Emergency vehicle warning system

• US 7,663,504 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald Raymond Shea, Sean Robert Votaw
• Original Assignee: Ronald Raymond Shea, Sean Robert Votaw
• Inventors: Votaw, Sean Robert, Shea, Ronald Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Shirley
• Application Number:
  US11/298,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 340902-903, 340/906, 340/539
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

An emergency vehicle transmits a Vehicle Present Signal when in transit on public roads responding to an emergency. The signal can include information relating to the type of emergency vehicle, local highway and terrain data, and the location, speed and direction of travel of the emergency vehicle. When the Vehicle Present Signal is detected by a first vehicle, a functional circuit within the first vehicle calculates the distance between the emergency vehicle and the first vehicle. If the vehicles are within a predetermined distance, a warning signal activates one or more warning systems, thereby notifying the driver of the first vehicle that an emergency vehicle is in the vicinity. A dead-band defined by first and second predetermined distances can be incorporated to prevent rapid cycling of the warning signal.

Claims

1. A method of warning a driver within a first vehicle of an emergency vehicle proximate said first vehicle, the method comprising the steps:

generating a Vehicle Present Signal from outside the first vehicle;

receiving said Vehicle Present Signal by a receiver within said first vehicle;

determining, from the Vehicle Present Signal, a distance between said emergency vehicle and said first vehicle;

activating a warning system within the first vehicle to an on-state if the distance is less than or equal to a first predetermined distance; and

,

governing the warning system by a governing circuit that includes a dead band defined by upper and lower limits respectively corresponding to the first predetermined distance and a second predetermined distance greater than the first predetermined distance, the step of governing the warning system including the step of preventing the warning system from cycling from the on-state to an off-state when a distance between the first vehicle and the emergency vehicle transitions from a distance less than or equal to the first predetermined distance to a distance within the dead band greater than the first predetermined distance.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the distance from the first vehicle to the emergency vehicle is determined according to a straight line distance between the emergency vehicle and the first vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the distance from the first vehicle to the emergency vehicle is determined according to the shortest path between the first vehicle and the emergency vehicle over existing highways.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of determining a distance comprises the step of measuring a signal strength of said Vehicle Present Signal.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining a distance comprise the steps:

i) defining a first coordinate position of said first vehicle;

ii) defining a second coordinate position of said emergency vehicle; and

, iii) determining a distance from said first coordinate position to said second coordinate position.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps:

cycling the warning system from an on-state to an off-state when the distance between the first vehicle and the emergency vehicle transitions from a distance within the dead-band to a distance greater than the second predetermined distance.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the Vehicle Present Signal comprises data selected from among a group of data consisting of a type of emergency vehicle, a location of the emergency vehicle, a speed of the emergency vehicle, direction of travel of the emergency vehicle, and topographical details.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the topographical details comprise information of roads, highways, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, highway construction, one-way streets, railroads, buildings, landmarks, and combinations thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein activating a warning system within the first vehicle includes activating a warning system selected from among a group of warning systems consisting of a visual warning, an audio warning, a mechanical warning, or combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of warning the driver with a visual warning comprises the step of activating a warning light.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of warning the driver with a visual warning comprises the step of activating a range-and-bearing display that includes a position of the first vehicle, and a position of the emergency vehicle relative to the first vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 8 wherein warning the driver with a visual warning comprises activating a visual display consisting of graphic data, text data, or combinations thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein activating a graphic visual display comprises activating a display of graphic visual images selected from among a group of graphic visual images consisting of topographical details, a position of the first vehicle relative to the topographical details, a type of emergency vehicle, a location of the emergency vehicle relative to the topographical details, a direction of travel of the emergency vehicle, and combinations thereof.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of warning the driver with a visual warning comprises displaying alpha numeric data selected from among a group of data consisting of a type of emergency vehicle, a distance between said emergency vehicle and said first vehicle, a speed of said emergency vehicle, a quantity of emergency vehicles proximate the first vehicle, and combinations thereof.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein an audio speaker is disposed within said first vehicle, the step of warning the driver with an audio warning comprising the steps:

i) transmitting a warning signal to said audio speaker; and

, ii) broadcasting a warning from said audio speaker.

16. The method according to claim 9 wherein said audio warning includes an audio description of a type of emergency vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 9 wherein said audio warning includes an audio description of a space-time relationship between said first vehicle and said emergency vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein said space-time relationship is selected from among a group of space-time relationships consisting of a straight line distance between said first vehicle and said emergency vehicle, an intersect distance between said first vehicle and said emergency vehicle over existing highways, a direction of said emergency vehicle relative to said first vehicle, a speed of said emergency vehicle relative to the earth, a speed of said emergency vehicle relative to said first vehicle, and combinations thereof.

19. The method according to claim 15 wherein a user selected sound is being broadcast to the audio speaker at a first volume prior to the step of determining a distance between said emergency vehicle and said first vehicle, the step of warning the driver with an audio warning comprising the step of reducing said user selected sound to a second volume that is less than said first volume.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the step of reducing said user-selected sound to a second volume is performed by a functional circuit.

21. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of warning a driver comprises activating a mechanical vibrator.

22. The method according to claim 13 wherein the topographical details are selected from among a group of details consisting of the type of emergency vehicle, roads, highways, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, highway construction, railroads, buildings, landmarks, and combinations thereof.

23. An apparatus for warning a driver controlling a first vehicle of an emergency vehicle proximate said first vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a) a signal-generator located outside the first vehicle for generating a Vehicle Present Signal;

b) a signal-receiver coupled to said first vehicle for receiving said Vehicle Present Signal;

c) a warning device within the first vehicle, said warning device configured to transition between on and off states; and

,

d) a functional circuit coupled to said signal-receiver, including a range-finder for determining a distance from said first vehicle to said emergency vehicle, the functional circuit further comprising a control circuit for controlling the warning device, the control circuit including a dead band having a lower limit corresponding to a first predetermined distance between the first vehicle and the emergency vehicle, and an upper limit corresponding to a second predetermined distance between the first vehicle and the emergency vehicle, the second predetermined distance being greater than the first predetermined distance, said control circuit being configured to cycle said warning device from an off-state to an on-state when a distance between the emergency vehicle and the first vehicle transitions from a distance greater than the first predetermined distance to a distance less than or equal to the first predetermined distance.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said range-finder is configured to measure the signal strength of said Vehicle Present Signal.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said range finder includes a digital circuit for determining a distance between a first and second set of coordinates.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the range finder includes a global positioning system.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the global positioning system is selected from among a group of global positioning systems consisting of Doppler satellite global positioning systems, Loran global positioning systems, Omega global positioning, cell triangulation positioning systems, and combinations thereof.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the warning device comprises a visual indicator selected from among a group of visual indicators consisting of a warning light, a range and distance display, a road map, a topographical display, a graphical icon indicating a type of emergency vehicle, and combinations thereof.

29. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the warning device comprises an audio device including an audio-signal generator, an audio-speaker, and a signal path having electrical continuity from said audio-signal generator to said audio-speaker, said functional circuit configured to control a signal produced by said audio-generator.

30. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said functional circuit comprises a digital storage member for storing digital data, and a processing member for processing said digital data.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said digital data includes data selected from among a group of data consisting of a type of emergency vehicle, a position of said emergency vehicle, a distance between said first vehicle and said emergency vehicle, a location of said emergency vehicle relative to said first vehicle, a recommended course of action for said first vehicle, data of streets proximate said first vehicle, data of a street location of said first vehicle, data of a street location of said emergency vehicle, the first predetermined distance, the second predetermined distance, and combinations thereof.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, the control circuit configured to prevent the warning device from cycling from the on-state to the off-state if a distance between an emergency vehicle and the first vehicle corresponds to a distance within the dead band.