VEHICLE SURVEILLANCE AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080238636A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DataChassi DC AB
• Original Assignee: DataChassi DC AB
• Inventors: Birging, Torbjorn, HILLIGES, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• 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 25/1045 Signal comming from the exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates

Abstract

A vehicle surveillance system has a plurality of side-light units mounted on opposite sides of a truck, bus, train or a similar long vehicle. The side-light units form an RF communication network on the vehicle. Each side-light unit comprises a day-running light source, a sensor for defining a surveillance zone on the side of said vehicle, said the sensor being arranged to detect an object or a movement of an object within the surveillance zone, and an RF transmitter which is controlled by said sensor and arranged to transmit an RF detection signal from said side-light unit. Existing day-running side-light units of a vehicle may be replaced with the inventive vehicle day-running side-light units.

Claims

1. A vehicle day-running side-light unit for use in a vehicle surveillance system comprising a plurality of vehicle day-running side-light units mounted on opposite sides of a vehicle, the side-light unit comprising:

a day-running light source;

a sensor for defining a surveillance zone on a side of the vehicle, the sensor arranged to detect an object or a movement of an object within the surveillance zone; and

an RF transmitter controlled by the sensor and arranged to transmit an RF detection signal from the side-light unit.

2. The side-light unit of claim 1, further comprising:

an RF receiver.

3. The side-light unit of claim 2, wherein the RF transmitter is arranged to transmit an RF signal in response to the RF receiver receiving an incoming RF signal from a second side-light unit in the system.

4. The side-light unit of claim 2, wherein the RF transmitter is arranged to transmit an RF signal in response to the RF receiver receiving an incoming RF signal from a central unit of the system.

5. The side-light unit of claim 2, wherein the RF receiver is arranged to receive an incoming RFID signal.

6. The side-light unit of claim 2, wherein the day-running light source is arranged to operate in response to the RF receiver receiving an RF alarm signal.

7. The side-light unit of claim 2, further comprising:

an audible alarm configured to operate in response to the RF receiver receiving an RF alarm signal.

8. A vehicle surveillance system comprising a plurality of side-light units mounted on opposite sides of a vehicle, wherein each side-light unit comprises:

a day-running light source;

a sensor for defining a surveillance zone on a side of the vehicle, the sensor arranged to detect an object or a movement of an object within the surveillance zone; and

an RF transmitter controlled by the sensor and arranged to transmit an RF detection signal from the side-light unit; and

wherein the plurality of side-light units form an RF communication network on the vehicle.

9. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 8, wherein each side-light unit further comprises:

an RF receiver.

10. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 9, wherein each RF transmitter is arranged to transmit an RF signal in response to a respective RF receiver receiving an incoming RF signal from a second side-light unit in the system.

11. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 9, wherein each RF transmitter is arranged to transmit an RF signal in response to a respective RF receiver receiving an incoming RF signal from a central unit of the system.

12. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 9, wherein each RF receiver is arranged to receive an incoming RFID signal.

13. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 9, wherein each day-running light source is arranged to operate in response to a respective RF receiver receiving an RF alarm signal.

14. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 9, wherein each side-light unit further comprises:

an audible alarm configured to operate in response to a respective RF receiver receiving an RF alarm signal.

15. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 8, wherein at least two of the surveillance zones of the plurality of side-light units overlap.

16. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 8, further comprising:

a central unit arranged on the vehicle comprising;

a central RF transmitter arranged to transmit central RF signals to at least one of the side-light units of the system; and

a central RF receiver arranged to receive RF signals from at least one of the side-light units of the system.

17. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 16, wherein the central unit is arranged to transmit a central RF alarm signal to the plurality of side-light units of the system in response to an RF detection signal received from one or more side-light units of the system.

18. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 17, wherein the central unit is arranged to transmit the central RF alarm signal only if one or more criteria have been met.

19. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 18, wherein the criteria comprises a criterion that the central unit has received RF detection signals from at least two adjacent side-light units of the system.

20. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 18, wherein the criteria comprises a criterion that the central unit has received at least two consecutive RF detection signals from a side-light unit during a predetermined time interval.

21. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 18, wherein the criteria comprises a criterion that the central unit has received at least two consecutive RF detection signals from at least two side-light units located on a same side of the vehicle during a predetermined time interval.

22. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 18, wherein the criteria comprises a criterion that a blinker of the vehicle is being activated on a same side of the vehicle on which an object or movement of an object has been detected.

23. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 17, wherein each side-light unit of the system is arranged to operate its respective day-running light source in response to the side-light unit receiving the central RF alarm signal from the central unit.

24. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 17, wherein each side-light unit of the system is arranged to generate an audible alarm in response to the side-light unit receiving the central RF alarm signal from the central unit.

25. The vehicle surveillance system according to claim 17, wherein each side-light unit is arranged to relay the received central RF alarm signal to a second side-light unit of the system in response to the side-light unit receiving the central RF alarm signal.

26. The vehicle surveillance system of claim 8, wherein the system is further arranged to communicate with a second surveillance system arranged on a second vehicle.

27. The surveillance system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the side-light units in the system is arranged to transmit an RF signal in response to receiving an incoming RF signal from another side-light unit in the system.

28. The surveillance system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of side-light units form a wireless mesh network.

29. A wireless communication system comprising a plurality of vehicle day-running side-light units mounted on opposite sides of a vehicle, wherein each side-light unit comprises:

a day-running light source;

an RF transmitter arranged to transmit RF signals; and

an RF receiver arranged to receive RF signals,

wherein the plurality of side-light units form a wireless RF communication network on the vehicle.

30. The communication system of claim 29, further comprising:

a central unit arranged on the vehicle comprising;

a central RF transmitter arranged to transmit central RF signals to at least one of the side-light units of the system; and

a central RF receiver arranged to receive RF signals from at least one of the side-light units of the system.

31. The communication system of claim 30, wherein each side-light unit is arranged to relay RF signals from an originating side-light unit in the system to the central unit.

32. The communication system of claim 30, wherein the side-light units are arranged to relay RF signals from the central unit to other side-light units in the system.

33. The communication system of claim 30, wherein the wireless RF communication network is a mesh network.

34. A method of using vehicle day-running side-light units for providing a wireless communication network on a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of day-running side-light units on opposite sides of the vehicle, each side-light unit comprising;

a light source;

an RF receiver; and

an RF transmitter;

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

providing a central unit arranged to operate as a node in the wireless communication network and to communicate with a side-light unit in the network.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving data at a first side-light unit from an originating side-light unit; and

transmitting the received data from the first side-light unit to the central unit.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving data at a first side-light unit from a central unit; and

transmitting the received data from the first side-light unit to a second side-light unit of the network.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the central unit is arranged to communicate with a remote network.

39. A method of providing a vehicle having a plurality of existing day-running side-lights with a surveillance system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of surveillance side-light units, each surveillance side-light unit comprising;

a day-running light source;

a sensor for defining a surveillance zone on a side of the vehicle, the sensor arranged to detect an object or a movement of an object within the surveillance zone; and

an RF transmitter controlled by the sensor and arranged to transmit an RF detection signal from the surveillance side-light unit; and

replacing existing day-running side-light units of the vehicle with surveillance day-running side-light units.