Logistical and accident response radio identifier

• US 6,675,019 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James D. Thomson, Soheyl C. Salahshour
• Original Assignee: James D. Thomson, Soheyl C. Salahshour
• Inventors: Thomson, James D., Salahshour, Soheyl C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US09/347,838
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 455/521, 455/404, 455/556, 455/557, 701/201, 701/204, 340/991, 340/572.1, 340/539
• US Class Current: 455/521
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

An accident response radio identification system is provided for use with vehicles carrying hazardous loads for identifying the loads to safety personnel when the vehicle is involved in an accident. A first communication unit on the motor vehicle is adapted to selectively transmit information describing the hazardous load in response to receiving an activation signal from a remote second communication unit. The second communication unit is adapted to convert the information describing the hazardous load received from the first communication unit into a form intelligible by human safety personnel. In addition, a logistics system is provided for use with a motor for compiling logistical information relating to an accumulated time the motor vehicle is driven. The system includes a memory unit for storing driving log information, a sensor for sensing movement of the vehicle and a control unit for receiving signals from the sensor and converting the signals into vehicle operation information and storing that information in the memory as the driving log information.

Claims

1. A system for use with a motor vehicle for compiling logistical information relating to an accumulated time the motor vehicle is driven, the system comprising:

a responder device adapted to be carried by the motor vehicle, the responder device including;

a first radio frequency receiver for receiving an activation signal from an operatively associated source; and

a first radio frequency transmitter for selectively transmitting driving log information in response to receiving said activation signal;

a memory unit for storing said driving log information;

a sensor operatively connected to the responder device for sensing movement of the motor vehicle and generating a vehicle moving signal when said movement is sensed;

a control unit in the responder device for receiving said vehicle moving signal from said sensor and converting the vehicle moving signal into vehicle operation information and storing the vehicle operation information in said memory unit as said driving log information; and

,

a portable receiver device for selectively generating said activation signal and receiving said driving log information from the responder device, the portable receiver device being adapted to convert the driving log information into a first form intelligible by humans and including a second radio frequency transmitter for selectively generating said activation signal and transmitting said activation signal to said responder device; and

,

a second radio frequency receiver for receiving said driving log information.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is adapted for operative connection to a one of tires of the motor vehicle, an engine of the motor vehicle, and a computer control unit of the motor vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is a global positioning system adapted to determine a position of the motor vehicle relative to a set of associated satellites and landmarks on earth.

4. The system according to claim 1 further including a drivers receiver unit in selective operative communication with said responder device for retrieving said driving log information from the responder device and generating a human readable driving log based on the retrieved driving log information.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the responder device is adapted to selectively transmit said driving log information from the memory unit in response to receiving an actuation signal from an operatively associated source.

6. The system according to claim 5 further including a second electronic unit for selectively generating said activation signal and receiving said driving log information from the first electronic unit, the second electronic unit being adapted to convert the driving log information into a first form intelligible by humans.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the responder device is adapted for use with vehicles carrying hazardous loads for identifying the loads to safety personnel when the vehicle is involved in an accident, the responder device being adapted to selectively transmit information describing the hazardous load in response to receiving said activation signal from said electronic unit.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the portable receiver device is adapted to convert the information describing the hazardous load into a visual display intelligible by human safety personnel.

9. The system according to claim 7 wherein said portable receiver device is adapted to convert the information describing the hazardous load into an audible form intelligible by the human safety personnel.

10. The system according to claim 7 wherein said memory unit in said responder device is adapted to store said information describing the hazardous material including at least a one of a name of the hazardous material, a code associated with the hazardous material, safety information related to the hazardous material, information on a motor vehicle carrier company responsible for carrying said hazardous load, and information on a contact person responsible for said vehicle carrying the hazardous load.

11. The system according to claim 7 wherein:

the memory unit of said responder device is adapted to store a hazardous material identification code and selectively transmit the identification code as said information describing the hazardous load in response to receiving said activation signal from said portable receiver device; and

,

said portable receiver device includes a second memory unit adapted to store a database relating a plurality of hazardous material identification codes with a corresponding plurality of set of information describing the hazardous load including at least a one of a name of the hazardous material, safety information relating to the hazardous material, information relating to a carrier company responsible for said vehicle, and information on a contact person responsible for said hazardous load.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein said electronic unit is adapted to retrieve one of said plurality of sets of information from said memory unit based on said identification code transmitted by the first electronic unit and convert the retrieved one of the plurality of sets of information into said first form intelligible by human safety personnel.