Emergency vehicle warning system
First Claim
1. A method of warning a driver within a first vehicle of an emergency vehicle proximate said first vehicle, the method comprising the steps:
- a) receiving said Vehicle Present Signal by a receiver within said first vehicle;
b) determining a distance between said emergency vehicle and said first vehicle; and
, c) activating a warning system within the first vehicle if the distance is less than or equal to a first predetermined distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An emergency vehicle transmits a Vehicle Present Signal when in transit on public roads responding to an emergency. The signal can include information relating to the type of emergency vehicle, local highway and terrain data, and the location, speed and direction of travel of the emergency vehicle. When the Vehicle Present Signal is detected by a first vehicle, a functional circuit within the first vehicle calculates the distance between the emergency vehicle and the first vehicle. If the vehicles are within a predetermined distance, a warning signal activates one or more warning systems, thereby notifying the driver of the first vehicle that an emergency vehicle is in the vicinity. A dead-band defined by first and second predetermined distances can be incorporated to prevent rapid cycling of the warning signal.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of warning a driver within a first vehicle of an emergency vehicle proximate said first vehicle, the method comprising the steps:
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a) receiving said Vehicle Present Signal by a receiver within said first vehicle;
b) determining a distance between said emergency vehicle and said first vehicle; and
,c) activating a warning system within the first vehicle if the distance is less than or equal to a first predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25)
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23. An apparatus for warning a driver controlling a first vehicle of an emergency vehicle proximate said first vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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a. a signal-generator for generating a Vehicle Present Signal;
b. a signal-receiver coupled to said first vehicle for receiving said Vehicle Present Signal; and
,c. a functional circuit coupled to said signal-receiver, including a range-finder for determining a distance from said first vehicle to said emergency vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer-usable medium having computer readable code embodied thereon, wherein said computer readable code, when executed by a computer, will cause said computer to perform the steps of:
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a. determining a distance between a first coordinate location and a second coordinate location; and
b. activating a warning device if said distance becomes less than a first predetermined distance.
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Specification