EMERGENCY VEHICLE CONTROL APPLICATION

• US 20150088339A1
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halcore Group, Inc. (AIP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Horton Emergency Vehicles
• Inventors: Fisher, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,795,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/00 Ambulance aspects of vehicles; Vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances, e.g. for facilitating access of, or for loading, wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program for remotely controlling a plurality of functions of an emergency vehicle, wherein at least one of the functions is activating the emergency lights. The method comprises connecting a mobile computing device to a central control unit through a wireless network, inputting a command on the mobile computing device, transmitting the command to the central control unit through the network, and performing the one or more functions of the emergency vehicle. Also provided is a computer program and a system for enabling a plurality of mobile computing devices to connect to at least one emergency vehicle, wherein an administrator may, among other things, control user access levels and vehicle functionality.

Claims

1. A method of remotely controlling an emergency vehicle electrical system, said method comprising:

connecting a mobile computing device to a central control unit through a wireless network, said central control unit operable to perform one or more functions of the emergency vehicle, wherein at least one function is activate emergency lights;

inputting a command on the mobile computing device, wherein the command corresponds to the one or more functions of the emergency vehicle;

transmitting the command to the central control unit through the network; and

performing the one or more functions of the emergency vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing a user security certificate on a mobile computing device, said user security certificate configured to enable secure communications to a central control unit having a vehicle security certificate installed thereon, said vehicle security certificate configured to enable said secure communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the one or more functions step further comprises generating a control signal according to the command, and transmitting said control signal to a corresponding module configured to perform the one or more functions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the corresponding module is a module selected from the group consisting of a lights module, an emergency module, a keyless remote module, a temperature control module, a diagnostics module, and a maintenance module.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the corresponding module comprises the lights module, wherein the lights module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of activate dome lights, deactivate dome lights, activate fluorescent lights, deactivate fluorescent lights, activate loading lights, deactivate loading lights, activate scene lights, and deactivate scene lights.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the corresponding module comprises the emergency module, wherein the emergency module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of activate emergency lights, deactivate emergency lights, activate red flash, deactivate red flash, activate white cutoff, deactivate white cutoff, activate front lightbar, deactivate front lightbar, activate rear lightbar, deactivate rear lightbar, activate intersection lights, deactivate intersection lights, activate chevron lights, and deactivate chevron lights.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the corresponding module comprises the keyless remote module, wherein the keyless remote module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of start engine, kill engine, lock doors, unlock doors, open windows, and close windows.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the corresponding module comprises the temperature control module, wherein the temperature control module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of detect internal temperature, increase temperature, decrease temperature, and set thermostat.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the corresponding module comprises the diagnostics module, wherein the diagnostics module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of check battery voltage, view GPS location, view trip log, view mileage, view fuel level, and view fuel efficiency.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the corresponding module comprises the maintenance module, wherein the maintenance module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of remind to perform oil change, remind to perform tire rotation, remind to align tires, remind to adjust timing belt.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon for controlling an emergency vehicle, said emergency vehicle having a central control unit, said central control unit operably connected to an electrical system and further configured to perform one or more functions of the emergency vehicle, wherein the program instructs a processor to perform the following steps:

receive, on a mobile computing device, a request from a user to establish a connection to the central control unit;

establish a wireless connection between the mobile computing device and the central control unit;

display, on the mobile computing device, a plurality of functions of the emergency vehicle, wherein at least one function is activate emergency lights;

receive, on the mobile computing device, a command from the user to perform one or more functions of the emergency vehicle; and

transmit, from the mobile computing device, the command to the central control unit.

12. The executable program of claim 11, further instructing the processor to perform the step of:

install, on a mobile computing device, a user security certificate, said user security certificate configured to enable secure communications to the central control unit having a vehicle security certificate installed thereon, said vehicle security certificate configured to enable said secure communications.

13. The executable program of claim 11, further instructing the processor to perform the step of:

generate, on the central control unit, a control signal according to the command received from the mobile computing device, and transmitting said control signal to a corresponding module configured to perform the one or more functions.

14. The executable program of claim 13, wherein the corresponding module is a module selected from the group consisting of a lights module, an emergency module, a keyless remote module, a temperature control module, a diagnostics module, and a maintenance module.

15. The executable program of claim 14, wherein the corresponding module comprises the lights module, wherein the lights module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of activate dome lights, deactivate dome lights, activate fluorescent lights, deactivate fluorescent lights, activate loading lights, deactivate loading lights, activate scene lights, and deactivate scene lights.

16. The executable program of claim 14, wherein the corresponding module comprises the emergency module, wherein the emergency module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of activate emergency lights, deactivate emergency lights, activate red flash, deactivate red flash, activate white cutoff, deactivate white cutoff, activate front lightbar, deactivate front lightbar, activate rear lightbar, deactivate rear lightbar, activate intersection lights, deactivate intersection lights, activate chevron lights, and deactivate chevron lights.

17. The executable program of claim 14, wherein the corresponding module comprises the keyless remote module, wherein the keyless remote module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of start engine, kill engine, lock doors, unlock doors, open windows, and close windows.

18. The executable program of claim 14, wherein the corresponding module comprises the temperature control module, wherein the temperature control module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of detect internal temperature, increase temperature, decrease temperature, and set thermostat.

19. The executable program of claim 14, wherein the corresponding module comprises the diagnostics module, wherein the diagnostics module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of check battery voltage, view GPS location, view trip log, view mileage, view fuel level, and view fuel efficiency.

20. The executable program of claim 14, wherein the corresponding module comprises the maintenance module, wherein the maintenance module is configured to perform functions selected from the group consisting of remind to perform oil change, remind to perform tire rotation, remind to align tires, remind to adjust timing belt.

21. An emergency vehicle control system comprising:

a communications component secured to an emergency vehicle, said communications component configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile computing device;

a central control unit operably connected to the communications component, said central control unit comprising an executable program that enables the mobile computing device to control at least one function of at least one module in the emergency vehicle control system; and

an emergency module operably connected to the central control unit, said emergency module at least configured to activate emergency lights.

22. The emergency vehicle control system of claim 21, further comprising:

a central server connected to a network, said central server at least remotely accessible by the mobile computing device for verifying user information and installing a user security certificate for secure communications between the mobile computing device and the central control unit.

23. The emergency vehicle control system of claim 22, wherein the central server is further accessible by at least one workstation, said workstation operable to provide administrative access for vehicle administration.

24. The emergency vehicle control system of claim 22, wherein the central server is further accessible by at least one workstation, said workstation operable to provide administrative access for user account administration.