# US 9,454,891 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 9,454,891 B2 - Document ID: US9454891B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/045,134 - Filed: 2016-02-16 - Published: 2016-06-16 - Granted: 2016-09-27 - 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/US9454891B2 ## 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 manually operated actuator disposed at the facility and configured to transmit a lockdown initiation signal upon being manually actuated. The actuator can be configured to be recognizably distinguishable from a fire alarm actuator. The lockdown apparatus can also include a lockdown communicator configured to produce a lockdown 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 communication being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication. The lockdown communicator can include an annunciator that communicates an audible annunciation to facility occupants upon transmission of the lockdown initiation signal, and that ceases to communicate the audible annunciation subsequent to a predetermined number of alarm cycles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A processor based lockdown controller for use with a lockdown system configured to facilitate implementation 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 system including a manually operated lockdown actuator disposed at the facility and configured to transmit an electronic lockdown initiation signal upon being manually actuated, the lockdown actuator being configured to be recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm actuator, the lockdown system also including a lockdown communicator configured to produce a lockdown 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 communication being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, the lockdown communicator including an annunciator configured to communicate an audible annunciation to facility occupants that is recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, and a visual indicator configured to communicate a visual indication to facility occupants that is recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, the lockdown system further including a manually operated override actuator configured to transmit a manually initiated override signal, the lockdown controller being operated by software so as to be capable of performing the following operations: receiving the lockdown initiation signal transmitted by the manually operated lockdown actuator; upon receipt of the lockdown initiation signal, instructing the annunciator to communicate the audible annunciation, and instructing the visual indicator to communicate the visual indication; instructing the annunciator to cease communicating the audible annunciation after the audible annunciation has been communicated for a predetermined number of alarm cycles; receiving the manually initiated override signal transmitted by the override actuator; and instructing the visual indicator to cease communicating the visual indication upon receipt of the manually initiated override signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of alarm cycles is three alarm cycles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 1, wherein each alarm cycle of the audible annunciation includes a distinctive and continuous sound followed by the word “LOCKDOWN”. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a user interface, and the software operates the controller to perform the additional operations of: initiating a drill mode upon manual actuation of the user interface; and upon initiation of the drill mode, instructing at least one of the annunciator and the visual indicator to operate in the drill mode in a manner that is different than the at least one of the annunciator and the visual indicator operate upon receipt of the lockdown initiation signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 4, wherein the user interface is configured to be manually actuated to initiate the drill mode upon manual input of a predetermined code. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 4, wherein the user interface includes the override actuator and is thereby configured to be manually actuable to transmit the override signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 4, wherein the software operates the controller to, upon initiation of the drill mode, instruct the annunciator to operate in the drill mode by communicating an audible drill annunciation that is recognizably different by facility occupants from the audible annunciation that is annunciated upon receipt of the lockdown initiation signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 7, wherein the audible drill annunciation includes the word “DRILL”. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The processor based lockdown controller of claim 4, wherein the software operates the controller to, upon initiation of the drill mode, communicate the initiation of the drill mode to the individuals not disposed proximate the facility. ### Claim 10 A processor based computer implemented method for operating a lockdown system to facilitate implementation 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 system including a manually operated lockdown actuator disposed at the facility and configured to transmit an electronic lockdown initiation signal upon being manually actuated, the lockdown actuator being configured to be recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm actuator, the lockdown system also including a lockdown communicator configured to produce a lockdown 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 communication being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, the lockdown communicator including an annunciator configured to communicate an audible annunciation to facility occupants that is recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, and a visual indicator configured to communicate a visual indication to facility occupants that is recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, the lockdown system further including a manually operated override actuator configured to transmit a manually initiated override signal, the method comprising using the computer to perform the steps of: generating an electronic lockdown initiation signal by manually actuating the lockdown actuator; transmitting the lockdown initiation signal to the annunciator to instruct the annunciator to communicate the audible annunciation for only a predetermined number of alarm cycles; transmitting the lockdown initiation signal to the visual indicator to instruct the visual indicator to communicate the visual indication; generating the override signal by manually operating the override actuator; and transmitting the override signal to the visual indicator to instruct the visual indicator to cease communicating the visual indication. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined number of alarm cycles is three alarm cycles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein each alarm cycle of the audible annunciation includes a distinctive and continuous sound followed by the word “LOCKDOWN”. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the lockdown system includes a controller that has a user interface, and the controller is capable of being operated by software to perform the additional operations of: initiating a drill mode upon manual actuation of the user interface; and upon initiation of the drill mode, instructing at least one of the annunciator and the visual indicator to operate in the drill mode in a manner that is different than the at least one of the annunciator and the visual indicator operate upon receipt of the lockdown initiation signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the user interface is configured to be manually actuated to initiate the drill mode upon manual input of a predetermined code. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes the override actuator and is thereby configured to be manually actuable to transmit the override signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the software operates the controller to, upon initiation of the drill mode, instruct the annunciator to operate in the drill mode by communicating an audible drill annunciation that is recognizably different by facility occupants from the audible annunciation that is annunciated upon receipt of the lockdown initiation signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the audible drill annunciation includes the word “DRILL”. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The processor based computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the software operates the controller to, upon initiation of the drill mode, communicate the initiation of the drill mode to the individuals not disposed proximate the facility. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer implementable instructions which, when implemented by a programmable computer, cause a computer to operate a lockdown system to facilitate implementation 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 system including a manually operated lockdown actuator disposed at the facility and configured to transmit an electronic lockdown initiation signal upon being manually actuated, the lockdown actuator being configured to be recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm actuator, the lockdown system also including a lockdown communicator configured to produce a lockdown 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 communication being recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, the lockdown communicator including an annunciator configured to communicate an audible annunciation to facility occupants that is recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, and a visual indicator configured to communicate a visual indication to facility occupants that is recognizably distinguishable from the fire alarm communication, the lockdown system further including a manually operated override actuator configured to transmit a manually initiated override signal, the computer implementable instructions being capable of causing the computer to perform steps comprising: generating an electronic lockdown initiation signal by manually actuating the lockdown actuator; transmitting the lockdown initiation signal to the annunciator to instruct the annunciator to communicate the audible annunciation for only a predetermined number of alarm cycles; transmitting the lockdown initiation signal to the visual indicator to instruct the visual indicator to communicate the visual indication; generating the override signal by manually operating the override actuator; and transmitting the override signal to the visual indicator to instruct the visual indicator to cease communicating the visual indication. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number of alarm cycles is three alarm cycles, and each alarm cycle of the audible annunciation includes a distinctive and continuous sound followed by the word “LOCKDOWN”; and wherein the lockdown system includes a controller having a user interface, and the computer implementable instructions operate the controller to perform the additional operations of: initiating a drill mode upon manual actuation of the user interface, and upon initiation of the drill mode, instructing at least one of the annunciator and the visual indicator to operate in the drill mode in a manner that is different than the at least one of the annunciator and the visual indicator operate upon receipt of the lockdown initiation signal.