Event-activated reporting of vehicle location
First Claim
1. Apparatus for . .notifying others that a vehicle accident or other abnormal situation has occurred and of the location of the vehicle.!. .Iadd.vehicular communication.Iaddend., the apparatus comprising:
- a distance measuring system (DMS) signal antenna and receiver/processor . .and an activatable transmitter.!., attached to a vehicle to be monitored, that receives and processes DMS signals from one or more DMS signal broadcasters to determine the location of the . .antenna and, when the transmitter is activated,.!. .Iadd.vehicle;
a transmitter attached to the vehicle .Iaddend.to communicate . .this information to another person or facility that is spaced apart from the receiver/processor.!. .Iadd.the location of the vehicle when the transmitter is activated.Iaddend.;
vehicle condition sensing means, attached to the vehicle, for sensing . .the occurrence of at least one of a selected group of abnormal situations at the vehicle.!. .Iadd.a predetermined situation.Iaddend., the sensing means being . .electronically.!. connected to the transmitter so that, when . .one or more of the selected group of abnormal events or conditions occurs at the vehicle.!. .Iadd.the situation is sensed.Iaddend., the sensing means activates the transmitter . .and.!. .Iadd.which .Iaddend.communicates the location of the vehicle. ., at approximately the time the abnormal situation occurs.!.;
an operations sensor for .Iadd.periodically .Iaddend.sensing the value of a vehicle operating parameter at . .a sequence of times.!. .Iadd.an interval of time Δ
ts and for outputting the sensed value.Iaddend.; and
. .a temporary.!. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.information storage memory. ., connected to the vehicle condition sensing means,.!. that receives and . .holds.!. .Iadd.stores .Iaddend.the vehicle operating parameter values . .sensed.!. .Iadd.outputted .Iaddend.by the operations sensor. ., for a time interval of selected length Δ
ts after each such value is received, and that holds these values for a time interval of length greater than Δ
ts as soon as a vehicle abnormal situation occurs.!..
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus that is carried on a land vehicle, a marine vehicle or vessel, or an airborne vehicle or vessel for notifying others that a vehicle accident or other abnormal situation has occurred and for notifying others of the location of the vehicle at the time of the accident. The vehicle carries an distance measuring system (DMS) signal antenna and receiver/processor that receives DMS-type signals from one or more DMS signal broadcasters and determines the present position of the vehicle, plus an activatable transmitter. The vehicle also carries an abnormality sensing means that senses the occurrence of an accident or other abnormal situation involving the vehicle or a vehicle occupant. When an abnormal situation is sensed, the abnormality sensing means automatically activates the transmitter, which then communicates the fact that an abnormal situation has occurred and the location of the vehicle at the time the event occurred. Alternatively, the abnormality sensing means can activate the transmitter only after a vehicle operator has taken affirmative action indicating that the transmitter should be activated. Optionally, the transmitter can also communicate the time the event occurred. If the abnormal situation is (1) a vehicle accident, (2) inoperability of the vehicle, (3) inability of the vehicle operator or other vehicle occupant to continue (e.g., because of a rapid change in a present health condition of the occupant), the transmitter can also communicate information on (1) the severity of the accident, (2) the type or cause of vehicle inoperability, (3) the reason the operator or other occupant is unable to continue. Optionally, the system can also transmit, or hold for future analysis, the values of one or more vehicle operating parameters sensed at a sequence of times preceding occurrence of the abnormal situation. The DMS may be a Satellite Positioning System, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Global Orbiting Navigation System (GLONASS), or a ground-based radionavigation system, such as LORAN, Shoran, Decca or TACAN.
204 Citations
35 Claims
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1. Apparatus for . .notifying others that a vehicle accident or other abnormal situation has occurred and of the location of the vehicle.!. .Iadd.vehicular communication.Iaddend., the apparatus comprising:
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a distance measuring system (DMS) signal antenna and receiver/processor . .and an activatable transmitter.!., attached to a vehicle to be monitored, that receives and processes DMS signals from one or more DMS signal broadcasters to determine the location of the . .antenna and, when the transmitter is activated,.!. .Iadd.vehicle; a transmitter attached to the vehicle .Iaddend.to communicate . .this information to another person or facility that is spaced apart from the receiver/processor.!. .Iadd.the location of the vehicle when the transmitter is activated.Iaddend.; vehicle condition sensing means, attached to the vehicle, for sensing . .the occurrence of at least one of a selected group of abnormal situations at the vehicle.!. .Iadd.a predetermined situation.Iaddend., the sensing means being . .electronically.!. connected to the transmitter so that, when . .one or more of the selected group of abnormal events or conditions occurs at the vehicle.!. .Iadd.the situation is sensed.Iaddend., the sensing means activates the transmitter . .and.!. .Iadd.which .Iaddend.communicates the location of the vehicle. ., at approximately the time the abnormal situation occurs.!.; an operations sensor for .Iadd.periodically .Iaddend.sensing the value of a vehicle operating parameter at . .a sequence of times.!. .Iadd.an interval of time Δ
ts and for outputting the sensed value.Iaddend.; and. .a temporary.!. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.information storage memory. ., connected to the vehicle condition sensing means,.!. that receives and . .holds.!. .Iadd.stores .Iaddend.the vehicle operating parameter values . .sensed.!. .Iadd.outputted .Iaddend.by the operations sensor. ., for a time interval of selected length Δ
ts after each such value is received, and that holds these values for a time interval of length greater than Δ
ts as soon as a vehicle abnormal situation occurs.!.. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 31, 32, 35)
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23. A .Iadd.vehicle communication .Iaddend.method . .for notifying others that a vehicle accident or other abnormal situation has occurred and of the location of the vehicle, the method.!. comprising the steps of:
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providing a radionavigation distance measuring system (DMS) signal antenna and receiver/processor and an activatable transmitter, attached to a vehicle to be monitored, . .that receives and processes.!. .Iadd.the receiver/processor receiving and processing .Iaddend.DMS signals from . .at least three.!. DMS signal broadcasters to determine the location of the . .DMS antenna.!. .Iadd.vehicle .Iaddend.and . .to communicate.!. .Iadd.the transmitter communicating .Iaddend.this information . .to a recipient that is spaced apart from the receiver/processor.!. when the transmitter is activated; monitoring the vehicle for the occurrence of . .at least one of a selected group of abnormal situations at the vehicle.!. .Iadd.a predetermined situation.Iaddend., and, when . .one or more of the selected group of vehicle abnormal situations.!. .Iadd.the situation .Iaddend.occurs, activating the transmitter and communicating the location of the vehicle. ., at approximately the time the abnormal situation occurs.!.; .Iadd.periodically .Iaddend.sensing . .and storing, for.!..Iadd., at .Iaddend.a selected time interval of length Δ
ts, a . .sequence of values.!. .Iadd.value .Iaddend.of at least one vehicle operating parameter; and. .holding.!. .Iadd.storing .Iaddend.this . .sequence of.!. vehicle operating parameter . .values for a time interval of length greater than Δ
ts as soon as a vehicle abnormal situation occurs.!. .Iadd.value in an information storage memory.Iaddend.. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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33. sensed..Iaddend..Iadd.39. A vehicle communication system, comprising:
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a processor carried by the vehicle and adapted to determine the location of the vehicle; a sensor carried by the vehicle for sensing a condition of the vehicle at a sequence of times separated by an interval of selected length Δ
ts to generate a sequence of output values;an information storage memory that receives and stores said output values; and a transmitter carried by the vehicle and adapted selectively to transmit the location thereof as determined by said processor, and adapted selectively to transmit said output values stored in said information storage memory..Iaddend..Iadd.40. The system of claim 39, further comprising a situation sensing means carried by the vehicle for sensing the occurrence of a situation, said transmitter being activated by said situation sensing means..Iaddend..Iadd.41. The system of claim 39, further comprising an antenna carried by the vehicle for receiving signals from a distance measuring system (DMS) and providing the signals to said
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34. processor..Iaddend..Iadd.42. The system of claim 40, wherein the situation is an abnormal situation..Iaddend..Iadd.43. The system of claim 39, wherein the information storage memory stores the output values for a period of time greater than Δ
- ts..Iaddend..Iadd.44. The system of claim 40, wherein the sensor is disabled upon the occurrence of a situation..Iaddend..Iadd.45. The system of claim 41, wherein the DMS is a satellite-based radionavigation system..Iaddend..Iadd.46. The system of claim 45, wherein the satellite-based radionavigation system is one of a Global Positioning System or a Global Orbiting Navigational System..Iaddend..Iadd.47. The system of claim 46, wherein the DMS is a ground-based radionavigation system..Iaddend..Iadd.48. The system of claim 47, wherein the radionavigation system is one of LORAN, Decca and TACAN
Specification