Emergency signal intercepting unit

• US 8,928,492 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony Joseph Boscacci
• Original Assignee: Anthony Joseph Boscacci
• Inventors: Boscacci, Anthony Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAMERT, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US12/310,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,709 Days
• Field of Search: 455/45, 455/229, 455/228, 455/227, 455/404.1, 455/521, 340/902
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

A system to provide a warning to a person in a vehicle when the vehicle is proximal or in a danger area to an emergency services vehicle or a hazard area, the system comprising an emitter on the emergency services vehicle or in or adjacent the hazard area, a radio associated with the vehicle, the radio having a receiver to receive the signal from the emitter, a speaker, a decoder to send a warning signal to the speaker when the receiver receives a signal from the emitter.

Claims

1. A system to provide a warning to a person in a vehicle when the vehicle is proximal or in a danger area to an emergency services vehicle or a hazard area, the system comprising

a. an emitter on the emergency services vehicle or in or adjacent the hazard area;

b. a radio associated with the vehicle and a receiver sub-unit to receive a signal from the emitter, and at least one speaker;

of the vehicle; and

c. a unit including

i. the receiver sub-unit to receive a radio transmission from the emitter on the emergency services vehicle or in or adjacent to the hazard area,

ii. a decoder sub-unit to send a warning signal to a changeover switch sub-unit; and

iii. the changeover switch sub-unit switching between an audio signal from the radio and the warning signal from the decoder sub-unit and sends the warning signal to the at least one speaker when the receiver sub-unit receives the signal from the emitter to interrupt a radio output when the warning signal is sent;

iiii. the unit connected to the at least one speaker and a vehicle power source such that the warning signal is produced by at least one speaker from the decoder sub-unit through the changeover switch sub-unit when received without the warning signal relaying through the radio, the unit connected between the radio of the vehicle and the power source such that if the unit fails, the at least one speaker remains unpowered and will not function and the changeover switch sub-unit being normally closed to the decoder sub-unit; and

d. a cancelling switch to cancel the warning signal and return the speakers to normal operation even if the emitter is still within proximity to the vehicle to prevent the warning signal from being reactivated by the emergency services vehicle or whilst within or adjacent to the hazard area but allowing warning signals to be produced based on a radio transmission from the emitter on a second or further emergency services vehicle or in or adjacent to a second or further hazard area.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unit is coupled to an antenna of a vehicle and if a signal is received from the emitter, will send the warning signal to the vehicle speakers.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the unit is powered from the vehicle.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the warning signal comprises an audio signal.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unit is associated with an existing sound system associated with the radio and the unit mutes the existing sound system to interrupt any sound output therefrom whilst the warning is produced.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the unit interrupts the existing sound system regardless of the operational mode of the sound system.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unit is wired into a vehicle sound system to become an integral part of the vehicle'"'"'s sound system.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unit is portable.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the unit can be reset once activated to interrupt the radio output.