Emergency vehicle traffic signal pre-emption and collision avoidance system
First Claim
1. An emergency vehicle collision avoidance system including a plurality of emergency vehicles, each emergency vehicle comprising:
- (a) means for determining direction of travel of said emergency vehicle;
(b) an emergency vehicle transceiver arranged to transmit direction signals indicative of said direction of vehicle travel, and receiving direction signals indicative of direction of travel of other emergency vehicles;
(c) correlating means for calculating relative direction vectors based upon said direction signals indicative of vehicle travel of said other emergency vehicles; and
, (d) a graphical display arranged to depict a relative arrangement of said direction vectors.
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a system that allows operators of emergency vehicles to obtain graphic data regarding other emergency vehicles that may pose threats of collision. Automatic signaling takes place between emergency vehicles within range of each other to transmit directional data regarding the direction of travel of each emergency vehicle. This data is correlated to derive directional vectors relative to each other. These vectors are displayed so that the operator can quickly determine the direction of other vehicles with respect to his own. The system includes equipment for preempting traffic signals by selected emergency vehicles, and for informing other emergency vehicles that a traffic signal has been preempted.
314 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An emergency vehicle collision avoidance system including a plurality of emergency vehicles, each emergency vehicle comprising:
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(a) means for determining direction of travel of said emergency vehicle;
(b) an emergency vehicle transceiver arranged to transmit direction signals indicative of said direction of vehicle travel, and receiving direction signals indicative of direction of travel of other emergency vehicles;
(c) correlating means for calculating relative direction vectors based upon said direction signals indicative of vehicle travel of said other emergency vehicles; and
,(d) a graphical display arranged to depict a relative arrangement of said direction vectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
(i) a traffic signal transceiver arranged to operate in said first and said second modes of operation; and
,(ii) a controller arranged to operate said traffic signal based upon signals received from said emergency vehicle.
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10. The emergency vehicle collision avoidance system of claim 9, wherein said controller comprises means for selecting among incoming directional signals from a plurality of said emergency vehicles.
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11. The emergency vehicle collision avoidance system of claim 10, wherein selection among said incoming directional signals from said emergency vehicles is made based upon signal strength.
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12. The emergency vehicle collision avoidance system of 7, wherein an identity signal indicative of a selected emergency vehicle is broadcast in said second mode of operation by said traffic signal transceiver responsive to said means for selecting.
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13. A method of operating an emergency vehicle collision avoidance system including a plurality of emergency vehicles, each emergency vehicle operating according to said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining directional data indicative of a direction of travel of said emergency vehicle;
(b) sending directional signals to other emergency vehicles indicative of said directional data, said directional signals being sent in a first mode of transmission;
(c) correlating received directional signals to determine directional vectors based upon said directional signals received, and deriving relative relationships between said directional vectors; and
,(d) graphically displaying said directional vectors to depict relative directions of travel of said other emergency vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
step (d) of graphically displaying a directional vector further comprises the substep of;
graphically displaying a direction vector for said emergency vehicles.
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16. The method of claim 15, wherein said system includes at least one traffic signal having a transceiver and a controller, said method further comprising the step of:
(e) receiving at said traffic signal transceiver said signals indicative of directional data of said emergency vehicles, along with identity data of said emergency vehicles, to select an emergency vehicle from among a plurality of said emergency vehicles.
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17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:
(f) controlling said traffic signal responsive to directional data of said selected emergency vehicle.
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18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:
(g) broadcasting identity information for said selected emergency vehicle in a second mode of transmission.
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19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:
(h) displaying at each said emergency vehicle within range of said traffic signal transceiver an indication of said selected emergency vehicle.
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20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:
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(i) detecting passage of said selected emergency vehicle at said traffic signal;
(j) ending control of said traffic signal based upon directional data of said selected emergency vehicle; and
,(k) broadcasting an indication to all emergency vehicles within range of said traffic signal transceiver that control of said traffic signal is no longer based upon said selected emergency vehicle.
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Specification