Errant vehicle interdiction device

• US 9,573,573 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Hickling
• Original Assignee: Michael Hickling
• Inventors: Hickling, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US14/974,641
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An errant vehicle interdiction device for stopping errant vehicles includes a transmitting unit that is line-of-sight limited. The transmitting unit emits a brake command and an engine off command. The device comprises a receiving unit that is coupled to a vehicle. The receiving unit is operationally coupled to the central processing unit of the vehicle. The receiving unit is positioned to receive the brake command and the engine off command from the transmitting unit. The receiving unit relays the commands to the central processing unit of the vehicle. The central processing unit of the vehicle issues the brake command to the braking system of the vehicle and the engine off command to the engine of the vehicle, bringing the errant vehicle to a stop.

Claims

1. An errant vehicle interdiction device comprising:

a transmitting unit, said transmitting unit being line-of-sight limited, wherein said transmitting unit emits a brake command and an engine off command;

a receiving unit, said receiving unit being coupled to a vehicle, said receiving unit being operationally coupled to the central processing unit of the vehicle; and

wherein said receiving unit is positioned to receive the brake command and the engine off command from said transmitting unit, wherein said receiving unit relays the commands to the central processing unit of the vehicle, such that the brake command is issued to the braking system of the vehicle and the engine off command is issued to the engine of the vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1, further including said transmitting unit being solar powered.

3. The device of claim 1, further including said transmitting unit comprising:

a first housing, said first housing defining an internal space;

a post, said post being coupled by a first terminus to a top of said first housing;

a solar panel, said solar panel being coupled to a second terminus of said post, such that said solar panel is positionable for harvesting solar energy;

a charge controller, said charge controller being positioned in and coupled to said first housing, said charge controller being operationally coupled to said solar panel;

a battery, said battery being positioned in and coupled to said first housing, said battery being operationally coupled to said charge controller, wherein said charge controller is positioned to control the charge level of said battery; and

an emitter, said emitter being coupled to said first housing and positioned through a front wall of said first housing, said emitter being operationally coupled to said battery, where said emitter is positioned in said first housing such that a brake command and an engine off command are emitted from the front wall of said first housing.

4. The device of claim 3, further including said first housing being substantially rectangularly box shaped.

5. The device of claim 3, further including said post being circular when viewed longitudinally.

6. The device of claim 3, further including a pole, said pole being couplable to said first housing, said pole being configured to secure said first housing in a roadside position, wherein said pole is configured for installation at a roadside location and positioned for mounting of said first housing, such that said emitter is positioned to emit a brake command and an engine off command to passing vehicles.

7. The device of claim 6, further including said pole having a plurality of mounting holes, such that said first housing is couplable to said pole at variable heights.

8. The device of claim 1, further including said receiving unit comprising:

a first coupler, said first coupler being complimentary to a penetration positioned in a vehicle, said first coupler being positioned on an interior wall of the vehicle;

a second housing, said second housing being complimentary to the penetration in the vehicle, such that said second housing is insertable into the penetration;

a second coupler, said second coupler being coupled to an exterior of said second housing, said second coupler being complementary to said first coupler, wherein said second coupler is positioned to couple with said first coupler to couple said second housing to the vehicle;

a detector, said detector being coupled to and positioned in said second housing, said detector being positioned through a side wall of said second housing;

a relay, said relay being operationally coupled to said detector and a computer processing unit of the vehicle; and

wherein said detector is positioned in said second housing to receive the brake command and the engine off command emitted by said transmitting unit, wherein said relay is positioned to relay the brake command and the engine off command to the computer processing unit of the vehicle.

9. The device of claim 8, further including said first coupler being positioned on the passenger side of the vehicle, said first coupler being positioned proximate to the front of the vehicle.

10. The device of claim 8, further including said second housing being substantially circular when viewed longitudinally.

11. The device of claim 8, further including said relay comprising wiring.

12. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

said first coupler comprising a female locking ring; and

said second coupler comprising a male locking ring.

13. An errant vehicle interdiction device comprising:

a transmitting unit, said transmitting unit being line-of-sight limited, wherein said transmitting unit emits a brake command and an engine off command;

said transmitting unit being solar powered;

said transmitting unit comprising;

a first housing, said first housing defining an internal space, said first housing being substantially rectangularly box shaped,

a post, said post being coupled by a first terminus to a top of said first housing, said post being circular when viewed longitudinally,

a solar panel, said solar panel being coupled to a second terminus of said post, such that said solar panel is positionable for harvesting solar energy,

a charge controller, said charge controller being positioned in and coupled to said first housing, said charge controller being operationally coupled to said solar panel,

a battery, said battery being positioned in and coupled to said first housing, said battery being operationally coupled to said charge controller, wherein said charge controller is positioned to control the charge level of said battery,

an emitter, said emitter being coupled to said first housing and positioned through a front wall of said first housing, said emitter being operationally coupled to said battery, where said emitter is positioned in said first housing such that a brake command and an engine off command are emitted from the front wall of said first housing,

a pole, said pole being couplable to said first housing, said pole being configured to secure said first housing in a roadside position, said pole having a plurality of mounting holes, such that said first housing is couplable to said pole at variable heights, and

wherein said pole is configured for installation at a roadside location and positioned for mounting of said first housing, such that said emitter is positioned to emit a brake command and an engine off command to passing vehicles;

a receiving unit, said receiving unit being coupled to a vehicle, said receiving unit being operationally coupled to the central processing unit of the vehicle;

said receiving unit comprising;

a first coupler, said first coupler being complimentary to a penetration positioned in a vehicle, said first coupler being positioned on an interior wall of the vehicle, said first coupler being positioned on the passenger side of the vehicle, said first coupler being positioned proximate to the front of the vehicle,

a second housing, said second housing being complimentary to the penetration in the vehicle, such that said second housing is insertable into the penetration, said second housing being substantially circular when viewed longitudinally,

a second coupler, said second coupler being coupled to an exterior of said second housing, said second coupler being complementary to said first coupler, wherein said second coupler is positioned to couple with said first coupler to couple said second housing to the vehicle,

said first coupler comprising a female locking ring, said second coupler comprising a male locking ring,

a detector, said detector being coupled to and positioned in said second housing, said detector being positioned through a side wall of said second housing,

a relay, said relay being operationally coupled to said detector and a computer processing unit of the vehicle, said relay comprising wiring, and

wherein said detector is positioned in said second housing to receive the brake command and the engine off command emitted by said emitter, wherein said relay is positioned to relay the brake command and the engine off command to the computer processing unit of the vehicle; and

wherein said receiving unit is positioned to receive the brake command and the engine off command from said transmitting unit, wherein said receiving unit relays the commands to the central processing unit of the vehicle, such that the brake command is issued to the braking system of the vehicle and the engine off command is issued to the engine of the vehicle.