# US 10,769,918 B2 · Lockdown apparatus for initiation of lockdown procedures at a facility during an emergency > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,918 B2 - Document ID: US10769918B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/777,249 - Filed: 2020-01-30 - Published: 2020-05-28 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-23 - Assignees: Emergency Alert Solutions Group, LLC - Applicants: Emergency Alert Solutions Group, LLC - Inventors: Brian M. Lyman; Kevin G. Cherven - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769918B2 ## CPC - G08B 17/02: Mechanical actuation of the alarm, e.g. by the breaking of a wire - G06F 1/1632: {External expansion units, e.g. docking stations} - G07C 9/00: Individual registration on entry or exit - G07C 9/00182: {operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - G08B 3/10: using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission - G08B 5/38: using flashing light - G08B 7/06: using electric transmission {, e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources} - G08B 19/005: {combined burglary and fire alarm systems} - G08B 25/001: {Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation} - G08B 25/008: {Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system} - G08B 25/10: using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} - G08B 25/12: Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements {emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure} - G09B 5/04: with audible presentation of the material to be studied (sound recording or reproducing G11B) - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04M 1/0202: {Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets (constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03)} - H04W 4/90: Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] - G07C 2009/00269: {opening and locking of all locks at the same time} - H04W 4/14: Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Some embodiments are directed to a lockdown apparatus for facilitating initiation of lockdown procedures at a facility. The lockdown apparatus can include a combined actuator and image sensor assembly disposed at the facility that is configured to be recognizably distinguishable from a fire alarm actuator. The assembly can include a lockdown actuator configured to transmit a lockdown initiation signal upon being actuated, and an image sensor configured to capture at least one of a still image an a video image of a region proximate the assembly. The lockdown apparatus can also include a lockdown communicator configured to produce a lockdown initiation communication for communication initiation of lockdown procedures to the facility occupants and individuals not disposed proximate the facility upon transmission of the lockdown initiation signal, the lockdown initiation communication being recognizably distinguishable from a fire alarm communication. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lockdown apparatus for facilitating initiation of lockdown procedures at a facility that is configured for occupation by facility occupants and that includes a fire alarm, the fire alarm including a fire alarm actuator and a fire alarm communicator configured to produce a fire alarm communication for communicating actuation of the fire alarm actuator, the lockdown apparatus being usable with mobile wireless devices of responding authorities, the lockdown apparatus comprising: a lockdown controller; a combined actuator and image sensor assembly disposed at the facility that is configured to be recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm actuator, the assembly including a lockdown actuator configured to transmit a lockdown initiation signal upon being actuated, and an image sensor configured to capture at least one of a still image and a video image of a region proximate the assembly; and a lockdown communicator configured to produce a lockdown initiation communication for communicating initiation of lockdown procedures to the facility occupants and individuals not disposed proximate the facility upon transmission of the lockdown initiation signal, the lockdown initiation communication being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication; wherein the lockdown controller being operated by software for performing the following operations: receiving the lockdown initiation signal transmitted by the lockdown actuator; upon receipt of the lockdown initiation signal, transmitting the at least one of the still image and the video image captured by the image sensor and electronic blueprints of at least a part of the facility including the region proximate the assembly to the mobile wireless devices of the responding authorities, the electronic blueprints being configured to be displayed on the mobile wireless devices and facilitate communications between the responding authorities and at least one of the facility occupants. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assembly is configured such that the actuator and the image sensor are mounted at a single housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, further including multiple assemblies that each include an actuator and an image sensor, wherein at least one of the assemblies is configured such that the image sensor of the at least one assembly captures the at least one of the still image and the video image upon actuation of the actuator of the at least one assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The lockdown apparatus of claim 3, wherein the multiple assemblies are configured such that the image sensors of all of the assemblies capture the at least one of the still image and the video image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture video images. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, further including a storage medium, the image sensor being configured to transmit image data of the captured at least one of the still image and the video image to the storage medium, and the storage medium being configured to store the transmitted image data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The lockdown apparatus of claim 6, wherein the image sensor is configured to continuously capture and transmit the image data of the at least one of the still image and the video image to the storage medium, including periods prior to and subsequent to actuation of the actuator, to facilitate identification of circumstances relating to actuation of the actuator and to facilitate monitoring the region proximate the assembly subsequent to actuation of the actuator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture video images of the region proximate the assembly immediately subsequent to actuation of the actuator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, further including at least one display configured to display the at least one of the still image and the video image captured by the image sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The lockdown apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display is integrated into a mobile device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The lockdown apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display is statically disposed at the facility as to be viewable by at least one facility occupant. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assembly and the lockdown communicator are integrally formed at an integrated housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facility includes a surveillance system that is separate from the lockdown apparatus, and the lockdown apparatus further includes a processor controller is further configured and programmed to integrate the image sensor with the facility surveillance system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, further including supplemental image sensors configured to capture at least one of a still image and a video image of a region not proximate the assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to be manually actuated and to be statically secured to a surface of the facility. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a depressible button, the actuator being configured to transmit the lockdown initiation signal upon the button being depressed, the actuator also including a transparent cover that is disposed over the button and movable between open and closed positions, the open position enabling manual access to the button, and the closed position impeding manual access to the button. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, further including a supplemental actuator that is integrated into a manually actuable mobile wireless device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lockdown communicator includes: an annunciator that communicates an audible lockdown initiation annunciation to the facility occupants upon transmission of the lockdown initiation signal, the audible lockdown initiation annunciation being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication to instruct the facility occupants to adopt the lockdown procedures, and a visual indicator that communicates a visual indication to the facility occupants upon transmission of the lockdown initiation signal, the visual indication being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The lockdown apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the annunciator and the visual indicator is integrated into a mobile wireless device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The lockdown apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facility is configured to receive a regular supply of electrical power; the lockdown controller, the actuator, the lockdown communicator, and the image sensor being configured to receive the regular supply of electrical power; the lockdown apparatus further including a battery backup that is configured to provide power to at least one of the lockdown controller, the actuator, the lockdown communicator, and the image sensor upon an interruption of the regular supply of electrical power to the facility.