Emergency vehicle locator and proximity warning system

• US 6,529,831 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2000
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Gordon James, Van Leeuwen, George Willard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US09/598,817
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/301, 701/302, 340/903, 340/902, 340/905, 340/988, 340/901, 340/435, 340/436, 342/455, 342/357.08, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

A method and system for alerting a driver of a commercial vehicle or private vehicle, such as a truck or automobile, of an approaching emergency vehicle, such as a police or fire vehicle, and vice versa. The system includes a navigation information system in each vehicle, a transmitter in the second vehicle, a receiver in the first vehicle, a processing system, and a warning system in the first vehicle. Each navigation information system provides data that describe the geographic position and speed of the vehicle. The receiver in the first vehicle receives the navigation information transmitted by the second vehicle. The processor and associated electronics in the first vehicle determines the position and direction of travel of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle. The warning system in the first vehicle provides a suitable indication to alert the driver if it is determined that the two vehicles are likely to collide.

Claims

1. A system for alerting a driver of a first vehicle of an approaching emergency vehicle, said first and emergency vehicles being land vehicles for operation on public streets, said system comprising:

a navigation information system in said first vehicle providing first vehicle navigation information including geographic position, direction and speed of said first vehicle;

a navigation information system in said emergency vehicle providing emergency vehicle navigation information including geographic position, direction and speed of said emergency vehicle;

a transmitter in said emergency vehicle transmitting at least a portion of said emergency vehicle navigation information;

a receiver in said first vehicle receiving movement information associated with movement of said emergency vehicle, said movement information including at least a portion of said emergency vehicle navigation information;

a processing system in said first vehicle determining a position and direction of said emergency vehicle relative to said first vehicle in response to said first and emergency vehicle navigation information; and

a warning system providing a human-perceptible indication in said first vehicle if said processing system determines said first and emergency vehicles are likely to converge within a predetermined proximity of one another;

wherein said processing system predicts whether said first and emergency vehicles will converge in response to information including a destination point of said emergency vehicle.

2. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein said emergency vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

firefighting vehicle;

police vehicle;

rescue vehicle; and

ambulance.

3. The system claimed in claim 1, further comprising a base station at a fixed geographic location receiving said emergency vehicle navigation information transmitted by said emergency vehicle and re-transmitting said emergency vehicle navigation information to said first vehicle.

4. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing system determines a location of a road intersection and updates its determination of said position and direction of said emergency vehicle relative to said first vehicle when said first vehicle is at a road intersection.

5. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein said warning system provides a visual display indicating said position of said emergency vehicle relative to said position of said first vehicle.

6. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first and emergency navigation information systems includes a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver.

7. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said processing system estimates a first amount of time for said first vehicle to reach a convergence point and a second amount of time for said emergency vehicle to reach said convergence point and determines whether both of said first and second amounts of time are less than a predetermined amount of time; and

said warning system provides said indication if said processing system determines said vehicles will both reach said convergence point within said predetermined amount of time.

8. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said processing system predicts whether said first and emergency vehicles will converge; and

said warning system provides said indication if said processing system determines said vehicles will converge.

9. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said system further comprises a base station at a fixed geographic location receiving signals transmitted by said emergency vehicle and transmitting signals to said first vehicle; and

said base station transmits to said first vehicle information identifying said destination point of said emergency vehicle; and

said processing system determines said convergence point in response to information including said destination point.

10. A method for alerting a driver of a first vehicle of an approaching emergency vehicle, said first and emergency vehicles being land vehicles for operation on public streets, said method comprising the steps of:

providing first vehicle navigation information in said first vehicle including geographic position, direction and speed of said first vehicle;

providing emergency vehicle navigation information in said emergency vehicle including geographic position, direction and speed of said emergency vehicle;

transmitting at least a portion of said emergency vehicle navigation information from said emergency vehicle;

receiving movement information associated with movement of said emergency vehicle in said first vehicle, said movement information including at least a portion of said emergency vehicle navigation information;

determining whether said first and emergency vehicles are likely to converge within a predetermined proximity of one another in response to said first and emergency vehicle navigation information, said determining step being performed by a processing system in said first vehicle, wherein said step of determining whether said first and emergency vehicles will converge comprises the step of predicting whether said first and emergency vehicles will converge in response to information including a destination point of said emergency vehicle; and

providing a human-perceptible indication in said first vehicle if said determining step determines said first and emergency vehicles are likely to converge within a predetermined proximity of one another.

11. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein said emergency vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

firefighting vehicle;

police vehicle;

rescue vehicle; and

ambulance.

12. The method claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving said emergency vehicle navigation information transmitted by said emergency vehicle and re-transmitting said emergency vehicle navigation information to said first vehicle.

13. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of determining whether said first and emergency vehicles are likely to converge within a predetermined proximity of one another comprises the step of determining a location of a road intersection.

14. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein said warning step comprises the step of providing a visual display indicating said position of said first vehicle relative to said position of said emergency vehicle.

15. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of providing first vehicle navigation information and said step of providing emergency vehicle navigation information comprises using global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers.

16. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of determining a position and direction of said emergency vehicle relative to said first vehicle comprises the steps of:

predicting whether said first and emergency vehicles will converge; and

providing said indication if said processing system determines said vehicles will converge.

17. The method claimed in claim 16, wherein said step of predicting whether said first and emergency vehicles will converge comprises the step of estimating a first amount of time for said first vehicle to reach a convergence point and a second amount of time for said emergency vehicle to reach said convergence point and determining whether both of said first and second amounts of time are less than a predetermined amount of time.

18. The system claimed in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

receiving signals transmitted by said emergency vehicle at a base station at a fixed geographic location;

transmitting signals from said base station to said first vehicle, including information identifying said destination point of said emergency vehicle.

19. An emergency vehicle warning system installed in a motor vehicle for operation on public streets, said system comprising:

a navigation information system in said motor vehicle providing first vehicle navigation information including geographic position and at least some data indicating future geographic position of said motor vehicle;

a receiver in said motor vehicle receiving emergency vehicle navigation information associated with movement of an emergency vehicle, said emergency vehicle navigation information including geographic position and at least some data indicating future geographic position of said emergency vehicle;

a processing system in said motor vehicle determining whether said motor vehicle and said emergency vehicle are likely to converge within a predetermined proximity of one another in response to said first and emergency vehicle navigation information; and

a warning system providing a human-perceptible indication in said motor vehicle if said processing system determines said motor vehicle and said emergency vehicle are likely to converge within a predetermined proximity of one another.

20. The system claimed in claim 19, wherein said navigation information system includes a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver.

21. The system claimed in claim 19, wherein said processing system further determines whether said motor vehicle and said emergency vehicle are likely to converge based on street data regarding the location of streets within the vicinity of said motor vehicle.

22. The system claimed in claim 19, wherein said processing system predicts whether said motor vehicle and said emergency vehicle will converge in response to information including a destination point of said emergency vehicle.