# US 2020/0402384 A1 · Systems and methods for early warning of seismic events > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0402384 A1 - Document ID: US20200402384A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/929,928 - Filed: 2020-07-15 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-19 - Assignees: Weir-Jones Engineering Consultants Ltd. - Applicants: Weir-Jones Engineering Consultants Ltd. - Inventors: Chris SELLATHAMBY; Iain WEIR-JONES; Anton ZAICENCO; Toby Evan George WEIR-JONES; Andrew James WEIR-JONES - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200402384A1 ## CPC - G08B 21/10: responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes - G01V 1/01: Measuring or predicting earthquakes - G01V 1/288: {Event detection in seismic signals, e.g. microseismics (G01V1/36 takes precedence)} - G08B 27/005: {with transmission via computer network} - G08B 29/188: {Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors} - G01V 2210/1232: Earthquakes - G01V 2210/41: Arrival times, e.g. of P or S wave or first break - G01V 2210/65: Source localisation, e.g. faults, hypocenters or reservoirs - G01V 2210/72: Real-time processing - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract A seismic warning system comprises: a plurality of sensors, each sensor sensitive to a physical phenomenon associated with seismic events and operative to output an electronic signal representative of the sensed physical phenomenon; a data acquisition unit communicatively coupled to receive the electronic signal from each of the plurality of sensors, the data acquisition unit comprising a processor configured to estimate characteristics of a seismic event based on the electronic signal associated with a P-wave from each of the plurality of sensors; and a local device communicatively coupled to the data acquisition unit. The plurality of sensors, the data acquisition unit and the local device are local to one another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A seismic warning system comprising: a plurality of sensors, each sensor sensitive to a physical phenomenon associated with seismic events and operative to output an electronic signal representative of the sensed physical phenomenon; a data acquisition unit communicatively coupled to receive the electronic signal from each of the plurality of sensors, the data acquisition unit comprising a processor configured to determine that the received electronic signals are indicative of a P-wave associated with a seismic event and to estimate characteristics of the seismic event based on the received electronic signals; and a local device embodied separately from the data acquisition unit and communicatively coupled to the data acquisition unit; wherein the plurality of sensors, the data acquisition unit and the local device are local to one another; wherein at least one of the processor and the local device are configured to determine local situational emergency measures to be implemented by the local device based on the estimated characteristics of the seismic event and specific conditions in existence at a specific location of the local device; and wherein the local device is configured to determine the specific conditions in existence at the specific location of the local device by performing an interrogation operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1, wherein the interrogation operation causes the local device to access, via a wide area network, an infrastructure database having information relevant to building infrastructure at the specific location of the local device and wherein the specific conditions comprise the accessed information relevant to building infrastructure at the specific location of the local device, such that the local situational emergency measures are based at least in part on the accessed information relevant to building infrastructure at the specific location of the local device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors and the local device are communicatively coupled to the data acquisition unit via hard-wired communication channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors and the local device are communicatively coupled to the data acquisition unit via a wireless communication channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors and the local device are communicatively coupled to the data acquisition unit via a local area network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1 wherein the local device comprises or has access to a GPS receiver for determining the specific location of the local device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1 wherein the data acquisition unit is pre-programmed with the specific location of the local device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the processor and the local device are configured to determine the local situational emergency measures to be implemented by the local device based on a time when the local situational emergency measures are determined. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1 comprising an additional sensor associated with the local device for measuring one or more phenomena and wherein the interrogation operation causes the local device to determine the specific conditions based on output from the additional sensor, such that the local situational emergency measures are based at least in part on the output from the additional sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The seismic warning system according to claim 9 wherein the additional sensor is located at the specific location of local device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1 wherein the local device comprises an embedded controller of industrial equipment and wherein the interrogation operation causes the local device to determine an operational state of the industrial equipment and wherein the specific conditions comprise the determined operational state of the industrial equipment such that the local situational emergency measures are based at least in part on the operational state of the industrial equipment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The seismic warning system according to claim 11 wherein the operational state of the industrial equipment is known to the embedded controller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The seismic warning system according to claim 11 comprising an additional equipment sensor associated with the industrial equipment for measuring one or more phenomena associated with the industrial equipment, and wherein the interrogation operation causes the local device to determine the specific conditions based on output from the additional equipment sensor, such that the local situational emergency measures are based at least in part on the output from the additional equipment sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The seismic warning system according to claim 11 wherein the local situational emergency measures implemented by the local device comprise causing the embedded controller to assume emergency operational control of the industrial equipment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The seismic warning system according to claim 11 wherein the local situational emergency measures implemented by the local device comprise causing the embedded controller to implement an emergency operational shut-down of the industrial equipment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the processor and the local device are configured to determine the local situational emergency measures to be implemented by the local device based on output from an additional sensor which measures one or more phenomena representative of damage caused by an S-wave of a seismic event. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) The seismic warning system according to claim 5 wherein the estimated characteristics of the seismic event include an estimated epicenter of the seismic event and wherein the local situational emergency measures implemented by the local device are based at least in part on a proximity of the local device to the estimated epicenter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The seismic warning system according to claim 1 comprising a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the data acquisition unit to receive the estimated characteristics of the seismic event from the data acquisition unit via a wide area data communication network. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The seismic warning system according to claim 18 wherein at least one of the processor and the remote computing device are configured to determine remote situational emergency measures to be implemented by the remote computing device based on the estimated characteristics of the seismic event and a specific location of the remote computing device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The seismic warning system according to claim 19 wherein the remote computing device comprises or has access to a GPS receiver for determining the specific location of the remote computing device.