Fully Integrated Light Bar

• US 20070195939A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Signal Corporation
• Original Assignee: Federal Signal Corporation
• Inventors: Sink, Gregory, Gergets, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

An emergency system for a vehicle integrates many disparate equipment into single housing. In one embodiment of the invention, the emergency system is a light bar. The light bar houses various modules for monitoring and responding to events. Example modules include license plate recognition systems and chemical agent detection sensors. The light bar also houses at least one transceiver for wirelessly connecting the light bar to a wide area network, allowing the modules in the light bar to communicate data to and from a remote site. A data terminal in the vehicle is connected to the light bar and receives and displays data to the vehicle operate generated by the modules in the light bar and also from data received over the network.

Claims

1. A system for use by a vehicle comprising:

an emergency device for mounting to the vehicle and housing at least one transceiver in wireless communication with a network and at least one device connected to the transceiver for transmitting emergency information over the network, where the information includes data other than voice communications that informs a recipient of real time conditions of one or more of the vehicle, its operator and the ambient environment of the vehicle and the operator; and

a control head in an interior of the vehicle in communications with the transceiver for controlling the transmission of the emergency information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the emergency device is a light bar.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the emergency information comprises data packets, each packet comprising address and data fields.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the network is one of a Wi-Fi network, a WiMax network, a public safety network and a cellular network,

5. The system of claim 1 including a wireless communications link between the at least one transceiver and the control head.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the wireless communication link is one of a Wi-Fi network, a Bluetooth network, a Zigbee network and a wireless USB network.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the device connected to the transceiver is one of a camera, a radar detector, a chemical agent detector, a biological agent detector, a license plate recognition system and a global positioning system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the emergency device houses a power source for the transceiver and device connected to the transceiver.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the power source comprises at least one of a battery, a fuel cell, and a solar panel.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the control head includes an interface for receiving the information from the emergency device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the control head includes a display to notify occupants of the vehicle of the information.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the display comprises a primary display through which another display is accessible for controlling said at least one device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the said at least one device is a video camera and said another display includes controls for the video camera.

14. A communications system comprising:

a community wide network;

at least one vehicle with an emergency device housing (1) at least one transceiver in wireless communication with the community wide network and (2) at least one device connected to the transceiver for transmitting information over the network including data other than voice communications informing a recipient of substantially real-time conditions of one or more of the vehicle, its operator and an ambient environment of the vehicle and operator; and

a centralized management console attached to the network for receiving data transmitted from the emergency device;

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the emergency device is a light bar.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the housing of the light bar contains a power source for the at least one transceiver and the at least one device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the emergency device houses a controller in wireless communication with a control head in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the emergency device houses more than one transceiver, with each transceiver in wireless communication with a corresponding community wide network.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the device connected to the transceiver is one or more of a camera, a radar detector, a chemical agent detector, a biological agent detector, a license plate recognition system and a global positioning system.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the network is a mesh network.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the mesh network is one of a Wi-Fi network and a Zigbee network.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the network is one of a cellular network and a WiMax network.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the data comprising the information sent to the centralized management console includes data identifying the vehicle.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle and the centralized management console includes a transceiver for transmitting information received from the first vehicle to a second vehicle having an emergency device.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the information is transmitted to the centralized management console as one or more data packets, each packet comprising address and data fields.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one vehicle with an emergency device is a first vehicle with a first emergence device whose transceiver transmits the information over the network to a second emergency device of a second vehicle where the information includes data informing a recipient at the second vehicle of the real time conditions at the first vehicle.

27. A method of communicating with a vehicle:

monitoring one or more sensors housed in an emergency module with at least one transceiver, the emergency module mounted to a vehicle;

automatically transmitting from the transceiver and to a network information comprising packets of data and address information, where the data indicates a real time condition detected by the one or more sensors;

receiving the information transmitted over the network at a centralized management console; and

evaluating the received information at the centralized management console against one or more predetermined criteria.

28. The method of claim 27 including transmitting information from the centralized management console to another vehicle in response to the evaluation of the received information.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the emergency module is a light bar.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the one or more sensors is one or more of a camera, a radar detector, a chemical agent detector, a biological agent detector, a license plate recognition system and a global positioning system.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the information is transmitted over one of a Wi-Fi network, a public safety network and a cellular network.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the information transmitted by the transceiver is received by another vehicle in addition to the centralized management console.

33. A method of retrofitting a vehicle with equipment for responding to an emergency, the method comprising:

providing a module housing (1) emergency equipment for mounting to the vehicle and (2) a source of power for the equipment;

mounting the module to the vehicle;

mounting a control head for the device in the vehicle;

establishing a wireless communication between the control head and the module; and

establishing a connection between a transceiver in the module and a community wide network, thereby enabling a user of the vehicle to communicate to others connected to the network.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the mounting of the module to the vehicle includes attaching the module to the roof of the vehicle.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the emergency equipment includes warning lights controlled by the control head.