Unmanned Vehicle, System and Method for Initiating a Fire Extinguishing Action

Abstract

The invention relates to an unmanned vehicle (2) for initiating a fire extinguishing action, comprising a vehicle sensor unit (6) for detecting a fire parameter KF of a vehicle monitoring region (8), a signal receiving unit (10) for receiving an instruction signal SI representing a reference fire status ZR for a fire detector monitoring region (12) of a stationary fire detector (14) and a target location (16), and a navigation control unit (18) for navigating the vehicle (2) to the target location (16) based on the instruction signal SI, such that the vehicle monitoring region (8) and the fire detector monitoring region (12) overlap, wherein the vehicle (2) is configured to detect the fire parameter KF at the target location (16) by means of the vehicle sensor unit (6) as a verification fire parameter KV of the fire detector monitoring region (12), wherein the vehicle (2) is configured for determining a verification fire status ZV by evaluating the verification fire parameter KV, wherein the vehicle (2) is configured to determine the reference fire status ZR as a verified reference fire status ZVR, if the reference fire status ZR and the verification fire status ZV sufficiently correspond, and to initiate a fire extinguishing action in the event of a verified reference fire status ZVR. The invention also relates to a system (20) having a vehicle (2) of this type, as well as a corresponding method.

1 . An unmanned vehicle ( 2 ) for initiating a fire extinguishing action, comprising:
 a vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) that is designed for detecting a fire parameter K F  of a vehicle monitoring region ( 8 ),   a signal receiving unit ( 10 ) for receiving an instruction signal S I , which represents a reference fire status Z R  for a fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) of a stationary fire detector ( 14 ) and a target location ( 16 ), and   a navigation control unit ( 18 ),   wherein the vehicle monitoring region ( 8 ) sufficiently overlaps with the fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) when the vehicle ( 2 ) is at the target location ( 16 ),   wherein the navigation control unit ( 18 ) is designed for navigating the vehicle ( 2 ) to the target location ( 16 ), in an autonomous manner, based on the received instruction signal S I  such that the vehicle monitoring region ( 8 ) and the fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) sufficiently overlap,   wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is configured for detecting the fire parameter K F  in the form of a verification fire parameter K V  of the fire detector region ( 12 ) at the target location ( 16 ) by means of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ),   wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is configured for determining a verification fire status Z V  by evaluating the verification fire parameter K V ,   wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is configured for determining the reference fire status Z R  in the form of a verified reference fire status Z VR  if the reference fire status Z R  and the verification fire status Z V  at least sufficiently match, and   wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed and/or configured for initiating a fire extinguishing action if the reference fire status Z R  was determined in the form of a verified reference fire status Z VR .   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is realized in the form of a land craft, a robotic vehicle, an aircraft, or a drone. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) comprises a fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) for extinguishing a fire, wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for carrying out a fire extinguishing action with the aid of the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ). 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises a nozzle ( 102 ), which is designed for discharging, and spraying an extinguishing medium for extinguishing a fire. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises an externally accessible output connector ( 128 ) for making available extinguishing medium, wherein said output connector can be coupled to a mating connector ( 130 ) of a stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ) in order to make available extinguishing medium to the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ). 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for determining the location ( 84 ) of a fire by means of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) at the target location ( 16 ). 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for orienting the nozzle ( 102 ) in such a way that the extinguishing medium to be sprayed by the nozzle ( 102 ) flows in the direction of the location ( 84 ) of a fire in order to extinguish the fire ( 4 ). 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for autonomously navigating to an optimal location for discharging extinguishing medium based on the location ( 84 ) of the fire. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises a detachable extinguishing medium container ( 104 ), in which extinguishing medium is stored. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises an extinguishing medium production device for producing extinguishing medium. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises an externally accessible input connector, which can be coupled to a mating connector of a stationary extinguishing medium source, such that extinguishing medium can be conveyed from the extinguishing medium source to the vehicle ( 2 ) and to the corresponding fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ). 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein the corresponding fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises a controllable triggering unit ( 106 ) having a controllable valve, which is designed for controlling an extinguishing medium flow to the nozzle ( 102 ) and/or the output connector ( 128 ). 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises a first rotatable, pivotable and/or length-adjustable orientation device ( 116 ), on which the nozzle ( 102 ) is mounted, wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for controlling the first orientation device ( 116 ) in order to orient the nozzle ( 102 ). 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the navigation control unit ( 18 ) is designed for navigating the vehicle ( 2 ) to the mating connector of the stationary extinguishing medium source based on navigation data such that the input connector of the vehicle ( 2 ) is coupled to the mating connector of the extinguishing medium source. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the navigation control unit ( 18 ) is designed for navigating the vehicle ( 2 ) to an extinguishing medium container depot ( 126 ), in which at least one extinguishing medium container ( 104 ) that can be coupled to the vehicle by means of a coupling device ( 124 ) is held available, in a controlled manner based on navigation data. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal receiving unit ( 10 ) is designed for receiving an instruction signal S I , from a central unit ( 22 ). 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for generating a triggering signal for a triggering unit ( 106 ) and for controlling the triggering unit ( 106 ) based on the triggering signal such that the triggering unit ( 106 ) releases an extinguishing medium flow to the nozzle ( 102 ) and/or the output connector ( 128 ) when the triggering unit ( 106 ) is activated by means of the triggering signal, wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for transmitting a signal, which represents the triggering time, at which the triggering unit ( 106 ) releases the extinguishing medium flow, and/or a triggering period of the released extinguishing medium flow, to the central unit ( 22 ). 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 17 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for re-detecting the fire parameter K F  by means of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) after the triggering time, while the extinguishing medium flow is released and/or after the expiration of the extinguishing period, and in that the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for determining an extinguished status based on the re-detected fire parameter K F  if the re-detected fire parameter K F  represents an extinguished fire ( 4 ). 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 17 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for re-generating the triggering signal such that the triggering unit ( 106 ) once again releases an extinguishing medium flow to the nozzle ( 102 ) or the output connector ( 128 ) if the re-detected fire parameter K F  represents a fire, a preliminary fire stage and/or a smoldering fire. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 19 , wherein the re-generated triggering signal is generated by the vehicle ( 2 ) in such a way that the triggering unit ( 106 ) releases an extinguishing medium, which differs from the previously released extinguishing medium, to the nozzle ( 102 ) or the output connector ( 128 ). 
     
     
         21 . A system ( 20 ) for initiating a fire extinguishing action, comprising:
 a central unit ( 22 ) having a central fire alarm system, and   a vehicle ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 ,   wherein the vehicle comprises a first signal communication unit that contains the signal receiving unit ( 10 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ),   wherein the central unit ( 22 ) comprises a second signal communication unit that is designed for producing a wireless signal link to the first signal communication unit of the vehicle ( 2 ), and   wherein the central unit ( 22 ) is designed for transmitting the corresponding instruction signal S I  to the vehicle ( 2 ).   
     
     
         22 . The system ( 20 ) according to  claim 21 , wherein the central unit ( 22 ) is designed for transmitting navigation control signals from the central unit ( 22 ) to the vehicle ( 2 ), in that the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed and/or configured for navigating based on the transmitted navigation control signals, and in that the central unit ( 22 ) is designed for navigating the vehicle ( 2 ) in a remote-controlled manner by transmitting navigation control signals to the vehicle ( 2 ). 
     
     
         23 . The system ( 20 ) according to  claim 21 , further comprising a stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ), which is designed for being coupled to an output connector ( 128 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ), wherein
 the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ) comprises a mating connector ( 130 ), at least one extinguishing nozzle ( 70 ) and a pipe network, which extends between the mating connector ( 130 ) of the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ) and the at least one extinguishing nozzle ( 70 ) of the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ), and wherein   the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ) is designed for extinguishing a fire ( 4 ) in the fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) in that extinguishing medium can be transported from the output connector ( 128 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ) to the mating connector ( 130 ) of the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ) and to the at least one extinguishing nozzle ( 70 ) of the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ) via the pipe network.   
     
     
         24 . A system ( 20 ) according to  claim 21 , further comprising a stationary fire detector ( 14 ), wherein the fire detector ( 14 ) comprises a fire detector sensor unit ( 28 ) that is designed for detecting a reference fire parameter K R  of a predefined fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ), wherein the fire detector ( 14 ) is designed for determining a reference fire status Z R  by evaluating the reference fire parameter K R , wherein the fire detector ( 14 ) is designed for transmitting a fire detector signal S B , which represents the reference fire status Z R , to the central unit ( 22 ), wherein the central unit ( 22 ) is configured for transmitting an instruction signal S I  to the vehicle ( 2 ) if the fire detector signal S B  transmitted by the fire detector ( 14 ) represents a reference fire status Z R  that requires verification, wherein the instruction signal S I  represents the least a target location ( 16 ) for the vehicle ( 2 ), wherein the vehicle monitoring region ( 8 ) sufficiently overlaps with the fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) when the vehicle ( 2 ) is at the target location ( 16 ), and wherein a measuring principle of the fire detector sensor unit ( 28 ) and a measuring principle of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) differ. 
     
     
         25 . A method for initiating a fire extinguishing action, comprising the following steps:
 receiving an instruction signal S I  by means of a signal receiving unit ( 10 ) of an unmanned vehicle ( 2 ), wherein a vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ) is designed for detecting a fire parameter K F  of a vehicle monitoring region ( 8 ), wherein the instruction signal S I  represents a reference fire status Z R  for a fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) of a stationary fire detector ( 14 ) and a target location ( 16 ), and wherein the vehicle monitoring region ( 8 ) sufficiently overlaps with a fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) when the vehicle ( 2 ) is at the target location ( 16 );   navigating the vehicle ( 2 ) to the target location ( 16 ), in an autonomous manner, based on the instruction signal S I  received by the vehicle ( 2 ) such that the vehicle monitoring region ( 8 ) and the fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) sufficiently overlap;   detecting the fire parameter K F  in the form of a verification fire parameter K V  of the fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) by means of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 );   determining a verification fire status Z V  by evaluating the verification fire parameter K V  by means of the vehicle ( 2 );   determining the reference fire status Z R  in the form of a verified reference fire status Z VR  by means of the vehicle ( 2 ) if the reference fire status Z R  and the verification fire status Z V  at least sufficiently match; and   initiating a fire extinguishing action by means of the vehicle ( 2 ) if the reference fire status Z R  was determined in the form of a verified reference fire status Z VR .   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , including the following additional step, which is carried out prior to the reception of the instruction signal S I : transmitting the corresponding instruction signal S I  to the signal receiving unit ( 10 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ) by means of a signal transmitting unit ( 44 ) of a central unit ( 22 ). 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , including the following additional steps, which are carried out prior to the transmission of the instruction signal S I : detecting a reference fire parameter K R  of the fire detector monitoring region ( 12 ) by means of a fire detector sensor unit ( 28 ) of a fire detector ( 14 ); determining the reference fire status Z R  by evaluating the reference fire parameter K R  by means of the fire detector ( 14 ); transmitting a fire detector signal S B  representing the reference fire status Z R  from the fire detector ( 14 ) to a central unit ( 22 ); and transmitting the instruction signal S I  to the vehicle ( 2 ) if the fire detector signal S B  transmitted by the fire detector ( 14 ) represents a reference fire status Z R  that requires verification. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the fire extinguishing action is carried out by means of a fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ). 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 25 , including the following additional step: determining a location ( 84 ) of the fire by means of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ) when the vehicle ( 2 ) is at the target location ( 16 ). 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , including the following additional step: navigating the vehicle ( 2 ) to an optimal location for discharging extinguishing medium based on the location ( 84 ) of the fire, wherein the fire extinguishing action is initiated when the vehicle ( 2 ) is at the location for discharging extinguishing medium. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28 , including the following additional step: discharging extinguishing medium for extinguishing a fire by means of the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ), by means of a nozzle ( 102 ) of the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) and for a predefined extinguishing period. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 28 , including the following additional steps: coupling an externally accessible output connector ( 128 ) of the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) to a mating connector ( 130 ) of a stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ); and transferring extinguishing medium from the vehicle ( 2 ) to the stationary extinguishing device ( 132 ) in order to extinguish a fire. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the fire extinguishing unit ( 100 ) comprises a first rotatable, pivotable and/or length-adjustable orientation device ( 116 ), on which the nozzle ( 102 ) is mounted, and wherein the method furthermore including the following step: orienting the nozzle ( 102 ) by means of the first orientation device ( 116 ) based on the location ( 84 ) of the fire such that extinguishing medium discharged by the nozzle ( 102 ) flows to the location ( 84 ) of the fire. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 31 , including the following additional steps: re-detecting a fire parameter K F  by means of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) during or after the discharge or transfer of the extinguishing medium; and determining an extinguished status if the re-detected fire parameter K F  represents an extinguished fire ( 4 ), wherein the extinguished status is determined based on the re-detected fire parameter K F . 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 31 , including the following additional steps: re-detecting a fire parameter K F  by means of the vehicle sensor unit ( 6 ) after the predefined extinguishing period and once again discharging extinguishing medium if the re-detected fire parameter K F  represents a fire, a preliminary fire stage and/or a smoldering fire.