LOW COST, AUTOMATIC COLLISION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20090261958A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sundararajan, Srinivasan, Rouhana, Stephen William
• Application Number:
  US12/103,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20090261958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• 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 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a low cost, automatic, vehicle collision notification system and method of initiation a low cost automatic vehicle collision notification. The system comprises an electronic controller with a buffer memory wherein resides information related to vehicle direction, speed, and restraint conditions; at least one vehicle crash sensor electronically connected to said electronic controller to produce data signals indicative of a vehicular crash at least one vehicle speed sensor electronically connected to said electronic controller to produce data signals indicative of actual vehicle speed and a cellular telephone chip electronically connected to said electronic controller the chip may be configured to automatically communicate directly with a PSAP/911 emergency call center as a native, local, high priority call when a vehicle crash is detected by the electronic control unit. The cellular chip may be capable of transmitting information from the electronic control unit buffer directly to a PSAP/911 emergency call center to facilitate the dispatch of assistance to the vehicle. The method includes operating a vehicle with an electronic controller receiving data signals indicative of vehicle speed, vehicle direction, restraint condition and storing it on rewritable memory in a buffer determining whether said vehicle is in a crash situation activating the cellular chip and placing a 911 telephone call and, initiating communication with said 911 emergency center and transferring information in said buffer to said 911 emergency center as a high priority call.

Claims

1. A low cost, automatic, vehicle collision notification system, comprising:

an electronic controller with a buffer and memory wherein resides information related to vehicle direction, speed, and restraint conditions;

at least one vehicle crash sensor electronically connected to said electronic controller to produce data signals indicative of a vehicular crash;

at least one vehicle speed sensor electronically connected to said electronic controller to produce data signals indicative of actual vehicle speed; and

a cellular telephone chip electronically connected to said electronic controller;

said chip configured to automatically communicate directly with a local PSAP/911 emergency call center as a native, local, high priority call when a vehicle crash is detected by said electronic controller;

said cellular chip capable of transmitting information from said electronic controller buffer to said PSAP/911 emergency center to facilitate the dispatch of assistance to said vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic controller memory is re-writable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle crash sensor may be selected from at least one of an accelerometer, airbag sensor, a pressure sensor, a pre-crash sensor, an occupant sensor, a seat belt buckle sensor, and a restraint sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a Global Positioning System or e911 embedded chip to provide additional location information to the electronic controller memory buffer for access by said cellular phone chip for transmission to a 911 emergency center.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said cellular chip further including two way voice communication with said 911 emergency center over a speaker in the event a vehicle crash is detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said information is comprised of vehicle location, crash sensor data, restraint sensor data, air bag sensor data, vehicle speed and direction of travel.

7. A method to facilitate a low cost, automatic vehicle collision notification to a PSAP/emergency 911 call center as a native, local high priority telephone call, comprising:

operating a vehicle with an electronic controller receiving data signals indicative of vehicle speed, vehicle direction, restraint condition and storing it on rewritable memory in a buffer;

determining whether said vehicle is in a crash situation;

transmitting a signal to a cellular chip indicative that said vehicle is in a crash;

initiating communication with a PSAP/911 emergency call center as a native, local, high priority.

8. The method of claim 7, further including transferring data from said electronic controller buffer to said PSAP/911 emergency call center.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transferring data is automatic upon initiating said communication with said PSAP/911 emergency call center.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein transferring data is voice activated.

11. The method of claim 7, further including vehicle location on said rewritable memory in buffer.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said data signal indicative of vehicle speed data signal is transmitted by a vehicle wheel sensor or road sensor.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said data signal indicative of vehicle direction is transmitted to said electronic controller memory by a compass.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the vehicle is in a crash situation included receiving data signals from sensors such as accelerometers, air bag sensors and vehicle restraint sensors.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein communication with said 911 emergency center includes a two way voice communication.

16. The method of claim 7, further including automatically notifying local police agencies that a vehicle crash situation may exist.

17. A method to facilitate a low cost, automatic vehicle collision notification to a PSAP/emergency 911 call center as a native, local high priority telephone call, comprising:

operating a vehicle with an electronic controller receiving data signals indicative of vehicle speed, vehicle direction, restraint condition and storing it on rewritable memory in a buffer;

determining whether said vehicle is in a crash situation;

transmitting a signal to a cellular chip indicative that said vehicle is in a crash;

initiating communication with a PSAP/911 emergency call center as a native, local, high priority call;

using a voice synthesizer to transmit information indicative of crash conditions to the PSAP/911 emergency call center;

determining whether the PAPS/911 emergency call center received and understood the information;

determining whether the PSAP/911 emergency center can accept data transmission of data signals indicative of crash conditions;

transmitting data signals indicative of crash conditions;

determining whether the operator desires two-way voice communication;

initiating two way communication for a predetermined period of time;

determine whether to continue two way communication beyond the predetermined period of time;

determining whether to terminate PSAP/911 emergency call center call disconnecting telephone communication after transmission of al information to the PSAP/911 emergency call center.

18. The method of claim 17, further including repeating the information to the PSAP/911 emergency call operator using the voice synthesizer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein if the operator does not wish to have the information repeated, inquiry is made whether the PSAP/911 emergency call center may accept data transmission in lieu of voice communication.