Emergency service warning system

• US 8,552,885 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHYCO Trading B.V.
• Original Assignee: PHYCO Trading B.V.
• Inventors: Rijks, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US12/615,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/902, 340/905
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

An emergency service warning system is described herein that is arranged to warn a user of approach of emergency services. The system includes movable emergency service transmitters (T) and at least one receiver (M, R), arranged to receive signals transmitted by the emergency service transmitters (T). The system is provided with at least one stationary emergency service communication device (M) for the purpose of communication with the emergency service transmitter (T) utilizing emergency service signals. The system includes at least one user receiver (R) which is arranged to detect emergency service signals and to deliver a warning signal upon detection of an emergency service signal.

Claims

1. An emergency service warning system, arranged to warn a user of approach of emergency services, the system comprising:

at least one movable emergency service transmitter;

at least one receiver arranged to receive signals transmitted by the emergency service transmitter; and

wherein the at least one receiver comprises;

at least one stationary emergency service communication device for communicating with said emergency service transmitter utilizing encoded digital emergency service signals by deciphering encoded content of the encoded digital emergency service signals, and

at least one user receiver arranged to detect, without deciphering a possible content of the encoded digital emergency service signals, an instance of the encoded digital emergency service signals and deliver a warning signal upon detecting the instance of the encoded digital emergency service signals.

2. The system according to claim 1, including multiple emergency service transmitters and stationary emergency service communication devices, which are part of a national or regional emergency service communication network, the emergency service communication devices comprising in particular stationary network stations.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the least one user receiver is taken from the group of user receiver types consisting of:

user receivers designed to be portable by a user; and

user receivers designed to be part of a user vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said encoded digital emergency service signals comprise at least one signal transmitted periodically by the transmitter, wherein said user receiver is arranged to detect said periodic signals for the purpose of detection of the respective transmitter.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter is arranged to transmit signals via different communication channels, within a predetermined frequency band, wherein the user receiver is configured to receive signals from the whole predetermined frequency band.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said user receiver is provided with a first band pass filter, arranged to pass only signals within said predetermined frequency band, wherein the mixer is set up to process the signals passed by the first band pass filter, wherein said user receiver is provided with a second band pass filter to filter the signal processed by the mixer anew, wherein an amplifier and transmitter are provided to amplify signals provided by the second filter and deliver an RSSI signal.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user receiver is provided with a mixer and an oscillator, which are arranged to remix signals received by the receiver to an intermediate frequency.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said user receiver is provided with a first band pass filter, arranged to pass only signals within said predetermined frequency band, wherein the mixer is set up to process the signals passed by the first band pass filter, wherein said user receiver is preferably provided with a second band pass filter to filter the signal processed by the mixer anew.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user receiver is provided with a digital signal processor, arranged to distinguish particular emergency service signals from interference signals.

10. The system according to claim 1, further provided with at least one stationary emergency service transmitter, wherein the stationary emergency service transmitter and mobile emergency service transmitters utilize different communication bands.

11. The user receiver of a system according to claim 1 wherein the system is arranged to perform the steps of:

transmitting, by the emergency service, encoded digital emergency service signals;

receiving, by one or more stationary emergency service communication devices, the encoded digital emergency service signals for subsequent deciphering of encoded content;

verifying without deciphering a possible content of the encoded digital emergency service signals, by at least one user receiver associated with a user, whether an instance of the encoded digital emergency service signal is being transmitted; and

delivering, by the at least one user receiver, a warning signal in response to detecting the instance of the encoded digital emergency service signals during the verifying step.

12. A method of delivering a warning in case of an approaching mobile emergency service, the method comprising the steps:

transmitting, by the mobile emergency service, encoded digital emergency service signals;

receiving, by one or more stationary emergency service communication devices, the encoded digital emergency service signals for subsequent deciphering of encoded content;

verifying without deciphering a possible content of the encoded digital emergency service signals, by at least one user receiver associated with a user, whether an instance of the encoded digital emergency service signals is being transmitted; and

delivering, by the at least one user receiver, a warning signal in response to detecting the instance of the encoded digital emergency service signals during the verifying step.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the encoded digital emergency service signals are transmitted via different channels within a predetermined frequency band, wherein the user receiver receives signals from the whole predetermined frequency band, comprising all said channels, and processes the signals to detect emergency service signals.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a bandwidth of the predetermined frequency band is greater than 1 MHz.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a bandwidth of the predetermined frequency band is at least 5 MHz.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the delivered warning signal provides information concerning the strength and/or direction of a detected emergency service signal.

17. The method according to claim 12, comprising transmitting a periodic signal, wherein said user receiver processes all signals received by the receiver to verify whether the signals comprise the periodic signal.

18. The method according to claim 12, comprising associating a location where an emergency service has been detected with position information.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the position information is position information provided by a GPS system.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising storing the position information.