood that the structures are damaged.),

· A communication unit (21 ) that transmits the information about the structures affected or unaffected from disasters, which is identified by the processor (20), to a server (60) (Communication is provided with GPRS/GSM technology.),

• A central management and monitoring unit (70), which monitors and follows-up the structures affected by disasters according to the information received from the server (60) (The communication between the server (60) and the central management and monitoring unit (70) is provided through internet.),

• An uninterruptible power supply (30), which generates the operating voltage required by the processor (20), the communication unit (21 ), and the sensor group (50) in the black box (10),

· A battery (40), which is continuously charged by the uninterruptible power supply (30) and provides energy for electronic devices located in the black box (10) when the mains voltage is interrupted or cut out,

• An inclination sensor (51 ) located in the said sensor group (50) and detecting that whether the structure is damaged or not by angular measurement,

· An accelerometer (52) located in the said sensor group (50) for measuring momentary change of motion, a magnetometer (53) for measuring magnetic change, and a gyroscope (54) for measuring the direction by maintaining the angular equilibrium. The process steps performed by the system according to the invention are

• Measurements performed by the sensor group (50) in the said black box (10) in certain periods or in a continuous manner after the activation of the disaster detection and reporting system,

• Controlling the values read by the sensor group (50) on the processor (20)

o evaluating the structure as damaged from the disaster, if the data received from the sensor group (50) exceeds a certain limit value and transmission of this information to the server (60) through the communication unit (21 ), o continuing to operation of the sensor group (50), if the data received from the sensor group (50) are below a certain limit value and transmission of the information that the structure is undamaged to the server (60) through the communication unit (21 ) (The sensor group (50) is continuously operating. In the event of no damage, the information can be transmitted to the server (60), if requested. The status of the black box (10) can be queried, when requested, by the mobile software.),

• Sending help to the area where the damage occurs after receiving the information about the structure damaged from the disaster from the server (60) by the central management and monitoring unit (70),

• transmitting the information received from the said server (60) to the users via a mobile application,

• immediate monitoring of the information received from the said server (60) in a mobile application or a desktop application and positional representation of the results on a map.

Claims

A disaster detection and reporting system, which provides real-time perception and reporting of post-disaster situations of structures that are likely to be damaged or destroyed in the event of a disaster and comprises a black box (10) that is connected to the structures that are likely to be damaged from disasters and preserves the equipment contained within, characterized in that it comprises

• a sensor group (50) which is located in the said black box (10) and senses the inclination, damage or destroy of the structure to which the black box (10) is connected,

• a processor (20) which determines whether the said structures are affected by disasters according to the data received from the said sensor group (50),

• a communication unit (21 ) that transmits the information about the structures affected or unaffected from disasters, which is identified by the processor (20), to a server (60), and

• an uninterruptible power supply (30), which generates the operating voltage required by the processor (20), the communication unit (21 ), and the sensor group (50) in the black box (10).

The disaster detection and reporting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a communication unit (21 ) that uses GPRS/GSM technology.

The disaster detection and reporting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a battery (40), which is continuously charged by the uninterruptible power supply (30) and provides energy for electronic devices located in the black box (10) when the mains voltage is interrupted or cut out.

The disaster detection and reporting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a central management and monitoring unit (70), which monitors and follows-up the structures affected by disasters according to the information received from the server (60).

The disaster detection and reporting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises an inclination sensor (51 ) which is located in the said sensor group (50) and detects that whether the structure is damaged or not by angular measurement.

The disaster detection and reporting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises an accelerometer (52) which is located in the said sensor group (50) and measures momentary change of motion.

The disaster detection and reporting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a magnetometer (53) which is located in the said sensor group (50) and measures magnetic change.

The disaster detection and reporting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a gyroscope (54) which is located in the said sensor group (50) and measures the direction by maintaining the angular equilibrium.

A disaster detection and reporting method, which provides real-time perception and reporting of post-disaster situations of structures that are likely to be damaged or destroyed in the event of a disaster, characterized in that it performs the process steps of

• measurements performed by the sensor group (50) in the said black box (10) in certain periods or in a continuous manner after the activation of the disaster detection and reporting system, and

• controlling the values read by the sensor group (50) on the processor (20),

o evaluating the structure as damaged from the disaster, if the data received from the sensor group (50) exceeds a certain threshold value and transmission of this information to the server (60) through the communication unit (21 ), via the system comprising

• a sensor group (50) which senses the inclination, damage or destroy of the structure to which it is connected,

• a processor (20) which determines whether the structures are affected by disasters according to the data received from the said sensor group (50),

• a communication unit (21 ) that transmits the information about the structures affected or unaffected from disasters, which is identified by the processor (20), to a server (60),

• a black box (10) which is connected to the structures that are likely to be damaged from disasters and contains the sensor group (50), processor (20) and communication unit (21 ), and • an uninterruptible power supply (30), which generates the operating voltage required by the processor (20), the communication unit (21 ), and the sensor group (50) in the black box (10).

10. The disaster detection and reporting method according to claim 9, characterized in that the sensor group (50) continues to operate if the data received from the said sensor group (50) are below a certain threshold value and the information that the structure is undamaged is transmitted to the server (60) through the communication unit (21 ).

11. The disaster detection and reporting method according to claim 9, characterized in that help is sent to the area where the damage occurs after receiving the information about the structure damaged from the disaster from the server (60) by the central management and monitoring unit (70).

12. The disaster detection and reporting method according to claim 9, characterized in that the information received from the said server (60) are transmitted to the users via a mobile application.

13. The disaster detection and reporting method according to claim 9, characterized in that the information received from the said server (60) are immediately monitored in a mobile application or a desktop application and the results are represented positionally on a map.