Apparatus for communicating with law enforcement during vehicle travel and associated methods

• US 6,621,422 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Public Safety, LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Public Safety Incorporated (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Rubenstein, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung T
• Application Number:
  US09/968,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20030062998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/425.5, 340/933, 340/539, 340/990, 340/692, 340/995, 340/996, 340/999, 701/24, 705/22, 705/26, 705/27, 707/505, 707/506, 707/507, 707/508, 379/37, 379/38, 379/41, 706/933, 706/934
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An apparatus for communicating with law enforcement during vehicle travel and associated methods are provided. The apparatus preferably includes a department server in communication with a vehicle computer and also in communication with a plurality of law enforcement databases. The vehicle computer includes mobile data communications software and officer communications enhancing software. The officer communications enhancing software preferably includes one or more of an audio communicator to transmit enhanced audio law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software to the officer, an incident form completing enhancer to generate and populate incident forms, and a quick mapper to quickly generate and display a site overview map such as a top plan street view to an officer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communicating with law enforcement during vehicle travel, the apparatus comprising:

a first computer defining a department server in communication with at least one law enforcement database to supply law enforcement data to officers positioned in vehicles located remote from the department server;

a vehicle computer positioned within a law enforcement vehicle in communication with the department server and in communication with at least one audio speaker;

mobile data communications software stored on the vehicle computer to facilitate officer communication with the department server through the vehicle computer and to transmit and receive law enforcement data from the at least one law enforcement database through the department server; and

officer communication enhancing software stored on the vehicle computer and in communication with the mobile data communications software to enhance officer communication with the department server through the vehicle computer, the officer communications enhancing software including an audio communicator positioned to transmit enhanced audio law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software to the officer through the at least one audio speaker, the enhanced audio law enforcement data including a plurality of preselected and prerecorded audio messages responsive to the law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the audio communicator further includes an audio alarm generator positioned to transmit a plurality of audio alarms to the officer responsive to preselected law violation data received from the mobile data communications software, each of the plurality of audio alarms being associated with a preselected degree of law violation.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the plurality of audio alarms includes a plurality of alert tones, the plurality of alert tones including a short tone and a long tone.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the vehicle computer includes an officer display positioned to display data to the officer, and wherein the officer communications enhancing software further includes a form completing enhancer to generate and populate a plurality of preselected incident forms, the form completing enhancer including at least one form database including a plurality of preselected incident forms, a form display graphical user interface in communication with the form database to graphically display one of the preselected incident forms to the officer, and a form enhancing populator in communication with the mobile data communications software to receive the law enforcement data therefrom.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of preselected incident forms of the form database includes a plurality of incident form data fields including prepopulated data fields and officer interface populated data fields, the number of the plurality of the prepopulated data fields being substantially larger than the number of officer populated data fields, the prepopulated data fields including vehicle incident data fields and vehicle officer data fields, and wherein the form enhancing populator only populates the prepopulated data fields of each of the plurality of preselected incident forms.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, further including a high impact printer in communication with the vehicle computer to print data from the plurality of data fields to a preselected incident form having data field locations substantially corresponding to the plurality of data fields being displayed to the officer by the graphical user interface, the preselected incident form being a separate form having a plurality of form layers, the plurality of form layers including a first form layer having a first form data field layout and a second form layer underlying the first form layer and having a second data field form layout, the second data field form layout being substantially the same as the first form layer data field layout so that when the separate form is fed through the printer the high impact printer prints data or the first form layer and by impact also prints into the underlying second form layer.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the plurality of vehicle incident data forms includes at least one of the following:

at least one citation form, at least one accident form, at least one towing form, and at least one warning form.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the officer populated data fields include a plurality of statute citation data fields, and wherein the graphical user interface further includes a statute display menu having a plurality of preselected statute violations responsive to the officer to display to the officer to thereby allow the officer to select one of the plurality of preselected statute violations to be readily prepopulated into the plurality of statute citation data fields.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of preselected incident forms includes a plurality of form portions, a first form portion of the plurality of form portions being required to be completed and other form portions of the plurality of form portions being optionally completed, each of the plurality of form portions having a separate plurality of accident data fields including a plurality of prepopulated data fields and a plurality of officer populated data fields.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the officer communication enhancing software further includes a quick mapper responsive to officer call dispatch data including an incident location received from the mobile data communications software to quickly generate and display a top plan street view map of the incident location.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the quick mapper includes a map database having mapping data stored therein, a map applicator in communication with the map database to generate a map responsive to the incident location data, and a map applicator initiator in communication with the map applicator and the mobile data communications software to receive the officer call dispatch data and to communicate the incident location to the map applicator to thereby generate the top plan street view map of the incident location.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the high impact printer includes a first printer, the apparatus further includes a second non-impact printer also positioned in communication with the vehicle computer to print preselected incident forms and a printer selector responsive to the officer to send a form desired to be printed to a selected one of the first and second printers.

13. Officer communications enhancing software stored on a vehicle computer and in communication with mobile data communications software stored on the vehicle computer to enhance officer communication with the department server through the vehicle computer in communication with at least one audio speaker, the officer communications enhancing software comprising:

an audio communicator to transmit enhanced audio law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software to the officer through the at least one audio speaker, the enhanced audio law enforcement data including a plurality of preselected and prerecorded audio messages responsive to the law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software.

14. Software as defined in claim 13, wherein the audio communicator includes an audio alarm generator positioned to transmit a plurality of audio alarms to the officer responsive to preselected law violation data received from the mobile data communications software, each of the plurality of audio alarms being associated with a preselected degree of law violations.

15. Software as defined in claim 14, wherein the plurality of audio alarms includes a plurality of alert tones, the plurality of alert tones including a short tone and a long tone.

16. Software as defined in claim 15, wherein the vehicle computer includes an officer display positioned to display data to the officer, and wherein the officer communications enhancing software further includes a form completing enhancer to generate and populate a plurality of preselected incident forms, the form completing enhancer including at least one form database including a plurality of preselected incident forms, a form display graphical user interface in communication with the form database to graphically display one of the preselected incident forms to the officer, and a form enhancing populator in communication with the mobile data communications software to receive the law enforcement data therefrom.

17. Software as defined in claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of preselected incident forms of the form database includes a plurality of incident form data fields including prepopulated data fields and officer interface populated data fields, the number of the plurality of the prepopulated data fields being substantially larger than the number of officer populated data fields, the prepopulated data fields including vehicle incident data fields and vehicle officer data fields, and wherein the form enhancing populator only populates the prepopulated data fields of each of the plurality of preselected incident forms.

18. Software as defined in claim 17, wherein the plurality of vehicle incident data forms includes at least one citation form, at least one accident form, at least one towing form, and at least one warning form.

19. Software as defined in claim 18, wherein the officer populated data fields include a plurality of statute citation data fields and wherein the graphical user interface further includes a statute display menu having a plurality of preselected statute violations responsive to the officer to display to the officer to thereby allow the officer to select one of the plurality of preselected statute violations to be readily prepopulated into the plurality of statute citation data fields.

20. Software as defined in claim 19, wherein the at least one accident form includes a plurality of form portions, a first form portion of the plurality of form portions being required to be completed and other form portions of the plurality of form portions being optionally completed, each of the plurality of form portions having a separate plurality of accident data fields including a plurality of prepopulated data fields and a plurality of officer populated data fields.

21. Software as defined in claim 20, wherein the officer communication enhancing software further includes a quick mapper responsive to officer call dispatch data including an incident location received from the mobile data communications software to quickly generate and display a top plan street view map of the incident location.

22. Software as defined in claim 21, wherein the quick mapper includes a map database having a plurality of maps stored therein, a map applicator in communication with the map database to generate a map responsive to the incident location data, and a map applicator initiator in communication with the map applicator and the mobile data communications software to receive the officer call dispatch data and to communicate the incident location to the map applicator to thereby generate the top plan street view map of the incident location.

23. Officer communications enhancing software stored on a vehicle computer having an officer display connected thereto and in communication with mobile data computer having software stored on the vehicle computer to enhance officer communication with the department server through the vehicle computer, the officer communications enhancing software comprising:

a form completing enhancer to generate and populate a plurality of preselected incident forms on an officer display attached to the vehicle computer, the form completing enhancer including at least one form database including a plurality of preselected incident forms, a form display graphical user interface in communication with the form database to graphically display one of the preselected incident forms to the officer, and a form enhancing populator in communication with the mobile data communications software to receive the law enforcement data therefrom, the plurality of preselected incident forms including at least one citation form, at least one accident form, at least one towing form, and at least one warning form, the at least one accident form including a plurality of form portions, a first form portion of the plurality of form portions being required to be completed and other form portions of the plurality of form portions being optionally completed, each of the plurality of form portions having a separate plurality of accident data fields including a plurality of prepopulated data fields and a plurality of officer populated data fields, each of the plurality of preselected incident forms of the form database including a plurality of incident form data fields including prepopulated data fields and officer interface populated data fields, the number of the plurality of the prepopulated data fields being substantially larger than the number of officer populated data fields, the prepopulated data fields including vehicle incident data fields and vehicle officer data fields, the form enhancing populator only operatively populating the prepopulated data fields of each of the plurality of preselected incident forms, the officer populated data fields including a plurality of statute citation data fields, and the graphical user interface further including a statute display menu having a plurality of preselected statute violations responsive to the officer to display to the officer to thereby allow the officer to select one of the plurality of preselected statute violations to be readily prepopulated into the plurality of statute citation data fields;

a quick mapper responsive to officer call dispatch data including an incident location received from the mobile data communications software to quickly generate and display a top plan street view map of the incident location, a map database having a plurality of maps stored therein, a map applicator in communication with the map database to generate a map responsive to the incident location data, and a map applicator initiator in communication with the map applicator and the mobile data communications software to receive the officer call dispatch data and to communicate the incident location to the map applicator to thereby generate the top plan street view map of the incident location;

the vehicle computer being in communication with a high impact printer and in communication with print data from the plurality of data fields to a preselected incident form having data field locations substantially corresponding to the plurality of data fields being displayed to the officer by the graphical user interface, the preselected incident form being a separate form having a plurality of form layers, the plurality of form layers including a first form layer having a first form data field layout and a second form layer underlying the first form layer and having a second data field form layout, the second data field form layout being substantially the same as the first form layer data field layout so that when the separate form is fed through the printer the high impact printer prints data; and

the vehicle computer further being in communication with mobile data communications software to enhance officer communication with the department server through the vehicle computer when in communication with at least one audio speaker, the officer communications enhancing software further including an audio communicator positioned to transmit enhanced audio law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software to the officer through the at least one audio speaker, the enhanced audio law enforcement data including a plurality of preselected and prerecorded audio messages responsive to the law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software.

24. Software as defined in claim 23, further including an audio alarm generator positioned to transmit a plurality of audio alarms to the officer responsive to preselected law violation data received from the mobile data communications software, each of the plurality of audio alarms being associated with a preselected degree of law violation.

25. Software as defined in claim 24, wherein the plurality of audio alarms includes a plurality of alert tones, the plurality of alert tones including a short tone and a long tone.

26. Officer communications enhancing software stored on a vehicle computer having an officer display connected thereto and in communication with mobile data communications software stored on the vehicle computer to enhance officer communication with a law enforcement department server through the vehicle computer, the officer communications enhancing software comprising:

a quick mapper responsive to officer call dispatch—

data including an incident location received from the mobile data communications software to quickly generate and display a top plan street view map of the incident location, the quick mapper including a map database having a plurality of maps stored therein, a map applicator in communication with the map database to generate a map responsive to the incident location data, and a map applicator initiator in communication with the map applicator and the mobile data communications software to receive the officer call dispatch data and to communicate the incident location to the map applicator to thereby generate the top plan street view map of the incident location; and

the vehicle computer further being positioned in communication with at least one audio speaker, and the officer communications enhancing software further comprising an audio communicator positioned to transmit enhanced audio law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software to the officer through the at least one audio speaker, the enhanced audio law enforcement data including a plurality of preselected and prerecorded audio messages responsive to the law enforcement data received from the mobile data communications software.

27. Software as defined in claim 26, further including an audio alarm generator positioned to transmit a plurality of audio alarms to the officer responsive to preselected law violation data received from the mobile data communications software, each of the plurality of audio alarms being associated with a preselected degree of law violations.

28. Software as defined in claim 27, wherein the plurality of audio alarms includes a plurality of alert tones, the plurality of alert tones including a short tone and a long tone.

29. Software as defined in claim 28, further including a form completing enhancer to generate and populate a plurality of preselected incident forms, the form completing enhancer including at least one form database including a plurality of preselected incident forms, a form display graphical user interface in communication with the form database to graphically display one of the preselected incident forms to the officer, and a form enhancing populator in communication with the mobile data communications software to receive the law enforcement data therefrom.

30. Software as defined in claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of preselected incident forms of the form database includes a plurality of incident form data fields including prepopulated data fields and officer interface populated data fields, the number of the plurality of the prepopulated data fields being substantially larger than the number of officer populated data fields, the prepopulated data fields including vehicle incident data fields and vehicle officer data fields, and wherein the form enhancing populator only populates the prepopulated data fields of each of the plurality of preselected incident forms.

31. Software as defined in claim 30, wherein the plurality of vehicle incident data forms includes at least one citation form, at least one accident form, at least one towing form, and at least one warning form.

32. Software as defined in claim 31, wherein the officer populated data fields include a plurality of statute citation data fields and wherein the graphical user interface further includes a statute display menu having a plurality of preselected statute violations responsive to the officer to display to the officer to thereby allow the officer to select one of the plurality of preselected statute violations to be readily prepopulated into the plurality of statute citation data fields.

33. Software as defined in claim 32, wherein the at least one accident form includes a plurality of form portions, a first form portion of the plurality of form portions being required to be completed and other form portions of the plurality of form portions being optionally completed, each of the plurality of form portions having a separate plurality of accident data fields including a plurality of prepopulated data fields and a plurality of officer populated data fields.

34. A method of enhancing communication with a law enforcement officer positioned in a law enforcement vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting law enforcement data received from a law enforcement database in communication with the vehicle;

parsing the detected law enforcement data for preselected data fields;

audio announcing preselected and prerecorded audio messages responsive to data within the preselected data fields;

indicating levels of law violation; and

transmitting an audio alarm to the officer corresponding to the level of indicated law violation.