Wireless control and coordination of light bar and siren

• US 8,963,705 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Code 3 Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Code 3 Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Roger L., Bakalor, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/691,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 340/471, 340/425.5, 340/474, 340/815.45, 340/825.36, 362/493, 362/523
• US Class Current: 340/471
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/50 Arrangements to reconfigure features of lighting or signalling devices, or to choose from a list of pre-defined settings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/00 Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00

Abstract

A wireless interface module is used with at least one of a light bar, a control head, and/or a siren so that a mobile device can wirelessly control the light bar and/or siren via a user interface.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating usage of emergency devices on emergency vehicles comprising at least one of:

two or more light bars, each light bar associated with a light bar controller that is configured to provide a repeating visual light pattern from its associated light bar;

two or more sirens, each siren associated with a siren controller that is configured to provide a repeating audio pattern from its associated siren;

or

one or more light bars and one or more sirens, each light bar associated with a light bar controller that is configured to provide a repeating visual light pattern from its associated light bar, and each siren associated with a siren controller that is configured to provide a repeating audio pattern from its associated siren;

wherein each light bar controller and each siren controller of which the system is comprised are linked by a communication medium and are configured to coordinate a timing of at least one of the repeating visual light patterns, the repeating audio patterns, or one or more of the repeating visual light patterns and one or more of the repeating audio patterns.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light bars comprise:

a first light bar mounted on a first vehicle and connected to a wireless communications circuit that is configured to provide a wireless communication link to the first light bar; and

a second light bar mounted on a second vehicle and connected to a wireless communications circuit that is configured to provide a wireless communication link to the second light bar; and

the system further comprising a mobile device configured with a wireless communications circuit to communicate wirelessly with the first and second light bars, the mobile device configured to transmit a coordinating signal to the first and second light bars to synchronize the repeating visual light patterns of the first and second light bars.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the following:

the repeating visual light patterns have repeating periods which are multiples of each other;

or

the repeating visual light patterns are timed to be out of synchronization with each other.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sirens comprise:

a first siren mounted in the first vehicle and connected to a wireless communications circuit that is configured to provide a wireless communication link to the first siren; and

a second siren mounted in the second vehicle and connected to a wireless communications circuit that is configured to provide a wireless communication link to the second siren; and

the system further comprising the mobile device configured with a wireless communications circuit to communicate wirelessly with the first and second sirens, the mobile device configured to transmit a synchronizing signal to the first and second sirens to synchronize the repeating audio patterns of the first and second light sirens.

5. A mobile device for coordinating usage of signaling equipment on a plurality of vehicles, the signaling equipment including a first light bar that is mounted on a first vehicle and provides a first visual light pattern, a first siren that is mounted on the first vehicle and provides a first audio pattern, a second light bar that is mounted on a second vehicle and provides a second visual light pattern, and a second siren that is mounted on the second vehicle and provides a second audio pattern, wherein the first and second light bars and the first and second sirens each have wireless connections, the mobile device comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the first and second light bars and the first and second sirens; and

a user interface for communicating commands to the first and second light bars and the first and second sirens; and

wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit a coordinating signal to the first and second light bars to synchronize the first and second visual light patterns; and

wherein the mobile device is further configured to transmit a synchronizing signal to the first and second sirens to synchronize the first and second audio patterns.

6. A system of signaling equipment remotely controllable by a mobile device that comprises a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with light bars and sirens located on one or more vehicles and a user interface for communicating commands to the light bars and sirens located on the one or more vehicles, the system comprising:

a light bar implemented with a wireless connection and configured to wirelessly receive from a mobile device operating instructions for controlling actuation of the light bar;

a siren implemented with a wireless connection and configured to wirelessly receive from the mobile device operating instructions for controlling actuation of the siren; and

a control head configured to send operating instructions to the siren and the light bar and configured to display status information relating to the siren and the light bar.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a wireless interface module adapted for operative connection to the light bar and the siren for providing a wireless communication link to the light bar and the siren;

and

wherein the system is configured for use with a mobile device configured with a wireless communications circuit to communicate wirelessly with the light bar and the siren via the wireless interface module when the mobile device is outside of the vehicle, the mobile device configured to transmit operating instructions to the light bar and the siren and configured to provide the user interface to receive the operating instructions to be transmitted to the light bar and siren.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the control head has a wired connection with the siren and the light bar.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the control head includes a display indicating a status of the light bar and a status of the siren, the user interface includes a display indicating the status of the light bar and the status of the siren, and the control head display and the user interface display are consistent with each other.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface that displays icons corresponding to the siren and the light bar.

11. The system of claim 6 further comprising a memory device connected to the wireless interface module, the memory device encoded with user interface instructions that when transmitted by the wireless interface module to the mobile device, result in a display of a webpage on the user interface of the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 6 further comprising a memory device encoded with a flash pattern program tool to be executed by a light bar processor associated with the light bar, the flash pattern program tool configured to change light flashing patterns stored in a memory of the light bar, and wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate with the flash pattern program tool via the light bar processor and via the wireless interface module to change the light patterns stored in the memory of the light bar.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein the mobile device is selected from a set of devices comprising:

a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet style computer, a laptop, a netbook, a utilitarian device having an integrated controller and a user interface, a flashlight having an integrated controller and a user interface, and a key fob controller.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the user interface of the mobile device comprises a mobile APP (application) that is executable by the mobile device for communicating with the wireless interface module.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising an interface for an additional vehicle system for controlling the additional vehicle system by the mobile device via the wireless interface module.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the user interface of the mobile device comprises a graphical user interface for display on a touch screen of the mobile device, the graphical user interface including a plurality of icons for controlling functions of the light bar and functions of the siren.

17. A system comprising:

a linking device configured to provide a hot spot for communicating over a global area network; and

at least one of two or more light bars, two or more sirens, or one or more sirens and one or more light bars;

wherein multiple ones of the light bars, multiple ones of the sirens, or at least one of the light bars and one of the sirens of the system communicate with each other via the hot spot and communicate with each other independent of the global area network.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein:

one of the light bars is implemented with a wireless connection and configured to wirelessly receive operating instructions for controlling actuation of the light bar; and

one of the sirens is implemented with a wireless connection and configured to wirelessly receive operating instructions for controlling actuation of the siren;

wherein the light bar and the siren are configured to communicate with each other via the hot spot, and wherein the light bars and the sirens of the system communicate with each other independent of the global area network.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the light bars and the sirens of the system do not communicate with the global area network.

20. A system comprising:

at least one of two or more light bars communicating with each other, two or more sirens communicating with each other, or one or more sirens communicating with one or more light bars; and

wherein each light bar and each siren of the system are controlled by a mobile device communicating via a cellular network.