Emergency vehicle alarm system and method

• US 8,258,979 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Albert G. Lemmons, Steven B. Riley
• Original Assignee: Albert G. Lemmons, Steven B. Riley
• Inventors: Riley, Steven B., Lemmons, Albert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US13/043,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

The emergency vehicle alarm system and method allows a user to select an emergency vehicle alert as a telematics service in a mobile vehicle. Once the user selects the alert service, a telematics operations center determines a service fee, bills the user, and debits the user'"'"'s account accordingly. The emergency vehicle alert telematics service warns a civilian vehicle of an approaching emergency vehicle. The system includes a transmitter located in the emergency vehicle that transmits a signal adapted for reception by a receiving module of a telematics system located in the civilian vehicle. When the emergency vehicle signal is received by the receiving module in the civilian vehicle, an audio and/or visual alert is generated to alert the occupants of the civilian vehicle that an emergency vehicle is nearby. The civilian vehicle'"'"'s telematics system may also display relative positioning of the emergency vehicle and the civilian vehicle.

Claims

1. An emergency vehicle alarm system, comprising:

means for providing an emergency vehicle alert as a telematics service deliverable to a mobile vehicle;

means for determining a service fee for the emergency vehicle alert service;

means for billing the user according to the service fee-determining step;

means for debiting the user'"'"'s account according to the billing step;

means for delivering the emergency vehicle alert service to the mobile vehicle, wherein when an emergency vehicle is in proximity to the mobile vehicle, an alarm is generated by the emergency vehicle alert service so that the occupants of the mobile vehicle are warned that the emergency vehicle is nearby;

means for sending an emergency alert from a priority vehicle to the mobile vehicle when said priority vehicle is in proximity to the mobile vehicle;

means for receiving the emergency alert in the mobile vehicle;

means for actuating said alarm in the mobile vehicle based on reception of the emergency alert from the priority vehicle;

means for silencing a program playing on a sound system of the mobile vehicle so that the occupants'"'"' attention is drawn solely to the emergency alarm presented inside the mobile vehicle; and

means for determining and displaying to occupants of the mobile vehicle relative positioning of the priority vehicle with respect to the mobile vehicle.

2. The emergency vehicle alarm system according to claim 1, wherein said alarm in the mobile vehicle comprises a flashing light clearly visible to the occupants of the mobile vehicle.

3. The emergency vehicle alarm system according to claim 1, wherein said alarm in the mobile vehicle comprises a distinctive sound clearly audible to the occupants of the mobile vehicle.