Direct dispatcherless automatic vehicle-to-vehicle and non-vehicle to vehicle police/emergency medical service notification system for life threatening accidents, hijackings, thefts and medical emergencies

• US 20020026266A1
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivan LLC
• Original Assignee: Sivan LLC
• Inventors: Montague, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 6,642,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A time-critical automatic, instantaneous and direct (dispatcherless) vehicle to vehicle, auto-routing Police/Emergency Medical Service vehicle, notification and response system that provides interactive and direct communication between a vehicle or individual in need of immediate emergency assistance, and the nearest (primary) mobile P/EMS vehicle that is available to respond to the exigency. Rapid notification and response is achieved by using a conventional Global Positioning System (GPS), a cellular phone optionally having positioning capability for transmitting the emergency signal, and a vehicle fleet management system (FMS). The latter is modified and designed to operate with a flawless vehicle theft and/or accident characterization technology. The central processing unit processes data from the GPS/FMS automatically and routes a distress call to a secondary or tertiary P/EMS vehicle, i.e., the next closest P/EMS emergency response vehicle(s), if the primary (nearest) P/EMS emergency response vehicle does not acknowledge receipt of the request for immediate assistance and intent to respond within a predetermined period. Optionally, a time-critical, life and property threatening multi-channel emergency number 767 (SOS) is presented to differentiate between the well known and often used 911 police emergency number.

Claims

1. A dispatcherless communication system for emergency notification of emergency events, comprising:

a) means for sensing an emergency event;

b) means for locating said emergency event;

c) means for transmitting an emergency signal in response to said means for sensing an emergency event and said means for locating said emergency event;

d) a central processing unit (CPU) for receiving said emergency signal;

e) said CPU being located at a central processing station and having a fleet management system (FMS) for monitoring the location of a plurality of emergency vehicles for providing emergency assistance; and

f) said CPU including means for locating and notifying one or more of said plurality of emergency vehicles closest to said emergency event to provide emergency assistance.

2. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, said CPU further including means for transmitting said emergency signal from said central processing station to a medical CPU for a central medical processing station or to a fire CPU for a central fire station, said medical CPU and said fire CPU each including means for locating and notifying one or more emergency vehicles closest to said emergency event to provide medical assistance or fire assistance.

3. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, further including means for locating and notifying the emergency vehicle next closest to said emergency event if said closest vehicle does not respond in a predetermined time period.

4. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, further including means at said central processing station for sending a confirmation signal to said emergency event confirming that an emergency vehicle is responding to said emergency event.

5. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting said emergency signal includes a wireless communication device preprogrammed for automatically sending said emergency signal.

6. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said emergency event is a vehicular accident, and said means for sensing includes a vehicle airbag or other accident sensor, and said emergency signal is coded to indicate a vehicular accident, and said central processing station is a police station and a central medical processing station.

7. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said emergency event is a vehicle theft, and said means for sensing includes a motion sensor for sensing a predetermined displacement signature pattern, and said emergency signal is coded to indicate a vehicle theft, and said central processing station is a police station.

8. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said emergency event is a criminal event against the driver of a vehicle (larceny or kidnapping), and said means for sensing includes a sensor to be activated by the driver, and said emergency signal is coded to indicate a criminal event against the driver, and said central processing station is a police station.

9. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said emergency event is a medical emergency, and said means for sensing includes a sensor to be activated by the driver experiencing a medical emergency, and said emergency signal is coded to indicate a medical emergency, and said central processing station is a police station and a central medical processing station.

10. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for locating said emergency event is a GPS (Global Positioning System), or an inertial guidance system.

11. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting said emergency signal is a wireless communication device.

12. A dispatcherless communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said CPU is a computer having means for processing fleet management data, GPS data and data from wireless communication devices.