Emergency vehicle signal control system

• US 9,283,887 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emergency Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Emergency Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Carpenter, Kevin, Israels, Kyle, Buehler, William S., Walma, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/299,261
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 340/456, 340/474, 340/438, 340/468, 340/467, 340/506, 340/901, 340/5.53, 340/902, 340/461, 340/471, 340/472, 340/435, 340/479, 340/463, 340/464
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0088 Details of electrical connections B60Q1/305 takes precedence; electrical connection of the light source itself F21S41/192, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/46 for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights or hazard lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking

Abstract

An emergency vehicle control system includes, among other things, one or more functional warning units positioned in various positions in an emergency vehicle. A central controller is configured to generate a desired state of the functional warning units and encode the desired state into a packet. Each of multiple remote controllers is functionally connected to at least one of the functional warning units. A functional connection between the central controller and the multiple remote controllers is configured to transmit the encoded packet from the central controller to each of the remote controllers. The remote controllers are configured to parse the desired state of each of the functional warning units in the encoded packet and set the state of each of the functional warning units based on the parsed encoded packet.

Claims

1. A method for controlling functional warning units on an emergency vehicle containing multiple functional warning units that are controlled by a central controller and multiple remote controllers remote from the central controller that are connected to the controller and to the functional warning units, the method comprising:

generating an input relating to a desired state of the functional warning units in the central controller;

encoding the desired state of the functional warning units into a packet in the central controller;

transmitting the encoded packet from the central controller to each of the remote controllers, wherein each remote controller is functionally connected to at least one of the functional warning units;

parsing the desired state of each of the functional warning units in the encoded packet at each of the remote controllers; and

setting the desired state of each of the functional warning units at the remote controllers based on the parsed encoded packet;

wherein the step of encoding the desired state into a packet includes embedding into the packet a data payload that contains a bitmap of the desired state of the functional warning units.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of generating the state of the functional warning units includes providing an input from a user to the central controller.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of generating the desired state of the functional warning units includes providing multiple inputs to the central controller.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the act of generating the desired state of the functional warning units includes prioritizing the one or more inputs.

5. The method of claim 3 where at least one of the multiple inputs includes an input from a second emergency vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting act takes place over a local interconnect network (LIN).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting act takes place over a wireless network.

8. A method for controlling functional warning units on an emergency vehicle containing multiple functional warning units that are controlled by a central controller and multiple remote controllers remote from the central controller that are connected to the controller and to the functional warning units, the method comprising:

generating an input relating to a desired state of the functional warning units in the central controller;

encoding the desired state of the functional warning units into a packet in the central controller;

transmitting the encoded packet from the central controller to each of the remote controllers, wherein each remote controller is functionally connected to at least one of the functional warning units;

parsing the desired state of each of the functional warning units in the encoded packet at each of the remote controllers; and

setting the desired state of each of the functional warning units at the remote controllers based on the parsed encoded packet

wherein encoding the desired state of the functional warning units into a packet includes encoding a flash pattern for one or more functional warning units as a predetermined sequence of ON and OFF states in consecutive packets.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the transmitting act is repeated at a predetermined frame rate.

10. An emergency vehicle control system comprising:

one or more functional warning units positioned in various positions in an emergency vehicle;

a central controller configured to generate a desired state of the functional warning units and encode the desired state into a packet and encode a flash pattern for the one or more functional warning units as a predetermined sequence of ON and OFF states in consecutive packets;

multiple remote controllers, each of which is functionally connected to at least one of the functional warning units;

a functional connection between the central controller and the multiple remote controllers and configured to transmit the encoded packet from the central controller to each of the remote controllers;

wherein the remote controllers are configured to parse the desired state of each of the functional warning units in the encoded packet and set the state of each of the functional warning units based on the parsed encoded packet.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the functional warning units include one or more lightbars, headlights, taillights, alley lights, gun locks, horns, perimeter lighting, or sirens.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the connection is a local interconnect network (LIN).

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the connection is a single network bus.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the central controller is further configured to be responsive to one or more inputs to set the current state of the functional warning units.

15. The system of claim 14 where the inputs include a human-machine interface (HMI) and the current state of the ignition switch.

16. The system of claim 14 where the inputs include the current state of at least one of the functional warning units.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the central controller is further configured to prioritize the one or more inputs.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the central controller includes a solid-state switching device configured to detect one or more of an over voltage condition, an over current condition, an open load condition, and an over temperature condition.