Emergency vehicle alarm system for vehicles

• US 5,495,243 A
• Filed: 07/27/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lou Mckenna
• Original Assignee: Lou Mckenna
• Inventors: McKenna, Lou
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US08/281,479
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 340/902, 340/904, 340/906, 340/901, 340/907, 340/942, 340/555, 340/556, 340/961, 340/903, 340/435, 340/436, 359/109, 359/142, 359/148, 359/154, 364/461
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

A light activated alarm system for indicating to the occupants of a second vehicle the presence of a first vehicle. The alarm system comprising a photosensitive cell, a receiver circuit and indicators. The photosensitive cell is mounted in one of a variety of locations on the second vehicle, including the rear bumper, the rear window well, the stop light in the rear window well, the roof or the antenna. The photosensitive cell is either silver dollar shaped or an array of preferably five photo cells in a semispherical or box shape. The signal from the photosensitive cell is detected, amplified, filtered and identified by the receiver circuit. When a signal from an activated light source is identified, the receiver circuit generates an indicator signal. The indicator signal activates one or more indicators to alert the occupants of the second vehicle to the presence of the first vehicle. Indicators include turning on or muting the second vehicle'"'"'s radio system and transmitting a signal through the radio system, turning off or muting the radio system and transmitting a signal through a separate buzzer system and turning on a separate visual display that flashes the words "Emergency Vehicle" or a red light. A return, feed-back indicator is also provided for notifying the driver of the first vehicle that the second vehicle received and processed the signal from the light source.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system for preventing collisions between a first land-traveling emergency vehicle and a second land-traveling vehicle, comprising:

(a) light signaling means carried by the first land-traveling emergency vehicle for emitting a light signal indicative of the first land-traveling emergency vehicle, said light signaling means emitting the light signal to the second land-traveling vehicle on a line-of-sight;

(b) light receiving means carried by the second land-traveling vehicle for receiving and identifying the line-of-sight light signal as coming from the first land-traveling emergency vehicle and generating an indicator signal; and

(c) indicator means carried by the second land-traveling vehicle for acknowledging receipt of the line-of-sight light signal coming from the first land-traveling emergency vehicle, said indicator means transmitting a visible return white light signal to the occupant of the first land-traveling emergency vehicle to notify the occupant of the first land-traveling emergency vehicle that the second land-traveling vehicle received the line-of-sight light signal, said indicator means connected to said light receiving means and activated by the indicator signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said light receiving means comprises an array of photocells for sensing the line-of-sight light signal from any direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said visible return white light signal is transmitted for a predetermined time period.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said light signaling means includes a strobe light which emits a high intensity light at a repetition rate of about 10 pulses per second.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said light signaling means includes a strobe light which emits a high intensity light at a repetition rate of about 14 pules per second.

6. A line-of-sight collision avoidance system for preventing collisions between a first land-traveling emergency vehicle and a second land-traveling vehicle, the system comprising:

(a) strobe light means carried by the first land-traveling emergency vehicle for emitting a strobe light signal indicative of the first land-traveling emergency vehicle, said strobe light means emitting the strobe light signal on a line-of-sight to the second land-traveling vehicle;

(b) a photosensitive sensor carried by the second land-traveling vehicle for sensing the strobe light signal and generating a sensed signal upon sensing the strobe light signal;

(c) signal receiving means for receiving the sensed signal and generating an indicator signal, said signal receiving means carried by the second land-traveling vehicle and connected to said photosensitive sensor;

(d) indicator means carried by the second land-traveling vehicle for indicating the detection of the strobe light signal to an occupant of the second land-traveling vehicle, said indicator means connected to said signal receiving means and activated by the indicator signal; and

(e) response means carried by the second land-traveling vehicle and facing away from the second land-traveling vehicle for emitting a visible return white light signal in response to the strobe light signal to an occupant of the first land-traveling emergency vehicle, said response means connected to said signal receiving means and activated by the indicator signal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said strobe light means emits a high intensity light at a repetition rate of about 10 pulses per second.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said strobe light means emits a high intensity light at a repetition rate of about 14 pulses per second.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said visible return white light signal is emitted for a predetermined time period.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said photosensitive sensor comprises an array of photocells for sensing the line-of-sight strobe light signal from any direction.